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A New Journey ~ Part III

Posted in Guitars, iMac, mac, Music, musicians, recording, songs on August 20, 2007| Leave a Comment »

I finally got a couple of songs to a mostly finished state though I have to tweak the vocal volumes on one of the songs.

You Stir My Soul
Great God

For the past week, I’ve been ever so tickled by the ease of recording that GarageBand provides. But no matter how easy the recording process has become, it’s still a very tedious process. In fact, the easy part is actually laying down the tracks. What takes the longest time is the post-production stuff that gets my songs to a finished state. I probably spend at least 4 to 5 times more time tweaking what I’ve recorded than actually recording.

But that’s the beauty of music production. The artistry is not just in the recording or the song. There’s also an incredible amount of artistry in how your sound is ultimately presented to your audience. The original recording is much like a line drawing or a pencil sketch on a canvas. That forms the basis of the picture. Then like using paints, you apply color and shading to the raw sketch to make it come to life, resplendent with colors that give the picture a “mood” of sorts. A touch of reverb here, some delay there, perhaps some pitch shifting, or time correction. It’s all part of the “painting” process.

So why all this focus on recording in this series? Well, I haven’t mentioned it distinctly, but I’m working on creating an album of the religious music I’ve written for the Catholic Mass. The album is entitled “You Stir My Soul.” You can listen to the title track here. Note that this is not in a finished state. I have to bring down the lead vocal volume a touch because it totally steps on the instrumentation. I put this out on my band’s website so my cohort Dave could see what I did with the harmony, and how I slightly restructured the song from its original form. I also laid down a groovin’ song called “Great God” that is mostly finished, though I have to re-record the guitar solo because of some bad string plucks on my part. 🙂

To tell the truth, I’ve been working on this album project for a couple of years. My wife has been bugging me to get my music out, and I’ve just given her the excuse that I’m so busy that it’s hard to find the time to record. But that’s not really the truth. The real truth is that I purchased much more advanced equipment than I actually needed to create spec recordings. I mean, it was total overkill, and on top of that, I’ve spent tons of time just learning how to operate the softaware! Don’t get me wrong: I love ProTools, but it’s so much more software than I need right now. For specs, you want to get your songs to a good enough state so that when you submit them to a music publisher, they have a good idea of what you’re after in your music. And as I’m doing this myself, ease-of-use and a short time-to-production are absolutely key!

This is where GarageBand is literally a God-send. Most of the hard sound engineering stuff like EQ and mixdown is either done automagically, or is incredibly easy to tweak. It has allowed me to concentrate on producing my music rather than spending inordinate amounts of time learning how to use the recording software. The net result is that where it used to take me a couple of weeks to get a song close to a finished state, it now takes a couple of days; or in the case of You Stir My Soul, I produced the mostly-finished recording in a matter of hours! I can finally see the end of the tunnel to create my spec recordings and get my demo album out!

I used to scoff at GarageBand as not being “real” recording software. But the the sheer quality of the recordings it produces rivals any recording software I’ve used in the past. It may not be as full-featured as “Pro” recording packages, but for what it offers and what it can produced, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better solution for home recording.

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A New Journey ~ Part II

Posted in GarageBand, guitar, guitar gear, Guitars, iMac, Music, musicians, performing, recording, Worship Music on August 18, 2007| Leave a Comment »

All I can say is WOW! GarageBand is absolutely OFF THE HOOK!

As I mentioned in a previous post, I was going to be using GarageBand to create song foundations for performing live. But to get myself more familiarized with the application, I decided to lay down a groove for a worship song that I wrote to see how easy it would be. I was not at all disappointed. I first auditioned a bunch of drum loops (BTW, I went out and purchased both iLife ’08 and the Rhythm Section Jam Pack today), found a fill, then inserted the loop into a new track. I then found a decent bass line, and dropped that in as well.

Software instruments such as the bass in GarageBand are actually software MIDI instruments. GarageBand makes it so easy to work with software instruments by providing a MIDI grid to adjust note pitches, duration, velocity, etc.. So once I selected a bassline, I could move notes around to fit to my song. Then it was a simple copy/cut/paste affair to get the bass “measures” into their proper places.

Once I had those two things laid down, I recorded my Strat for the rhythm track. Now here is where things got interesting. For my home recording studio, I use a DigiDesign MBox 2. It turns out that DigiDesign provides a Mac driver for the MBox 2 that you can download from their site. So now, I have my trusty MBox 2 hooked up to my iMac through a USB port, and I can switch from guitar to vocals or add some keyboard tracks with ease.

A totally cool new feature in GarageBand is the ability to loop record; that is, selecting a region in a song, then play several takes while looping over the same region. This is an awesome feature that I’ve appreciated in ProTools, but it’s here in GarageBand! With multi-take loop recording, you can dial in a section until you have it perfect. This saves so much time in the recording process because you don’t have to get to a spot, record, then splice the end. You just keep on playing that section over and over again until you’ve got it right. It also allows you to approach a particular phrase in different ways.

