What Are You Practising / Composing Now?

[Joseph K]

I have a query about that. How was it recorded?

Did you use a microphone, or is the guitar mixed in somehow? There are a few "scratches" - for example around 1 min 30 seconds.
Don't worry - I'm not a guitarist, but I wonder if they were picked up by the guitar pickups, or an external microphone. I just wonder if a different method of recording would get rid of those, or at least reduce them a lot.

It was recorded by my phone, externally. Good question about the 'scratches' … I think they're probably picked up by the guitar pickups.

Edit: I not so long ago bought a nice new amplifier FWIW...

[Dave2002]

It was recorded by my phone, externally. Good question about the 'scratches' … I think they're probably picked up by the guitar pickups.

Edit: I not so long ago bought a nice new amplifier FWIW...

Do you have a computer as well as a phone? I assume so, but you may not have.

I've been recording direct from a Zoom H2n fed into my laptop, and now going straight to Logic or Reaper - when I can get that to work. Sometimes I just use the mic on the computer - but I think the Zoom is better. I used to record to memory cards with the Zoom, then import. Before that I used MiniDisc recorders - I have one very good one - but hardly anyone uses them now.

Now I've been persuaded to invest in a Scarlett 18i8 and have a few microphones to test out. Allegedly this approach should give better results. If it does, great - if not - well I believe in investing in noble causes - sometimes. I'll let you know whether it's a good thing to have/do. If you had a device like that Scarlett - there are ones with just a few inputs - you could feed your guitar in directly without going to the loudspeaker(s), and mix in other sounds from microphones in the room, and also your backing tracks.

What is quite good for "woodshedding" is the multi-take feature and the loop feature in Logic. Garageband also has that, though not as good. You can go over and over the same section, either for practice, or just to try and get one good take. I usually know where the duff parts are, but otherwise one can record the whole thing once or twice, then home in on the bits which don't work so well, to try to get them right.

Keep up the good work.

[BBMmk2]

This sounds very interesting.

[Joseph K]

Do you have a computer as well as a phone? I assume so, but you may not have.

I've been recording direct from a Zoom H2n fed into my laptop, and now going straight to Logic or Reaper - when I can get that to work. Sometimes I just use the mic on the computer - but I think the Zoom is better. I used to record to memory cards with the Zoom, then import. Before that I used MiniDisc recorders - I have one very good one - but hardly anyone uses them now.

Now I've been persuaded to invest in a Scarlett 18i8 and have a few microphones to test out. Allegedly this approach should give better results. If it does, great - if not - well I believe in investing in noble causes - sometimes. I'll let you know whether it's a good thing to have/do. If you had a device like that Scarlett - there are ones with just a few inputs - you could feed your guitar in directly without going to the loudspeaker(s), and mix in other sounds from microphones in the room, and also your backing tracks.

What is quite good for "woodshedding" is the multi-take feature and the loop feature in Logic. Garageband also has that, though not as good. You can go over and over the same section, either for practice, or just to try and get one good take. I usually know where the duff parts are, but otherwise one can record the whole thing once or twice, then home in on the bits which don't work so well, to try to get them right.

Keep up the good work.

I have a laptop - through which I play backing tracks available on youtube - which I connect with an aux cable into my hifi. I also have a few CDs of backing tracks.

Logic may have a loop feature, but for that, as I have mentioned before, I intend to buy a looper pedal, so I can go over the same sections I need to woodshed...

I am afraid much of your post is Greek to me, but I understand the good work comment, so thanks.

[Dave2002]

Logic may have a loop feature, but for that, as I have mentioned before, I intend to buy a looper pedal, so I can go over the same sections I need to woodshed...

Now you've got me. I understand the concept of guitar "pedals" - but what does a looper pedal do? I thought pedals were mostly for effects - various forms of on the fly distortion, or pitch changing etc. You can do most of the effects live (and recorded) in a DAW I think nowadays.

PS: I expect this explains most about those things - not sure if they're a better approach than using a DAW or not. Maybe some people have preferences, and maybe some use both. http://www.notplayingguitar.com/2010...-how-do-i.html

[MrGongGong]

Now you've got me. I understand the concept of guitar "pedals" - but what does a looper pedal do?

What it says on the tin




yes, you can make loops in Logic, Ableton, Audiomulch, Max, Spaghetti, Supercollider, Fruity Loops and so on and so on and so on ...........

[Bryn]

What it says on the tin




yes, you can make loops in Logic, Ableton, Audiomulch, Max, Spaghetti, Supercollider, Fruity Loops and so on and so on and so on ...........

Oh come on, even Schubert, in the final movement of his last Symphony, did not loop for 10 years.

[Dave2002]

Oh come on, even Schubert, in the final movement of his last Symphony, did not loop for 10 years.

However I did think it was perhaps worth investing in this book (Kindle) to find out more - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Guitar Looping The Creative Guide

I'm not into guitars, but I thought that some ideas from this book could prove useful. I'm not sure if it's weatherproof though.

[Dave2002]

Lead sheets etc.

