Tag: Guitar

Two New Songs

I have two new iPad mixes done.

This first one is one that I believe I wrote about before. I wrote the riff I used in the chorus using the “software” instruments in GarageBand. Then when it came time to record the actual guitar part it was too difficult for me to play. I had to work on it quite a bit before I got it down. Then, like a doofus, I decided to double track the part and had to do it all again.

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There’s nothing particularly special about the second song except that I made the lyrics up on the spot. Therefore they are completely meaningless. I’ve been doing that a lot this month. No trips to @floridaman yet.

Recording

I did a little recording tonight. I put the rhythm guitar onto one of the two songs that were still guitar free, and I put the leads onto two songs that are now finished and ready to iOS mix.

My playing is poor. Very poor. It’s only been a couple of weeks or so since last I played and tonight it was just difficult. I wonder if I took out the Les Paul would I have an easier time.

I also have an urge to write an extra song this month and make it proggy and long as opposed to the bluesier, acidy feel for most of this month’s crap.

We shall see, but I can almost see a GarageBand for iOS file with some 12-string tracks. Almost. Again, we shall see.

June Music Lull

Well the June Tunes have definitely slowed down over the past week. There are 10 plus the one May left over. Three total are finished but only the iPad mixes at this point. I hope to make good progress in the next couple of days.

Until then, want to hear something? How about the goofy May left over?

Wasn’t that fun? Of the 11 songs, three are 12-bars because that’s the mood I’m in. Wait… Is it three or four? I can’t remember.

Want another?

Fun, eh? Everything is still 100% iOS. How about one more for the road? This is the first song I’ve ever recorded entirely on a telephone. There will be another soon, but for now this is it.

I’m writing this post using the WordPress app on my iPad. Here’s hoping the audio tags work, eh?

That’s three songs down. Eight more to go, and then I remix ’em all. Hooray for bad music!

Guitar Gearhead Nerd to the Extreme

I had one of those guitar nerd moments today. I found a site that takes the serial number of certain guitar manufacturers and spits out a little bit of info about said guitar.

I gave it my Les Paul Custom’s serial number and it gave me this:

Guitar Info
Your guitar was made at the
Nashville Plant, TN, USA
September 18th, 1978
Production Number: 27

Gibson: Nashville

Gibson’s Nashville plant was opened in Tennessee 1974. All electric models and some acoustic models currently made at this factory. This facility has an average production rate of 220 guitars a day. Each guitar is built by hand and takes about 4 to 6 weeks to complete. Note: Most hollow and semi-hallow body guitars are made at a separate plant in Memphis Tennessee. This facility has an average production rate of 40 guitars a day.

I then gave it my ES-335 Pro and it gave me a somewhat underwhelming response:

Guitar Info
Your guitar was made at the
Kalamazoo Plant, USA
December 5th, 1979
Production Number: 127

That’s it, eh? Okay. Kalamazoo!

I then gave it my Stratocaster:

Guitar Info
Your guitar was made at the
Corona Plant (Fender), USA
in the Year(s): 2000 – 2001

Fender: Corona

Corona factory was opened in 1985, Corona California, with major guitar production starting in 1987. With the addition of a custom shop in 1987 the plant currently employs about 700 workers. Apart from general and Custom Shop Fender instruments and amplifiers, it also encompasses Guild acoustic & electric guitars.

Now, I knew the years for the two Gibsons. At that time the first and fifth digit in the serial number combined to form the last two digits of the year. The Les Paul is 7nnn8nnn or something. The 335 is 7nnn9nnn or something. Get it?

As for the Fender, I had no idea. I started my Google search with a Fender Q&A page that gave the serial number/date of manufacture breakdown. My guitar’s serial number starts with Z0. The Zn format means it was made between 2000 and 2009, and the 0 represents the last digit of the year. Z0 means 2000.

Having said that, Fenders are modular assembly line deals. Gibsons are hand made works of art. For a Fender, the year from the serial number does not necessarily represent the date of manufacture. Each component has it’s own serial number, and it’s possible that each component on a specific guitar could have been made in a different year. But the 2000 is close enough for me.

It was already weird owning a Fender, but somehow it’s even weirder owning a guitar that was not built in the 1970’s, or even the 20th century!

A GarageBand First

I said I was going to do all of the recording this month using GarageBand on my iPad. That’s mostly correct.

I just finished doing something that I’d never done before. I have a song that is recorded 100% on my iPhone. Drums and bass are GarageBand MIDI tracks. There are also two tracks of guitar, the Strat, and three tracks of vocals.

It’s rough, but everything this month is rough. I’m just glad I was able to sneak in a vocal today before this SOB of a cold ruins what little voice I have.

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Almost Missed It

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.

My Eyes Play Better Than My Hands

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.

June Music Continues

I’m up to five songs. Four were written on the Strat, one using MIDI on the iPad. One has vocals. I tried working on a second vocal tonight but didn’t have time.

You’d think with all this guitar playing I’d be getting my chops up. Nope. It’s the opposite. I’m getting worse by the minute.

I’ve got a goofy idea for this month. I’m going to do all the recording on the iPad then port everything to the Mac for mixing. But… I’m thinking of doing an actual mix on the iPad too, and then putting both mixes of each song onto the bandcamp playlist.

What do you think? Too lame?

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June Music

It’s June 2nd. I’ve tortured you by making you wait a whole day for a June Music update! I’m sorry!

Yesterday I stitched together three ideas. I don’t really have a theme this month, but so far everything is 100% iPad (that won’t last), 100% Strat (that probably will last), and almost, but not quite, bluesy. Well, 1.5 of the new things at least.

All three are ready for vocals. Can you believe that? I wanted to write lyrics for one of them before work today but I decided to sleep an extra 15 minutes and then leave a little early instead.

That plan fell apart as epically as most of my music plans do. I was in the car at 7:15 on my first day back from vacation and the damn thing wouldn’t start. I had to call for a tow, and of course the tow truck driver got the sucker running almost immediately. It was fine all the way to work and back. The turd.

Late Night Music Post

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?