day 41

i can't ever let it get this far behind again


it's saturday and i am posting monday's recording
and tuesday's
and hopefully wednesday
and thursday too

wouldn't it be amazing if i could get completely caught up tonight?
we see what happens

monday was a guitar offering
two bouncy happyish tracks
i added some effects and whatnot 
learning a trick or two from the in-house ableton wizard




day 41 prt 1.mp3">
day 41 prt 2.mp3">

day 40

today i recorded all banjo

about 30 or 40 minutes worth

i had narrowed it down to two 4 minute pieces

then i shaved it down to just the one

the more i listened the less i approved

this one works for me though
a little scattered at times
but i keep coming back around

  day 40 - lunar glass home.mp3">

day 39

saturday's recording was about 20 minutes of guitar noodling and foolery
i chose these three minutes

i'm sure if i were to come back to this recording at a later date i would choose a different 3 minutes



day 39 - running with the dromedaries.mp3">

day 38

another day where i only put one recording down
kept meaning to go back and try a few more
but then i fall asleep on the couch

this one is more of the banjo
a short little two minute piece
and then i added some ping pong delay to fancy it up a bit

day 38 - ping pong persistance.mp3">

day 37

i have let the postings back up a bit.
today is sunday.
and yet i am going back in time to post my thanksgiving day recording.
good thing i'm not being graded on this

i went to town with the banjo and the bow that day
just got a new bow in the mail
i am pretty excited about it to say the least

i have always used the cheapest violin or cello bow that was available
but thanks to the $50 i had left on the amazon gift card i got from mom
i found a carbon fiber bow that was originally $200

so delicious
so light and responsive
and it's not missing half it's hair

day 37 - carbon bliss.mp3">

day 36

this is the only recording i made on wednesday

one minute of some simple banjo


day 36-bare minimum.mp3">

day 35

more guitar today
with a little disorienting delay added

going through that phase of just spitting out whatever comes to mind
not as much effort being put forth

but from some perspective that's not such a bad thing...
free association type music i guess



day 35 - levitation of an antelope.mp3">

Day 34

the recording i am to post this evening will have to wait.
the internet for the laptop is not cooperating.
and as i have already found out i can't upload music from my phone.
so.
hopefully tomorrow.
it's a guitar piece.
a little rambunctious.
but somewhere in there is a memorable melody


day 34 - in a hurry to go nowhere.mp3">

day 33

here you will hear

tibetan bells,

a makeshift gong,
(which is really the bottom step of a metal spiral staircase)
wind chimes,
and an empty freon tank

soaked in reverb
and the resonator from berlin


day 33 - audience of one.mp3">

day 32

the influence of africa prevails

once the rhythm gets in it's hard to get it out
especially if you're not trying to get it out

the second part is less africa
more jim

day 32 - prt1_ mockingbird.mp3">
day 32 - prt 2_ rubber ankle surprise.mp3">

day 31

tonights posting is again a recording from last night

there was more recorded than i am posting
i am withholding the rest
partly because of time
and partly because i want to possibly develop something with those ideas

or at least add a layer or two for fun


day 31 - woke up dreaming.mp3">

day 30

another day another late night recording session

fresh ideas came to me from some unknown place

i started off by recording to the iphone
4 different yet similar pieces with bowed guitar and percussive elements (frame drum, brush, shaker, majik wand)

then i played the phone through the computer, adding thick reverb or delay, then straight to the 4 track while recording a new guitar part

then back into the computer to add a bit more reverb or resonator

it's nice when i can put something up here that i actually put effort into
and i am generally pleased with

although the 4th piece i feel like i could do better
this one is the second take
i might try again today

 day 30 - prt1_ how do you spell that.mp3">

day 30 - prt2_ lark in the lunchroom.mp3">

day 30 - prt3_ alphabet soup.mp3">

day 30 - prt4_ dollar store acrobatics.mp3">

day 29

i am slowly learning that i must record everytime i pick up an instrument

i played around with the guitar a bit sometime around 10 or so
and in my opinion it was sublime

