It’s bed time and I haven’t posted anything today.
Last night I sketched out a new song idea on my iPad. This morning I redid the one vocal I had and recorded a second. Tonight I did all the guitars for last night’s song, double tracked the entire too-hard-to-play song, and fixed one part on another song that sounded off to me.
The Kings are winning in game three of the Stanley Cup Finals. I smell a sweep. Oh, and the Red Sox lost.
You are up to date.
Have you heard the expression, “my eyes are bigger than my stomach”? Meaning I put more food on my plate than I could actually eat? I have coined a guitar playing version of that statement. My eyes play better than my hands. Let me explain.
I am up to seven songs this month. Three of them were written in the dead of night using the built in instrument sounds in the iPad version of Garageband. Today I replaced the fake, software guitar parts with an actual real live guitar. On one song I was almost forced to stick with the crappy fake software. I came up with a funky little riff that was standing out above most of the others in my little head. I thought it was pretty snazzy. When I tried to play it today I couldn’t. It was beyond my abilities at this time. I’ve no doubt that back in 1995 of 2004 I could have nailed the sucker over and over again, but today? With my playing chops as weak as they are? Nope. I couldn’t do it.
I did find a work around though. It was in two parts. First, and most importantly, I practiced the little bastard over and over again for almost an hour. Over and over again. I got to the point where I could play it, but I couldn’t quite play it cleanly four times in a row as the song required. That’s where the second work around came in. It is a huge cheat. An epic cheat. A cheat for all ages. It’s also standard practice in a recording environment. I played the riff once then stopped. I then started the recording on the second measure of the phrase and played it again. I repeated until I had the whole thing comped together. I now have a complete recording of the entire phrase that is, while not perfect, good enough for my needs.
Am I a cheater? Oh you bet your sweet ass I am. In this respect, me and everyone else on the planet.
Done. Sort of.
All 10 April songs are mixed and uploaded to alonetone.com.
All 10 March songs are mixed and uploaded to alonetone.com.
The cover song I threw onto the list on Sunday is mixed and uploaded to alonetone.com.
The 12-bar I threw onto the list yesterday is… not. I still need a vocal for that one, but that is absolutely all that’s left for what is now the March/April/May music project.
Here’s the cover song. I’ll post the rest of the stuff tomorrow… or someday.
This is Robin Trower’s “I Can’t Wait Much Longer”. I believe it was written by Trower and Frankie Miller, but something makes me think it was just Frankie Miller.
I used the Jimi Hendrix Amplitube app for all of the guitars. I hope Mr Trower approves of that decision. I should have tuned down a semitone or two. My voice is able to hit everything in the melody, but I have to sort of push hard to get up to some of the higher notes. This song needs a softer touch than my lame shouting. James Dewar I am not.
I have freakin’ loved this song for ages upon ages and I do not believe I did it justice. It was fun playing around with it though. I had to install an AU plugin to get the flanger onto the cymbals. I also had to learn how to install AU plugins. I am sure that Garageband 6 had a flanger. Didn’t it?
I did it again. I just added another song. It’s a vocal away from being finished. Why did I do that? Instead of having three vocals to record, I now have five. What a doofus.
It’s nothing but a goofy 12-bar. Aren’t there enough of those in the world already? Why did I suddenly have to add another one.
What a jerk.
I’ve got three songs left to finish. Almost there. I might even have time on Tuesday morning to finish up the vocals. Nice, right?
Well…
I felt like playing the guitar today and I didn’t have any parts to record so I… Well… I added another song. Urgh.
Even worse, it’s a cover. Urgh indeed.
Question for guitarists and guitar playing aficionados. When you think of Fender Stratocasters, who do you think of? Jimi Hendrix, post 1970 Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Ritchie Blackmore, David Gilmour, about 100 others. All good choices.
Me? Despite a lifetime of being obsessed with both Clapton and Beck, to me the first name that comes to mind when I think of Strats is Robin Trower. Not the biggest name, and probably not the best player, but something about his style always spoke to me. There is soul, there is passion, there is class, there is fire. Lots of slow bends, legato phrasing, well… Just a lot of things I have always tried to do. The difference being that he does it all while I futz around like a wannabe.
