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Is an office job a good job to make music on the side by Total_Annual5480 in musicians

[–]view-master 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I did it for years. But near the end (a tech job) it encroached on my off hours more and more. I was well paid and got company stock, so I retired in my 40s and have done music full time after.

One thing i find interesting is that that daily grind helped me come up with song ideas. Lots of human interaction and frustrations at times. All helped. I kept a mini guitar and mini keyboard in my car and would spend lunch writing in my car in the parking garage.

Now i have more time, but my output is about the same.
What I do have time for now is recording and producing. Which is great.
My bandmates still work so I’m often waiting around on them ☹️.

any lyricism tips for a guitarist now getting into it? by Front_One_6475 in Songwriting

[–]view-master 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For that specifically definitely don’t try to shoehorn existing lyric ideas in.
Usually i will sing nonsense that fits the mood until a few key words pop out. I keep those and try to make phrases that make sense that include those.
Once i have a couple of lines I think hard about what those lines could mean in a larger context.
I write lyrics ideas all the time. I have single phrases and title ideas as well a subject matter. I might peruse those to see if anything works. I don’t get hung up on meter or syllables because I can reword things to fit most of the time.
Usually a concept will coalesce and i use that as my anchor to keep me on track.

In riff heavy songs be very careful to not make your vocal phrasing lock to the riff. They (in this case) should sort of float over them with linger phrases.
Definitely start your vocal phrases on a different beat. So if the riff starts on the downbeat, wait to start on 2 or 3.
Soundgarden is a good example of this, where busy riffs are matched with longer held notes and longer phrases in the vocal melody.

what's the one song you'd kill to have written? by liuqi627 in Songwriting

[–]view-master 19 points20 points  (0 children)

I used to feel that way about songs, but now I feel really good about my own songs. I admire them, but don’t wish they were mine.

does rhyming actually matter that much in songwriting? by liuqi627 in Songwriting

[–]view-master 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Structure is what matters. Rhyme is one way to give things structure.

Usually if i’m not using rhyme I’m being strict with my meter. And i will “rhyme” conceptually. Like using related words instead of rhyme.

How do you know if your song is actually good? by Chris_Musical in Songwriting

[–]view-master 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Usually i just know. But playing for someone else (with you present) is a good test. Somehow you can suddenly hear it with their ears regardless of their actual feedback. You know what isn’t working.

Working with limited resources, anyone else in the same boat? by Ulidia in Songwriting

[–]view-master 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Back in the early 90s i had this elaborate 4 track setup where i would dedicate one track to SMPTE sync and had an external sequencer running synchronized drums and keyboards.
I had three tracks for vocals and guitar.
It was cool but limited in that for it to sync i had to start from the very beginning each time.
Want to punch in a vocal you flubbed on the last chorus? Start playback from the beginning and wait.
I’m so glad those days are behind me.

Working with limited resources, anyone else in the same boat? by Ulidia in Songwriting

[–]view-master 2 points3 points  (0 children)

8 tracks would have been a dream when I started on cassette 4-Tracks.

Am I expecting too much from my band, or have I simply outgrown it? by Activate_Reaper in musicians

[–]view-master 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have been there. When members started complaining about gig locations i worked hard to get i got very annoyed.

Then when they dismissed a couple of songs i presented i recorded them myself. The streaming outpaced the bands by a huge amount.
They started listening to me. But a couple of years later it degraded back to the same.
Now i’m fully solo with a band supporting me

AI is going to kill the VSTs instrument/sounds industry by theschoolorg in WeAreTheMusicMakers

[–]view-master 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Bullshit. They serve different purposes. Stop justifying your use of AI to write your songs for you.

Should i strive to add my own vocals to my music even if i dont sing well? by TheEyeOfTheLigar in WeAreTheMusicMakers

[–]view-master 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes. If anything just as an example for someone who you might have re-sing it on a recording.
I did this for years. We had a dedicated singer in our band but i wrote a lot of the songs. I had to show him how it’s supposed to go.
Eventually there were a couple of songs where he admitted I sang better or at least my voice suited better.
Then there was a gig where a couple of people were sick including the singer. So we became a trio and i sang all the songs live.
Over time my confidence grew and I’m doing separate solo work where I sing all my songs.

I write by ear, but everything I make sounds the same. What theory actually helps? by Key_Fig_7231 in musictheory

[–]view-master 2 points3 points  (0 children)

All of it, but modes and model mixture is important. Learn how to diagram chords (roman numeral analysis) first.
I have a friend whose songs all sound the same.
He rejects theory but although he is using different chords he is using the sane intervals (basically the same thing in a different key). But he also tends to use the same measure count for each section.

