Is this stuff easy for most?

[Dadocaster]

I think we’re also creating new challenges for ourselves, Dado. @Dadocaster Surely we could play / record an easy way. But where would that get us?

Well, it would get us some damned output... I was writing all the songs, getting them figured out and structure and stuff, made ruff ruff mixes, had the guys in the band listen to them. The drummer would come over he and I would jam on the songs so that he had feel with what I was trying to do, then he would bang out a drum track, usually first or second try. He would go home and I would often track bass, all guitars, all vocals, then mix. Guess what: IT WAS EASY. We were pumping out songs and some of them even sounded good.

That process worked, it was easy, my skills were improving tremendously and product was better. I'm pissed, trying to figure out how to do it by myself, talking with people int he scene looking for players.....grrrrrr. This sucks.

 

[GrooVey]

True. Sifting through players, finding like minded individuals, Sucks.

 

[Textele]

Well, it would get us some damned output... I was writing all the songs, getting them figured out and structure and stuff, made ruff ruff mixes, had the guys in the band listen to them. The drummer would come over he and I would jam on the songs so that he had feel with what I was trying to do, then he would bang out a drum track, usually first or second try. He would go home and I would often track bass, all guitars, all vocals, then mix. Guess what: IT WAS EASY. We were pumping out songs and some of them even sounded good.

That process worked, it was easy, my skills were improving tremendously and product was better. I'm pissed, trying to figure out how to do it by myself, talking with people int he scene looking for players.....grrrrrr. This sucks.

Pardon me if I am way off base. But after reading this sounds like you like a collaborator in the mix. Now I agree finding that right person is the hard part.

There's nothing wrong with that.

I can do all the stuff myself, but thrive working with somebody, usually a vocalist who can take it to the next level. But not necessarily. A great drummer is more inspiring putting original songs (music part) together for me.

I should've spent more time learning how to sing,

Keep on going, the more fun you have the better.

 

[Dadocaster]

Pardon me if I am way off base. But after reading this sounds like you like a collaborator in the mix. Now I agree finding that right person is the hard part.

There's nothing wrong with that.

I can do all the stuff myself, but thrive working with somebody, usually a vocalist who can take it to the next level. But not necessarily. A great drummer is more inspiring putting original songs (music part) together for me.

I should've spent more time learning how to sing,

Keep on going, the more fun you have the better.

Beating the bushes for a drummer. Here are a couple of recent responses:
" I would do it but I'm already in six bands"
"I would do it but it's to far to drive"

The other part of this, is you have a lot of connections when you are gigging, they kind of fall away when you have not for a few months.

 

[Oldiemurphy]

This one lyric by the Pretenders has always stuck in my head: "Time the Avenger."

 

[El Gobernador]

The writing in the piano roll for this took a month. Just the piano roll. Doing the take downs, even the rudimentary type I do, took a month. Then choosing the right instruments to play the parts took a month. Then mixing and getting the instruments to sound 'real' took another month. It. Was. Hard. Work.

But what I got in the end was my orchestra in a box. I giggle with every listen. I did this basically for my Dad. He was a composer and dreamed of being a one man orchestra. That's what the concept of his Marching Machine album was. Well Dad...it's a reality.

 

[Oldiemurphy]

The writing in the piano roll for this took a month. Just the piano roll. Doing the take downs, even the rudimentary type I do, took a month. Then choosing the right instruments to play the parts took a month. Then mixing and getting the instruments to sound 'real' took another month. It. Was. Hard. Work.

But what I got in the end was my orchestra in a box. I giggle with every listen. I did this basically for my Dad. He was a composer and dreamed of being a one man orchestra. That's what the concept of his Marching Machine album was. Well Dad...it's a reality.

Well sh*t! That is insanely good.

 

[El Gobernador]

Well sh*t! That is insanely good.

Crazy amount of work. Just nuts. LoL

 

[davidKOS]

The writing in the piano roll for this took a month. Just the piano roll. Doing the take downs, even the rudimentary type I do, took a month. Then choosing the right instruments to play the parts took a month. Then mixing and getting the instruments to sound 'real' took another month. It. Was. Hard. Work.

