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VIEW OF THE DAY � Dave Cleveland
Hello and Greetings from Nashville ( home of Hattie B ’ s Hot Chicken ).
I hope you all are doing great and spending a lot of time practicing your guitar !
Even though I spend most of my day in the studio recording , I still like to get up in the morning and practice . It could just be 5 minutes , but it sets the tone for the day . Recently I joined a sight-reading site that allows me to refresh my page with new challenges every 16 bars . You can set the tempo , time signature , and key you want to read in . It ’ s really the best way to practice reading . You never get a chance to memorize anything . You feel the pressure to get it right and therefore it feels more like when you are reading in a session . Practice is not the focus of this article , but it is something I highly recommend as part of your daily routine .
I was working on a project the other day and I realized that most days when I go to work , there is no music written down when I get there . This is actually very inspiring . You start out with a blank canvas . You are responsible for which direction the song will go . Here is the typical scenario on a tracking day . The musicians all gather in the control room . One guy is chosen to chart the song . This means he will listen along with us and chart the song in one pass . Usually the demo never stops until the end . By that time our blank canvas is filled with numbers and some road map direction . We copy the chart and hand it out to the players . This is where the creativity really starts to take off . We will discuss what the feel needs to be and what the vibe of the tune is . For me , I get a lot of good ideas based on what the drummer is feeling about the song . As we listen through there is also a healthy amount of discussion
between the keyboard player and me . We can formulate intro ideas and hooks for the song as |
the chords will help you to focus ideas that will work in the range and color of the song |
well as turnarounds and the outro . As you listen to a song with your chart in hand and the other musicians , a real vision for what the song will be starts to come forth . |
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Does the song need an intro hook ? This is where you get to step out and create something that will draw the listener into the song . Once again , I try to incorporate |
Within 10 to 15 minutes of hearing the song for the first time , before an instrument has even been touched , you know the form , tempo , key , and vibe of the song . Now we can head to our little stations and begin to flesh out the parts . Of course , the initial vibe can change a little as you hear your ideas come to life , but for the most part the vision you had before tracking the song usually holds true . |
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something that will reflect back to the melody of the song . You don ’ t want to come up with this super cool hook that has nothing to do with the song . If you do , you might hear this from the producer ,
“ Save it for your solo effort .”
What kind of sounds do you need to fulfill the vibe of the song ? Does it need
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big delay washes or does it need |
... most days when I go to work , there is no music written down when I get there . This is actually very inspiring . You start out with a blank canvas . something more dry and in your face ? What about acoustic ? Maybe that ’ s the first layer .
As the song plays down a few times and the drums and bass lock into something , more and more is revealed . The keyboard concepts start to come out , and they will also inspire the kind of parts and tone you will gravitate towards .
My hope for you this month is that you will |
Some of the things that I personally consider when forming parts are these : |
embrace the blank page . Don ’ t be intimidated by its nothingness , but use it as a springboard |
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for your creativity . Trust your instincts . Your |
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What is the melody of the song ? You need to always be aware of what the melody is so that your parts don ’ t fight with the melody . If they do , when the song is being mixed the melody will win over your parts and that means they go into MUTE Farm ! |
mind will tell you , “ That ’ s a dumb idea .” Don ’ t listen to that ( let the other musicians tell you it ’ s dumb ! Lol !). I ’ m telling you , the first thought you have about a hook melody or an arrangement idea is usually right on . Get used to taking the leap of faith . It makes for good music ! |
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What are the chords ? Being able to know |
Until the next View . |
Jul � Aug 2016 CollectibleGuitar . com
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