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General => Musicians => Topic started by: Sir GuitarCozmo on February 19, 2015, 07:20:26 PM

Title: Recording to SoundCloud - UPDATE - I wrote a song!
Post by: Sir GuitarCozmo on February 19, 2015, 07:20:26 PM
Found a random jam track on YouTube.  Jr's amp can plug directly into my computer via USB, so I just played around over it.  I'm intoxicated, the levels are off (too much solo guitar) and there are some bum notes, given that this was a one-off effort to see how it would come out.  That said, I could be a lot more disappointed in it, but I dig it.

https://soundcloud.com/cozmo-hagar/e-minor-jam-1
Title: Re: Screwing around over a jam track...
Post by: Ultimetalhead on February 24, 2015, 11:31:12 AM
I realized skimming through the board that in my whole life here I've never heard you play. I rectified that just now. I dig your style.
Title: Re: Screwing around over a jam track...
Post by: Sir GuitarCozmo on February 24, 2015, 11:38:54 AM
Thanks, man!  For a one-off drunken jam, I was mostly pleased with how it came out.  I just ordered a Line6 UX2 for more streamlined ease of recording, so hopefully I'll be able to put some more stuff up soon, that's a little better put together.  :lol
Title: Re: Screwing around over a jam track...
Post by: hefdaddy42 on February 26, 2015, 03:52:55 AM
I kept expecting it to into Highway Song by Blackfoot.

Great soloing, buddy! :tup
Title: Re: Screwing around over a jam track...
Post by: Sir GuitarCozmo on February 26, 2015, 05:16:30 AM
Thanks! Oddly, the resemblance to Highway Song hadn't occurred to me initially. Played it for my brother, told him that it was a random jam track I found on Youtube, and he pointed out the similarity to HS. Now I can't unhear it. :lol
Title: Re: Screwing around over a jam track...
Post by: hefdaddy42 on February 26, 2015, 10:46:27 AM
Thanks! Oddly, the resemblance to Highway Song hadn't occurred to me initially. Played it for my brother, told him that it was a random jam track I found on Youtube, and he pointed out the similarity to HS. Now I can't unhear it. :lol
Hey, I'm from the South.  Blackfoot is in my blood.
Title: Re: Screwing around over a jam track...
Post by: Sir GuitarCozmo on February 26, 2015, 10:51:16 AM
Hehehe, well, I grew up in VA, which is kinda like borderline "south", so I should have recognized it.
Title: Re: Screwing around over a jam track...
Post by: hefdaddy42 on February 26, 2015, 11:53:28 AM
TBH, I'm not that crazy about Blackfoot.  Always found them to be not much more than a Lynyrd Skynyrd wannabe.

Give me The Outlaws any day.  Green Grass and High Tides Forever, baby!
Title: Re: Screwing around over a jam track...
Post by: Sir GuitarCozmo on February 26, 2015, 09:43:49 PM
New upload with another random backing track I found.  Playing around with my new toy, the Line6 UX2.  Out of tune and sloppy, but again, I'm drunk.  Sue me.  :)

https://soundcloud.com/cozmo-hagar/d-minor-jam-1
Title: Re: Finally recording and uploading to SoundCloud
Post by: hefdaddy42 on February 28, 2015, 04:19:51 AM
Yeah, maybe tune next time before pushing record.  :lol

Other than that, good job!
Title: Re: Finally recording and uploading to SoundCloud
Post by: Sir GuitarCozmo on February 28, 2015, 07:54:56 AM
Yeah, it was still in tune from before, but I think the recording was a hair sharp. Yeah, that's it.
Title: Re: Finally recording and uploading to SoundCloud
Post by: Sir GuitarCozmo on March 02, 2015, 06:40:23 AM
Rewrote a riff from a classic 80's hard rock tune.  Turned it backwards and redid it a little, then set it to bass and drums.   I'm digging the hell out of it.

https://soundcloud.com/cozmo-hagar/riff-rewrite-1?fb_action_ids=443901592443175
Title: Re: Finally recording and uploading to SoundCloud
Post by: Sir GuitarCozmo on March 28, 2015, 11:31:20 PM
Okay, so I found a backing track for Bark at the Moon and played all the guitar parts over it.  I think I got it.  Complete with harmony guitar solo at the end.  Mix is still a little off, I've got plenty to learn on that end, but still, it's fecking Bark at the Moon.

https://soundcloud.com/cozmo-hagar/batm-jam (https://"https://soundcloud.com/cozmo-hagar/batm-jam")
Title: Re: Finally recording and uploading to SoundCloud
Post by: Sir GuitarCozmo on June 04, 2015, 08:58:26 PM
New backing track jam:

https://soundcloud.com/cozmo-hagar/e-minor-jam-2
Title: Re: Finally recording and uploading to SoundCloud
Post by: Sir GuitarCozmo on June 12, 2015, 06:32:48 AM
https://m.soundcloud.com/cozmo-hagar/over-the-mountain-solo

