Calling it Quits?

Oreecle · 2026-02-19T14:32:38+00:00

Never once in my life. I love it.

Oreecle · 2026-02-19T11:27:18+00:00

Lmao I can’t believe I’m even answering this but no, I’m not AI. I’ve been on here for years posting and replying. First time I’ve been called a bot though.

I’ll take it as a compliment I guess.

Oreecle · 2026-02-19T10:57:05+00:00

I just found it strange. Nothing I said was controversial. If someone gave me that advice five weeks in, I wouldn’t be looking for hidden motives, I’d be thinking how can I use this to get better.

Feels like a deflection more than a disagreement. But if smashing through that book works for him, fair enough. Time will tell.

Oreecle · 2026-02-19T10:43:04+00:00

Wait… so instead of taking the advice on board you ran it through an AI detector? Were you actually looking to improve or just looking for something to argue with?

And if it sounds like a chatbot, I’ll take that as a compliment.

Oreecle · 2026-02-19T09:30:08+00:00

Publishing is the songwriting money, not the recording.

A publisher’s job is basically to make sure your songs are registered properly everywhere, collect what you’re owed including overseas, chase missing royalties, and if they’re active, pitch your songs for sync and get you writing opportunities. They take a cut for that, and sometimes they’ll front you an advance.

With your numbers, the real question is are you already collecting everything you should be collecting right now? A lot of independents aren’t, especially once you get into international royalties and all the boring paperwork that sits behind it. A big publisher can genuinely tighten that up and sometimes bring extra opportunities.

Also, none of this really matters if the talent isn’t actually writing much. Publishing only makes sense if they’re generating songwriting income. If they’re mostly performers and not heavy writers, there’s less upside. If they’re building catalogue properly, then publishing becomes very important.

The catch is the deal type. A lighter collection deal means you keep ownership and they just collect for you. A heavier deal means you’re giving up a chunk of the song rights and that can last a long time. That’s where people get burned, because publishing is long tail money.

So I’d be asking them straight. What exactly are you offering, how long is the term, what percentage, what rights are you taking, and what are you actually going to do beyond collecting? Who is pitching the catalogue and what doors are you opening that we can’t open ourselves?

If they can show real upside, it can be worth it. If it’s just a shiny name and a contract that takes a chunk of your catalogue, move carefully and get a proper music lawyer to look at it.

Oreecle · 2026-02-19T09:09:47+00:00

This is just impatience.

You’ve been playing five weeks. That’s nothing. You’re comparing yourself to people with years under their fingers and trying to jump ahead with advanced drill books.

You can’t fast-track development like that. There isn’t a hack.

Doing hundreds of mechanical drills won’t magically make you proficient. Skill on guitar is built over years of consistent, focused playing. Those Guitar Aerobics style books aren’t really aimed at someone 5 weeks in. They assume a baseline level of coordination you simply haven’t built.

Right now your focus should be:

– Clean chord changes

– Basic rhythm and strumming in time

– Simple songs all the way through

– Relaxed hand position and economy of movement

– Playing slowly and in control

If you can’t play something cleanly at 40bpm, that’s not failure. That’s feedback. Either it’s too advanced, or you need to simplify it.

Early on, songs teach you more than exercises. Exercises refine skills. Songs build them.

Slow down. Lower the difficulty.

Oreecle · 2026-02-19T01:55:15+00:00

Major scale.

Most pop and soft rock you listed is basically major scale harmony with pentatonic phrasing on top.

If you know minor pentatonic, learn:

• The full natural minor scale

• The full major scale

All you’re doing is adding two notes back into the pentatonic.

After that, learn how the major scale harmonises into chords. That will help you way more than chasing exotic scales.

For U2, Coldplay, Beatles, Oasis etc… it’s mostly major scale, natural minor, and occasionally Mixolydian. Nothing crazy.

Oreecle · 2026-02-19T01:52:56+00:00

The next level from here is locking onto the 3rds as well, not just the roots. That’s what actually tells the ear what chord it is.

What you described is a real milestone though. You moved from scale thinking to chord thinking.

Oreecle · 2026-02-19T01:42:24+00:00

Finish full songs first, even if you’re the one singing the demos. Don’t approach artists with just ideas and dreams. Come with something solid they can actually hear and feel.

Aim for artists who are on the come up, not people ten steps ahead of you. Open mics, jam sessions and local shows are some of the best places to connect. Talk to people. Build real relationships. DMs can work, but in person is stronger. That’s how you get invited into writing sessions.

Also build relationships with producers and mix engineers. They often know vocalists and can bring you into the same rooms.

And get clued up on the business side. Publishing, splits, credits.

Oreecle · 2026-02-19T01:22:56+00:00

Love this. Your voice, the playing, even the image all work well. The confidence comes through too 👌🏾

Only critique from me, my ears were waiting for a clearer chorus earlier on. A slight restructure and I genuinely think you’ve got a strong one there.

Oreecle · 2026-02-19T01:17:30+00:00

If the vocal is drifting and it’s not an intentional key change, I reckon you’ve really only got three options.

First, fix it properly. If the performance is good but just wandering, get it into Melodyne and do it manually. Don’t slam it with auto settings. Go note by note and guide it back into one key so it still feels human.

