November 10, 2010 by Scot.

Inspiration vs. Perspiration

When it comes to creating music, we have many obstacles to overcome:

1- Learning to play an instrument and/or sing.  If you are reading this, you have already taken steps in that direction.

2 - Waiting for the muse to strike.  This falls in the ‘Inspiration’ category and will be discussed further.

3 - Creating chords/harmony, melody, rhythm and words, if applicable.  These are the necessary components of music.

4 - Finishing the tune.  This is the ‘Perspiration’.

Inspiration may strike in many ways.  You may be ‘noodling’ on your instrument or singing nonsense and you stumble on a cool idea.  Many a great song have started in this fashion with a hot lick or series of chords, or a memorable melody that you squeak out.

Note: The muse does not have to strike to start a song.  With proper tools, theory and execution, you can be trained to create music to your liking.  Sometimes it is just trial and error.

Perspiration is most often how we finish our tunes.  Inspiration may have gotten the musical ball rolling, but we need follow thru.  We need a melody to accompany that riff or chord progression you created.  Or we need chords to accompany those lyrics you wrote.  Another section is needed to complete your masterpiece.  Whatever it may be, do not discard a great idea because you do not have the same initial magic that got it started.  Songs may sit for months before they are resolved.  Stick with it, run your music by your instructor and come up with a solution to bring your music to life.

As Abraham Lincoln once said “Genius is one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration”.

Posted in Public Performing tips | No Comments »

January 9, 2009 by Scot.

Art, mathematics and science tend to converge in the creation of music.  If the muse strikes(refer to related blog), art plays the major role.  Even if you are commissioned to write for another purpose(i.e. film scoring), you must take in a visual and come up with something ‘inspired’ to fit the moving picture.

Mathematics are the building blocks of music.  All rhythms, melodic phrasings(Intervals), harmonic structuring(chords) can be explained thru mathematics.  There are only so many possibilities of motion in music.  There is not necessarily only one way to go…or 1 answer as math suggests, but we have many of the same deductions to get us to a final composition.

Science has allowed us a means to get our ideas down, not just on paper.  Recording has become a huge medium in and of itself.  Careers are built on it and musicians come to rely on it.  Once a musician has laid their ideas down(recorded), there are 2 processes left prior to a final CD.  Mixing and Mastering.  People often confuse these.  Here are the main distinctions:

Mixing is done when all the (musical) parts have been recorded on separate tracks.  For ex., you may have lead vocals on track 1; guitar on track 2, bass on track 3; keys on track 4; drums on tracks 5-7 and maybe backup vocals on track 8.  Now, these are all separately tracked so you have total control in the ‘mixing’ process.  You want to be able to do anything from panning(balance) a track left, right or keeping it center; eq to bring out or diminish highs, mids, lows; add f/x like reverb and chorus if appropriate, etc.. Mixing also allows you to set the level of each track.  You probably want the vocal louder than any instrument, so you place the level higher.  If the guitar takes a solo, you’ll need to have the level adjust accordingly at the right time in the song/piece.  Once you have all these moves made, you record to a stereo track and that becomes your mixed master.  Now what?

Some people skip mastering and just burn the mixed copy to cd and done.  It is often said that mastering is the ’sheen’ placed on a mix.  Here’s the deal……..Once you have a mixed version of your work, mastering allows you to color it a bit more.  There are mastering tools in self contained recording devices.  There are also thousands of dollars of mastering programs on computers used by the record industry. At the novice level, what you want from  mastering is to brighten your overall mix(sheen), add a little more compression(make the low volumes higher and the abrasively loud sections lower).  This tightens the band/orchestra….Mastering is also effective when you have let’s say, 10 songs going onto a cd.  Since it is unrealistic that they were all recorded in the same day, many variable come into play.  The overall tone and volume from song to song.  When you listen to an album start to finish, you shouldn’t feel the need to turn up and down the volume from tune to tune.  You shouldn’t feel the need to re-eq from tune to tune.  You and the artist need consistency.  Mastering is the tool that provides that.  Once all tunes are recorded and mixed, you may color them to sound more unified thru eq and compression.  Get the volumes consistent from tune to tune.  Advanced mastering gets even more involved. It can explore  excerpts within a tune and allow one to bring out specified nuances necessary for an overall sheen.

