Makesitgood.net » Guitar

You ruined everything

Alex — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 17:15:37 +0000

Finally got around to making a recording with my new mic. Sooo much nicer, but also very unforgiving. I guess that just means I have to work at my singing more and get better. I can at least say I am not terrible!

[See post to listen to audio]

Strong Chemistry

Alex — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 00:36:40 +0000

This is a cover of Strong Chemistry by David Wilcox.

I’m not satisfied with the recording yet, but I have the feeling I will never be completely satisfied with a recording. This has several flaws, but it is my best to date that I actually have proof of!

Problems: timing, especially in the solo bits. I slide off key a bit at a few points with the vocal, but not painfully so. I really need to get a decent mic and a screen so I can eliminate all those plosives.

I took a bit of liberty at the end, slowing down, and ad-libbing a tiny bit.

[See post to listen to audio]

Language of the Heart complete instrumental

Alex — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 20:24:51 +0000

Finally got a so-so recording of this piece done. Still needs a lot of work. Thankfully there’s not really any technical problem I’m having in regards to playing it, just a mental one. It actually comes very easily, but when I try to string all the parts together I get sloppy (as you’ll hear here…).

This is a bit repetitive as it’s sung over, that will come soon enough.

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Eye of The Hurricane

Alex — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 19:30:02 +0000

First verse and chorus of David Wilcox’s piece. I’ll record the full song when I get better at it on the Takamine.

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Keys to the kingdom

Alex — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 21:31:18 +0000

Here’s the most complicated fingerstyle piece I’ve been able to do so far. I’m working on one that’s much more complex, but I can’t get through it all the way yet, especially not up to tempo.

I love the sound of this one. It gives my fingers a good workout, and I move around the fretboard pretty well. I didn’t play it as written, the last few bars I did a little embellishment on the rhythm so that it comes to an end more gradually and naturally. The original just has me play the beginning chords in the same rhythm and then strum an A minor. I like my version better.

[See post to listen to audio]

Found time to practice again!

Alex — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 21:27:40 +0000

Today I recorded two practice sessions, and I’m pumped. There first one I was mainly working on strumming and keeping an even rhythm through a chord progression. I chose Matchbox 20′s Rest Stop to work on because I can sing it without butchering it too badly.

Recorded in two parts, one just the guitar, straight into my trusty macbook. Then I came back and sang over it. I still haven’t mastered the singing and playing at the same time, invariably I’ll forget what I’m doing on one of the two.

[See post to listen to audio]

Getting the hang of Garageband

Alex — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 22:00:56 +0000

Spent a couple hours messing around in garageband today. It’s got some annoying tics, but there’s a lot that you can do with it and it’s fairly easy.

Here’s a clip of a work in progress. This is a cover of Linkin Park’s Pushing Me Away. Right now I have the same basic chord progression, but instead of just some overdriven strumming I’m arpeggiating and using some substitutions.

I haven’t decided what to do with the chorus yet. I’d like to do something similar to their own remix of the song for that part… but I am not very good at screaming.

[See post to listen to audio]

I also need some drums in there.

Wheels

Alex — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 18:54:58 +0000

This one turned out pretty well, the main problem I have is the noise of my fingers sliding up and down the strings. I’ll have to work on doing that more silently.

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Practice: Windows

Alex — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 21:13:13 +0000

Here’s the second one.

I recorded this using my Virgin guitar, it’s an acoustic and a “campfire guitar.” My friend Todd explained the concept to me.

It’s the guitar you can take camping and not worry about. In fact, if you get too close to the fire and it catches… it might actually be pretty fun.

This was just using the built in mic on the macbook, so it’s a bit clippy.

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Practice Recordings

Alex — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 21:05:54 +0000

I’m going to be recording and posting songs that I’m practicing so I can go back and hear how bad I was as I get better. Also it should help me figure out how to record things well, and force me to practice more.

Here’s the first, Canyon Canon. Couple slips in this one. This was recorded directly from my Takamine into the Macbook. It’s very bass heavy, so I’ll have to work on tweaking the recording OR just get a nice in-between device whenever I get around to upgrading my iMac.

[See post to listen to audio]