Back in high school I had heard of him without ever actually hearing him. One night I listened to a recording of a Procol Harem concert on the King Biscuit Flower Hour. The host was singing Trower’s praises and rightly so. The guitar playing in the show was fantastic. First chance I got I went out and bought a couple of records. BLT and Bridge of Sighs. I didn’t find out until later that despite the commentary, it wasn’t actually Robin Trower playing in that Procol Harem show. That was okay though, Bridge of Sighs won me over big time.
There is a song on his first record that I’ve always loved. “I Can’t Wait Much Longer.” Great song. Back in high school I tried to get my band to play it, but no one else was feeling it the way I was. The first time I ever borrowed a 4-track recorder I recorded that song. I used the cheesy little drum sounds on my dinky little Casio keyboard. It was basically the same goofiness I’ve been boring the universe with lately, it just didn’t sound as clean.
Anyway, I recorded a cover of “I Can’t Wait Much Longer” today. It’s all done except for the vocals. Once I bought a Strat it was pretty much inevitable. The whole thing is on my iPad right now. After I finish the vocal I’ll port it to the MacBook. I’ll have to clean up a little bass here and there, but other than that I’ll just mix it as is.
I’ll leave it until the last three March songs are done though.
Maybe.
This is the song I almost forgot to mix. It’s done now.
I have to say I liked it a whole lot more an hour ago.
Damn it!
I just finished the April music project. All 10 songs mixed. Now I just have to figure out a running order (I’ll probably just use the order in which they were written) and make a playlist on bandcamp. should I make an April playlist and a March playlist, or should I make one for both of them and mix them all up in the running order. I waffle back and forth on that one.
So I only have three songs left from March right? That’s what I said last night when I finished playing the gitter for the night, right?
No. Idiot marked one song as finished when it still needs to be mixed. Idiot. I have four songs that aren’t finished yet. I should get the un-mixed oversight mixed tonight though. I think.
Was sticking with Amplitube for all of the guitars on the 10 April songs a good idea? This one used the Jimi Hendrix bundle for all of the guitars. The rhythm is my Les Paul and the lead is my Strat. All of the other April songs used the Fender Twin for the rhythm and Hendrix for the leads.
It’s okay, I guess. If I put a ton of effects on during the mix it might be all right. I don’t know. Maybe if I did everything on the iPad it might feel better, and be a little less noisy. I don’t know. I’m torn.
The lyrics are one of many songs about how much I love my wife, and how happy she makes me. I expect the list of such songs to grow steadily for the rest of my life. I’m kinda nuts about her.
I finished the last lead guitar part from April. Now all that’s left for the month is to mix the last two songs.
March still has three that aren’t finished. Two have lyrics written but only have a guide track. The third has nuttin.
I broke one of my rules tonight. Twice. I have a rule that states when I record bad rock songs the lead guitars cannot be recorded until after all the vocals are complete. That is the law. I broke the law. I recorded leads for the two songs that only have guide vocals. That means March now has two vocals to record, one to write and record, and one lead guitar to record. Then those three songs need mixin’. That’s all that’s left.
One other note. I am having a really tough time playing the Stratocaster. I’m just having a tough time getting the feel of it. The neck is so different from the Gibsons. I knew it would take a while, but I’m getting frustrated. A little. Not much. Just a little.
I also need to put lighter strings on it, and soon. Ouch.
Just like yesterday, I only had enough time for baby steps today. I wrote another song’s worth of lyrics and melody but I didn’t have time to record a proper take.
There are only five songs left needing work but I am doubtful I will get it all finished by June 1st.
One song is ready to mix.
One song still needs lead guitar.
Two songs have lyrics and melody but still need vocals and lead guitar.
One song still needs lyrics, melody, vocals, and lead guitar.
Considering that I will be on vacation next week and not in any sort of a recording mood, those five unfinished songs are starting to look like a mountain.
I’m not quite sure what I want to do in June. 50/90 starts in July but I don’t want to take the month off. I want to keep in the musical frame of mind, but I don’t want to run out of gas either. Maybe I’ll stick to songs that are already written. Maybe I’ll work on new songs but set the goal at five instead of 10. Maybe I’ll keep the goal at 10, but only work on one at a time instead of work on all 10 in bits and pieces.
I don’t know. We’ll see.
Inside the Red Head's Head 