Posted on 08/18/2012 8:20:43 PM PDT by waterhill
Any FReeper songwriters here? Do you record ideas/whatnot? Do you just write them down? What is it that you do? I do alot of notebook and some tape, and am just now starting to use the computer to record; although the sound is flangey and sometimes overdriven. I am using the mic on the 'puter, should probably use an external. Any tips you may have are welcome. Thanks!
OK, I’ll BUMP your secret stealing thread this one time!
First thing I would do if I could start all over again in that world would be to have a clear idea of what kind of recording I would want to end up with. Pick only one song to record at first and don’t get bogged down by sound quality issues just yet. Realizing the idea/song is by far the most important thing. Then you can re-map and be anal about each part you multi-track. Great recordings can be made from home! I’m no expert but I do it all the time so ask away and I’ll try to help if I can.
I’d suggest maybe publishing finished works.
Unless you want your children eaten.
No, but seriously if you beleive me, get your sh_t together first elsewhere.
I was in a Christian band long ago- I wouldn’t link here until I was dead set ready to rock.
Whats a hipster like you doing here on a Sat. night?
I appreciate your musical taste BTW, Cat!
Hipster? More like a former wouldbe ex-hipster!
PING!
I’m using a PreSonus Firepod. 8 mics into the pod, which runs into the laptop via firewire. You’d need an external firewire drive capable of at least 7200 rpm. For software I use Cubase. For a mic I’m using a Shure XM-58. I also use an ART mic amp.
SM-58, sorry.
Not really a beginner; started when I was 14, I am 40-something now...
Published and all, just getting back into it due to a swelled up heart (in a good way).
Just wanted a consensus/brain picking on how others still write/jot down/remember a song.
Greg Allman wrote ‘Whipping Post’ on a napkin in a thunderstorm...
I had some great songs. I’m talking guaranteed hits. I put them all on tape. My wife used them to wrap Christmas presents. I think she’s afraid that I’d have too many groupies.
Write about what you know. What is close to the heart and universal in feeling and experience. Learn about song construction. How many verses before a chorus, etc. you can break rules , but good songs seldom do. There is a good songwriter’s rhyme book/ thesaurus out there. Know your strengths and weaknesses. What you lack either musically or poetically ,find someone to collaborate with to fill out what you may lack. And Never...never..let someone steal your stuff.
Best wishes.
I am published, have been starting 20+ years ago. Put songs on the table, no takers, I guess I suck or at least the world ain’t ready...
I don’t care as they have to come out or they will make me crazy. So out they are...here lately they are like having puppies (I would imagine)...
Christian Band, eh?
My songs alway start out on paper. Lyrics expressing an emotion or a story. Then comes the music. It usually happens almost simultaneously..but for me as a songwriter, the words, the story comes first. The music just flows from there. I usually start the music out simple..like a three or four chord melody. I work out the fun chord changes and mixes later on or with others.
There are several songwriters here. I PINGed one, the others’ screen nicks I can’t recall at the moment.
Anyway, to me it’s all magic, even though I did write and had one tune recorded, but it was really a translation (not a cent of royalties), and years ago contributed to one huge hit, without attribution, and I’d like nothing more than to overcome my mental block to be able to come up with something that rhymes or not, but adds up in the end to a lyric that can be put to music.
Writing a song requires your willingness to change it. Don't get stuck, perhaps that nice chorus you think of is better as a verse, etc. etc. The best songwriting book I've seen is "the 84 wrongs of songwriting and how to write them". Don't know if it's still available. Good luck!
Honey, I am just trying to find FReeper songwriters and have a discussion. Thanks for the pep talk.. I have been around (and I mean “around” jeez, I have some stories, I wish they were all pretty), just seeing who does what..
Thanks again.
I use a Boss BR 900 CD and a 1600 CD for recording. The 900 is great if you are working alone because it has guitar, vocal, bass effects and modeling built in as well as an excellent library of drum patterns (or write your own). It also masters and burns CDs. Very cool tool.
Don't know if they're still in production but you get them easily on the web. If you get a 900 get some 1GB Sandisk Flash cards because Boss only supplies a 128 MB with the machine. The 1600 has an on board hard drive and doesn't use flash card.
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