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

[DaveP]

Was just reading a thread from a music teacher in Mississippi and heard about this group. Great idea. I play keyboards, harmonica, and just picked up the guitar about a year ago. I have been playing with a couple of bands here and there, but mostly record other musicians. I am also a good MIDI tech. A lot of the musicians I know are vapors. I guess it is easier on the old windpipes than analogs. Glad to be here.

Welcome to the Musicians' thread! You said you heard about this thread on another thread from a music teacher? If it's the way I read it, we are getting around! Apparently we do have a lot of vaping musicians. It's the only way they can satisfy the need for nic during long sets. You can't just walk off and head outside to the smoking area in the middle of a set, but you can vape all you want.

I ran into a lady today when my wife and I took our 4 year old great nephew to swimming lessons. She walked up and asked me where I got my Provari. I was surprised that she knew what it was. She went on to tell me that her and her husband were vapers and don't see a lot of other people vaping. I gave her the link to ECF and a card from a local supplier. She said that they were at a wedding the other day and there were only a couple of smokers outside, but after the wedding she saw at least 40 people standing around vaping ecigs. I can't say I've ever seen that many ecigs in one place. It's catching on among smokers who want to quit smoking but don't want to quit nic.

Midi is a powerful tool for creating your own music or for creating great backing tracks for other people. It's amazing how accurate some of the voices are today in electronic keyboards and other midi products.

 

[tcgenius]

Here is the post I was talking about:

Hello from Mississippi

I have not seen many people vaping out in public. In fact, the only other vapors I know that are not musicians are on this forum. OK, and those guys at the mall selling overpriced ecigs out of a kiosk. I often feel like everyone is looking at me with contempt when I vape in the open. I don't care though... If it keeps me off of analogs their opinions don't matter.

I love MIDI and recording. I have been doing it since I was a kid. I built my first MPU401 interface when I was 7 and was hooked ever since. I later got into sampling. I spend a lot of time programming sound patches for synthesizers. I have pretty much stopped performing. I had an accident that resulted in reduced dexterity in my hands and caused seizures. The last time I was performing on stage I had a seizure and broke a microphone. The audience was horrified. I can't blame them, it was pretty ugly. I was so embarrassed. Now I pretty much stick to helping others make their music. I don't know if you ever saw the BASF commercials on TV... They used to say "We don't make the cassette tape, We make the cassette tape sound better? That is how I view my musical contributions these days. I don't make the music, I make the music sound better... LOL.

I started learning the guitar and really enjoyed it. I still play the keyboards, but mostly when I am at home alone. This MIDI thing has really become popular lately. I have helped several people setup their iPads as MIDI controllers. It is amazing the things that they are doing with them.

 

[DaveP]

Here is the post I was talking about:

Hello from Mississippi

I have not seen many people vaping out in public. In fact, the only other vapors I know that are not musicians are on this forum. OK, and those guys at the mall selling overpriced ecigs out of a kiosk. I often feel like everyone is looking at me with contempt when I vape in the open. I don't care though... If it keeps me off of analogs their opinions don't matter.

I love MIDI and recording. I have been doing it since I was a kid. I built my first MPU401 interface when I was 7 and was hooked ever since. I later got into sampling. I spend a lot of time programming sound patches for synthesizers. I have pretty much stopped performing. I had an accident that resulted in reduced dexterity in my hands and caused seizures. The last time I was performing on stage I had a seizure and broke a microphone. The audience was horrified. I can't blame them, it was pretty ugly. I was so embarrassed. Now I pretty much stick to helping others make their music. I don't know if you ever saw the BASF commercials on TV... They used to say "We don't make the cassette tape, We make the cassette tape sound better? That is how I view my musical contributions these days. I don't make the music, I make the music sound better... LOL.

I started learning the guitar and really enjoyed it. I still play the keyboards, but mostly when I am at home alone. This MIDI thing has really become popular lately. I have helped several people setup their iPads as MIDI controllers. It is amazing the things that they are doing with them.

Pipeous was going to cut some basic tracks and let us add to the base track and submit it for mixdown. He got busy at work and so far we haven't done that. I'm still looking forward to making a contribution to whatever he puts together. I'm still not sure whether he will upload it to a password protected site or email the basic tracks to everyone and let them add theirs on a blank track in the mix.

 

[Bob Chill]

Thanks for linking me to this thread, Dave!

Quick background:

I like blues/classic rock/ hard rock/ metal. Played drums off and on from 1985 the late 90's. I was moving around a lot and having a hard time keeping my set with me so I drifted away. I played in some garage bands but never anything fancy. Just loved beating on the kit. I used to pick up guitars a lot and owned an acoustic but never put enough practice time into it.

