Tag: Music

Almost There

It’s 2:15pm. Lunch is about to end (I started my break a little later than normal today). I have a vacation day booked for tomorrow, then the following two days are off for Thanksgiving, then the weekend. That’s right, folks. I have a five day weekend coming and it is just a bit more than three hours away. I have one more meeting on my schedule this afternoon and I have a few email threads that need updating. Other than that, we’re just riding out this fine Tuesday in the office.

87/365

So before Covid shut everything down I was a regular user of Audible, the audiobook subscription service. I forget how but at some point I came into a whole bunch of credits and blew them all on a number of books that I never got around to listening to. Back in March when my company upped our in-the-office requirement from once a week to twice a week I reopened my account and all of those unread books were still there. One was a biography of Syd Barrett. I’m listening to it now and while many of the events and facts the author describes are clearly incorrect, and many others are trying to show Barrett as some poetic legend on a level that is infinitely greater than his catalog demonstrates, it is a good read. I have been listening to a lot of his music over the last week.

The National Solo Album Month (nasoalmo) rules allow for one cover song. While adding another song does not fit my personal theme for this month’s project, I am wondering if I should record a cover of Dominoes. I’m thinking about it.

Burning

After playing very little guitar over the course of about two months, I played quite a bit yesterday, and I played hard. My finger tips were hurting in a big way.

This morning I played some more. Again, I played hard. Lots of bending and sliding around. Oh my goodness, my fingers are burning right now. They feel like they are on fire. There is going to be a big blister on my ring finger before the day is out. It’s been over an hour since I finished (I put lead guitars onto the three remaining songs) and it still hurts like it’s a fresh wound. Yikes!

All of the tracking for this year’s National Solo Album Month (NASoAlMo) is done. Now I just have six songs to mix and to figure out what to use for a cover photo and then I am done. Six days left (counting today). I should finish with oodles of time to spare.

86/365
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2024 NaSoAlMo Day 24/30

I am so close to being done it’s crazy.

I put lead guitars onto four of the seven songs. I wanted to try to sneak in at least one more but my finger tips (and their lack of calluses due to not playing much over the last couple of months) were killing me so I had to stop.

Later, before bed, I mixed one song.

Here’s hoping I can finish tracking the last three lead guitar parts today (day 25). No promises, but it sure would be nice.

The finished songs include:

One Song Down, Six to Go

I mixed a song for the 2024 National Solo Album Month project tonight (aka NaSoAlMo). One song down, six to go.

The Worst

I still have to add lead guitars to three songs. Once I finish that (tomorrow before work, maybe?) I will be done with tracking. Barring any disasters I should be able to finish this project with plenty of time to spare. Fingers crossed.

Finally Getting Stuff Done

I had a very unproductive morning. I went grocery shopping for some Thanksgiving stuff.

This afternoon, however, was better. My daily exercise is done. I made lunch for my beloved bride. I put lead guitars onto four songs. My fingertips are killing me, but I feel better about the state of the universe right now.

How about some obligatory guitar pictures.

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Oh yeah, and did I mention that I played through my amp instead of using a direct input into my USB audio interface.

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Now we’re going to order some take out and Harry will be joining us for dinner.

Excellent.

2024 NaSoAlMo Day 23/30

Nothing. I had too many other things to do yesterday and never had time to work on music.

Today, day 24, should be more productive. I hope, at least.

Seven days left. Seven days… seven songs… 7/8 time. It all comes together.

2024 NaSoAlMo Day 22/30

Another good day. I finished the vocals for the month. Three songs were vocal-free when I started the morning and by the time I got to work zero songs were vocal-free.

Now that that singing crap is all done I can get back to playing guitar. All that is left are lead guitars and mix downs.

More Car Music

Another day, another batch of recorded vocals in the car in the (mostly) empty movie theater parking lot. No movies were watched during this early morning session, but vocals were added to three songs.

I am done with vocals for this month, thank goodness. I hate the sound of my own voice and I don’t like singing and I don’t like writing lyrics and my melodies are dumb. I just don’t like not having a vocal part of the crappy songs that I write so if I am gonna write songs, they are gonna have vocals. My kingdom for a little self confidence… and talent.

I have seven songs for this months National Solo Album Month project. All seven have vocals. Now I can get back to recording guitars (it’s time for lead guitars and solos and solos and solos) and then just mix ’em all down and I’ll be done. Eight days left.