I've had a bit of a diversion into lead sheets, and repetitive practising using Logic Pro X.

Normally I read music from a stave, but an experience a few months ago of trying (and not doing well) to play with a guitarist made me want to investigate lead sheets a bit more.

I found this example - https://musescore.com/ericfontaineja...a-by-starlight - which I'm putting here because it can be handled automatically. What is interesting about this one is that although the chord symbols look "just like text", the Musescore system is clever enough to know a bit about them, so if the piece is transposed, the chord symbols change as well. If you're not sure, install Musescore, download this version of Stella by Starlight, and then try transposing it. It should work fine.

I suppose that software such as Sibelius and Dorico can do this as well. Perhaps also Band in a Box and Fanfare.

I tried a few other things, but they didn't work. I wanted to see how clever Logic Pro X would be, and I found a helpful page about using lead sheets in that software. Unfortunately by the time I got round to trying it - it didn't work. It seems that some of the features, such as chord analysis, which were in earlier versions of Logic Pro, were actually taken out. I don't know if it's possible to make Logic Pro X work with lead sheets, but so far my investigations suggest otherwise. It is possible to squirt Midi from other software and import into Logic, but some of the detail gets lost. Also Logic Pro doesn't appear to know anything about the various xml forms of data interchange, whereas Sibelius, and I guess Dorico, certainly do.

So the message today - which may change if I find out more - is that lead sheets do work in Musescore, and it is possible to manipulate them quite quickly and automatically, for example for transposition, thus avoiding quite a lot of work if musicians are relying on lead sheets in order to work out music for performance.

That would save a lot of time compared to the methods suggested in this video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9CwW1hoKQg

[johnb]

Forgive me for adding my meagre efforts to those of the illustrious folk here.

Mompou: "Cuna" from "Suite Compostelana" for classical guitar.

Part of my attempt to get back some of my lost facility.

[Dave2002]

Forgive me for adding my meagre efforts to those of the illustrious folk here.

Mompou: "Cuna" from "Suite Compostelana" for classical guitar.

Part of my attempt to get back some of my lost facility.

Don't apologise - glad to see you here.

I don't think we're going to insist on a performance. i think Joseph K is brave to try - but great to see him playing.
I might - if I feel brave enough - put up some audio in a while, but there's no hurry.

[Dave2002]

Today trying to do some more organised and serious practice on recorders. Not over fond of my Aulos Tenor (Robin keyless) - but it was cheapish, and it gets better with practice. Tried Doen Daphne d'over schoone Maeght (pages 13-14 Der Fluyten Lust-hof by Van Eyck) right the way through - with mistakes! Wouldn't normally attempt it on this instrument, but I thought it might be an interesting exercise. Also played the Preludium - again with mistakes - which opens this collection.

Got really more picky about intonation, and was particularly concerned about the B flat (B flat 5) above the stave - terrible note. Tried checking fingering to see if any different fingerings give better results. Also tried recording it into Audacity and using spectral analysis to determine the centre pitch. Seemed to come out at 999 Hz, which is way too sharp. The As are more or less right. The results seemed consistent no matter which form of analysis and window I used. I guess that B flat 5 is just a pretty difficult note on these instruments, though the adjacent notes also seem to be a bit off pitch.

Also checked against this possibly useful table - https://www.liutaiomottola.com/formulae/freqtab.htm which is OK if the tuning is standard, but needs modification for tuning to other reference points.

Earlier I played my Zen-On Bressan model treble - which I don't rate too highly, but again it gets better with practice. It's pretty weak at the bottom end, though it has a breathiness as the notes go higher - which is arguably attractive. I can't always hear that - depends how much wax I have in my ears.

Made a change from other instruments.

[Joseph K]

Really quite pleased - hard work and persistence on my technique is paying off. But - as I mentioned quite a bit upthread - I ought, I feel, to now spend more time on acquiring a different kind of technique, i.e. the musical ability to improvise through chord changes, which is quite cerebral at first, especially since the guitar is a complex instrument and there are numerous ways of playing the same thing. In other words, I should work on my vocabulary - II-V-I and II-V ideas (these are chord changes that appear in most jazz standards). I've been playing the Presto from BWV 1001 quite obsessively* which is fantastic for physical chops, but really otherwise has nothing to do with the raison d'etre of Jazz.

*Which I play in the original key - pretty much how a violinist would play it except I pick every note, no slurs. I have found a performance of this arranged for guitar - it's been transposed of course but actually it does work well in E minor - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DknWTCJBexQ However, I prefer playing the guitar with a plectrum, and playing Jazz of all kinds...

[Dave2002]

Thanks for posting that link to BWV1001. Here is the fugue - https://youtu.be/5EM6t3iHK1Y

Very good playing (I assume) from Stephanie - list of other works here - https://stephaniejonesguitar.com/home

A real find.

This - which follows the BWV 1001 fugue when I watched on YOutube - is just getting silly - https://youtu.be/6jtuTCy8RXg
There are some pretty good players out there.

[BBMmk2]

I seem to be really enjoying doing my current project for the Royal Marines Band Service.