was it the freedom from the thought that it had to be perfect or even palatable?
most likely

allowed myself to dive headfirst into whatever sound the guitar wanted to make

should have recorded
sorry about that

that's one of the main points of this project
to force myself to get over those limiting thoughts

so far it has helped tremendously
but i know there is still much ground to cover

the recording i am posting happened around 3am
tired and a bit delirious

almost passed out around 2:30
woke up and pushed myself just a little bit more

day 29 - warm blanket.mp3">

day 28

technically today is day 29
or even 30 for that matter

so i am posting a little piece of a bit i recorded late last night
and will probably post tonight's recording at 5am

tried to tackle the didgeridu
needless to say i am out of practice
and since it was so late i was a bit reserved
didn't want to wake the neighbors... or roommates
it tends to rattle walls if i play with confidence

there is more to come... just have to bring it back into circulation


day 28 - didg bits.mp3">
 

day 27

watched movies all night
have to wake up at 6am

had to get a recording in so i just get right to it
no second guessing
do-over after do-over

i did fancy it up a bit
some eq
and one of my more favorite effects

the resonator

each preset is named after a major world city
tonight... L.A.

as much as i don't like stinktown
i love the sound the ableton folks acssociate with it

day 27 - beyond switchblade valley.mp3">

day 26

i wonder what it would be like if i decided to record a track the first thing in the morning instead of staying up till 3, 4,5am and making it the last thing i do.... ?????

another bare bones kind of night

just the guitar and me

a little all over the place though
perhaps scattered
maybe a.d.d.
we'll see if i like it in the morning

it's me just rambling and hopping around
the recording has got a busted speaker sort of sound

seems to match the photo i reckon

day 26 - a medly to end all medlies.mp3">

day 25

this little laptop is both amazing and frustrating

i had to pull the plug

tried to salvage a bit

wasn't working out as planned
saved the music

now i start over from scratch

crossing my fingers that it stays healthy for longer than 3 weeks this time

it's 4:30 in the morning and i have been jacking with this computer all day and all night
playing a bit of music here and there
no recordings
i will spit one out real quick before bed

and i have 2 to add to the two previous posts
....
it's now 5:15
uploaded the wednesday.. day 23 track
and it's not quite right

keep on trying i will

but not tonight
or rather
this morning

.................

banjo
straight up

kindof a bippity boppity little number
strange things happen at 5:30 in the morning

day 25 - hoopla for sale.mp3">

Day 24

well.

that might be it for a while folks.

the laptop is not cooperating.
won't even load the web browser.

i post this from my phone.

take the computer to the doctor tomorrow.
hopefully it can be back to normal asap.

i am still going to continue to record every day.

it has been incredible therapy to say the least.

...................

here it is
the 50 second clip i recorded thursday eve
tried sending it through my email and such
no luck
i have two versions
added some effects to the second
still learning about this ableton wackiness

day 24 - postage paid.mp3">

day 24 - postage paid2.mp3">

Day 23

Still on track.

Too tired to go through the upload process right now though at 5am.

I have a guitar piece I recorded.
Nothing fancy.

Will upload it in the morn....

or three days later

here she is
in all her weirdness
was nothing fancy
then i added some really strange effect as i was recording it to the computer before it decided to give out on me

day 23 - hallway of doorwalls2.mp3">

well crap
this file is m4a
not mp3
new itunes wont let me turn a song from a cd from itunes into an mp3
hopefully it will from iphone tracks or ableton
so that means it wont just play on there for you
have to download
and can probably only listen to it if you have itunes
or wait until i set it straight
crap crap crap

so close...
....
final update before bed!
mp3action!!!
woo hoo!!!
got rid of that nasty m4a

day 22

it seems tonights recordings have a bit of an eastern influence

not exactly sure where it came from

but i do know the gamelan piece is directly related to the most recent comment

and the guitar part was just kinda pretty

then i added a resonator effect

who knew??

