Practical Handbook for the Working Musician, Part 6: Studio Time -- Part 2July 19, 2022
by Mike Mindel. This article was originally published on HVmusic around the year 2000.
As a continuation of my last article, this article is geared towards those of you who have little or no studio experience, but want to get a jump on what it's all about before you cut your first recording. Last month I talked about things taking much longer in the studio than you might expect. This time around, we'll begin to break down the process into it's basic components, in order to get a better understanding of where the time goes in the recording studio. And I'll try to offer you some tips along the way that may help save you money. This will give you a better understanding of the process and help you anticipate how much time and money it may take you to record your project.
These first two mentions fall into the 'should be obvious but you'd be suprised' category.
Practical Handbook for the Working Musician, Part 5: Studio Time -- Part 1June 12, 2022
by Mike Mindel. This article was originally published on HVmusic around the year 2000.
Here are some of the many things to consider before you go into the studio and spend your hard-earned money to record your tunes. The more clearly you have your project laid out in your mind, the more efficient you'll be in the studio and the less money you'll waste needlessly. The first and most important question to ask yourself is this: What do I intend to do with this recording? If you are making it to impress your girlfriend/boyfriend, save your money and use a 4-track cassette recorder. It will still sound pretty damn good compared to setting up a boom box up in the middle of the room. If you are making a demo to solicit record companies, a little better quality is needed, but you still don't necessarily have to go top-line. If you are self-producing a recording to be sold at gigs on CD, think about going digital.
Practical Handbook for the Working Musician, Part 4: B.S.ing Techniques to Get Through a GigMay 13, 2022
by Mike Mindel. This article was originally published on HVmusic around the year 2000.
Did you ever sit in with a band and play a song you thought you knew only to find out they not only do it in a different key, but with a different order and amount of verses and choruses, and a different ending. Well the purpose of this month's article is to give you some insight and B.S.ing techniques to get through the gig.
The first place to start is: what key are we in?
Practical Handbook for the Working Musician, Part 3: Learning Tunes Efficiently – Chords and NotesMarch 31, 2022
by Mike Mindel. This article was originally published on HVmusic around the year 2000.
In part one we discussed learning the form of a song, the first step in learning a tune. Now let's focus step two--
Chords and Notes- learning your parts.
To review for a minute, the steps to efficiently learning a song are, in this order:
- Form: i.e. intro-verse-chorus, etc.
- chords and notes: learn your part.
- Sounds: getting the settings you want to use on the tune.
- Putting It All Together
The following information applies no matter what your instrument. After all, as Frank Perdue says, parts is parts. By the way, does anybody know if Frank Perdue and Tom Carvel are related?
Practical Handbook for the Working Musician, Part 2: Learning Tunes Efficiently – Song FormFebruary 13, 2022
by Mike Mindel. This article was originally published on HVmusic around the year 2000.
One of the most practical skills a musician can develop is the ability to learn tunes as efficiently as possible. This is a skill that will make your musical life less frustrating regardless of what instrument you play or what style you play. These skills apply whether you play keyboards in a rock band or auto harp in your garage (no pun intended).
Practical Handbook for the Working Musician, Part 1: When In Rome... Don't RoamJanuary 16, 2022
by Mike Mindel. This article was originally published on HVmusic around the year 2000.
Once again I'm reminded of a simple, basic concept that seems to elude many an otherwise fine player. Playing appropiately. That is, approaching a particular gig or rehersal with the appropiate set of tools. Although all musicial situations have some of the same fundementals, such as showing up on time and being prepared, different musicial settings demand different approaches in both the actual music as well as your personal presentation. Choosing the appropiate notes, chord voicings, volume, sounds, how busy you are (your fills), your clothes, your demeanor with the other musicians, your stage presence, and your gear are some of the many considerations that must be addressed in order for you to be most effective in a particular musicial setting. And to get called back to do it again! For some, it is a matter of lack of musical maturity, and for others it is boredom overriding their better musical sensibilities. (Which I suppose is also a lack of musicial maturity in itself.) Unlike good chops, which for most of us is a matter of putting in the time to get them, musical maturity can be gotten through time and experience, or through paying attention and heeding the ways of those who are doing it right and regularly getting work. Like good chops, musical maturity will perpetually elude some people. That means more work for you and me!
