Singing your own songs is hard, I find. For a kick off you have no point to aim for, no note to commit yourself to or drop away from.
This proved even more difficult when singing in a silent room, on my own. Not normally bothered by this type of thing, I found myself feeling quite self conscious when attempting to belt it out.
I started by sitting down with the mic in a stand which failed, badly. I assessed the reason for the failure was because I wasn't trying hard enough, too lax. So I stood up, mic still in stand and went for it again. Better, yes, good, no. Standing up, Mic in hand, very slight gyration of the hips? YESSSS!!! So after a few takes decided that was enough for one day.
Postscript: Listened with fresh ears a few days later and it turns out that one was pish too.
Monday 26 January 2009
Sunday 18 January 2009
Hey, Ho! Lets Go!
I am a good chunk through recording the first song 'Sweet Beauty'. Having selected a suitable drumbeat, I looked at the words and music, everything was completed except a sort-of middle-8ish bit against which all that was noted was the word 'late' and 'George Harrisony bit'. I think whenever I played the song previously I just fudged that bit 'til enough time passed to get back on to the verse. So I looked through my complex filing system of song notes (post-its stuck to books, books, work diary pages, A4 sheets etc) which have been jammed into boxes, laid in piles and stuck on shelves. Stored in various locations I eventually found out what these cryptic clues meant (I think) and set about writing down a definitive version.
You see my problem is that I rarely finish songs I get them up to a point where they are finish-able and my brain ticks it off. I think I am more into the creation of the songs rather than playing the finished article or maybe its some deep rooted psychological issue I have thats obvious to other people, who knows?
Anyway, recording a song its pretty tricky stuff - I started with a nice simple acoustic guitar track. This went pretty well a couple of mistakes but it was in time and meant I could really get cracking.
I mentioned my piano skills were lacking so I fannied about for ages with this cos I only had one firm idea for the piano line which was for the bridge. I wanted to check out the possibilities for some keyboards so I kinda layered on bass bits, high bits and some minor league tickling. The outcome was 4 piano tracks which any semi-competent piano player could easily achieve drunk with one hand, but it was done and I was happy cos I could listen back to a rhythmic thing.
Next post Singing (oof!) Lead Guitar (ouch!) and Bass....tbc.
You see my problem is that I rarely finish songs I get them up to a point where they are finish-able and my brain ticks it off. I think I am more into the creation of the songs rather than playing the finished article or maybe its some deep rooted psychological issue I have thats obvious to other people, who knows?
Anyway, recording a song its pretty tricky stuff - I started with a nice simple acoustic guitar track. This went pretty well a couple of mistakes but it was in time and meant I could really get cracking.
I mentioned my piano skills were lacking so I fannied about for ages with this cos I only had one firm idea for the piano line which was for the bridge. I wanted to check out the possibilities for some keyboards so I kinda layered on bass bits, high bits and some minor league tickling. The outcome was 4 piano tracks which any semi-competent piano player could easily achieve drunk with one hand, but it was done and I was happy cos I could listen back to a rhythmic thing.
Next post Singing (oof!) Lead Guitar (ouch!) and Bass....tbc.
Saturday 10 January 2009
Starting with Sweet Beauty
So here we go.
I have started to record the first of, hopefully, many songs. The main hurdle for me is that I am doing it myself so I need to learn how to play all the instruments and how to make decent drums on the computer etc.
The first song I decided to record is called Sweet Beauty. It is one of my more conventional rock numbers and I don't think its one of my best overall.
I thought that this would be a good starting place for 3 main reasons
(1) I have a strange affection for it, particularly the lyrics.
(2) I had the most fully formed idea of how it would sound and importantly how I could achieve it.
(3) It required the least piano, which I can barely play yet.
This song was mostly written about 5 years ago and in quite interesting circumstances, and it sort of marked the beginning of me making a conscious effort to write songs from a very personal perspective.
Sweet Beauty in particular has resonance for this reason, it remains, probably, my most personal work to date.