I’m really jazzed right now because I’ve finally found a music production tool that is incredibly easy to use. It’s so easy, it’s almost scary.

BTW, I need to put in a plug for GarageBand ’08. If you’re already a GarageBand user, YOU NEED TO GET iLife ’08 now! It is head and shoulders far more powerful and feature complete than the previous versions of the software. For a mere $79.00, it’s a cheap investment.

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A New Journey ~ Part I

Posted in GarageBand, guitar, Guitars, iMac, mac, Music, musicians, performing, recording on August 17, 2007| Leave a Comment »

I’ve been a gigging musician for several years, playing in all sorts of venues. 90% of my gigs are just me singing and accompanying myself with a single guitar and keyboard, which has worked for me for a long time. But as of late, the artist in me has yearned to stretch his wings and produce a more sophisticated sound when I’m solo. It’s frustrating to play songs that have a lead in the middle of the song, and I’ve just got to strum along, or if it’s on the piano, I’ve just got to stick with the chart (I can’t improvise very well on the keys). So what to do?

Since I’ve made the switch to the Mac, I’ve discovered a wonderful little program called GarageBand that allows you to record music on your Mac. But interestingly enough, it also includes audio loops of all sorts of instruments, so you can literally create a song using just loops. The ramifications are clear: I finally have a way of easily creating song foundations for when I play solo. All I have to do is move the songs to my iPod! So begins my latest journey of creating song foundations. It’s very exciting to me because it’ll allow me to arrange songs for a wider genre of music than I’ve been playing. Talk about having a “band in the box.”

What inspired me to start doing this was seeing a guy at Downtown Disney a few months ago using an Akai MPC1000 Music Production Center for his background stuff, and playing guitar on top of his laid down tracks. I don’t have an extra $1000 to spend on something like that so it has been difficult getting started down this road. But with GarageBand, I should be able to lay down tracks really easily. Oooh I’m excited!

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Need to spec a song quickly? Do it on your Mac!

Posted in guitar, guitar gear, Guitars, iMac, mac, Music, musicians, recording on August 16, 2007| 2 Comments »

For those of you who’ve known me for a long time, I’ve been a PC devotee for as long as I can remember, and used to scoff at the Mac as being a toy. But a few months ago, I decided to try out a MacBook Pro at my previous job, and what I thought would never happen happened. I fell in love with the Mac. I have to say that it really boils down to falling in love with OSX, which is an incredibly usable operating system. Anything before that, I’d still be scoffing at the Mac as being a toy. There were lots problems with OS9, and I just didn’t like the interface. But with the new version of the OS, it’s just incredible! But I digress…

To make a long story short, my former company closed its doors 3 months after I arrived – yikes! But the fortunate thing for me was that I had to opportunity to get some equipment in the company’s fire sale. I ended up with two G5 iMacs, and real nice Dell laser printer.  Included with my iMacs is a nice little music composition program called Garage Band. I’ve been playing around with it for a couple of days, and I just love it! It doesn’t have the features of my ProTools, but for spec’ing out songs, it is incredible!

Central to Garage Band is the ability to drag and drop loops onto the workspace to create the foundation for a song. It’s a very easy process. You can drop guitar loops, organ loops, percussion and bass loops – there’s lots to choose from, and within minutes you can have a full song constructed on your workspace. Then you can add your own instruments by plugging direct into your Mac, or using the built-in microphone (not really recommended as it’s a very sensitive condenser mic and it picks up EVERYTHING).

For instance, this evening, I got an idea for a new song. I browsed around the loops till I found an acoustic guitar, bass, and percussion loops that I liked, dropped them onto my workspace, and arranged pitch and tempo as needed. Then I plugged my ES-335 directly into my iMac using a 1/4″ to 1/8″ adapter cable. Now here’s the cool thing about plugging directly into your Mac: Garage Band comes with built-in amp modelers and effects such as a noise gate, reverb and even delay. There’s even two manual slots available to add distortion and specific types of amp models. As to the amp models, they’re not all that good, but they get the general idea across. I wanted to get kind of a Tube Screamer effect on top of a clean amp, and with a couple of clicks, I had it.

