https://soundcloud.com/user-100853162/open-tuning1b
Here’s how it sounds when I make a new song. Improvising over some chords I’ve thrown together. I listen to it for some days, and if I still like it, I try to figure out some words. That’s the trickiest part.
I actually like these first drafts when nothing is set in stone. The song still is in the imaginary realm, so to speak. It’s free.
Sounds a nice first draft Jorgen. That is how I approach it too. Chords and singing out whatever melody comes for the ride. And being immersed in music that I love tends to bring more and better of that thing. Then same as you, the hard part of coaxing lyrics out. Using nonsense lyrics when singing initial melodies can be very interesting for that. Phrases and meanings tend to emerge.
Sorry, I don’t have any song seeds that I want to post publicly at the moment. I don’t know why though. Too many of them are resting for too long. I suppose that I want to have good stabs at them before posting, one of these days.
And a tangent from this topic. I tend to find it difficult to find balance between being immersed in listening to music that I love along with making music using what I have already (talking ability and skill) AND working at music skill things. It seems to be two very different minds for me. One is affected by the music that I listen to and inspired by it, and the other is logically taking things apart and looking at them and practicing them in a logical way that seems to take me out of that creative mindset.
Yes, it happens. I believe you should be in the moment, spiritually focused and yet relaxed, when you try to make something new. For once I tried an open tuning, just to see what gives. I should have paid more attention to the overall tuning, I hear, but I had to put something down and was in a hurry.
There always seems to be at least something I want to keep from that initial performance we’re talking about.
Some of my best takes unfortunately exist as scratchy recordings on my phone.
I’ve got this routine where I’m at the kitchen table looking through the great Australian telescope [beer glass] that’s often when I come up with stuff on an unplugged electric and record it on the phone.
Yeah, there’s something about that first performance that you can’t recreate. I can hit notes that I can’t hit when I’m recording a proper take. They’re above my range, for some reason. Must be something psychological.
Then there’s the thing about “sound quality”. It doesn’t bother me when I listen to records and stuff, but it sure bothers me when I’m the fab bedroom producer.
I know the phenomenon well. The rehearsal room [lounge room] produces performances that seems can only be approximated in the studio by imagining it’s the lounge room.
Thanks. Very cool.
Improvising, looking for hooks, and such.
I recommend listening in cans, with moderate volume. Soundcloud seems to have compressed the file.
Sounds nice Jorgen.
Thanks, man.
Sounds very good, and the guitar in fine tune, so that track is a keeper.
Thanks, good to hear. Now some lyrics.