Recording makes me feel inadequate for sure

W

willie45

New member
Hi all,

I've just had a reality check sitting at my computer tonight

I'm approaching retirement and with the lockdown I've had lots of time on my hands for the first time in years so I thought I'd get back on it. I've only recently started recording myself. I played with other people in bands for a good while when I was younger, then unfortunately a series of issues got in the way and for the last 30 years I've only played on my own and with zero discipline.

It's been a revelation! My timing and my technique are unbelievably sloppy. I'm disappointed to say the least. I'm having to start all over again. I'm hoping it will get better, that I've just got flabby and it isn't old age taking it's toll.

Has anyone else found this? Any tips to improve? Please tell me there's hope :eek:
 
Yeah, it seems like you can sit at home and play all you want, but its no substitute for playing alongside other musicians. I also find that I tend to tense up when I'm recording, and that means missed notes and other foibles. I start to THINK about what I'm playing, which is deadly. Once you realize that, you can take a breath, relax and let things flow.

The nice thing about recording is that you immediately get feedback, and can "rinse and repeat" until you get your skills back. If it isn't happening today, take a break and come back tomorrow. You aren't shelling out hundreds of $$$$ for a day's recording session. The clock isn't ticking when you're in the basement with your guitar and your microphone.

Don't fret, its meant to be fun. I enjoy the learning part as much as the playing part. Every once in a while something decent comes out.
 
Good comments, Rich. Thank you.

You're absolutely right about the tensing up part. Don't get me wrong I'm having fun but it's really amazed me how bad I am :D
 
Hi Willie, I no longer play anything at 74. I was a passing decent bass guitarist 30 yrs ago and I have got a grotty acoustic and KEEP intending to at least bash a few chords out sometime!

But the great thing about PC recording is that you can set it up and just let it roll, like an 'infinite' tape recorder. Of course, 90% of what you capture will be rubbish (wtgr and by your OWN lights!) but as you forget the recording process and relax, some pearls can drop?

My son in France has been a gigging, teaching guitarist for 30 yrs but in the last two or so has got himself a 'proper' concert classical guitar. He say "dad, it's like starting all over again, the 'king thing is alive! I need to relearn my technique to stop squeaks and fretting too hard and ruining the tuning."

Mind you, the Bach pieces he has sent to me seem fine but HE is not happy!

I don't look in the 'MP3 clinic'. Nothing to contribute but I hope people there are kind and constructive?

I would bet the peeps at Sound On Sound | The World's Premier Music Recording Technology Magazine are? Will check.

Keep rockin'. Stay well.

Dave.
 
Use your age and experience to your advantage. Music has no real age limit, even when performing. I saw Elton John like 2 years ago and he was great.

Everything happens for a reason, so just make it pop.

Get feedback though, it could just be a couple things you need to tweak.

Also, you're probably just being critical on yourself, doubt you are that bad off.
 
You didn't say what you play willie?

It WILL come back. I've never ever been good at practicing - just don't have the patience. What I do is play along with NO checking testing or methodical system.

If you pick songs deliberately to play you always pick predictably, so what I do is pick on Spotify a song I like, and then when I find it by someone suitable - I make myself play along with THE ENTIRE ALBUM, as if you'd agreed to a gig where "You'll know the songs". I think I'm your sort of age too, so my memory for songs is pretty good. I did this with the double bass I bought a couple of years ago, on a bit of a whim after selling my first in 1980 when we bought our first house!

I imagine it's live, and I have to get to the end of the gig. It forces your brain to listen properly, and talk to your fingers. It's really hard at first, but gradually you suddenly get better. Using my double bass as an example - my bass playing fingers knew how to play the songs, but my fingers were rarely in the right places and tuning was horrible, but gradually the muscle memory starts to work better and tuning got better and better.

You do need to be one of those people who can 'feel' the music, so it won't work for everyone. I've done this lots - same again on my pedal steel that again, I just bought. Horrible at first, but you make fast progress as long as you know the songs.

Michael Buble of all things for the DB. Well known big band stuff, but in keys you wouldn't expect, and arrangements that suddenly go off on one.

For me, this approach works really well. You get to the end of a track you've never heard before and usually it was a draw, but then you start to get wins. Occasionally I lose - when I realise I really only knew the intro, but even then, the busking element starts to develop and you start to guess where it's going.

