Help Me With The Blues

[Tim]

Oh my ! I can’t believe I am actually doing this. I recorded my first song and I don’t even know how to play. And boy do I need HELP !!!! The song title says it all.

Ok I know I need to work on the recording volumes a little better. I used my AD30VT and the speaker out jack as did VooDoo. His sounded much better than mine. Maybe VooDoo can share where he had all his dials set.

Boy do I need a lot of help on the soloing part. Any advice you fretters want to throw this way will be greatly appreciated. I played the minor E from both the open position and the 12th fret. Both positions were basically the “blues” box pattern # 1. Now it has been said that you can play any note in that box on top of all three chords (E, A & B) at any time. Mine did not meet the “in harmony” status. I did four takes before deciding I had enough, they all were sounding the same. I don’t know how you guys do it. Your soloing never seems to repeat itself.

This one is for Justaguy. I seem to have background noise. I do not know where it is coming from. With all the input wires disconnected, the noise is still there when I hit the record button. And as a matter of fact, I can here the noise when I move my mouse as I move around the forum. It sounds like bees buzzing. Strange??? Maybe I record just the noise. Hmm, maybe it affected my playing … naa.

BTW, make sure you have you volume turn down when you play the track. This could be one of those spine tingling songs. You know like fingernails on a chock board.

Warren – consider yourself CHALLENGED. Let’s hear some music from your inspirational chamber. Cameras not necessary.

Sorry guys, that’s an inside joke between Warren and I.

[Katastrophe]

Awesome job, Tim! Don't be so hard on yourself. You have great phrasing in your soloing, and a good ear for knowing the right note to land on when you end a phrase. That's half the battle right there!

[Justaguyin_nc]

Yeah I can hear it in the background Tim.. what did you plug in where? try this... open the audio panel and check Mute box for MIC then LINE IN and see if the bees go away.. you might need a reboot... or figure something else is using the same Audio device your trying to use...

[Justaguyin_nc]

Oh Tim.. The blues sounds good other then the beez... Everyone repeats phrasing... even 1000 notes a minute renman I bet ya...

[Tim]

Ok Justa. The bees are gone. It was the “AUX IN”, which I do not have. I muted it and all the noise went away.

Now here is what I did when I used Audacity. I imported the backing track. When I got ready to record the guitar, I lowered the master play volume along with the backing track –track volume. This was so the backing track would not over power the soloing. I boosted the guitar record volume just a tab and started recording.

No when I played the song back, I muted the original backing track. It all sounded good. The solo was just a little louder than the backing track. I exported the two streams and saved them as a MP3. Audacity gave a statement, which said it would save the MP3 into two separate channels. When I played the completed project, the solo volume sounded lower than first recorded. Any hints on how to work this issue? Should I leave the volumes as they where originally?

My next project is to attack the Fret Net's famous "Cm-Fm-Gm-Cm" backing track from February. I always liked songs in minor key just like Ray Charles. Maybe after a week of practice.

[Justaguyin_nc]

Ok with the Beez gone... I would load in the backing track... leave the levels as they are.. (if it sounds to loud in the house just turn your speakers down some) .. Press record and start playing with the backing track... listen to both that way and adjust levels of the solo to match or be a bit louder then backing... when finished hold your shift down and left click the backing track and the solo you just added so they are both highlighted.. then go under PROJECT and press QuickMix... this will produce another track with both in it... you can now MUTE the backing track and the solo to hear the mix as one file... now with that track highlighted just export it as MP3.. and thats it.. Glad the beez left the hive and look forward to more of your clips...

[warren0728]

tim,

great job man....glad you got audacity working! I am going to try and get something recorded this weekend....you're a tough act to follow.

Conner is at his grandparents so i won't have to worry about that whole camera thing

ww

[6STRINGS 9LIVES]

nice phrasing Tim you have obviously been working diligently cheers ... 6S9L

[Matt]

That wasnt that bad at all Tim, you shouldnt be so hard on yourself. I liked its funky beat, and the phrasing was indeed good.

My next project is to attack the Fret Net's famous "Cm-Fm-Gm-Cm" backing track from February. I always liked songs in minor key just like Ray Charles. Maybe after a week of practice.

Yeah I've been thinking about redoing my version of that. I listend to it the other day and shuddered. What was I thinking...

Keep On Rocking!

p.s I usually stay within box pattern #1 as well when soloing, as its so easy to use. Lately I've started to move around a bit more, but still, its a damn good box

[duhvoodooman***]

Well done, Tim. I applaud your willingness to "lay it on the line", as it were. Only way to get better is to challenge yourself!

I used my AD30VT and the speaker out jack as did VooDoo. His sounded much better than mine. Maybe VooDoo can share where he had all his dials set.

I tend to stay on the left side of the amp model dial, and to keep the volume and gain settings in the middling range. Control the input to your sound card with the master volume knob. Adjust the guitar and amp tone knobs to taste. For the SRV stuff, I used the Black 2x12 model with some light reverb and my Digitech Tone Driver (TS-808 emulation setting) for a bit of overdrive, and for the little Tele clip, I used the Boutique CL model with some compression.

BTW, where do you guys get these backing tracks? Are some of them on that "Blues You Can Use" CD? I just got that and haven't fired it up yet. Other places to go?

[Justaguyin_nc]

http://www.thefret.net/showthread.php?t=94 has a bunch of links already mentioned... hope it helps...