So, whether your aspirations are to remain an artist exclusively, understanding the mathematics and science involved to see your project to fruition is a lesson worth exploring.  Keep shedding!

Posted in Writing | 1 Comment »

October 6, 2008 by Scot.

So, creating originals has long been an issue of how and when to begin.  Often we are inspired and that is the initial drive force to begin.  But what if you have a handful of great ideas that have never been finished…….or you just haven’t been blessed with that hot lyric or riff to get you going.  Here are some tips to starting ideas and most importantly, finishing them.

Choose a key &/or scale to consider your playground.  If a scale, maybe play around with it, on your respective instrument, and come up with or ’stumble upon’ a nice melodic phrase or cool riff.  Build off either of those ideas.  If you devise a memorable melody, utilize chordal options against it and try multiple combinations.  Always seek good counsel as to how to recognize the chords related to a key, mode or scale.  If you stumble upon a wicked riff that can be repeated, then record it and try some melodies against it.  Sing random words with varying rhythms to help find an appropriate melody. 

DON’T FORCE IT!  If you have to ‘talk yourself into believing’ an idea you created is working, it probably doesn’t.  I use the ‘if it don’t sound good the next day or week dump it’ rule.  You can fool yourself if you push too hard in a sitting.  Let ideas sit, but not too long.  Come back another day.  It’ll wait and you may have a fresh take that helps develop the idea into a full blown song.

I recently finished all the music to a song I had started over 3 years ago.  I finally completed an intro.  The rest had been written over time.  It needed the perfect introduction to what I consider to be a brilliant song, if I may be so bold.  All it needs now is words.  Melody, harmony, format, solo section and now intro are completed.  I tend to get songs to that point and then modify arrangement if necessary upon word completion.  You must find your way.  Hey, Elton John wrote all the music and had Bernie Taupin write all his words in his heyday.  Maybe that’s your answer.  But never stop writing……..or at least trying.

Posted in Writing | No Comments »

August 30, 2008 by Scot.

Many of us seek ways to break the tedium of stock scale positions and regurgitated licks. Here are a few tips to break the mold and improve your improv.

1-Incorporate more embellishments. By simply adding slurs(hammer-ons and pull-offs), bends, vibrato, tremelo picking, etc.. to your normal routine of string slinging, you have added a whole new dimension to your solo excursions. Seek counsel if these are mysterious in execution.

2-Avoid the same old position playing that lock people into the same old riffs. Find at least 3 locations to play the scale with a 3 octave distance total and good fingerings to get you from one to the other. Use open strings in the scale to help connect the postions to add a new dimension.

3-Incorporate new rhythms to pause more. Most people just ‘noodle about’. Not giving enough merit to the rhythms that can take your meolodious efforts beyond. If you are a down and upbeat stresser only, learn about 16th notes, with rests and triplet patterns. What a difference a displaced beat can make.

Look into products like Jam Sessions at http://www.silvermusicstudios.com/store/index.php. to give you a steady barometer to measure against and be creative. Happy exploration.

-scot- 8-30-08

Posted in Private Practice tips | No Comments »

August 28, 2008 by Scot.

Most of our lives are filled with enough necessity, that trying to fit in practice on top of everything, feels like torture.  Over  the years, I have found, and passed on, ways to optimize mine and students’ time effectively.  Most of us wait till the end of days ‘requirements’ to start their practice routine.  At this juncture, most of us are fried.  A few ways to get in the necessary practice and not lose extra sleep:

1- Practice the mindless exercises whilst watching tv, a movie or listening to your favorite cd.

    a - You needn’t have total concentration for every element of your practice routine.  Granted, this will be more difficult for drummers, pianists and singers, but……….Most of these elements are repetition, coordination and ultimately, speed based. It’s often uninteresting to listen to and the most boring to practice.  THEREFORE, DO IT WITH ANOTHER MINDLESS PASTIME. 