I rarely record anything until I can get to the end of the song without making a big mistake. Then I record it and listening often doesn't;t reflect how good you thought it was, and you can attack the problem - which for me is ALWAYS tuning.
 
willie45 said:
It's been a revelation! My timing and my technique are unbelievably sloppy. I'm disappointed to say the least. I'm having to start all over again. I'm hoping it will get better, that I've just got flabby and it isn't old age taking it's toll.

Has anyone else found this? Any tips to improve? Please tell me there's hope
Click to expand...
Well, some of it may be old age taking its toll but that's to be expected if you're getting on a bit and have been out of the loop for a while. You are the sole determinant of hope though.
I've had some prolific periods and the 2009~early months of 2013 was one such. I recorded over 100 songs, played with 3 brilliant but very different drummers, played with instrumentalists of all shades and with a large variety of singers.....then other things in life took precedence and I didn't do anything until September of 2018 when I forced myself to start mixing songs that had been sitting around for more than 20 years which I'd kept on saying "I must get around to mixing these one day....." and in the process, found that some of them needed a guitar here and there re~doing and having not lifted up a guitar for nearly 6 years, well, I couldn't get over how rusty I was. My fingers were always clunky anyway, I was always a cack handed player when it came to guitar. Bass I was always OK with, but double bass and guitar, what a hassle. My hands hurt, simple chords or notes seemed impossible, my hands felt stiff and lumpy, my sounds were muffled and indecisive and unclear. Believe me, I had some depressive moments ! I wondered if I'd shot it for good.
It all came to a head last Easter when I was trying to play a simple 5 chord sequence and the pads on my fingers were in agony. I did manage to complete the recording but after that I was determined to practice as close to daily as I could and that's what I did. I'd pick up the guitar and play for 5 to 10 minutes, near enough every day. And after a couple of times I found that timing, ideas sequences just began to flow. Key was not trying to play for long periods. It had to be short but often.
Anything we stay away from for a long time takes a while to get back to and the difference between those that continue and those that don't is simply persistence. Part of persistence is ploughing through the periods you really don't want to.
Think of yourself as a musician that has not gigged or recorded for a year that is getting your chop back. That's what many of the artists we know and love do. Throughout musical history, players and singers have had long breaks.
It's like riding a bike or swimming again when you haven't done so for a while.
 
Thanks. I had the 2am blues when I originally posted and wasn't meaning to come off as negative. I'm enjoying the challenge of getting my old senses working to the required level. Logic is a whole new mindset and I'm enjoying that too. It's amazing me on a daily basis and taking my mind off the lockdown.
 
You didn't come across as negative at all. Just normal ! believe me, there will be many, many people reading what you wrote that can totally identify with where you're at. The great thing is that you're honest enough to wear your heart on your sleeve and more importantly, to keep right on, despite the sometime frustrations.
 
Start recording to a click track if you aren’t already. If I read your post correctly and you are working in Logic Pro X then I’ll suggest you try using the Arrangement track to lay out your song because you can follow that as well to keep yourself aligned with the song structure. It also makes using the “drummer” feature more useful and you can generate anything from foot stomps to a full drum kit accompaniment if the click is too rigid or boring.

I miss playing with others but if I record a backing track with a good arrangement and timing it’s not too hard to find someone willing to play along, send their part via the cloud and then mix the results. That’s help to keep me occupied a bit and in touch.
 
willie45 said:
Hi all,

I've just had a reality check sitting at my computer tonight

I'm approaching retirement and with the lockdown I've had lots of time on my hands for the first time in years so I thought I'd get back on it. I've only recently started recording myself. I played with other people in bands for a good while when I was younger, then unfortunately a series of issues got in the way and for the last 30 years I've only played on my own and with zero discipline.

It's been a revelation! My timing and my technique are unbelievably sloppy. I'm disappointed to say the least. I'm having to start all over again. I'm hoping it will get better, that I've just got flabby and it isn't old age taking it's toll.

Has anyone else found this? Any tips to improve? Please tell me there's hope :eek:
Click to expand...

I love the whole process of making music... the recording hearing how its evolving etc.... unfortunetly im horrible at it, i have no ear for levels...doesnt matter if i use other songs for reference in my head the drums are never loud enough or the bass it too quiet when in actual fact its too loud etc.... and dont get me started on eq compression.

If i could actually do it well i would record 24/7 as it stands i record for 24 minutes due to frustrations with not getting it anywhere near how i hear it in my head.
 
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