A shot at Randy's Over the Mountain solo.  Many beers and 2-3 takes.  I flubbed the descending A minor lick.  Randy is tough licks to cop.
Title: Re: Finally recording and uploading to SoundCloud
Post by: Sir GuitarCozmo on April 18, 2016, 07:42:03 AM
Done! Fortunately, she loved it! I played all of the guitars, bass, and keyboards. Everything but the drums, which I programmed with Hydrogen drum software. 6 weeks of recording, re-recording, and second guessing myself. Not bad for my first attempt at writing an instrumental, I guess.

https://soundcloud.com/cozmo-hagar/a-love-worth-the-journey
Title: Re: Finally recording and uploading to SoundCloud
Post by: BlobVanDam on April 18, 2016, 08:47:59 AM
I dug it! :tup Sounded very late '80s. :hat I especially liked about half way through when it kicked up a notch, when the faster ride cymbal comes in with those sweet leads.
Title: Re: Finally recording and uploading to SoundCloud
Post by: Sir GuitarCozmo on April 18, 2016, 07:50:35 PM
Thanks, I appreciate it. For some reason, I got the Satriani song "Rubina" stuck in my head (written for his wife) and spent the whole time trying to keep this song from coming out sounding like that. Lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbI8UO3myq0
Title: Re: Finally recording and uploading to SoundCloud
Post by: bl5150 on April 18, 2016, 08:02:10 PM
Pretty nice Cozmo - first notes.................the minute I hear those abbreviated slides the mind thinks Satch  :)
Title: Re: Finally recording and uploading to SoundCloud
Post by: Sir GuitarCozmo on April 20, 2016, 08:49:21 AM
Thanks!

And yes, at 1:43, those are bass harmonics with a neck bend (thank you, Billy Sheehan).
Title: Re: Finally recording and uploading to SoundCloud
Post by: Calvin6s on April 20, 2016, 09:20:01 AM
Not bad for my first attempt at writing an instrumental, I guess.

https://soundcloud.com/cozmo-hagar/a-love-worth-the-journey

Not bad at all.  Some good dynamics and a very melodic and vocal lead line.  And you took the time to develop themes that made it more than simply noodling.

Also liked the two Ozzy solo covers.  Those are two of my favorites.  Very fun to play.  And I play the Bark at the Moon main rhythm all the time when I'm warming up or checking guitar tones.  Or at least I used to.  Those two, Diary of a Madman and the intro to Killer of Giants were always a joy to play.
Title: Re: Finally recording and uploading to SoundCloud
Post by: Sir GuitarCozmo on April 20, 2016, 09:35:18 AM
Thanks!  It's nice to get feedback from everyone.  I really hope to start taking the time to try to do more of this kind of thing.  This was very time consuming 1) because I was trying to keep it a secret to give to my wife for our anniversary, 2) I was learning how to use Reaper recording software on the fly, while doing this (I made the switch to Reaper from Audacity and am way happier), 3) the normal idea/writing process found me arriving at ideas I thought I liked, then reworking them until I was finally happy with what I had.  Hopefully now, I can come up with ideas, expand upon them, and get them recorded a lot faster now.  Programming the drums was insanely tedious all on its own though, so better software is likely one of the next steps (in addition to some powered monitors to be used specifically for recording).

Yeah, we did Bark at the Moon in the old band and WHAT a rush it was!  People loved it.  The Over the Mountain solo I flubbed a bit, but that was after a few takes and lots of beer, so yeah.  :lol  I recently sat down and went through some of the solo stuff in Mr. Crowley and DAMN there's a lot going on there.
Title: Re: Recording to SoundCloud - UPDATE - I wrote a song!
Post by: Sir GuitarCozmo on December 10, 2016, 06:15:41 PM
Threw some ideas together that came into my head.  This is going to become something at some point, I just haven't decided what, yet.

https://soundcloud.com/cozmo-hagar/11-30-16-demo/s-ClHup
Title: Re: Recording to SoundCloud - UPDATE - I wrote a song!
Post by: BlobVanDam on December 10, 2016, 10:51:07 PM
I like it! :tup As usual, the '80s influence is clear. :lol :metal It's screaming to become a power ballad.
Title: Re: Recording to SoundCloud - UPDATE - I wrote a song!
Post by: Adami on December 10, 2016, 10:54:23 PM
This belongs in a movie.

In the 80's.

