Category: Song Writing

Nerd Alert

I often make a Google Document for keeping notes on my RPM Challenge progress. Start a new idea, add it to the doc. Write some lyrics, add them to the doc. I just sometimes need something to help me keep my thoughts in order. Sometimes I use a Google Spreadsheet to keep track of which guitars I use on each song, or which amplifier patch, or beats per minute, or really anything you can think of.

Today I upped my nerd game. I created a Trello board to keep track of this year’s project. There is a list for songs that are just in the idea phase, songs that are in the recording instruments phase, songs in the vocals/lyrics phase (lyrics and melodies are always the last thing I write), and songs that are in the mixing phase. Each time I start a new idea I will add a card to the idea list. Then as I add to it I can make notes on what I did in each card, and move it between lists as it progresses.

I’m waiving my nerd flag high this year.

Note to Self

Here’s a little reminder to myself.

I own two good pairs of (sort of) noise cancelling headphones.  From this point on I must remember to use one of them when recording guitars through my amplifier.  This morning I recorded all of the guitar parts for one song, playing my Les Paul through my old Fender amp (just like when I was in the band Prime Meridian, oh the memories).  I literally had the volume set to 1, but I was using ear pods to listen to the playback while overdubbing and, well, the amp on 1 is much loader than the ear buds can comfortably drown out.

My ears are still ringing, but I got a couple of decent takes.

There are five songs in progress right now.  I’m thinking I want to record 20.  I will (probably) finish these five before starting any more.  Well, finish not counting re-recording the drum parts with actual drums.  I’m still on the fence about wanting to do that.  Everything else though, guitars, bass, vocals, will get re-done.  Three of the songs have keyboards.  Those will probably stay midi, unless I want to bring in someone else to play them for real and they are way too simplistic to insult an actual keyboard player by asking for that.

I will bring the Squire P Bass I loaned to Mike the Bass Player home with me after the next band practice, assuming Mike doesn’t need it for a while, and after all the bass parts and Fender amp parts are done I will bring the Marshall home and re-do all of the guitars again using that amp.  In the end I’ll have all of the rhythm parts quadruple tracked using two amps.  The Smashing Pumpkins fan in me is drooling at that potential of such a layering of fuzz.

New RPM on the Bandcamp Page

I uploaded the new RPM music to bandcamp. Please don’t pay for this. If you want it you can get it at my alonetone site for nuttin. If you insist on shelling out some dough, I would ask you to donate it to rpmchallenge.com.

The Last RPM Song!

That’s it kiddos, I’m done with RPM for another year! The last song has been mixed, the cover art is done and the running order is set. All I have left to do is burn a CD, print the cover, and drop it off at headquarters.

I’ll share a playlist with the final running order soon. Probably tomorrow. For now? Sleep!

13 Songs Finished

I mixed a song at lunch time today and it immediately went onto the cut list. I just don’t like it. So I am not posting it here. Then after playing karate chauffeur to the kids all evening I mixed this one. It also probably belongs on the cut list, but it isn’t so bad.

And One More Makes 11

Song #11. I started this one last night, after I had already sketched out song #14, with 14 songs being the goal. So this is sort of overkill, but I like it more than most of the other songs so it’s a keeper.

Finish Line in Sight

The finish line is in sight for both the RPM Challenge and FAWM.

I put a very crappy vocal onto a song this morning before work.  Once that song is mixed, there will be 10 songs and more than 35 minutes.  Check and Check for RPM.  There are also three additional songs that I hope to put vocals on tomorrow.  If I can do that it will bring me up to 13 songs, one shy of a complete FAWM.

Last night, just before bed, I sketched out a little instrumental thing.  It will just basically be bass and guitar trading off.  Nothing terribly interesting there.  However, there is a bed consisting of a looped recording of the water dripping off of our picture window into a bunch of metal pots.  I recorded a couple of minutes worth of that sound and then chopped it into pieces so that it can drift around the stereo field, and every few seconds it will add more and more reverb and echo.  In all it will sound tres stupid, but it counts in my book.

That means I have one guitar part to finish and three vocals, and then mix mix mix.  If I am feeling dangerous tonight I might try to add another short vocal song.  That would mean I have to finish four vocals by about noon tomorrow, but it might be worth a shot.

RPM Song #9

Let’s take stock of the ol’ RPM Challenge, shall we?

The goal is 10 songs or 35 minutes of music. Right.

I currently stand at 9 songs and 34:41.

SONOFA!! 19 seconds short!

I have four more songs in progress. None of which have lyrics yet. That’s the sticking point right there now isn’t it.

I’ll have before work time on Tuesday. On Wednesday I took a vacation day, but the kids are on school vacation so I will only have a couple of hours in the morning before I go get them at their dads. Thursday is telecommute day, but the kids will be home. If I can’t get the rest of the songs tracked (including one more that hasn’t even been started yet) by the early afternoon on Wednesday then FAWM is a bust. I need 14 songs to finish that one. RPM looks good. One more lyric/vocal and it’s done, and I can do that Tuesday morning. After getting the kids on Wednesday the plan will be to mix whatever is left. I suppose if I’m close to 14 I could always sit in the car and sing. Maybe drive to some empty parking lot somewhere.