The great thing about Garage Band for me is that I now spend less time getting the foundations of a song laid down, and can concentrate on my compositional ideas. Looks like I’m going to have lots of late night dates with my iMac… 🙂

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Performance: Keeping Your Focus

Posted in guitar, guitarists, Guitars, Music, musicians, performing, playing live on August 9, 2007| 1 Comment »

I read this great article by Tom Hess at Modern Guitars (thanks go to IG at igblog for turning me on to this online mag!) about the “little voices in your head” that talk to you when you’re playing, and it prompted me to write on something that I’ve never covered in any of my blogs; at least in a dedicated entry…

Tom pointed out some really good things to keep in mind, but I wanted to extend it even further; especially for those who play in much smaller venues than Tom, like myself who plays in restaurants and at corporate events and parties. So here are a few more points to add to Tom’s list:

  1. When you’re playing in smaller venues such as providing music for an event or party where you’re not the focus, don’t take it personally if you perceive that people aren’t paying attention to you. Remind yourself that you’re not the focus of the event, and are playing a more supporting role; however, that doesn’t mean that you play any less toned-down. What I’ve found is that if you continue to play at the standards you know you can play at, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the results. I’ve gotten a bunch of extra gigs merely by playing background music, and singing and playing my heart out. People may not seem to give you the time of day during the event, but believe me, they notice when you’re putting your heart into it.A good example is when I play at my weekly gig at a local restaurant. Diners want to eat their meals and converse with each other, and pretty much consider me to be an added treat (though over the last few years, I’ve gained a loyal following). They don’t look at me, or will only occasionally make glances, but all in all, I’m not their primary focus. But time and time again, at the end of the evening, my tip jar is filled with bills, and I’ve given out several business cards. So the point of this is that people may not give you their direct attention, but your music remains in the periphery of their consciousness, and that’s very powerful.
  2. Always pay attention to the energy of your audience, and perform your music that will work with that energy. I no longer use a set list when I’m gigging at parties and restaurants, and let the energy of my audience dictate what songs I play. The same goes when I’m gigging with my band. We may have a plan in place, but we can also turn on a dime if any of us detect that what we’re playing isn’t working.
  3. Many years ago, my dad once told me, “People don’t really respond if you’ve shined your shoes, but they certainly notice if you walk around in shabby-lookin’ ones.” I didn’t really think too much of it at the time (though I do keep my shoes polished now 🙂 ), but my dad was trying to teach me about “excellence” and doing your best; not thinking about doing your best, but doing your best. I’ve taken that little saying with me, and applied it to everything that I do. Don’t settle for less than excellent, and at least for me, never give your audience less than your very best. They’ll appreciate it. Does that mean play flawlessly? Not at all. We all make mistakes, but it’s the total package that counts, not little mistakes that occur. Tom covers this well in his article.

So there are three extra points to add. Keep on playin’, and rock till you drop!

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Miss Misery Chord Chart

Posted in guitar, Guitars, Music, musicians, songs on August 7, 2007| Leave a Comment »

Posted the lyrics here the other day, and worked out the chords to the original version of the song. You can listen/see to how it goes here. If you want to listen to the actual original version, go to iTunes and search on “Miss Misery.” You’ll find “Miss Misery (Early version).”
Capo IV or V

Am   G       F           C

I'll fake it through the day

F/C                     Dm

with some help from Johnny Walker Red

C    Em

and the cold pain

F       C

behind my eyes that shoots

Esus-E

that through my head

Am  G       F       C

Two tickets torn in half

F/C               Dm

and a lot of nothin' to do

C   G/B

but it's all right

Am     G       D/F#

some enchanted night

F       C

I'll be with youEb    Gm            C           AbM7

Tarot cards and the lines in my hand

Eb        G/B       Am

tell me I'm wrong but they're untrue

G         F       C

I got plans for both of us

F/C                 Dm

that involve a trip out of town

C         Em        F   C

to a place I'd seen in a magazine

Esus-E

that you left lyin' around

Am      G       F      C

I can't hold my liquor but

F/C             Dm

I keep a good attitude
C   G/B
'cause it's all right
Am     G       D/F#
some enchanted night
F       C
I'll be with you

A                          F
I know you'd rather see me gone
C                 D/F#
than to see the, come the day
F           G      E/G#
I'll be waiting for you anyway

Am   G        F    C
Next door the TV's flashing
F/C                Dm
blue frames on the wall
C          Em          F    C
It's a comedy from the seventies
                     Esus-E
with a lead no one recalls

Am G F C
To vanish into oblivion
Dm
it’s easy to do
C G/B
and I cried to sleep
Am G
when you talked to me
D/F# F C
the day you said we were through

C G/B
but it’s all right
Am G D/F#
some enchanted night
F C
I’ll be with you

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Have a Jam Session

Posted in guitar, Guitars, Music, musicians on August 7, 2007| 1 Comment »

This past weekend, I invited my band mates and their families over to my house for a barbeque. After we had all eaten our share of the feast, those who brought their guitars got them out, and we all sat around my patio table playing songs and jamming. We played for an hour and a half straight, going through a couple of gig books. At the end, I commented, “You know, you can tell we’ve been playing together for a long time because we all play off each other. There’s no egos, just an incredible comfort with playing together.” Smiles and nods of agreement followed. The memory of this past Saturday afternoon got me to thinking about what makes jammin’ with your buds so special.

