Advice to writers

[Happy Face]

Thinking of our own Mellow One and Heironymous here but to all you youngsters out there.

Advice = KEEP A SONG DIARY. Start to finish. Maybe a scribble about the inspiration and how you orchestrated the parts and such.

Just saying because I really wish I had done that. I'm suddenly listening again to to 27 songs I had not listened to for 30 years. I was more of a keyboard guy then so I'd love to read some hint of what what going through my mind on the patch selection and mix.

But I did wield a Ric 4005 or Blackstar on some tracks. (again, I really wish I had written which bass I had used on which tracks.) Or even on the AOL recordings I did a few years ago, which were mostly using two Guilds.

In 30 years you will not remember every moment.

 

[beecee]

A buddy of mine, (he is the guy you see at a ball game writing in stats), is constantly telling me to keep a three ring binder near the guitar. Same reasons, makes sense but I'm too darned lazy to do so.

Plus I've been advised by counsel to refrain from putting to writing anything that could be used against me.

 

[hieronymous]

Thinking of our own Mellow One and Heironymous here but to all you youngsters out there.

Advice = KEEP A SONG DIARY. Start to finish. Maybe a scribble about the inspiration and how you orchestrated the parts and such.

Just saying because I really wish I had done that. I'm suddenly listening again to to 27 songs I had not listened to for 30 years. I was more of a keyboard guy then so I'd love to read some hint of what what going through my mind on the patch selection and mix.

But I did wield a Ric 4005 or Blackstar on some tracks. (again, I really wish I had written which bass I had used on which tracks.) Or even on the AOL recordings I did a few years ago, which were mostly using two Guilds.

In 30 years you will not remember every moment.

Great advice! Unfortunately, it's 20 years too late for me - I realize that recordings I've done where I was obsessively into the details when I recorded them but now that knowledge has disappeared and I didn't note things within the session. I have been taking more notes recently though, gotta remember each time though. I've been looking for one song I recorded early on and not even sure which hard drive it's on!

 

[mellowgerman]

Ever since I read Phil Lesh's autobiography "Searching for the Sound" (an amazing book that i would recommend to any music lover, regardless of whether or not they're a big Dead fan), I've meant to keep a diary or otherwise make notes around my music experiences and processes. I think that book was so amazing specifically because Phil kept such a detailed diary. Alas, I've failed to do so, as I typically struggle to find enough time for all my music projects, let alone write short blurbs about them! Maybe I do need to take a step back though and reassess my prioritization of these things. I know future mello will regret not having this kind of info in retrospect. For now though, it would be an achievement just to draw up a proper wiring diagram for my freaky Hagstrom bass so I don't have to keep relearning what all the controls do everytime i break it out for a session!!

 

[Nuuska]

When i first met Tove Jansson - author of many other + the Moomin books - in late summer 1975 - she said she always has a pen and paper next to bed - because while at the edge of waking up you might catch the tail of a glimpse of a dream - and if you jot it down - with good luck you might remember it when you finally wake up.

 

[BobRI]

great advice. also good to write what the settings were, volume, tone, amp, pedal, etc. so many times I had a sound that worked well with the recording, but then lost after moving on to other songs. On re-listen later, I'm like, wait, how did I get it to sound like that?

 

[thornev]

I've been keeping a gig diary since 1971. All my gigs are logged, bands and any music project, and some have pictures (I keep it online for friends to see). It's great to go back and reflect on musical past and questions sometimes come up about past gigs so I have the references.

 

[chazmo]

Sounds like really good advice, Happy Face!