I am speed mixing 50/90 songs tonight. I hope to crank out five before the new episode of Ahsoka comes out (in half an hour). I probably won’t finish quite that quickly, but one down and four to go.
Tag: Song Writing
One More Song
I have failed miserably on the 50/90 front today, but I did manage to sneak in a quick mix.
Polyrhythms for the win… or the train wreck, depending on your mood, I guess.
Mixing
I mentioned in a post the other day that the recording process for this year’s 50/90 challenge has been reduced to quick and dirty and it’s okay if things aren’t perfect, I just need them to be done. There isn’t enough time left on the game clock for nitpicking. That’s why I was able to mix three songs today in the hour and a half I spent struggling through lunch.
Of the three, one song is okay. One song is less than terrible. One song is almost terrible. Here I am sharing the one that’s okay. I am 90% sure I have written this song before but I am too lazy to go looking for it.
I now have 15 songs finished. 30% of the challenge is complete. Not bad considering I blew off almost three weeks this month.
Sunday Morning Car Music
Three days in a row. This is becoming a trend!
Car music this morning. I put vocals on the four songs I wrote lyrics for last night, and one extra that was left over from last month. At least I parked in a different spot today. You know, just trying to keep things fresh.
Here’s hoping I get a chance to record some lead guitars today. Maybe add another song idea or two and put rhythm guitars on them. We also need to start mixing some of this crap too. Time to start finishing these puppies off.
On the way home I took some point and shoot pictures, mostly stop light theater because I got stopped at almost every light in the city. Happy Sunday!
2023 50/90 Challenge Day 54 of 90
I’ve already written about most of this, but in the interest of completeness and transparency (why?) here’s an official write up of today’s 50/90 challenge activities.
I put vocals on five songs.
I wrote a new song including MIDI bass and drums, the full song form, all of the rhythm guitar tracks, the melody and the lyrics.
I put rhythm guitars onto an additional three songs, one of which was played on my step son’s guitar.
I put lead guitars onto five songs including a couple of the songs that got vocal tracks this morning.
I wrote lyrics and melodies to three additional songs on top of the one I already mentioned.
Looks like another car music is in store for tomorrow morning. Excellent.
Guitar Fun
I spent two hours recording guitars today. I got through so much that I can’t even remember it all.
I started by adding song idea #37. I threw it together on-mic, as it goes. I recorded it as I was writing the guitar parts. It’s super simple but it exists now when it didn’t before. Cool.
I then put rhythm guitars onto three more songs. There is a twist on one of them, I’ll share it in a bit.
I put lead guitars on a bunch of songs… I actually forget how many. Let me check my trello notes… five songs. I put leads onto five songs.
Add the five songs that got vocals this morning and it’s been a pretty cool day, music-wise.
How about some gratuitous guitar pics?
So what about that twist that I mentioned? Years ago my step son was taking guitar lessons. For his birthday I bought him a very inexpensive beginner/student guitar. Given that it was me doing the shopping, I of course bought him a Les Paul. Not a Gibson, but an Epiphone package deal that came with a tiny little solid state amp.
When he moved out we cleaned out his room and I saw the guitar sitting in his closet. He doesn’t play anymore. He’s a piano guy and a percussion guy. Guitar fell off of his musical map. I told him I wanted to play his guitar on my recording project thingie and he didn’t say no so…
One of the songs that got rhythm guitars was played on Harry’s Epiphone Les Paul Special II. Gratuitous photos, of course.
What’s left to do tonight? Hopefully more lyrics and melodies. Maybe a mix or two? We’ll see.
Saturday Morning Car Music
I had another banger car music morning. I wrote lyrics and melodies for five songs last night and I cranked the vocals for all of them out this morning.
The studio view:
I want to play a ton of guitar today too. I think I can pull it off. Fingers crossed. I want to write more lyrics tonight as well so I can have a third straight car music morning tomorrow.
Obligatory drive home pics:
2023 50/90 Challenge Day 53 of 90
I already wrote about car music this morning. I put vocals on three songs. What have I done since then?
Well, first I added another song idea. That’s idea number 35. It’s just bass riffs for now. Later, after dinner tonight, I started writing melodies and lyrics. I got through five songs. Count ’em, five songs. They are all crap, but that gives me more than enough for another round of car music tomorrow. Hopefully I’ll follow the morning car music with a pile of guitar tracks. I am hoping to use my step son’s Epiphone beginner model Les Paul copy on at least a song or two, and hopefully that will happen tomorrow.
Plans are in place, I just have to follow through. Progress!
Friday Morning Car Music
I recorded some vocals this morning. Three songs worth. I drove to the movie theater parking lot so no one could hear me, which is how I do things because I am such a wimp. Here’s the view:
I was only out for about half an hour and I did cut things off early. I had three songs ready to go that were written in August and two more that were written in July. I did the three August songs and was about to start one of the July songs when I opened up the GarageBand file and found there were a lot of lyrics to sing. I just didn’t have the energy and decided to save the two July songs for a weekend session.
I have changed up my workflow a little. Mostly in terms of standards. I am thinking of quick and dirty demoes now, due to flaking off for three weeks and falling so far behind the 50/90 pace. Last night when I wrote the melodies and lyrics for the three songs I recorded this morning I purposely decided to use the same parts in multiple places. Meaning I wrote one verse part and used it 2-3 times. I usually do that with chorus sections but I’m doing it more often now. I also purposely did not write a lot of harmony parts. One or two here and there but nowhere near as many as I usually write. I’m also lowering my standards for what is a useable take. That goes for vocals and guitars. I’m going to be much sloppier than usual and much less nitpicky. Is nitpicky a word?
I want finished demoes from here on out, rather than quality demoes. Know what I mean?
Anyway, here’s the obligatory downtown Methuen clock from the drive home pic:
2023 50/90 Challenge Day 52 of 90
I mentioned this morning that I put rhythm guitars on two songs and lead guitars on two other songs. Tonight after dinner, while binging season six of the original Doctor Who, I wrote lyrics and melodies for three songs.
You know what that means?
Car music in the morning.
That’s the plan at least. We’ll see if it pans out or not. Fingers crossed. I’ll let you know.
Inside the Red Head's Head 