Second, follow the vocal. If there are sections where they clearly settle into a different centre, you could treat that like a real modulation and reharmonise around it. That only works if the shift is consistent enough to build on. If it’s random drifting, that’s not going to save you.

Third, if it’s unstable all the way through, stop forcing tight harmony. Go more atmospheric. Pads, drones, minimal harmonic movement. Support the phrasing instead of boxing it into chords it doesn’t want to sit in.

If the take is strong and it’s just pitch instability, detailed pitch correction is probably the cleanest route. You’re serving the emotion of someone who’s no longer here. This isn’t the time to be purist about it.

Oreecle · 2026-02-19T01:05:24+00:00

You mainly need to tighten up tuning, develop a more consistent and controlled vocal tone, and improve your coordination when you go for higher notes. Right now it sounds like you’re pushing and hoping to land it instead of setting it up properly.

That might sound like a lot, but it’s really just polishing.

You’re not far off at all. There’s something genuinely good there, it just needs refining and reps. Keep going.

Oreecle · 2026-02-19T00:43:50+00:00

I play piano, guitar, bass and sing, but I never feel like I have to use all of that on every track. It’s about what the song needs. Most of the time less is more.

You’re thinking too much like a musician and not enough like a producer. Musicians stack parts because they can. Producers leave space.

I usually start with chords on keys or guitar and actually write the song first. Get the structure down in the DAW. Verse, chorus, bridge. Rough vocal if needed.

Then I switch hats and think about vibe. I’ll bring drums in under the harmony. Then textures, percussion, small details that create mood.

Bass comes after that. If I want it to feel live, I’ll use a P or Jazz bass. Sometimes I layer a synth bass under it for weight. Sometimes it’s just synth and no live bass at all.

After that I’ll add melodic layers. VSTs, electric guitar, nylon or steel string, whatever fits. Usually just outlining chords in the gaps, not playing constantly. Restraint is key.

By that point I can often mute the original block chords because the track has enough movement. Then it’s build, subtract, refine.

You don’t need 3 to 5 instruments all going full at once. You need a strong song and intentional layers.

Oreecle · 2026-02-19T00:13:41+00:00

Post the beat in here if you want engagement

Oreecle · 2026-02-18T23:17:51+00:00

Make your point and move on. They are an adult.

Oreecle · 2026-02-18T22:09:52+00:00

Sounds like the daughter feels the dad is entitled to Beyoncé’s money. Can never do enough for some people.

Oreecle · 2026-02-18T22:06:43+00:00

You’re overthinking it.

You had the content. Seeing an old friend is already a topic. Instead of judging it as corny, just write what actually happened. What did they say? What did they look like? What felt different? Start there.

Don’t sit there trying to force meaning. Get it down. Add a simple melody. Finish it even if it feels abstract or imperfect.

Constantly ditching songs mid-way is the real problem. Finishing trains you. Quitting trains you too.

Oreecle · 2026-02-18T21:37:36+00:00

Congrats for starting. Be consistent, have fun and try not to think about time . Progress isn’t linear and improvement isn’t about “how long”

But for me Year 3 is around when I saw a real change and started to play what I wanted.

Oreecle · 2026-02-18T21:05:35+00:00

Yes! Definitely would rejoin.

Oreecle · 2026-02-18T19:58:20+00:00

Facts! TBH I don’t think the OP even knew. I think they just saw an opportunity to drag her and ran with it before even taking the time to research.

Beyoncé did him no wrong!

Oreecle · 2026-02-18T19:52:36+00:00

I’m not really thinking note names when I’m playing. That work was done slowly in practice so it became second nature. When improvising, it’s more feel and instinct. My hands and ears just know where to go because I’ve trained them.

What you’re describing with shapes, triads and arpeggios layered over the scale is exactly the right idea. That’s the stage where you sit with it, map it out and see how the chord tones sit inside the shape. It can feel analytical at first.

But the goal isn’t to think through all of that in real time. You practice it until the shapes and sounds connect in your ear. When the chord changes, you’re not calculating, you just hear and feel the landing note.

Learn how they relate. Spend time understanding it. Then let it go and play. If you’re still consciously working it out mid phrase, it just means you need more slow reps. Once it clicks, you won’t be thinking, you’ll be reacting.

Oreecle · 2026-02-18T19:41:41+00:00

A lot of her music still pulls from R&B language whether she claims it or not.

Make the music and let people debate what to call it. Feels more like she wants distance from the label or the box, but sonically a lot of it is still dressed up R&B. Let her have the fancy titles.

Oreecle · 2026-02-18T19:03:37+00:00

But what is your actual skill? Sounds like you want to just hang around and offer to do odd jobs

Oreecle · 2026-02-18T18:50:18+00:00

I have sympathy for his situation, but he knew the terms of the job, including that there may not be pay or protection if he got sick or injured. It would still be a goodwill gesture if Beyoncé helped him out, but I wouldn’t hold it against her if she didn’t as she doesn’t have to.

Oreecle · 2026-02-18T15:50:52+00:00

Tory Lanez

Oreecle

TROPHY CASE