Song recording - linear per song or many songs/many stages?

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miroslav
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Song recording - linear per song or many songs/many stages?

Post by miroslav »

As I'm sitting tonight trying to work out some lyrics for a song I've pretty much finished (except for the damn lyrics)...
...I was thinking about the other songs I have yet to complete that were started, and considering how most of them are at some different stage of the tracking/mixing process.

There was a time where I would never record a song unless I had the lyrics done...but I would always get all these song ideas, and at some point, I just started working on songs as soon as I had the basic structure worked out, even if my lyrics where just a lot of sounds, used to flush out the melody...or maybe I had a few lines, but nothing more...and I went ahead anyway.

That said...I also have a couple of songs where the lyrics are also done...but I'm still kinda playing around with a couple of the tracks.

So like right now...I must have at least 8 or more songs at some unfinished stage...and rather than work them in linear fashion like I use to years back...I've adopted the "as the mood hits me" mentality about what to work on when I go into the studio.
It seems a bit like procrastination...but I think in the long run, the time it takes me to complete all the songs would be about the same as if I did that one by one, start to finish.
What I do find with this piecemeal approach...is that I'm able to work on things rather than sit around waiting to sort out the one song I'm trying to finish. Only down side is that I seem to keep getting new song ideas faster than I can complete songs...and so my pile of partially finished songs keeps growing...but I am getting songs done, so I can't complain about new ideas. Nothing worse than having no idea at all for new songs...and then you fell frustrated, and then it's even worse...'cuz you find yourself trying to force something out.

OK...my coffee is done, so I better get back to those lyrics I was working on...I think I got something finally going after beating on it the last two days. :P
I'm sure most people hate coming up with lyrics..and have as hard a time. :twisted: :)
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Armistice
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Re: Song recording - linear per song or many songs/many stages?

Post by Armistice »

I did have a backlog of songs awaiting various finishing touches, and then I worked my way through most of them that fit in with the current sound I'm chasing, and started a single new one, which I've yet to finish. I was thinking that seeing it's taken me months to finish the one song, that getting the backlog happening again is a better way to go. I have enough ideas jotted down...
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rayc
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Re: Song recording - linear per song or many songs/many stages?

Post by rayc »

I have three on the go. This results from my inability to sing &/or play lead.
Each track has lyrics, rhythm guitars & bass by me, guitar solos generally by IDO1957, with a recent one by JD and drums by Greg L onn 1 and BIAB on 2 as they sit in the Reaper folder awaiting rejuvenation.
I have HSB happening with a woman recording vocals for me bit by bit. It's fine - the song sat since 2012 with a draft male vocal and a cool solo sorted. I've redone guitars and bass since the new vocals commenced.
I have A Game No One Can Play sitting around for 7 months and have had someone do lead in the last month as well as someone offer to do vocals in the last couple of weeks.
Finally I have Dark Sun: the backing & solo have been in the can since late 2010 or early 2011. It was, initially, part 4 of the Pygmy Beat Augmented Berlin Trilogy but Joe, the vocalist from that set of songs, lost interest as he was moving careers and the song was less interesting and the set of lyrics I originally had sorted wasn't much to sing about. I eventually wrote a new set of lyrics in one sitting a year or two later. I originally shopped the lyric around to a few people because it was out of keeping with my usual stuff and contained concepts I wasn't keen on. There were no takers for those either so, eventually, I edited them down to fit better and, hopefully it'll come to something.
When I haven't anything waiting I just go back to my Cakewalk days and export tracks to remix in Reaper as that's always a learning curve.
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miroslav
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Re: Song recording - linear per song or many songs/many stages?

Post by miroslav »

Armistice wrote: Mon Jan 30, 2017 1:12 am I did have a backlog of songs awaiting various finishing touches, and then I worked my way through most of them that fit in with the current sound I'm chasing, and started a single new one, which I've yet to finish. I was thinking that seeing it's taken me months to finish the one song, that getting the backlog happening again is a better way to go. I have enough ideas jotted down...
Yeah man...months is right! :D
But I'm really getting comfortable working several things at different stages...rather then hitting my head against the wall :headwall: trying to first finish one, completely...before starting anything new.

rayc wrote: Mon Jan 30, 2017 2:00 am I have three on the go. This results from my inability to sing &/or play lead.
Yeah...reading your post...you're got the same kind of madness going on...:P...but you know, it's sometimes better to leave some shit to simmer on the side, while you work on other things...and then suddenly one day, the stuff that was hard to come by or to make work, all falls into place.

Post up some of the things you need tracks for...there's enough of us here, someone should be able to provide the right flavor.

I think that might even be another forum or sub-forum idea....call it something like "Track Exchange Co-Op" ...and people could post up what they have going, and they say what they need. :)
Me...I'm always looking for a female singer...but they're not too plentiful on these audio forums....once in awhile
Not sure how we could attract more women...but it would be good for the place.
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JD01
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Re: Song recording - linear per song or many songs/many stages?

Post by JD01 »

3? 8? 1? I have 18 on the go!!! And that's not including the covers.

6 have lyrics
As I'm working on better guitar tones, bass tones I always have plenty to retrack.
I'm learning more about drum mixing and mixing in general too right now.
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Armistice
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Re: Song recording - linear per song or many songs/many stages?

Post by Armistice »

miroslav wrote: Mon Jan 30, 2017 3:22 am
Yeah man...months is right! :D
But I'm really getting comfortable working several things at different stages...rather then hitting my head against the wall :headwall: trying to first finish one, completely...before starting anything new.
Indeed. And it's the first time I've done it this way and as I said, I'll go back to having a few things on the go at once. Problem can then be finishing them, if I don't have particular lyrical ideas.