My bro-in-law was in a band in nyc and I started playing his guitars about 5 years ago when we got together. It really started clicking. I realized I should have taken guitar much more seriously because it was becoming natural faster than I thought possible. I bought a beat up strat and then a couple years ago my bro-in-law built a custom SG for me. I started practicing a couple hours a day and haven't looked back. Best thing about guitars is you can play with headphones on so I can practice whenever. Not the same with drums. I have kids now so I have to steal my practice time whenever.

I've learned everything by ear. Thank god for tabs and youtube. I'm not in a band but I jump in my friends band and play a few songs when they have a gig. It's quite a rush considering I never thought I could play guitar. Just sorta overlooked it my whole life.

Playing guitar and vaping are my 2 favorite ways to spend free time.

 

[DaveP]

I took drum lessons for about a year when I was 10. When the Beatles hit the USA, I was hooked on guitar. I started out with a Harmony acoustic and later got a Harmony electric. My music teacher was an Epiphone/Harmony guitar dealer in those days.

I started neighborhood groups and we jammed and learned a few songs. When I was 15 I joined my first real band and we played pretty much every weekend. From there, I progressed and joined up with a band that consisted of the better players from all our startup bands. We played for better money and produced better music and enjoyed some regional success through the 70s and into the 80s. I finally got married, dropped out of the band and went back to college.

Now, I play lead guitar in a contemporary Christian Rock band on Sunday mornings. It's the best of both worlds. I get to play all the rock licks I want and don't have to stay our until the wee hours of the morning on weekends anymore. That was fun when I had lots of young energy. These days, I want to be home early.

 

[Jimmy VanZeno]

Ahh cool thread!!!!!
I'm a singer. Been singing and playing in Bands for 20 years. My last band was called Dead Star Renegade and we released an album in 2011.
Unfortunately the band broke up about 6 weeks ago but I'm currently working on a new project with the 2 guitarists from that band.
If anyone's interested you can download our album on iTunes or you can even get it for FREE here!!
Dead Star Renegade

 

[DocRokRx]

Really loving my newest toy today, the VT Bass Deluxe pedal. Going direct to the board has never been better

Sent from my ADR6300

 

[Steam Turbine]

Hi!

I use to be a deathmetal/classical guitar player. But now I've drop the amps and play exclusively classical guitar. I love a wide variety of styles especially instrumentals.

 

[DaveP]

New thread members! Welcome, guys. It's been a little slow here lately, probably due to me being involved in some extended debates in other threads. This thread has proven to be popular with all the musicians on ECF and I hope to keep it going for a long time.

SteamMachine, I'm a lead guitar player who uses his acoustic for a chop building machine. The more I play acoustic, the better I am on my Les Paul. I look at it as those weighted bats that ball players use before stepping up to the plate. I keep trying to develop my finger picking chops but I'm more dedicated to picking out new lead riffs than finger picking skills.

Doc, Bassnut is a working LA club musician. You might find parallels with him. We have quite a few bass players here in this thread.

Jimmy, good luck with your new band. Finding musicians with like minds and talents is the biggie. The best band I was ever in formed from half a dozen breakups back in the 70s. Musicians wander, get married, develop unfortunate dependencies, and the rest go on to form up again and gig!

 

[jmur]

Just found this yesterday after searching "guitar" on ECF. Lovin' it, feel like I found a "home within a home". Background: played guitar since mid Sixties, piano since late 90's. All the obligatory attic, basement and garage bands along the way. All fond memories. Not pro, far from it, but been doing home recording for long time now. Joined a group that offers a monthly "challenge" to home recordists with the winner of each "challenge" determining the criteria for the next one. Always interesting criteria, and it gets you to kind of step outside your "box" sometimes. I've found that good. Not a great number of entries nowadays, usually a dozen or less, but if anyone's interested I'll post the link. They'd LOVE the new members. Anyway, still amazes me the tools that we now have on our desks, compared to the old days. Multi-track, VSTs, effects, etc. In the 60's we all saved for a year to buy a pedal, now the same effects are at our fingertips for minimal cost or even free. Incredible. Hope to be a frequent contributor here.

Here's a link to my own page that I setup for reasons unknown! Only a few tracks there right now, and they were done during a bit of a rough period, but whatever...So, for a bit of comic relief: 5thFloor - Home

 

[DaveP]

Just found this yesterday after searching "guitar" on ECF. Lovin' it, feel like I found a "home within a home". Background: played guitar since mid Sixties, piano since late 90's. All the obligatory attic, basement and garage bands along the way. All fond memories. Not pro, far from it, but been doing home recording for long time now. Joined a group that offers a monthly "challenge" to home recordists with the winner of each "challenge" determining the criteria for the next one. Always interesting criteria, and it gets you to kind of step outside your "box" sometimes. I've found that good. Not a great number of entries nowadays, usually a dozen or less, but if anyone's interested I'll post the link. They'd LOVE the new members. Anyway, still amazes me the tools that we now have on our desks, compared to the old days. Multi-track, VSTs, effects, etc. In the 60's we all saved for a year to buy a pedal, now the same effects are at our fingertips for minimal cost or even free. Incredible. Hope to be a frequent contributor here.

