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How to Make a Minimalist Recording and Setup

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photo by Dan Taylor
macbook-airWhat a great joy it is these days to be a musician or a songwriter. Big studios are no more a necessity to record your music.

Better yet, you don’t even need a home studio anymore. All you need is a laptop (with proper software), an interface, a guitar, a mic and you are ready to roll. High quality recordings at your fingertips.

Mobile and minimalist.
Now you can pack your whole studio in and onto your guitar bag. You can put your guitar and mic in the bag and your notebook and interface in the front pockets of your guitar bag. Yes you do need a solid bag with multiple pockets. Composing, recording, editing and mixing your music everywhere you go. It almost sounds like an ad, but it is just to demonstrate how mobile and minimalist you can be as a musician. That is true freedom.

The minimalist musician / songwriter
We are musicians so we do need an instrument to play with and equipment to record our music, but we are aiming for the minimalist approach here as much as possible.Continue Reading

36 Impeccable Ways to Overcome Songwriters Block

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photo by Sean McGrath
afbeelding-1Does songwriters block affect me? Yes, sometimes, but fortunately not for a long period of time. If I really get stuck it’s just for an hour or a day.

I can also have writers block over one particular song, but then I start writing on something else and the inspiration miraculously comes back.

I spent a decent amount of time on lyrics to make it work. It can take a day, a few days or a week and it is only seldom that I finish a complete song in a hour or so. When it does happen it’s mostly one of my better works.

Nice chord progressions, finger-pickings, cool licks and solos is the fun part. I can write music endlessly. Lyrics for me is the more difficult part and sometimes I can get stuck, but that is where the list comes in. This list definitely makes things go a lot smoother.

Put these 33 impeccable ways to the test yourself and experience the magic of inspiration:

1 – Ask why, how, when, where and who?
Ask yourself questions about the subject. If your song is about a suspicious old man then ask the questions: Where does he go? Where did he come from? Who is he? What is he going to do? Who are his friends? Does he have any? What are his interests? What are his dreams? Is he married? What is his history? Why does he act so strange? Ask as many questions as possible to come up with ideas.
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So you wanna write a song huh?

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                                                   photo from Istockphotosongwriting
Songwriting is a great skill to learn but not always an easy one. Sometimes you are in the flow and sometimes you are just not. The process can be hard work but the result can be euphoric.

I’ve written songs since I was young and still I think it’s a challenge to write good quality and authentic lyrics. Writing lyrics and music are two different things. When you create music you got something to lean on. You already got a vocabulary of chords, scales, riffs, licks, arpeggios, triads, etc. You can put those in a certain order, shake them around a little bit, tear ‘m apart, add your own personal touch and voila music is in the air. I know that is easier said that done, but you have something to begin with. Writing lyrics is a little bit more difficult because you have to start from the bottom up, so were gonna help you out a bit.

Pick up your guitar from the stand. Grab a pencil & paper and let’s create a piece of art. You’ll be amazed what you can do after a little practice.

My dad always says: “The fans are already out there, you just have to come up with something.”

Here are some tips to get you started:
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How to Memorize Lyrics, Chords and Chord Progressions

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photo from IstockphotoCool time
One of the things I have always had a hard time with is memorizing lyrics. I see this in people around me as well; finding it difficult to memorize chords and chord progressions. So based on my experience and some research I’ve done I give you some tips to overcome this obstacle.

But why do we need to memorize and remember lyrics and chord progressions? What’s the use of that?

Well, let’s say one of these days you’ll have to perform in front of an audience somewhere, somehow.
Maybe with a band or on your own…

  • or a friend asks you to perform a few songs at his wedding or birthday party…
  • or you would like to accompany a singer…
  • or you want to play some nice songs to entertain a few people on a holiday in the south of France while drinking a cold beer…
  • or just to try out a guitar in the guitar shop in town.

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