Tag: rpm2016

RPM Challenge – Day 2

I haven’t recorded any real instruments yet, but I’ve got a nice chunk of work done so far using my iPad and iPhone. Yesterday I wrote a bass riff in the shower, a little guitar/bass groove while sitting in the car before work, and a little guitar riff while on my lunch break. When I got home I wrote 3-4 phrases for another song, with all the parts but no actual arrangements yet. I then fleshed out the car-before-work idea with 3-4 more sections and all the pieces, but again no actual arrangement of those sections.

Today, to start day two, I did another set of phrases with all instruments but no arrangement. Count them up and you’ve got five songs in progress before 6:45am on day two. Not a bad start.

Now we just have to hope the ideas don’t suck. They probably do.

Here is the annual works-in-progress playlist, which currently holds nothing but cheesy GarageBand for iPad sounds.

Almost Time

According to both rpmchallenge.com and my swanky little Apple Watch, there are less than 26 hours to go until the start of the 2016 RPM Challenge.

Tomorrow I’ll check all the plugs and cables and everything to make sure the whole set up still works (fingers crossed), then I’ll put new strings on the ES-335, go to band practice, go home and go to bed, then get off to as much of a good start as I can on a Monday morning.  These games are so much easier when they start on weekends.

February is almost here.  Get ready for the flood of annoying music posts!  I’m ready!

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.