Eight songs. I put lead guitars on eight songs this morning and it was all before 8:15am. My finger tips are a burning agony right now. I saved the song I am playing my step son’s guitar on for last. The strings are probably 7-8 years old and feel like barbed wire. I was hurting before I played that puppy, and I am hurting more now. Ouch babie, ouch.
I am speed mixing 50/90 songs tonight. I hope to crank out five before the new episode of Ahsoka comes out (in half an hour). I probably won’t finish quite that quickly, but one down and four to go.
I have failed miserably on the 50/90 front today, but I did manage to sneak in a quick mix.
Polyrhythms for the win… or the train wreck, depending on your mood, I guess.
No guitar playing this morning. I’ve had a couple of personal screw ups that have messed my plans up quite a bit today, and all before 8:00am. Wonderful.
I meant to play guitar but instead I just took today’s photo a day picture. I had a little fun with depth of field. F2 for the win. Today’s photo a day is 362. Only three days left. It would be just my luck to screw it up now.
I mentioned in a post the other day that the recording process for this year’s 50/90 challenge has been reduced to quick and dirty and it’s okay if things aren’t perfect, I just need them to be done. There isn’t enough time left on the game clock for nitpicking. That’s why I was able to mix three songs today in the hour and a half I spent struggling through lunch.
Of the three, one song is okay. One song is less than terrible. One song is almost terrible. Here I am sharing the one that’s okay. I am 90% sure I have written this song before but I am too lazy to go looking for it.
I now have 15 songs finished. 30% of the challenge is complete. Not bad considering I blew off almost three weeks this month.
I’ve already written about most of this, but in the interest of completeness and transparency (why?) here’s an official write up of today’s 50/90 challenge activities.
I put vocals on five songs.
I wrote a new song including MIDI bass and drums, the full song form, all of the rhythm guitar tracks, the melody and the lyrics.
I put rhythm guitars onto an additional three songs, one of which was played on my step son’s guitar.
I put lead guitars onto five songs including a couple of the songs that got vocal tracks this morning.
I wrote lyrics and melodies to three additional songs on top of the one I already mentioned.
Looks like another car music is in store for tomorrow morning. Excellent.
I spent two hours recording guitars today. I got through so much that I can’t even remember it all.
I started by adding song idea #37. I threw it together on-mic, as it goes. I recorded it as I was writing the guitar parts. It’s super simple but it exists now when it didn’t before. Cool.
I then put rhythm guitars onto three more songs. There is a twist on one of them, I’ll share it in a bit.
I put lead guitars on a bunch of songs… I actually forget how many. Let me check my trello notes… five songs. I put leads onto five songs.
Add the five songs that got vocals this morning and it’s been a pretty cool day, music-wise.
How about some gratuitous guitar pics?
So what about that twist that I mentioned? Years ago my step son was taking guitar lessons. For his birthday I bought him a very inexpensive beginner/student guitar. Given that it was me doing the shopping, I of course bought him a Les Paul. Not a Gibson, but an Epiphone package deal that came with a tiny little solid state amp.
When he moved out we cleaned out his room and I saw the guitar sitting in his closet. He doesn’t play anymore. He’s a piano guy and a percussion guy. Guitar fell off of his musical map. I told him I wanted to play his guitar on my recording project thingie and he didn’t say no so…
One of the songs that got rhythm guitars was played on Harry’s Epiphone Les Paul Special II. Gratuitous photos, of course.
What’s left to do tonight? Hopefully more lyrics and melodies. Maybe a mix or two? We’ll see.
I already wrote about car music this morning. I put vocals on three songs. What have I done since then?
Well, first I added another song idea. That’s idea number 35. It’s just bass riffs for now. Later, after dinner tonight, I started writing melodies and lyrics. I got through five songs. Count ’em, five songs. They are all crap, but that gives me more than enough for another round of car music tomorrow. Hopefully I’ll follow the morning car music with a pile of guitar tracks. I am hoping to use my step son’s Epiphone beginner model Les Paul copy on at least a song or two, and hopefully that will happen tomorrow.
Plans are in place, I just have to follow through. Progress!
I mentioned this morning that I put rhythm guitars on two songs and lead guitars on two other songs. Tonight after dinner, while binging season six of the original Doctor Who, I wrote lyrics and melodies for three songs.
You know what that means?
Car music in the morning.
That’s the plan at least. We’ll see if it pans out or not. Fingers crossed. I’ll let you know.
It’s 9:00am on Thursday. I am punched into work, starting the day for reals. What did I do before work? Besides my morning exercise, breakfast, a shower, and a kiss for my wife as she left for the office for the day?
I played some guitar. I put rhythm guitars onto two songs and lead guitars onto two other songs. I have a metric ton of stuff left to do by the end of next month, but we’re picking away at it and a little progress was made. Sigh of relief, babie!
Inside the Red Head's Head 