Letting others hear songs as they develop
Written by Matt Moran on November 28, 2008 – 8:04 am -Andrew Dubber has a post that ask when you should put your music online - when it is fully produced, CD ready, or earlier.
The conclusion is, as with most ideas that surround a highly personal and subjective idea, that it is up to you.
I am often writing a tune - guitar being the instrument I write on and I play - toying with ideas and melodies. There are times I plug in my $30 Logitech headset (skype) microphone, pop open Audacity Audio, and sit it on my desk while I record a straight-through sample or song idea.
I may not have practiced the song much, might still be toying with how to sing a particular phrase, etc.
But I record it for two reasons.
- For my own ears:
There is something very humbling - at times humiliating - about putting your idea out of your head and then revisiting it later. Later could be the third or fourth time you hear a song idea in the first 20 minutes you recorded it - or what you hear when you re-listen to it a week later.
Either way, any creative endeavor (I wrote as well) sounds, looks, feels different to the artist when it is on the canvas than when it is in their head.
- For feedback:
There are some listeners, friends, acquaintances who are both friendly and honest. When I say friendly, they hear beyond the vocals that are straining through coffee & morning and the lack of practice to hear what the song could be. They see the potential and comment back to me with that.
They are honest in that they indicate to me if a lyric is confusing, too ambiguous, or even just plain stupid.
Just because someone things a lyric is confusing, stupid, etc. doesn’t mean I need to change it. I might keep it just in spite - and change it later when it is my idea.
I’ve often thought about releasing a few tunes in contrast as "raw" and then in various stages of development. It would be interesting to see how they sound and change.
Here is one such recording - a new song titled Promised Land. Two demos provided below.
Demo 1 - recorded on my Logitech - guitar and vocals together. You can hear that I had a cold - really really straining. Some of my phrasings, particularly verse 2 were rushed and strained.
Demo 2 - recorded with a drum track (removed for now) for a more more standardized rhythm. Recorded on my condenser mic, guitars first, then vocals. I’ve actually been playing with some bass, strings, and backing vocals but they are not ready for this mix.
Promised Land
Copyright 2008 - Matthew Moran (Sea Gypsy Music)
Verse:
Mama mama can you still hold this child
It seems the path I’ve taken has grown so wild
From those dime store girls with their dime store smiles
To their dime store love and their dime store wiles
I would pay them every dime I own if dimes could by redemption
But I find that I have sold my soul too many times to mention
Chorus:
I thought I’d lead my tribe to the promised land
But I smote the stone and I was turned back again
Now can I find my dreams through my many sins
Because I see everything I’m not, I see everything I’m not
I see everything I’m not, in who I am
Verse:
People people can you help me find my way
Through this self-made wilderness that frightens me today
Through these open doors with their empty promises
To the closed off hearts that they’ve been shut against
Still I’d be willing to open up my heart if the request were spoken
Open it to every risk and let my heart be broken
Bridge:
Well I’m down on my knees but I’m not praying. No no no
I’m just digging deep this grave of my own making.. yeah yeah yeah yeah
Tags: developmental, live, raw
Posted in Writing, songwriting |
November 28th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
After listening to your songs on the ReverbNation widget, I have to say you have something real man. Your guitar melodies have a realness to it, and so do your lyrics. BUT - I sense a confidence missing. Almost like you’re not really sure if you want to sing or not. And I think it affects your level of playing too. If I was your producer, I would work on your confidence level. Because you have some powerful songs here that just need the strength of confidence (some few adjustments in rhythms too, but they don’t really matter…mostly the confidence does). I can hear the heart, the poetry, the music. But the confidence is what I don’t hear. You owe it to yourself and the music to really sing from the gut, you know?
Take some time away from the music…if possible a few months (no joke). Study the legends, sing with them. Reflect on your lyrics and what they mean to you. Think about your audience and the performance you truly want to give. I mean, you HAVE something special man (almost on the level of kurt cobain…in my opinion…because I can HEAR IT, I can FEEL it). And your voice is unique too…just that confidence man. It needs to step up a lot. BE IN THE PLACE, SING BECAUSE YOU (AND ONLY YOU) WERE MEANT TO SING THESE SONGS.
