Music

The New CD Strings and Keys

Well I am officially working on the newest set of music. Today's blog is on song writing or should I say the process that I go through. From the fear oh god can I still write a song to the tedious how many more times do I have to listen to this to find that one bad note that's driving me mad.

First Inspiration or Perspiration, I know we all have felt that drive to write the next great song and back in the day I would say I needed inspiration before writing a song and in some ways I believe that is still the case. But I have recently found not a formula but a routine that I seem to get into when I am between projects. I always start playing songs I wrote years ago. That in some ways inspires me to look into new songs. But what amazed me was that I found myself sitting and just playing melodies. Nothing I had heard before, and at first it seems that I am just running scales, working the fingers you know. But the next thing I hear is a melody like in the song By Request. That song like so many of my picking songs, as I call them. Either started with a melody or a sweet mixtures of chords I find while picking around. This is how I get around writers block which hits me like a ton of bricks some times. When I find myself just stuck unable to move forward with a new idea. I have found by going back to the very basics, picking out some chords and playing with transitions then moving on to melodies or running some scales something shows itself. From those melodies comes the next idea. Now sometimes it last longer so trying the Piano or the Bass seems to help as well. The other trick I have found to get out of this mode is to find other music, something I always wanted to learn or a style I have not tried yet, playing with other musicians, open jam sessions and of course listening to some of my older stuff with new ears.

Putting it all together, now this I have found to be the most frustrating and enjoyable thing ever. There is this phenomena that happens with song writers, we hear what's has not been written yet. I am blessed to have three great kids two of which are amazing musicians. Once my son and I were listening to a new song that I was working on. As he watched me he leaned over and said to me. Dad that parts not in the song, I had to stop because I was jamming away to a string section I was hearing in my head that was not record or even written yet, other then in my head. We all do it, its part of song writing we start playing those chords and we hear the guitar solo the bass line the keyboards every aspect of the song is in our heads being worked out. Then at some point, for me at least, when I believe I am done with the song as I am listening to it in the car. I realize that I never recorded the bass or that transition string section that I know will be the hock because it still stuck in my head. To work this out what I am doing is listening to not only the newest song I am working on but the other works in progress as well with headphones, in the car and over the monitors. I also play them at work when I'm working on a project. I keep notepad open when I am at a PC or use my cell phone as a note pad to remind me to add this or edit that. It seems that the times I get the most work done or the most inspiration on a song is when I'm not actively listening to that song. When you mind is elsewhere it seems you can work on the music better it least that's the way it works out for me.

Well that's enough for today look for more thoughts on work soon

Thanks

To Mic or Not To Mic that is the questions. For guitarist that are looking to get there guitar to sound as they hear it coming out of the Marshall Stack or that great sounding Nylon Acoustic there is always that question. For me and I can only speak from what I have tried and my environment, I still don't know which is best. I do know that I only purchase acoustic electric guitars which I have had some hard core guitarist discredit as cutting out some of the sound quality of the wood but for me it's the best method to get my sound in the computer and on CD. My only issue with micro phoning an amp or the guitar itself is the noise factor. Regardless of what you do you are still getting more noise this way then you will by running direct. On my CD Island Life the song By Request, is all done on my Fender Acoustic Electric. I have been told that its one of the best mixed songs I have done full of layers but what I hear when I listen to this song is the strumming of the guitar and the clean sound of the strings.. This was all recorded by running out from the guitar into the mixer and routing through the Virtulizer Pro to add a soft chorus and Revered that's all. The times that I have tried using a microphone in front of the guitar or amp I seem to get some much more ambient noise that I spend more time cleaning it up then I do in writing the song or working on the mix. For me, it's a no brainer if I have the ability to take my guitar and run it directly to the my mixer then that is what I will do every time. Now this is not to say you wont have noise by going direct

-- R.E. Fort Without Music... Life has no Soul Life, Health and Prosperity