Whatcha doing with your recordings?

[DankStar]

I just realized I don't have much to do with my recordings these days. I used to hound record companies, thinking I'd be the next Trent Reznor of the metal world and spend my days programming drums and playing guitar, but now that I'm resigned to the "real world," I'm not sure what to do with them exactly.

I can pass some CDs out to some friends and such, I've got a lil' myspace thing going on (and I mean little), I put a tag in my signature on the boards I frequent saying I'll burn some songs for peeps that want 'em, but I'm curious...what are other people doing?

Are you attempting to sell your stuff? Are you building up a stockpile of songs just to have them? Passing CDs out as christmas gifts? Just recording to record? Are you trying to get signed, trying to build a resume to use to join your next band? I'm not trying to put anyone down for doing what they do, I'm just wondering, what the point is of even going through the process of recording is (for me) if there's no real means to and end so to speak. But yet I've been asking that question to myself for about 14 years now.

 

[JOLLY]

Re: Whatcha doing with your recordings?

Just recording to record?

LOL....that's pretty much it for me.

 

[MikeS]

Re: Whatcha doing with your recordings?

Are you attempting to sell your stuff? Are you building up a stockpile of songs just to have them? Passing CDs out as christmas gifts? Just recording to record? Are you trying to get signed, trying to build a resume to use to join your next band? I'm not trying to put anyone down for doing what they do, I'm just wondering, what the point is of even going through the process of recording is (for me) if there's no real means to and end so to speak. But yet I've been asking that question to myself for about 14 years now.

My "band's" stuff is stockpiled. It was kind of a dilusion of ours. Two guitar players who between the two of them dabble in keyboards, drums, percussion, and bass. Never had a bass player, have/had a singer/drummer/prima donna filling in the other gaps for a while. A couple tracks were passed around a little bit but nothing more has ever come of the electric stuff. That three man line-up has done a few acoustic shows, though. With me supposedly going back to grad school, the other guitarist raising a family, and the singer/drummer jumping on and off the wagon, those recordings will probably be nothing more than an audio chapter in our musical lives.

Stuff I record on my own can be divided into three categories:

First is the material that is intended only for me. Think of it as a musical diary where no one else is intended to here it. That right there is the means to the end for that material.

Second are the ideas that are no more than an assemblege of one or riffs. I might also lump tone testing into this category. These ideas may be terrible, might not flow, or not get used right away for whatever reason. I keep them because someday the situation to use one of them might present itself. By keeping them stored on disc I don't have to worry about keeping them stored in the brain.

Finally are the tracks that wind up being an entire song or maybe something a little more evolved than an assemblege of riffs. I'll usually take these songs and ideas to the "band" for collaboration. Some get worked on, some go to the vault.

 

[DankStar]

Re: Whatcha doing with your recordings?

thanks for chiming in!

I guess I have a similar thing I do, where I stockpile riffs and song ideas, and then my faves get made into songs. Often though, by the time I start putting together a song, I need to really hone in on a riff or two, and new riffs then come out of those so I end up not even delving into the stockpile to search because things are popping out during the writing.

Then once the song is done, I'm all happy, but then I'm like "oh yeah, I'm not in a signed band so not too many people will actually hear this." But as self-centered as it is, I get enjoyment out of listening to my own tunes as I drive around town. Is that conceited of me? I read once that Scott Ian doesn't listen to the Anthrax albums much because it would be like he's full of himself, but I say...why not?

It's almost like I want to stop but I can't. There's some tiny part in me that's always thinking of the next few tunes, as if I'm waiting for something to happen out of it all.

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: Whatcha doing with your recordings?

Producing and recording music is an art form unto itself. You don't need an excuse to make art.

 

[frankfalbo]

Re: Whatcha doing with your recordings?