When the a girl is reflecting on the guy while walking on a beach and realizing that he's worth her time even though she caught him in the locker room with her best friend.
Title: Re: Recording to SoundCloud - UPDATE - I wrote a song!
Post by: Jester on December 10, 2016, 11:07:59 PM
Sent an e-mail to your mom on how to sign up for DTF and a link to this thread.  She's gonna troll the crap outta this thread.
Title: Re: Recording to SoundCloud - UPDATE - I wrote a song!
Post by: Sir GuitarCozmo on December 12, 2016, 06:55:10 AM
I like it! :tup As usual, the '80s influence is clear. :lol :metal It's screaming to become a power ballad.

But of course!  I seem to find myself taking songs I already know and rearranging the chord progression in some fashion so that it doesn't actually resemble the original and kinda becomes something new.  The chord progression here was taken from "Marry Me" by Train, but it's been changed enough that it likely wouldn't ever be recognized as that.  Is that cheating?  I don't know, but whatever, it seems to work.  :lol


This belongs in a movie.

In the 80's.

When the a girl is reflecting on the guy while walking on a beach and realizing that he's worth her time even though she caught him in the locker room with her best friend.

That was such a great movie.


Sent an e-mail to your mom on how to sign up for DTF and a link to this thread.  She's gonna troll the crap outta this thread.

:rollin
Title: Re: Recording to SoundCloud - UPDATE - I wrote a song!
Post by: Jester on December 12, 2016, 05:17:36 PM
I like it! :tup As usual, the '80s influence is clear. :lol :metal It's screaming to become a power ballad.

But of course!  I seem to find myself taking songs I already know and rearranging the chord progression in some fashion so that it doesn't actually resemble the original and kinda becomes something new.  The chord progression here was taken from "Marry Me" by Train, but it's been changed enough that it likely wouldn't ever be recognized as that.  Is that cheating?  I don't know, but whatever, it seems to work.  :lol

There's no songwriting formula as much as there are tips others can give as to what inspires them.  And not just initial inspiration (which is pretty easy and as natural as turning on the personal music station of your own music in your head), but usually the conscious songwriting development comes from deciding your inspiration is starting to repeat itself, so you need a shock to the system.

What you are doing sounds like making an effort to break your own songwriting patterns so you can evolve to the next phase, by introducing outside stimuli.
Title: Re: Recording to SoundCloud - UPDATE - I wrote a song!
Post by: Sir GuitarCozmo on December 13, 2016, 08:32:02 AM
That's the interesting thing.  I've written very LITTLE, so my initial forays into putting ideas together have been to bastardize other songs that I know.  Like this one above:

https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=43291.msg2145837#msg2145837

The whole rhythm figure came about because I was playing around with the chords to Firehouse' "When I Look Into Your Eyes".  The intro alternates between a G and a Gadd9.  I took the two and arpeggiated them a little differently, then said "Well, that arpeggiation works well, let me take a few other chords and apply the same rhythmic sequence to them and see what happens".  That sounded okay to my ears, so I recorded that sequence a few times and then started messing around with a melody that I was happy with.  It was interesting seeing how the whole process came together and formed an end result that I was mostly pleased with.

I just need a MUCH better option for programming drums.  What I have to work with is extremely limited.
Title: Re: Recording to SoundCloud - UPDATE - I wrote a song!
Post by: Jester on December 13, 2016, 02:20:03 PM
That's the interesting thing.  I've written very LITTLE, so my initial forays into putting ideas together have been to bastardize other songs that I know. 
I'd worry less about trying to write on guitar and try to just try to write in your head.

Write a different guitar solo over an existing verse or chorus where there is no solo.

Jam with the hot rod car engine that has a Pantera drum and bass groove going on.

Write a simple melody and keep repeating it while making variations every few repeats.  Maybe eventually hear a Phil Collins tom feel drop into some drum pattern under it eventually.  Basically jam, with yourself (don't go blind), as you take inspiration of your own making and keep adding to it.  Even if you realize you just zoned out for 30 minutes doing it.

Writing in your head is much easier.  There are no limits.  Heck, there are/were things I jammed in my head that I had no idea how to make happen with instruments (usually a synth that needs you to program it).  But don't worry about if you can reproduce it or not.  Don't worry about if it sounds like Dr. Feelgood v1.01.  Just jam it out in your head.

Whether or not you get it "to tape" really doesn't matter.

Quote
I just need a MUCH better option for programming drums.  What I have to work with is extremely limited.
There were a lot of stages in writing for me.  Saving up for a synth and drum machine was probably a big milestone.  I wouldn't worry about securing the best possible setup.  Being able to write down drums on paper means even if you don't have a V-drum setup, you can probably get it down somewhere.  And a real drummer is almost always going to make your drum parts better with all the nuance they add.