I must say I have been a little surprised at how frustrating this effort has been. #I even was half-familiar with Sally Goodin' and just hearing what I sound like is quite frustrating. #
The last few nights have been a study of patience trying to get through the whole thing with no major screwups ("major" - as in complete and utter train crash). #I had a few really clean ones going only to derail at the end. #Hence I switched my ending up and bailed on the tune!
Alan
If the tapes rolling I seem to do great until Im like 10 notes from the end then...BOOM, my head explodes. Someday all that will change since I practice. I believe that cuz its worked before...keep believing! (and practicing!)
Look up (to see whats comin down)
Last night I was just trying to record some chords to play along with, but I couldn't get through anything without derailing the train. I finally had to give up and just practice playing through my own screw ups. LOL!
FWIW: The mando part in my recording is actually three takes spliced togther, as is the guitar. Let's see ... there are nine takes being used in the final mix (vox and all) ... out of almoust five hundered I recorded (and tossed away) ... Sounds like yer right on track to my thinking!
Hang in there Alan!
i've been trying to set a rule for myself that i hit the record button as soon as i pick up the mando. that way, if i happen to play it perfectly all the way through, i've got it. hasn't worked yet, thoughbut, i do find i'm less conscious of my playing than when i'm playing to record. as you guys mention, i get going on a good run and think i'm gonna make it to the end and then . . . WHAM! all thumbs! a couple whiskeys might solve that problem . . .
craig
Benignus...thats really good to hear! #I've played with you and your a great picker so knowing it took you that much time and energy makes the road look a little shorter here in Idaho. #Im working on the 100bpm one since the 60 seemed so slow I couldn't get going on it. The "feel" just wasn't there in my head at that speed. For some reason those 2 were the only ones that would download the day I went to the Yahoo site. #I'll give it another try later today. #BTW did ya see that Strawberry line-up? #Don't miss The Bills, formerly The Bill Hilly's...great band outta Canada! I'll be missing the spring fest for sure but may get to the Fall if'n I can swing it.
Jeff
Look up (to see whats comin down)
By the way - my track is laid and uploaded. No turning back, although I'm sure Craig would replace it for me if I pulled off a more....polished..version. I considered splicing a track to get the ending correct, but didn't think I'd get it to sound correct.
Alan
Oh well, you're not alone, Levin. I agree, it's really frustrating and it happens to me all the time, I can play it really well just to screw it up in the end. Did you use any click track or such when you did your recording?
Well, I can only imagine how many "takes" I'll need! let's see....if Benignus needed 500, and I multiply that by 10 -- well, I guess I'll be needing to take the next week off work! #
Kudos to everyone who's posted their creations-- haven't had a chance to listen to levins and bluegrasstjej's version yet, but am looking forward to it this evening!
Carolyn
No, I just played it. I am sure the timing is off - it probably speeds up adn slows down. File that under "artistic license" or "creativity" or "personal interpretation"!
I'd love to get backup tracks to it like y'all did. I think it sounds great.
Alan
Even though I am not near ready to record, I do a little to hear how it sounds.....lolol....when playing without recording....I am starting to get the A and B parts....soon as I turn on the recorder....that all flies out the window .....I agree with Carolyn.....multiply your and Benignus's number of recording attempts by 100 and I might finally get a track laid down.
I am so impressed with all the one's posted so far.... and love looking in every day to see who is next.
This is the best learning I have done in a long time.
Harlan
" File that under "artistic license" or "creativity" or "personal interpretation"! "
One of the coolest things about this project, is how each of our own personalities is sneeking through the microphone a little bit.
- Benig
I don't know what it is about that "little red light", but if you turn it off, I'll bet you can play it through to the end perfectly. Turn it on, and all heck breaks loose! If anyone ever figures out how to fix that, please let me know
Hey all these sound different but great. I'm really enjoying the new recordings. It makes me want to go back and redo mine!
Re: Topic Subject Line: Don't worry about lowering the bar. I'm fixin' to take the bar off it's stands and lay it on the floor when I get back from Spring Break (I'm going next week).
It's "Appalachia," (Apple-at-chuh), like I'm gunna throw an apple atcha' if you correct me again.
No, I don't think your timing's off at all, you sound great!Originally Posted by (levin4now @ Mar. 18 2004, 17:23)
For back-up tracks, check out this:
http://bluegrassbanjo.org/midiback.html
http://home01.wxs.nl/~moor0109/ (on this page there are both full midi files and back-up files, to get the back-up tracks, look for the instrumnt links on "backup" at the menu)
I think my problem with the ending is/was that I wasn't practicing it. I would practice everything else, run through the ending, and expect to "get it" on the recording take. It was the part I didn't know by heart at all. I couldn't look up at the music and hit it right. Shoot, I sometimes couldn't even find it! I had it highlighted with a marker too. Says something for practice doesn't it?
ADM
Alan
All of these comments sound terribly familiar -- when practicing, I think I can do all sections (although the third position section only very haltingly and much slower than the rest), but when I turn on the mike, I notice just how often I break off and repeat a phrase. Can't do that when recording, can't do it when playing with others either, so it brings the take to a juddering halt when it only seems like a minor hiccup in practising.
I tried recording two weekends ago, but didn't get to anything listenable. Last weekend, a mando-picking firend of mine visited, so we did lots of jamming, but no recording of SG. This weekend looks pretty bleak with work, but I'm trying to squeeze some recording in. I've changed the bridge on the mandolin in the meantime, to a great improvement in tone (to my ears, anyway), so I hope that will boost the listenability of the recording as well.
Martin
The part I screw up most while recording is that low C (on the G string) at the end of part A. I can play it okay when I'm not recording, but as soon as I punch that little button, I get stuck on that C.
"...almost the whole world is asleep. Everybody you know. Everybody you see. Everybody you talk to. ...only a few people are awake and they live in a state of constant total amazement."
I got that low C down on muscle memory by now, but I still get caught on the end of the third part, where the last phrase has one note on the G-string instead of the D-string. I want to jump from the F# to the E (2nd fret on D string), same as in the first part, but in the third part it's from F# to A (2nd fret on the G string) instead, with the rest of the phrase being exactly the same.
Martin
am i the only one who doesn't like the part that goes down to the G-String A? I can play it ok, but i don't like the way it sounds.
I didn't like that much either. I think it sounds better on the higher strings.
I don't like it either -- I was wondering if that was just me......
I didn't do the tab version, cuz I can't force myself to memorize tab, so I can't say whether I like that or not
However, something I've found to be kinda fun and useful lately, is to take parts of songs and figure out where you usually play them and then hunt around on the fingerboard for other places you can play it instead.
I've found on several songs where I thought my break sounded ok, but was just missing something that I could play basically the same notes, but somewhere else on the fretboard and get the sound I was looking for.
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