I play every week at church. When I write something, it's usually worked into a church service, when it fits with what we're talking about that week. Sometimes I'll finish a tune for a specific service. Knowing what the sermon topic is can really help with writer's block. Otherwise, I did a CD a few years back that we sold at church, and all the money went into to the building fund. (we're in the new building now)

Forgive me for all you non-churchies, because this might seem strange to you, but recording solely for my own satisfaction nowadays seems a little self serving. It's like if I'm not doing it for church, or at least for some other specific reason, it feels a little self absorbed. I think that happened after we had kids. You start to look at everything you do with your spare time as competition for family time. One of the tunes we did at church was written for my daughter. ("A Father's Prayer") I was near completion around Father's day anyway. Then the scheduled soloist had to go out of town. So I finished it for Father's day and it went well. But that's a song that I wouldn't have needed to play at church if the occasion didn't arise. My most recent song in the bullpen is about my wife and I, and may never get played at church. But still it's like it's "for" her, not for me.

I do, however, selfishly blow time working on all my guitars. And for some reason I allow my brain to process that differently than sitting down to record a song. I'll cut into family time if I'm soldering something, or cutting wood, etc.

This is a great post, because I've been pondering the same thing lately. Shoud I do more? Should I send the songs to someone? There's a friend of ours that wants me to make a CD with her. She's got the gung ho, "lets send it to everyone and get famous" attitude, and it just seems so futile. She's talented, but she's not someone that the world "deserves to hear" or anything. I think it would take a lot for me to decide to devote time and energy on self promotion. Maybe I'm just lazy, or deep down I know I'm not that good!:laugh2:

 

[CGord]

Re: Whatcha doing with your recordings?

1st off, your myspace clips rock (especially Under an Ohio Sky), & I sent you an add request. 2nd, you're in my neck of the woods, cool.

I do it for fun. I've played since I was a kid, but never in a band or public setting. These clips are my way of performing publicly.

I have a blast with the whole process. I love being able to do something constructive with my playing, that is, have a finished product, instead of just playing to hear myself play. Feels like I'm accomplishing something instead of just playing notes that drift out into the air, never to be heard again.

I love listening to my own stuff in the car, & on the pc while I'm online. I impress the hell outta me! :chairfall

I'm nearly 40, with a job, a wife, 2 kids, a mortgage, etc. Playing rock star is my mid-life crisis, I suppose. I've always had fast cars, so I can't do that to stave off middle age. I rock out instead. While I'd love to be a professional recording musician, I'm not at a point in my life where hitting the road in an old van with the band is feasible. I should've done that when I was 18, but that ship done sailed.

So, for me, the end justifies the means. I have fun recording & getting everybody's feedback. It's a hobby I enjoy.

 

[larry_emder]

Re: Whatcha doing with your recordings?

3 main reasons for me:

1) Ego boost/impressing mates

2) Experimentation/Recording techniques, finding out what works and what doesnt.

3) Remembering my ideas....i have a bad memory

 

[myxolidian]

Re: Whatcha doing with your recordings?

I enjoy playing guitar, writing music, recording and practicing to build my chops. To me, it's all tied together and is a life-long journey.

I've played to thousands of people in the past and I had the same attitude back then as I do now playing to nobody: I make music for myself. If someone else likes it, then great. But if they don't, then that's ok too.

These days, I don't even bother to post any of my songs online. I'll only post clips of messing around with gear and dialing in tones and such for discussion purposes.

Just do what you do and if you don't like it then stop doing it!

 

[Virtual Kevorkian]

Re: Whatcha doing with your recordings?

Mainly to get better at doing what I love to do... it could lead to a career one day.

That said, what I'm doing right now is getting tracks written and arranged - once I get 5-6 tracks I'm happy with, I'll start shopping for band members.

 

[doveman]

Re: Whatcha doing with your recordings?

I've been playing guitar now for 39 years ... geez ... since I was 11. I played everyday ... 6 nighters when I was in my teens and early twenties. Then I got married ... raised two good kids ... kept my gear ... but only played a couple times a week for 30 minutes. Really lost my chops ... I mean the ones I had anyway.

About 3 years ago, I discovered MIDI and digital recording. Since then I have played maybe 10 hours a week on average. Still not really that good but playing my chops again. In the process, I was able to try many different styles ... recorded about 100 tunes so far ... Nat King Cole to Zepellin over the last 3 years. This saved me ... I'm really enjoying paying guitar again ...on my terms. Really stretching out for a week or so on a tune. I spent a week and 16 tracks learning Glen Miller's Moonlight Serenade then the same amount of time on Kansas "Down The Road". Have even written a few.