But what I got in the end was my orchestra in a box. I giggle with every listen. I did this basically for my Dad. He was a composer and dreamed of being a one man orchestra. That's what the concept of his Marching Machine album was. Well Dad...it's a reality.

Crazy amount of work. Just nuts. LoL

Nice work!

I know this sort of material takes a long time to get to sound like you want it to; hours for each minute of music.

 

[El Gobernador]

Nice work!

I know this sort of material takes a long time to get to sound like you want it to; hours for each minute of music.

I don't have the orchestration skills you or my Dad have/had. You guys can/could write the parts.

For those who haven't heard it this is my Dad's stuff. Recorded with the first call local 47 cats of the early/mid 60's.



Nothing sounds as good as great players playing great music in a great room recorded by great engineers. LoL

 

[revtime]

For me it was the physical things. Barre chords, finger independence, muting, muscle memory.
Intelligence in my opinion has little to do with it. I have met some awesome professional guitar players that were dumber than a bag of hammers.

 

[Neil.C]

The writing in the piano roll for this took a month. Just the piano roll. Doing the take downs, even the rudimentary type I do, took a month. Then choosing the right instruments to play the parts took a month. Then mixing and getting the instruments to sound 'real' took another month. It. Was. Hard. Work.

But what I got in the end was my orchestra in a box. I giggle with every listen. I did this basically for my Dad. He was a composer and dreamed of being a one man orchestra. That's what the concept of his Marching Machine album was. Well Dad...it's a reality.

One man band putting out stuff of this quality - why would you need anyone else?

 

[Dadocaster]

Crazy amount of work. Just nuts. LoL

That's not helping, man. I don't want to do a crazy amount of work. I want to do a REASONABLE amount of work.

 

[El Gobernador]

That's not helping, man. I don't want to do a crazy amount of work. I want to do a REASONABLE amount of work.

You have to do the work. Period. In order for the work to become easier (reasonable), you have to do the hard work.

Quit whining and get to work. There is no shortcut.

 

[El Gobernador]

One man band putting out stuff of this quality - why would you need anyone else?

LoL. When it comes to my stuff, I'm not a collaborative kinda guy.

When I'm a hired hand, I follow orders (to a point).

Lead me...follow me...or get the hell out of my way.

 

[davidKOS]

That's not helping, man. I don't want to do a crazy amount of work. I want to do a REASONABLE amount of work.

I can't say what qualifies as "reasonable" work in the music field.

Frankly, none of it is reasonable from a financial POV unless you are one of the small % that make it really big.

You have to do the work. Period. In order for the work to become easier (reasonable), you have to do the hard work.

Quit whining and get to work. There is no shortcut.

Tough love, and all too true.

And no whining.

LoL. When it comes to my stuff, I'm not a collaborative kinda guy.

When I'm a hired hand, I follow orders (to a point).

Lead me...follow me...or get the hell out of my way.

I began as a sideman...but developed into a bandleader, as in "leader" on AFM contracts by the 80's.

"Lead me...follow me...or get the hell out of my way. "

If you are a good leader, I'll do my best to be a good sideman, and play my best for you.

If you are MY sideman, I'm happy to tell you I want in an encouraging way. I don't expect you to read my mind.

But I do expect you to follow my lead.

Like El G, the get out my way option resonates in terms of making my own recordings where often I am the whole band.

Funny thing, they always agree on musical interpretation.

A final point....we play music...but it's studio work. and it's the music business.

 

[Dadocaster]

You have to do the work. Period. In order for the work to become easier (reasonable), you have to do the hard work.

Quit whining and get to work. There is no shortcut.

Quit whining??? Like hell. It's what I do when things get frustrating and a significant part of it is just schtick. You know I grumble, but eventually do the work.

 

[El Gobernador]

Quit whining??? Like hell. It's what I do when things get frustrating and a significant part of it is just schtick. You know I grumble, but eventually do the work.

Just as my "harden the f up stuff" is schtick.