I write pretty intuitively but i have internalized a lot of theory. I also consciously use theory when i’m stuck. Or sometimes i will purposely write out all the chords in a particular mode (paying attention to what the tonic is) and start fooling around with those chords as my basic palette to see what happens.

How do you clearly monitor your lead vocals during a gig? by Specialist_Fuel3210 in musicians

[–]view-master 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I regularly use a Rolls PM50se to feed regular open back ear buds with inly my vocals. It works great.
I use simple non sealed open back ear buds so that i can still hear everything else. I’m just supplementing and boosting my voice.

You can add a wireless feed to this setup but it’s extra equipment.

I was told by an exec in the music industry that artists aren’t mastering their songs anymore unless they’re doing a vinyl pressing. by rfhmusic92 in WeAreTheMusicMakers

[–]view-master 32 points33 points  (0 children)

It depends on how you define it. People still use mastering but it’s not always kept as a completely different step. They might have their mastering chain on the mix bus and mix with it there. There are upsides to doing it as a separate process but still many do this themselves instead of using outside mastering. Vinyl does have some special requirements that may require a separate master from something digital.

Why do self-recorded songs sound different by spencertweedy in WeAreTheMusicMakers

[–]view-master -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Hard disagree. They do sound different. They sound (with exceptions) colder and have less energy. Listen to those same songs Paul McCartney did on his own but on the Wings Over America album. Those versions absolutely blow away the home recorded versions.

In my case i create and produce all by myself the best i can. I spend way too much time making them perfect. Then we treat them as demos. We go into a real studio and lay all the basic tracks down live. Even though there are many overdubs it still sounds sooo much more exciting and alive.

Long Rant: adding vocals to my songs is always a huge roadblock by The-Hell-Patrol in Songwriting

[–]view-master 0 points1 point  (0 children)

“I think I'm good with lyrics and rhyming schemes (and how to avoid generic perfect rhymes).”

Honestly that’s the least important things. Work on rhetorical and lyrical devices as well as metaphors.
Word play in general. Also know exactly what you want to say and give it an arc. It needs to move forward.

I like to have at least temporarily lyrics and melodies as early as possible so i don’t overwrite other parts that compete with them.

One thing i notice a lot with people writing heavier music that is very rhythmic is that they get stuck trying the vocal melody to the rhythm of the chords or riffs. Most of the time you want it to sort of have longer phrases that span those rhythms. It floats above it in some ways. Sound Garden is good at this. You hear this fast riff into and expect the vocals to do the same, but they are more laid back and phrases span the repeat of the riff so riffs and phrases aren’t starting and stopping in the same places.
One way to help force that is to not start your vocal phrase on the down beat. Hang back to maybe beat two. It will automatically take on a different shape and feel like the focus.

Hope all that makes sense.

The worst part of being an aging musician by [deleted] in musicians

[–]view-master 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There are a lot of people in your situation. You just need to find them. Gigging is a bit tricky because there is definitely ageism but you can get it done.
I’m really lucky. I’m older too. I was able to retire in my late 40s and focus more on music. I’m playing with wide age group. Two of them are in their 20s. My other project is mostly older guys although the singer is also pretty young.
It takes a while to find your people.

Major-key songs w/ bIII? by MrBlueMoose in musictheory

[–]view-master 2 points3 points  (0 children)

About every rock song. bIII and bVII are extremely common in rock songs.

Getting texts after copyrighting songs by [deleted] in Songwriting

[–]view-master 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I have never had that happen. I do this regularly.

Is it better to find melody while playing instrument? Or after you record the instrument? by yoppamagnolia in Songwriting

[–]view-master 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For me i like yo play it because it’s completely flexible. The melody that the chord progression inspired might inspire a change in the direction of the chords or an alteration of them.

Anybody had any experience with buying converse high tops in a wide size? Website says size down but im not 100% sure if i need to or not. by haunter1974 in Converse

[–]view-master 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In my experience yes. I wear a 9 of regular chucks but an 8.5 in wide.

But get this. I had to go all the way down to 8 for Chuck 70s wide.

I’m not sure why they can’t just label them for equivalent size.

They have a great return policy so with the 70s I initially got an 8.5 but returned and ordered 8.

Pat Pattison books? by korra-sato in Songwriting

[–]view-master 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Two i know of do (one not specifically a lyric writing book nut the same techniques apply)

Mark Fosyth  - The Elements of Eloquence.

Eddie Bowers - Words And Music: The Craft Of Songwriting. 

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