I highly recommend recording for the part timers with families. About a month ago, my son (who plays guitar too now ... SG/Strat/Tele) showed me how to put them on the internet ... there are about 30 songs out there ... other people can listen ... but they are really for me.

 

[Stevo]

Re: Whatcha doing with your recordings?

I used to play semi-pro but now I just do it as a hobby. I have had some really nice experiences over the last couple of years though. I was not really looking but I have played some fun gigs and I have recorded with some great musicians.
I just finished an instrumental CD that I have recorded casually over the last several months. I am selling them on CD Baby, with all proceeds going to Breast Cancer Awareness

 

[DankStar]

Re: Whatcha doing with your recordings?

some great perspectives here. so many good quotes and words to remember in times of doubt.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Whatcha doing with your recordings?

for years i recorded, promoted, released a CD...then played a lot of shows to sell em.
this year i did something different. recorded 50 CDs, 50 hours of improvisation, and no copies made- the one you buy is an original. having the release in an art gallery. pushed the idea to my state's cultural affairs board (in florida) and they liked it, so they are paying for the whole thing. Grants aren't just for visual artists...lots for musicians too!

 

[Christobevii3]

Re: Whatcha doing with your recordings?

I record as a learning tool

 

[ericmeyer4]

Re: Whatcha doing with your recordings?

More of less to improve as a musician. I may be loosing a bit of my speed, but what I am loosing there I am improving in phrasing, writing, etc. IMO its a more that fair trade. I really love slide guitar and I want to become better at that. Slide is what really gets the emotion building in me. Especially the Derek Truck's solo on "Worried down with the blues" That last solo makes my head want to explode!

I record and write at the same time. I'll record something and if it sounds good I keep it and work off of it and when I get something good I'll go back and do it in one take so it sounds more natural. I like to look at my music as if it were a painting. You create it and then look at it. I don't play live anymore so this thinking works for me lol.

If anyone wants to listen to it they can. I'm not doing the pimp my music on myspace thing. I don't go and try to add tons of friends in hopes they will like my stuff. If they stumble on it they stumble on it.

I have one song that I really like listening to but I need to finish some lyrics to it. Apart from some really sappy/cliche lyrics I got nothing. The music is all done it just needs some words!

I also use it to experiment with tones, techniques. Recording in mono has really interested me, it doens't seem like this is explored much anymore. If I actually get around to it I want to start experimenting recording my guitar in Low impedence vs high impedence. See if one works better than the other for me.

 

[theboatcandream]

Re: Whatcha doing with your recordings?

I've finished a number of recordings of original songs. Not many, but a bunch. Over a dozen, no more than 20.

I usually put them up on a website for a while then let people have a go at them. Sometimes, many times, I've gotten some really nice comments back from people who enjoyed the music and thought that I had written a really good song.

The thing is, I don't like my own music most of the time, and I don't feel fufilled from the stuff people tend to enjoy the most. And as far as covers go, I hate the sound of my voice.

So, what have I been doing with my recordings? Deleting them.

 

[larry_emder]

Re: Whatcha doing with your recordings?

Join the club boaty

 

[StrangeSound]

Re: Whatcha doing with your recordings?

I record stuff since I'm 15 and some years before that I had some songs composed. I use it as a tool to not forget song ideas. Only few songs are really done and yeah I wait to get into a studio and record the ones which I like and spread it into the world

I read somewhere that Guthrie's "Erotic Cakes" is based on song ideas which he had in the last 10 years..so perhaps I can record some songs too and make a cd.

The problem is just, I have so much material but it's all old stuff so you wouldn't hear a progression in my playing because I record the stuff which is already written down. You had to listen to the old, scratchy recordings to see "well, he improved a lot".

 

[Markk]

Re: Whatcha doing with your recordings?

I felt kinda sad when I read in one of the posts that the person records just to record. Made me feel like, what am I doing? I'm wasting all this talent (yeah right) on recording little riffs that only I'll be listening to.

So now I'm inspired to get back into trying to learn new songs and play some bars or something. :dance: