Musicians check in here. If you play, tell us about it!

[QBass]

I never thought to check for a musicians' thread on here... this is great! I built this super-computer a few months ago just to use as a DAW and then found vaping. Now, I spend more time on these forums with it than working on my music! I toured as a bassist in various hard rock and metal bands all throughout North America during the late 80s and most of the 90s, but music is entirely a one-man writing and recording hobby for the moment.

Here's a bit of what I've been working on lately... http://samcarrsdog.com/assets/music/Foolish.mp3

I gotta go get ready for work tomorrow, but I'll leave you with this shot of me in a glam/shock rock band called Wicked Jester out of Houston, TX circa about '89.

I look forward to reading the rest of this thread soon and getting to know you all!

 

[DaveP]

Welcome, QBass. I guess vapers are like any other group. They have wide and varied interests. I'm actually surprised that we haven't had more people find this thread.

There are quite a few musicians around the various forums who play, some semi-professionally. I'd like to find an easy method of online jamming. I found one web site that allows people to log in and add a track to an online recording made by people all over the world. It requires downloading some software and a fast connection. I think it was in a Scandinavian country.

 

[Safira]

Thanks Dave for your response, I did realize it's a nice little trick but you're right, it's easier for me to find the 145 major chords in a key by looking at my fret board. Cool for looking at sheet music and knowing exactly what key I'm in right away, but that's probably it. (how often will I really be looking at sheet music) Scales, really there basically just a few shapes, that's good to know, I'm kind of working on that right now.

I realized if anything with music theory I'd like to learn more about how chords are made. I know they have apps and huge books filled with chords for guitar players, but someday I'd like to have a better grasp on those more complex chords. Doesn't seem to be any real trick with that one except experiences and learning it. I know all my basic major triads, and know how to make them minor, diminished ect, but I get confused when it comes to the more complex ones.

 

[Pipeous]

I just went out and auditioned as a lead vocalist for a gigging band and got the gig. I went in with just a mic. Wanted to win the vocalist position on it's own merit and prove to myself the old fart can still rock haha. Now I get to go back and take my instruments with me.

I am a member of bandmix and got an email about bands looking, how I found these guys. I don't spend enough time on that forum, but I see online collaborations often. I'll go look for the program but these guys I saw recorded and uploaded and put together tunes with this share site thing. can't remember what it was called though.

6 months smoke free, and my voice is getting back some range again. 4 months ago I couldn't sing c, now am doing stuff in d. still working myself with a karaoke machine daily and try higher stuff all the time. it's amazing how much damage 25 yrs of smoking did to my voice. but sure glad it's coming back. to a point anyway. singing in high f seems to be a long ways away right now, though I used to.....

safira, check out guitar pro. awesome program

 

[Safira]

Hey congratulations on the lead vocal gig.

 

[QBass]

Congrats, Pipeous! That's awesome! I sure wish you weren't 2000 miles away so I could come check out a show once you guys are gigging!

I tried recording some vocals of my own about 6 months ago on the tracks I've been recording... no. Now that I've been analog free for about 3 months, it's starting to appear feasible - at least while singing in my truck on the way to and from job sites.

I've nearly got my album completed, but really need to get some vox on the tracks. Every local I've tried out on my songs wants to sound like a barking dog on them because my stuff is somewhat on the heavy side. My own voice is more suited to Hank Williams than not, but I really think I can make it work on my tunes. Just a little bit more time and practice...

 

[DaveP]

pipeous, post some videos when you start back performing. You can youtube them and post them inline right here.

 

[DaveP]

Thanks Dave for your response, I did realize it's a nice little trick but you're right, it's easier for me to find the 145 major chords in a key by looking at my fret board. Cool for looking at sheet music and knowing exactly what key I'm in right away, but that's probably it. (how often will I really be looking at sheet music) Scales, really there basically just a few shapes, that's good to know, I'm kind of working on that right now.

I realized if anything with music theory I'd like to learn more about how chords are made. I know they have apps and huge books filled with chords for guitar players, but someday I'd like to have a better grasp on those more complex chords. Doesn't seem to be any real trick with that one except experiences and learning it. I know all my basic major triads, and know how to make them minor, diminished ect, but I get confused when it comes to the more complex ones.

Safira, technically you can add an interval anywhere in a chord and it will be musically correct. Different inversions sound better or worse to the ear, but once you learn the degrees or intervals in a scale, it's a matter of discovery. Pick any fret position on the fingerboard, find root-3rd-5th and you have a major chord. Add the 7th or the 9th, flat5, flat7 or any other and you just made a complex chord. Diminished, Augmented, minor are easy mods.

This one is a good explanation of how to put the intervals together to make almost any chord.
http://www.guitarlessonworld.com/lessons/chord-construction.htm

EDIT: I still have to think hard to make a chord I don't use frequently. Most songs are not so complicated. The key thing to know is that if someone throws you a complex chord name, you just have to think about the intervals necessary to make that chord and add them to the basic shape.

He makes a comment that sometimes a bass player adds the note to make your chord something else when heard as a combination. That's very common in a band environment. You play the same chord and the bassman walks down or up.

 

[carpedebass]

Hi everybody. Just found the musical side of this forum...I am still and always will be a bassist, however I am fresh out of a touring/recording band and am sick of the music bu$ini$$!

Thought I'd throw up a shot from my stage days as well...don't laugh...

 

[QBass]

Nice lookin' Stingray5, carpe! I'll bet that feels and sounds great! I understand the business sux balls, but the music lives!

 

[carpedebass]

Nice lookin' Stingray5, carpe! I'll bet that feels and sounds great! I understand the business sux balls, but the music lives!

HAHA...It does indeed! I promised myself I was completely finished with music after this last bout...but that old familiar itch is resurfacing...

If you look closely, that isn't a Stingray, it's a Sub5...literally the last one MM ever made!!

 

[QBass]

I thought the neck and headstock looked kinda funky. I'd never seen a Sub5 before.

 

[carpedebass]

I thought the neck and headstock looked kinda funky. I'd never seen a Sub5 before.

It was a less expensive version of the Stingray.

 

[Mindfield]

Does it count if I compose my music entirely in a DAW using softsynths?

 

[carpedebass]

Does it count if I compose my music entirely in a DAW using softsynths?

Absolutely!! That's quite a talent as well!

 

[Mindfield]

Absolutely!! That's quite a talent as well!

Well, you never know, I've run into more than one person that feels like if you aren't playing it live on real equipment it doesn't count. Then again, since I mostly write trance (with some exceptions in some game music I've done) there are some who don't think that counts as music.

 

[carpedebass]

Well, you never know, I've run into more than one person that feels like if you aren't playing it live on real equipment it doesn't count. Then again, since I mostly write trance (with some exceptions in some game music I've done) there are some who don't think that counts as music.

Some people call "rap" music too...if that's music, I'm a monkey's uncle...maybe that's a bad example...my niece does have a few monkey-ish traits! Not trying to start a debate or anything, and nothing against folks who like rap...it's definitely an art form, but by my definition...not music. Have you seen what some people do with advanced keyboards these days? They push one button and the keyboard plays itself. I'd say what you do is more musical creation than pushing one button on a keyboard and calling it a "musical creation." When my band was on the road, we ran into these "keyboard players" all the time. All they really knew was what button to push at a certain time...they couldn't even tell you what key they were playing in.

 

[deezycakes]

I never thought to check for a musicians' thread on here... this is great! I built this super-computer a few months ago just to use as a DAW and then found vaping.

I did too! I got into it so I wouldn't have to run down stairs every hour for a cigarette. Unfortunately though...Tascam made a piece of crap interface, so I bought that drum kit I posted a couple pages back instead.

From what I read/hear, I either need a super pc or an imac to do this stuff. Maybe one day, I'm just want to find a band, I'm dyin to jam out.

 

[deezycakes]

Some people call "rap" music too...if that's music, I'm a monkey's uncle...maybe that's a bad example...my niece does have a few monkey-ish traits! Not trying to start a debate or anything, and nothing against folks who like rap...it's definitely an art form, but by my definition...not music. Have you seen what some people do with advanced keyboards these days? They push one button and the keyboard plays itself. I'd say what you do is more musical creation than pushing one button on a keyboard and calling it a "musical creation." When my band was on the road, we ran into these "keyboard players" all the time. All they really knew was what button to push at a certain time...they couldn't even tell you what key they were playing in.

Totally agreed, it's mostly samples anymore and no real "analog" sounds.

I believe to actually play music, one must interact with the sound source physically. People can debate that all they want, but if your a dj, then you put different songs/samples together, If you rap (good) then your a lyricist....Not saying that a singer of a rock band wouldn't fall into that category, but most of the time they play an instrument too.

I respect all forms, because hey, if you have fans, and your spreading your message....more power to ya, better than what I've been doing, but certain things are more commendable than others in my book.

 

[Mindfield]

I've used sound samples and arpeggiated sequences in my songs, but primarily if I'm using a sample that isn't filigree or used for punctuation or something, I'll use only a single sound, like a kick, snare, hat, marimba, or whatever. Moreover though is that whatever I use I make sure I have some degree of control over -- which I do through filters and envelope shaping. Most of the time though I use softsynths where I can edit the sounds and make them into whatever I want them to be. That can sometimes be a bit of a laborious process but it gives you the ability to suit the sound to the song you're writing. Any sound can be transformed into whatever you want if you have the right tools to make it so.

I can agree on rap music though. To me, the underlying beats were really just there to set a tone and simply be a vehicle for the rap. It's music, but largely in the academic sense. Remove the rap and what you'd be left with is a pretty dull, repetitive beat.

Mind you a lot of people say that about trance, too, and some of that is true -- but is also part of the point. There's a lot more going on under the surface of the average trance tune though, but you kind of have to listen to it (rather than just hear it) to get a better understanding. Although there really is some pretty crap, lazy one-key-arpeggio trance out there.