What is interesting about the lyrics is that they were written half before and half after a major 'incident' in my life. It was an incident that I had no idea was going to happen and probably changed my perspective forever and what is amazing about this song is that the lyrics written before the incident made more sense after the incident.
I had the lyrics fully written for ages looking for music and melody, so as a starting point I decided to bastardise the chords from a song I had written years before about getting hammered and having a good time when I was in a band. I liked the poetry of taking something that meant a lot when I was younger and marrying it to my newfound sensibilities.
Right thats the introduction, if you are still reading well done if you are not, get it right up ye!
The next post will be about have my first few recording 'sessions' went down.
OUT!
MMP
I have started to record the first of, hopefully, many songs. The main hurdle for me is that I am doing it myself so I need to learn how to play all the instruments and how to make decent drums on the computer etc.
The first song I decided to record is called Sweet Beauty. It is one of my more conventional rock numbers and I don't think its one of my best overall.
I thought that this would be a good starting place for 3 main reasons
(1) I have a strange affection for it, particularly the lyrics.
(2) I had the most fully formed idea of how it would sound and importantly how I could achieve it.
(3) It required the least piano, which I can barely play yet.
This song was mostly written about 5 years ago and in quite interesting circumstances, and it sort of marked the beginning of me making a conscious effort to write songs from a very personal perspective.
Sweet Beauty in particular has resonance for this reason, it remains, probably, my most personal work to date.
What is interesting about the lyrics is that they were written half before and half after a major 'incident' in my life. It was an incident that I had no idea was going to happen and probably changed my perspective forever and what is amazing about this song is that the lyrics written before the incident made more sense after the incident.
I had the lyrics fully written for ages looking for music and melody, so as a starting point I decided to bastardise the chords from a song I had written years before about getting hammered and having a good time when I was in a band. I liked the poetry of taking something that meant a lot when I was younger and marrying it to my newfound sensibilities.
Right thats the introduction, if you are still reading well done if you are not, get it right up ye!
The next post will be about have my first few recording 'sessions' went down.
OUT!
MMP
Monday 5 January 2009
Starting off
This blog is my attempt to document trying to make an album of my own songs.
I have finally gathered the skills (debatable), songs (mostly written) and the equipment to do it, so now I have no excuse. I aim to put music where my mouth is see how it sounds outside my head and my house which are the only places these songs exist, to turn what could easily be described as nothing in a something.
I spent a long time telling people (and myself) that I only write songs for me as somesort of therapy, and to an extent this is true, but I read a quote which resonated, along the lines of '...if you can create somekind of art and don't then you are an arsehole' well I may be an arsehole but I don't want to be one for this reason.
I always wondered why people write blogs which it unlikely that anyone would be interested in reading. I think the reason I have decided to do it is to create the potential for people, other than me, to care if I actually make this music.
So, periodically I plan to post my progress,thoughts, maybe some pictures and if the technology permits, possibly the finished songs. I hope if you do read this it won't be that much of a waste of time and feel free to let me know hings/stuff if you so desire.
OUT!
MMP
I have finally gathered the skills (debatable), songs (mostly written) and the equipment to do it, so now I have no excuse. I aim to put music where my mouth is see how it sounds outside my head and my house which are the only places these songs exist, to turn what could easily be described as nothing in a something.
I spent a long time telling people (and myself) that I only write songs for me as somesort of therapy, and to an extent this is true, but I read a quote which resonated, along the lines of '...if you can create somekind of art and don't then you are an arsehole' well I may be an arsehole but I don't want to be one for this reason.
I always wondered why people write blogs which it unlikely that anyone would be interested in reading. I think the reason I have decided to do it is to create the potential for people, other than me, to care if I actually make this music.
So, periodically I plan to post my progress,thoughts, maybe some pictures and if the technology permits, possibly the finished songs. I hope if you do read this it won't be that much of a waste of time and feel free to let me know hings/stuff if you so desire.
OUT!
MMP
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