2 - Spread it out.

    a. No need to practice everything in 1 sitting, or all in a day.

    b. Do a few things that you need to concentrate on in between homework, housework or paying the bills.  Nice to break up other necessary routines with something you like doing.

    c. Don’t feel the need to always start over when getting the opportunity to practice.  Start wherever you left off in each next sitting.  And save the mindless repetitive work for chill time.

3 - As we know, but don’t often admit, PRACTICE IS NOT PLAYING SONGS!  We practice in order to play songs.  Don’t count playing tunes as practice time.  That should be viewed as much a bonus as playing video games.  And don’t get me started on the time wasted playing video games.

4 - Utilize an experienced teacher weekly.

    a. For the self-taught at heart, you will only go as far as osmosis allows.  You may pick up things off the internet and friends, but holes will always prevail in your learning and once you hit a stumbling block, it may be that much more difficult for a teacher to break the bad habits you have picked up.

    b. A great teacher will guide you and maximize what you need at the time you need it.  Don’t waste time practicing things beneath or way above you.

5 - How much time should one spend practicing?

  a. I was told as a youngster that I needed to spend an hour at a time practicing.  I was 10 years old.  Well, after the first 20 minutes of diligent practice, there really was not anything left for me to do, but the same material again and again and again.  It got rather boring and found myself seated in my parents room literally watching the clock till an hour was up.  Needless to say I quit soon after and took up Karate.

    b. Well Karate didn’t take beyond a year and I fortunately found a much more versatile and practical instructor to take my guitar studies forward.  At this juncture I was 15.   I never slowed down.  I recommend the following……….

At ages 6 - 12, there really is not any need to practice more than 20- 30 minutes a day, say 3-4 days per week.  If you really concentrate on what needs to be worked on and not just playing “what sounds good”, those 20-30 minutes are certainly more effective than an hr. sitting in front of a clock on your parents bed, wishing you could eat brussel sprouts instead.  By age 13 and up, more time is usually recommended at a sitting, due to more ability and desire.  Joining a band often helps motivate one to push beyond their current boundaries.

Hope these tips help.  Happy practicing.

-Scot- 8-27-08

Posted in Private Practice tips | No Comments »

August 23, 2008 by Scot.

Tips on getting gigs

Many of you currently perform or wish to. Here are some nice guidelines for booking yourself or your band.
We have several avenues for first contact at an establishment that offers live music. Whether you wish to perform at a coffee house, bar/club or country club, these premises apply:  

- Phone contact      

1- Use to get initial info            

a. What type and when do they have live music            

b. Who is the contact            

c. How do they prefer to be contacted        

2- Email             

 a. You may try this first when available             

b. This is better to send links to your website for sound bytes/pics               

c. It also allows you to choose your words more carefully            

 3- In person              

 a. Often the most effective              

 b. Puts a human face in front of the booker/manager/owner              

c. Shows you are willing, where most are not, to make the extra effort             

d. Buy a drink &/or dinner, depending on the establishment, then ask for the rep.

Have a demo handy, but not visible

In all cases, you may need to do an ‘audition’ night. This is common with original venues. Don’t expect pay. Honestly, in original situations, you will rarely be paid. Have product to sell and make new fans. In cover situations(and original often), they may want a CD demo of a few tunes, if email link to your site was not preferred. Make your demo short. No booker wants to listen to a 20 minute demo. It should be about 8 – 12 minutes max. Include 4-5 tunes that offer a nice range of your material or material you cover. If covers, they should be snippets of the tunes you include, no more than 2 minutes each. If original, full tunes are fine, but only include 3, unless you submit a full CD or Ep. In those cases, you may wish to draw their attention to the best 2-3 tracks.

Once you book the gig, get the word out. Let friends and family know. Start a mailing list with emails and spread the good word. Places certainly appreciate a nice crowd. Good luck and stay patient and persistent.

-Scot-8-23-08

Posted in Public Performing tips | 1 Comment »

August 20, 2008 by Scot.

Please visit www.hometownheroes.com and request The Nerve’s music to be played on their Sunday night show.  Ask for Mark, the dj.  He loves to get requests and we love to get played.  Mark graced us with his presence at the recent Tin Angel show.  Great guy.  Thank you for your support of our music and local original music in general.

Posted in The Nerve News | No Comments »