Unfortunately I have an infestation of house guests until tomorrow night so not getting anything done this week either. :crazy: But starting to mull over a few ideas, and I have a couple of sketched riffs etc. sitting in various places I can develop.

It's become completely clear to me that summer is just impossible for recording vocals in my situation, so, knowing that, I shouldn't even try - just barrel along with more tracks and do vocals when it's cooler / quieter etc.

That said, I've been going on this one tune for so long now that if I get the opportunity next week, I'll be all over the vocals like a donkey on a waffle. :metal:
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ido1957
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Re: Song recording - linear per song or many songs/many stages?

Post by ido1957 »

Took 10 months to finish our last one with a lot of rewrites. I let Mike take his time with that one. :)
90% of the time I do the lyrics first, maybe takes a few hours (but not in one go) then bang out the music.
I always do a song from start to finish before moving on to the next one.
I have one on the go and am already 75% done the lyrics. Although I have an idea what the music will be like, it is subject to the lyrical structure as they determine the whole thing for me. I find lyrics have their own meter when they are written so they drive the finished product. Plus they are simple arrangements (aka crappy lol) so they take very little time to complete.
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Minerman
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Re: Song recording - linear per song or many songs/many stages?

Post by Minerman »

I have a bunch of songs in different stages, originals & covers...Most are waiting for me to make up my mind how to do the drums, finish programming 'em, or just re-do them completely with my e-kit...A few of them I'll most likely just finish the programming as it'll take me a long time to be able to even get close to being able to play them like they should be...

I tried using the "formula" for each one (IE: record guitars first, then bass, then whatever, etc), but it just never worked for me, so now, whatever/however it falls together is ok, as long as I make progress on them...That said, it's been a long damn time since I've even finished a song, but I do have a few that are pretty close to being done...My excuse is I'm trying to get about 10 songs finished, & release an "album"...

Another excuse is, it's a lot of damn work for one person doing all the instruments/vocals/mixing...
But I knew what I was getting into, so there's nobody to blame but myself... :minernuggs:
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Re: Song recording - linear per song or many songs/many stages?

Post by JohnnyAmato »

Cool thread. I know it's a month old, but I figured I'd chime in.

I got so many un-finished songs, they're coming out my ears. Sometimes it's frustrating, but it's a good problem to have, I suppose. There are positives and negatives, like sometimes I'll sit for an hour doing nothing but just thinking what to work on.

Right now I have three songs completed that are waiting for vocals. Still have to finish writing the lyrics, and one of them still needs a lead guitar.

Three more instrumentals I'm still working on the final mix.

Another instrumental I'm doing still needs all the lead guitar.

Since I recently got Superior Drummer and learning it quickly, I'm tempted to transfer tracks from my old Tascam into ProTools and re-do the drums for about 20 older recordings. Eek!

4 or 5 more songs with lyrics are already completely written, and I haven't even started the recording yet.

I'll be busy for a while!

For the last few (I don't know how many) years, I've been dreaming of the day when I'm totally "caught up" with everything done, so I can start something totally fresh with out anything else hanging over me. I've come to the point now where I don't think that's ever going to happen.
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Bobbsy
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Re: Song recording - linear per song or many songs/many stages?

Post by Bobbsy »

Different from you guys, I record for other people. I can tell you that there's no one answer to this. People's tastes--and circumstances--are all different.

Some of my "clients" (I'm retired and do it as a hobby) like to do a single track and get every bit done before going onto another. Others will have a whole bunch on the go at once--for example doing keyboards for multiple songs in one go then doing guitar or whatever for all the track in another session.

As I say, there's not one answer--but if I had to guess I'd say have multiple projects on the go at once is probably the more common way of doing things.

...and for the theatre stuff I do I often have a couple hundred things on the go at once.
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miroslav
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Re: Song recording - linear per song or many songs/many stages?

Post by miroslav »

Bobbsy wrote: Sun Feb 26, 2017 7:40 am As I say, there's not one answer--but if I had to guess I'd say have multiple projects on the go at once is probably the more common way of doing things.
Yup...that's that way it's become for me over the last 15 years or so.
Prior to that, I was doing it more one song at a time, when I could. I think back then it was more about needing to get to the end, quick.
Now, not so much. I mean...I want to get to the end, but if I'm stuck on something, just not working....I move to one of my other projects.

I like it this way a lot more because I can pick what I want to do, since there are multiple projects at different stages...rather than beating on one thing until I sort it out. Sometimes you need to do that...but, IMO, it's often better to let it rest until it comes more naturally, and in the meantime, work on something else. Ear fatigue and all that....
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Re: Song recording - linear per song or many songs/many stages?

Post by Bubba »

Armistice wrote: Mon Jan 30, 2017 7:45 pm That said, I've been going on this one tune for so long now that if I get the opportunity next week, I'll be all over the vocals like a donkey on a waffle. :metal:
LOL. You've got to be making these up, now. :biggrin:
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Armistice
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Re: Song recording - linear per song or many songs/many stages?

Post by Armistice »

Bubba wrote: Mon Feb 27, 2017 10:37 am
Armistice wrote: Mon Jan 30, 2017 7:45 pm That said, I've been going on this one tune for so long now that if I get the opportunity next week, I'll be all over the vocals like a donkey on a waffle. :metal:
LOL. You've got to be making these up, now. :biggrin:
No - I decided I needed a new statement so I went searching the webz... apparently "donkey on a waffle" is a thing. Although not an Australian one. :lollers:
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