Here's a link to my own page that I setup for reasons unknown! Only a few tracks there right now, and they were done during a bit of a rough period, but whatever...So, for a bit of comic relief: 5thFloor - Home

Labor costs and technology have dropped the prices and upped the tech level on just about everything. Most of us who have home studios possess far better technology than the studios that made some of the great recordings of yesterday. The Beatles recorded many hits on 4 track recorders with mixdown, bounce, and layering done the hard way.

I paid $60 for a used Kay Reverb in the 60s. I thought it was a good deal! Big shoe box case with big sound and SPRINGS! Now, better digital echo and delay will actually fit in a shoe. A shoe box will hold what used to be a room full of rack effects. And some are downloadable to change their personality as needed.

 

[brock957]

I play guitar. lapsteel. harmonica. And a little bass. Write and sing. Christian rock jazz and blues. I prefer not having to sing.

 

[DocRokRx]

yup I remember bassnut... i've been on the thread awhile, just havent kept up with it lately (for about a year (analog backslide) I wasnt even going to the forum AT ALL!)

 

[DaveP]

yup I remember bassnut... i've been on the thread awhile, just havent kept up with it lately (for about a year (analog backslide) I wasnt even going to the forum AT ALL!)

He hangs out mostly in the OUTSIDE threads.

 

[Transient]

I am 23 and have been playing percussion since I was 10. Currently working on a degree in Music Education. So good to see so many musicians here on the forum!

Also, being an engineer, I have to interject here. Yes, we do have a lot of technology these days and are capable of doing things that would have been impossible for The Beatles. However, the quality of the songwriting, performance, the room, microphones, preamps, summing mixer, and ears of their engineer are still far greater than most of us with the technology possess. They helped set the bar for what a quality recording was, any one of those elements missing, and it's sub par. Personally, I'll take one of those classic songs over a current radio song any old day!

 

[DaveP]

I play guitar. lapsteel. harmonica. And a little bass. Write and sing. Christian rock jazz and blues. I prefer not having to sing.

Me neither. I used to sing backup on just about every song with 5 or 6 lead vocals a night and it sometimes cramped my fill in style on guitar. I'd rather sit back and play and do all the luscious licks that make the music more interesting.

I've been doing the Praise Band thing at the 9:00am service for about 7 years now. It's just about the right amount of involvement to keep my chops strong and my playing desires satisfied. We lean toward the rock side of Christian contemporary music with lots of Lincoln Brewster and Newsboys style stuff with some Casting Crowns and Hillsong mixed in.

 

[tiller]

been a multi instrumentalist for about 15 years. mainly i play bass and keyboards / piano. but ive been a drummer in several bands, been a guitar player in a few bands. do some backup vocals. just whatever anyone wants to put me on i can usually find a way to make some noise come out of it. except violin tried it for a few years and just couldnt hang.played about every style of music there is from classical and bluegrass to hip hop to death metal. live for the live shows.

 

[SouthWestPayDay]

I used to rap. My stage name was PayDay. You can still find my last 2 albums on iTunes, Amazon MP3 or any other app or website that sells music. "PayDay - Money Ain't A Thang" and "PayDay - Git On Yo Grind"

 

[DaveP]

been a multi instrumentalist for about 15 years. mainly i play bass and keyboards / piano. but ive been a drummer in several bands, been a guitar player in a few bands. do some backup vocals. just whatever anyone wants to put me on i can usually find a way to make some noise come out of it. except violin tried it for a few years and just couldnt hang.played about every style of music there is from classical and bluegrass to hip hop to death metal. live for the live shows.

Versatility is a plus if your are a musician. I started out as a drummer at 6 and gave it up because my parents wouldn't buy me a drum set. I got tired of the practice pad and asked for a guitar after a year of drum lessons. The keyboardist in our group is also a good drummer and plays trombone, too. He is also in an 60's oldies group that has about 12 or 13 members and plays in the horn section.

 

[DaveP]

I used to rap. My stage name was PayDay. You can still find my last 2 albums on iTunes, Amazon MP3 or any other app or website that sells music. "PayDay - Money Ain't A Thang" and "PayDay - Git On Yo Grind"

I was old before Rap got started! I was big on Motown in the 60's, though. Rap seems to be one of the top varieties in music today. It's merging into other veins of music.