i think i am getting to like these post production possibilities

so many options for color additions

day 22-goodnight java.mp3">

day 22-okinawa dawn.mp3">

day 21

layer upon layer upon layer

so there is a couple bowed guitar loops...
some strummin and a pluckin loops...
and more guitar

going through two amps
one clean one dirty

no overdubbing
straight to 4 track then into the computer
then i added some compression and reverb

in the end i think this one turned out pretty dreamy

day 21-endless winter.mp3">

day 20

i am going to post 4 tracks today

all were live recordings

no overdubbing for me today

first two i am playing with this toy dulcimer

it says it's a melody harp

but i know better

it's all out of tune

but to me it's quite perfect

day 20-prt 1-an open portal.mp3">

day 20-prt 2- no sleep for the weary.mp3">

the other two are guitar

the first has a bit of the out of tune/skronk inspired by the melody harp

day 20-prt3- open invitation.mp3">

and the second has a bit more melody inspired by things not known

day 20-prt 4-perpetual memorial.mp3">

day 19

up to speed today

except... i am noticing i am not trying as hard
could be a good thing or not

we see

this piece today is a little sloppy
but there are some nice moments

a rhythmic guitar stomp
with an overdub
and then some added effects

another one that wouldn't be so bad with some work

day 19-a dream worth remembering.mp3">

day 18

keeping up with a blog is a little more difficult than i imagined

the recording everyday is much easier

it's the computer that bugs me out

pretty soon it will become a habit, i know
but it is more of a struggle at this point

i recorded a few things yesterday
took a break to reassess
then never returned

so i post the best of the so so

in the end it is probably better than i am willing to admit right now

i felt like something different

knocking the dust off of the percussion corner

and i took a stab at the harmonica at the same time

i think this combo has possibilities
just needs a bit of work

day 18_a song for the neglected.mp3">

day 17

sometimes less is more

day 17-a mind wrapped in bacon.mp3">

day 16

well

i couldn't even make it a month without missing a day...
i am going to consider monday and tuesday the same day...
seemed like it anyway

instead of day 17

i am on 16

not going to stop just because time sped up and then slowed back down

today is a noodling banjo piece...

the last minute is worth sitting through the first four...

i swear

at least i think so anyway

day 16-runonsentencefragment.mp3">

day 15

another post that was started on the correct day and never finished
so i wipe it out and start anew

i did record on monday
just didn't upload

wasn't too pleased with the four recordings i did

took a break
thought i would attack it with a fresh perspective
but what happened was i passed out on the couch after watching the wire

how's that for fresh perspective

so i put three out of four
half hearted recordings
two banjo, one guitar

day 15_ squeaky chair banjo.mp3">
day 15_ banjo droppings.mp3">

the guitar track could have been the one to cherish had not the phone ran out of battery power mid recording

day 15_ left............mp3">

ahh well

there's always today to make it better

and tomorrow

and the next day

and the day after that.......

so i will add a bonus track

one for the more adventurous listeners indeed

i even have trouble with it

i was digging through some old, unlabled tapes

and found this

i know it's all me... one recording with one overdub

but i'm not sure how i'm accomplishing the percussive elements in the left side of the mix

the right side is me bowing a piece of steel framing wire that i have strung up between my walls


good luck

summer psychosis.mp3">

day 14

sometimes i feel like i am running low on ideas

and then realize that's not really possible

i try really hard to not repeat myself...
so this whole blog challenge has been exactly that

it's going to be weird from time to time
because, let's face it

i can be weird
i call it a survival skill


the sound i decided on tonight is more of the same type of thing as yesterday....   except... not really

bowed banjo
laden with effects

overdubbed with more banjo
just as laden
but with a twist

day 14-time travel cul de sac.mp3">