  1. As I said to the guys, there’s no ego when you’re jamming. You play songs, do solos, sing harmonies, etc., spontaneously.
  2. There are no rules when you’re jammin’. You do what you do, and it’s all right.
  3. You also learn riffs that you didn’t know before. For instance, my bassist is not only a great bassist, but also an accomplished acoustic guitarist, and he taught me some riffs to songs that I never knew, and vice-versa.

Those are just a few things that make jammin’ special. But there’s one thing that I took away from that and that is during our jam session, I took the route of comping against what the other guys were playing. That was incredibly valuable to me because it allowed me to play with different chord shapes up and down the neck; taking a minimalistic approach – perhaps playing a simple triad or adding an 11th or 13th where appropriate. It was VERY cool.

So next time you get the chance to jam with your buds, try to comp and see where it takes you.

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Elliot Smith: A Lost Talent and a Troubled Soul

Posted in guitar, guitarists, Guitars, Music, musicians on August 3, 2007|

Not many people know of Elliot Smith, and will never know more than what’s already known because he sadly passed away from an apparent suicide in 2003. I actually didn’t know about him until a couple of years ago when my eldest son, who’s into indie music, was playing one of Elliot’s songs on the computer. I knew of his music though because two of his songs were in two movies that I love: “Good Will Hunting” and “Keeping the Faith.” Elliot’s song “Miss Misery” was featured in “Good Will Hunting,” and that’s the song I wanted to share with you.

Through his life, Elliot Smith suffered from depression and drug abuse. His music both musically and lyrically reflect an inner turmoil that spoke volumes of the depth of his personal horror. In interviews, he’s withdrawn and quiet, and he looks as if he’s about to burst. It’s tragic that such a talent had to go through so much personal struggle. Anyway, back to the song…

I was listening to the “Good Will Hunting” version of “Miss Misery” on my iPod the other day, and I thought that it would be a good idea to learn the song. So I did a search for Miss Misery chords and lyrics and found some. Being on a new computer that didn’t have my iPod library, I decided to do a search on iTunes to download the song so I’d have it handy while I plunked out the chords on my guitar. I only found one version of the song and it was an early version that was purely acoustic guitar with no backing instruments. Since I would be performing the song on my acoustic, I downloaded the song to my computer.

Once the download completed, I was surprised that the key was completely different than what was recorded for the movie, and the lyrics were some of the darkest lyrics I had ever heard. Where the “Good Will Hunting” version’s lyrics leaned towards a guy trying to figure out his relationship, the early version, which I suspect was the original version bordered on suicidal. But they were so much more powerful than the movie version, and revealed a very dark side of Elliot Smith. Here are the lyrics to the movie version first:

Ill fake it through the day
With some help from johnny walker red
Send the poison rain down the drain
To put bad thoughts in my head
Two tickets torn in half
And a lot of nothing to do
Do you miss me, miss misery
Like you say you do?

A man in the park
Read the lines in my hand
Told me Im strong
Hardly ever wrong I said man you mean

You had plans for both of us
That involved a trip out of town
To a place Ive seen in a magazine
That you left lying around
I dont have you with me but
I keep a good attitude
Do you miss me, miss misery
Like you say you do?

I know youd rather see me gone
Than to see me the way that I am
But I am in the life anyway

Next door the tvs flashing
Blue frames on the wall
Its a comedy of errors, you see
Its about taking a fall
To vanish into oblivion
Is easy to do
And I try to be but you know me
I come back when you want me to
Do you miss me miss misery
Like you say you do?

Now here are the lyrics to the original version of the song:

I’ll fake it through the day
with some help from Johnny Walker Red
and the cold pain behind my eyes that shoots
that through my head
(note: He might be saying “death” instead of “that”, it was a bit garbled)
Two tickets torn in half
and a lot of nothin’ to do
but it’s all right
some enchanted night
I’ll be with you

Tarot cards and the lines in my hand
tell me I’m wrong but they’re untrue

I got plans for both of us
that involve a trip out of town
to a place I’d seen in a magazine
that you left lyin’ around
I can’t hold my hold my liquor
but I keep a good attitude
’cause it’s all right
some enchanted night
I’ll be with you

I know you’d rather see me gone
than to see the, come the day I’ll be waiting for you anyway

Next door the TV’s flashing
blue frames on the wall
It’s a comedy from the seventies
with a lead no one recalls
To vanish into oblivion
it’s easy to do
and cry to sleep when you talked to me
the day you said we were through
but it’s all right
some enchanted night
I’ll be with you
As I mentioned, these lyrics are so much darker and raw than the movie version.  I was so moved by these lyrics that I wept. This is the version I’ll be performing as a tribute to a guy who couldn’t take life but had so much to offer. Here’s a real good memorial video that features “Miss Misery.”

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