General Music Chat

Worked all day Sunday getting all my
yards mowed and looking good. (Lord
I hate mowing) So today I can rerecord
a new song I wrote titled "Death", a ass
kickin rock song. I wrote it using chord
theory ( so all the chord changes sound
good). Since the topic was death I laid
a 5 minute guitar solo down against the
vocals that never stops for air. I really want
the lead guitar and the vocals to be recorded
at the same level. A song like Death needs a
killer solo.
How often do you write?
Do you write all the parts?


And the biggie, has anybody ever sold
any of their songs?

My friends Tastes Like Chicken (Toledo, OH) recorded a song called "Death" that makes fun of death metal bands.

How often do you write?
Do you write all the parts?
And the biggie, has anybody ever sold
any of their songs?

Saturday I spent a few hours recording 10 different guitar parts and 1 bass part for a 16 minute video soundtrack (Daytona sportscars), yesterday after doing my yard work, started playing with the EZDrummer drum track for it.

I write music when ever inspired - when I'm not, I work on the mixes of already-recorded songs.
Never sold a song to anyone, but hopeing that one day someone 'famous' (or on their way) will hear one of my tunes and want to record it themselves!

.
How often do you write?
Do you write all the parts?
And the biggie, has anybody ever sold
any of their songs?

I try to write new compositions on my own all the time, but most turn out bad or mediocre at best. The songs that seem to come out best is when I feel inspired by others, and also when I am collaborating with talented musicians. I trust the creative judgement of the musicians that I am working with and try to write guitar parts that will showcase their skills. So I can say is that I don't write all the parts to the best songs in my catalog.

I made music for a soundtrack not too long ago. The film was a documentary that was entered at many film festivals. It was a great experience to work with a movie director and film crew. But I sold the rights to the songs to the production company for good money. I would do it again.

I write sporadically, but I am constantly developing ideas. I keep a notebook and will bounce around themes for months. When I do write, it seems as though I do big chunks at a time-I've written probably 10 new songs in the last three weeks, and four or five are definite "keepers".

My approach is generally of being a solo artist, and for the most part, I write all the parts, or at least have a pretty developed idea (I don't play drums, but I usually know what I want. I don't play much lead guitar, but in the past I've used examples from other songs or even sang the part I was trying to get on guitar).

I've never sold any of my songs, although I have had a couple of offers from individuals-nobody in the "biz", but rather folks that I've played music with over the years...

Kool!
I write songs about death probably as much as about living.
I write everyday whether it's guitar or lyrics something is in my head I need to get out. At home in the car or at work ,it doesn't matter. It's very consuming of my thoughts. I've realized it takes me about 1-2 weeks on average from start to finish on most songs. Partly because i don't own a bass and I have to wait till it's available. I work alone like some of the others here.
I had an offered made on a song not too long ago, I didn't know whether to be insulted or flattered. He offered me $250.00 then upped it to $300. I had no interest in selling it and even if I did... how do you put a value on it?
Good Luck with your work LD!

I only scribe that which is given to me ... and it's been some time since I was able to "capture the moment".
Mostly just a lyrical skeleton and an idea of melody.
Then I present it to the band and allow their interpretations take their natural course.

Best wishes with your project.

When I get around to it.
Yes.
Yes.

Cool, Thanks for the responses, I recorded a 1st take on
Death, it seems I write a little differennt, but the same in
a lot of ways each time. With this song I decided I was going
to write in D (now its Dm), and then picked the subject
death, then started playing the guitar, from a ! (the tonic)
you can go anywhere, so I went to the 7 th, and......
It came out well gonna rerecord and rewrite today.
Dealt with death as a topic and what I see of it.

Cool Jimmy I had a old girlfriend who said it don't taste
like chicken or smell like fish.
Hey GuitarMike, I to usually try to fit a rhythm in from my
drum machine. I write every day whether inspired or not,
and I've got notebooks of snips of chorus and verses, these
are sometimes used in other songs, most are never used.
Have you tried cdbaby, or tunecore, or TAXI to sell your songs?

Sounds like you got it going on Mr JSantos, it's an art just to be
able to collaborate with other people, I can't when a song is being
born. I think you probably got to write quite a few mediocre songs to
get to a good one. Congratulations on selling one, if you can sell one
you can sell another.

I hear you Mr Jahva I write a lot of songs that might have a line in it
on death, this is the first totally about death and dying. I also write
all the time alone generally, especially when a song is 1st coming
down the pike. I use a Yamaha PSR synthesizer set to electric bass
for most of my bass parts, or sometimes my left hand on my big piano.
I'm interested in selling my stuff also, but it would have to be more than
that, I don't know how you put a value on it, but if the money was right,
it would be sold and I'd just write more. Thanks for all your help.
And Good Luck with your music.

Hey Mr Sans I sometimes(alot of times?), try to force the scribe,
I'm too controling of my music, and enjoy writing all the parts, even
setting up the drum machine. Whatever works for you keep it up,
and Good Luck to you on your new project, I hope you have
tremendous success.

Hey LD! Wish I had the time to write/play every day, but seems like Real Life gets in the way too often.
I know CD Baby, but for my first CD didn't see any real reason to get it on iTunes, and using CreateSpace I was able to publish on Amazon for no set up fees.
Tunecore - I have seen their site and get their spam now that I'm registered here, but don't know anyone who has actually used them - just wondering if they actually provide any service worth using them for?
TAXI - what's that one?

As I get closer to the release of CD #2 I will start exploring all the options (but mostly those that cost me as little as possible) - if I was doing this for money, I'd make more busking!

My Question is this... If no promoter will push a bandmix member's music...why would anybody think that sites like CDBaby, etc are gonna make any real significant difference...

I'm just asking...Because I see a trend of websites popping up and I feel their interest is not necessary for the musicians. It almost smacks of the recycling business...or the Back room of the patent office...

What Dog just said. I agree. No one gives a crap, they just want the traffic for advertising revenues.


I can't even give mine away. But when I do I suspect that folks use them to train their dogs so that they don't screwup a good Frisbee.

I write every piece To my music Simply because No 1 wants to play Or maybe they do not believe I can play 1 of the 2 as far as marketing goes I have no clue on how to go about promotions anyone have any ideas

I'm just going to continue to push our band locally and play as often as possible working the crowd for friends fans and networking associates.

It seems to me that we must be around other musicians more than once or twice before their "walls" come down and they show any interest in our situation.

I guess if we are playing and they are not ... perhaps the feel threatened or something.

At any rate we have a lot of ground to make up due to the change in line up.
Our momentum is good right now and I'm very proud to be working with these guys.

Well see how the networking pays off ... work it local and the word will spread.

Hey Mike TAXI is like an A & R company for
independent artists. I here you about the money,
I want to make a CD that is the best that I can
make and I'm not real concerned about the money,
but I won't be turning any down either. Like everything
more money will be coming out of my pocket than
going into it, but what's money for?

Slacker there is so many more ways to make money
with music than just advertising revenues, you can only
go as far with music as you set your sites, those with
lowered expectations, will obtain lower results. I'll take
one of your songs, just give me a mp3 of it, the lyrics,
and what key your playing in, make it a rocker, and I'll
record it.

XhaDoW-6 keep rocking I listened to your stuff, not my
cup of tea, but you can see the talent is there. Promotion
is a whole nother thread.

You go Sans, we all have our own unique situations, you
lead your group well. I wish you only continued success,
and Godspeed.