When there’s a clean slate in the studio the first thing I do is pick up the nearest instrument and make some sound. I’m never really sure where it will go, but it starts with a sound. Sometimes, like last night, a curious thought will occur and I’ll follow it for a while. See where the thread leads, if anywhere. My computer soaks it all in and I can sort it out later. I’ve probably learned more from myself by listening to these recordings than I could have from any number of teachers. When I’m alone, I behave in a unique way. I do what comes naturally and it points out my strengths and weaknesses. Most importantly, it’s what I do when I’m alone in the studio that is presented as my work. So this practice of recording brings me quite a bit of good information. From this exercise I have learned:<\/p>\n
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- I love the six string guitar.<\/li>\n
- I prefer to play fingerstyle at all times (electric guitars included).<\/li>\n
- If there is no instrument at hand I will torture any recordings I have with piles of processing and ruthless edits.<\/li>\n
- The sound of open strings thrills me.<\/li>\n
- An out of tune instrument can be interesting but is annoying more often than not.<\/li>\n
- Patterns are fun in moderation.<\/li>\n
- Mistakes become beautiful with a change of context.<\/li>\n
- Practicing a part and getting it right kicks ass over editing every day of the week.<\/li>\n
- Improvisation is at the center of life.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n
I’m sure other people do this. I know they do. I’m not as certain that everyone analyzes things the way I do. Maybe some are pickier about it. Maybe folks don’t listen repeatedly after the fact. What I do know is that this is really useful:<\/p>\n
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- Capture it.<\/li>\n
- Wait 6 or more hours.<\/li>\n
- Listen to it.<\/li>\n
- Think about it.<\/li>\n
- Listen again.<\/li>\n
- Repeat.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/blockquote>\n
The procedural aspects of the process build habits. The repetition brings results. It’s a practice.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When there’s a clean slate in the studio the first thing I do is pick up the nearest instrument and make some sound. I’m never really sure where it will go, but it starts with a sound. Sometimes, like last …<\/p>\n