For real. I really dig your stuff. You HAVE IT dude!
November 29th, 2008 at 8:37 am
Thanks!!! Hmmmm confidence!!
I agree somewhat that I have lacked much confidence in the past, particularly in taking my vocals to new places - upper end of my register and transitions. I am working with a vocal coach on that and even a single session produced an amazing change.
My confidence level tends to fall, top to bottom, in these areas:
1) song- lyrics
2) song- structure
3) live performance
4) guitar
5) vocals
Just played last night for a really talented guitar player. Always interesting because he can do so much more with the instrument. While I am focusing on that element, he is commenting constantly on my songs - wishing he could write like I do.
Funny where we focus, often on what we consider our weakness in contrast to another’s strength.
Thanks for the comments.
November 29th, 2008 at 11:04 am
Hi there, nice to find another discussion blog. I posted on the Dubber discussion after i emailed dubber direct about this very issue how how it related to me personally. I’ll post my rely here and hopefully follow both discussions with great interest.
My dubber blog response:
I think its wreaks of totally snobbery to denigrate some and ‘elevate’ otehrs by stating “Hobbyists vs. Professionals”, as if somehow there is a talent devide. Isnt this exactly the ‘attitude’ the big labels take and why musicians hate big labels now and are doing it themselves?!?!?
The ONLY difference between this so called “Hobbyists vs. Professionals” is MONEY, end of story.
I also think to many of you are getting caught up in the ‘crappy old demo’ red herring. This discussion isnt about some 10 year old demo you recorded on an old 4 track. We are discussing ‘right now’ (at least i thought we were, and it was definately the context in which i sent my email to Dubber)
Case in point, me.
After 18 years of writing my own material I’ve finally decided to pursue a music career instead of being afraid of it and running away from it.
I started down my new path a mere 9 months ago back in April, I started writing again after a about 10 years of writers block and not playing. I started attending Open Mic nights in my area and playing my new material, over the next 6 months I wrote 13 new tracks, all diary entries of the past 6 months of turmoil (marriage break up, entering therapy, losing job).
Started recording my new material at home on Pro Tools.
2 Choices
1. sit on this material for the best part of 12-18 months until i have the finances to release to finished album. Meaning the only person who hears it is me
2. release ‘competent’ work in progress mixes at various stages of the recording process and offer the entire world a chance to listen to material immeadiately and start building a fanbase straight away
To me thats a no brainer. Granted if you already have a large fanbase then its probably not so important to win new fans, but as ‘professional’ with no fanbase (professionalism is a state of mind not a measure of talent) it made sense to get my music out there now, gain the exposure.
In the 6 months or so my ‘Beta2? work in progress mixes have been live I’ve had over 500 plays on reverbnation, gained some 300 fans (only 10 or so of them are ‘friends and family’ doing their bit)
But the icing on the cake for me has been getting to No.3 in the tourdates.co.uk unsigned chart…. with an unfinished, un mastered test mix -
http://www.tourdates.co.uk/unsigned-chart/02-Nov-2008
No.3 Leon Live “Beta2 - Let Love Shine”
Its currently No.9, but it stayed in the top 5 for 4 weeks, not bad for something that most ‘pro’s’ would be to scared to even play to anyone outside their trusted ‘inner circle’.
To me my results say only one thing, strong songwriting. Jon Bon Jovi (love, loath or hate him) once said something along the lines of, “you know you have a great song when it sounds great with just an acoustic guitar and your voice”. The man wasnt wrong.
December 15th, 2008 at 9:11 am
“Thanks for the comments.”
No problem. Wish you all the best in your musical journey and I’m sure you’ll do well.
“Funny where we focus, often on what we consider our weakness in contrast to another’s strength.”
Psss…ain’t that the truth!