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AlexOConnor

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Posts posted by AlexOConnor

    Pickup Problems

    in Performance

    Posted

    Pickups themselves don't really... "Break", not unless you unwind them...

    First port of call is find the wiring technical drawing and resolder all the joints. Some of the guitars that come through my workshop have no visual signs of poor wiring but almost always a resolder fixes the problem.

    Another reason that pickups sometimes cease to function is because people move the screws to change the distance between the strings and the pickup (normally because the neck has moved and their worried about playing with the truss rod)

    Either way - the only time i've ever HAD to replace pickups is when they are so dirty and dusty that they can't be cleaned.

    Hope that helps - If you provide some pictures, I can help

    Asdf

    in Songwriting

    Posted

    " also if the second verse is about stability, there the song could end - it is probably wiser to order it as Anxiety, Anger, Sadness and Stability -"

    Where would the fun be in that? (: Challenge is good!

    Asdf

    in Songwriting

    Posted

    That's a good idea - which gave me another idea. I could have like sound samples of staged phone calls to introduce each section.

    Is it worth having a chorus to make it close-knit and compact?

    Gave your post a +1 for usefulness :)

    Asdf

    in Songwriting

    Posted

    So I had an idea in a dream last night.

    In my dream I was playing a song and throughout the dream various events took place (none of which I can recall right now) and each verse of the song I was playing was about the event. But the underlying message was that each verse was about an emotion.

    EDIT: As suggested by Danka

    “Denial (this isn't happening to me!)

    Anger (why is this happening to me?)

    Bargaining (I promise I'll be a better person if...)

    Depression, sadness may remain underneath. (I don't care anymore)

    Acceptance or “stability” (I'm ready for whatever comes)”

    So they might be more feelings that a specific emotion, but I was wondering if this is a good idea to develop... I also for the first time am completely stumped about how to write music for this. Lyrics will be easy, not bothered by that at all. But how do I make music sounds Anxious, Stable, Angry and Sad? I'm sure doing it as a set-piece might easily be do-able... But the change has to be noticeable... Well f*ck me if I know what to do...

    Any suggestions, ideas or criticism?

    How To Write Completely Meaningless Lyrics

    in Songwriting

    Posted

    The English language is certainly more pliable when it comes to writing creatively... Even if it is more complex than Norwegian. The most nonsensical song I can think of is Smells like teen spirit - Nirvana. I can't make heads or tails of those lyrics but I'm sure they probably have some deep dark hidden message.

    The only thing I would suggest is go around your house and pick random words from things (usable words, don't pick Sodium Chloride form some packet because that'd be silly) and then turn them into the starting phrase for each sentence. It also forces your Rhyming to be creative to somehow worm them into a sentence. It's fun, productive and creative. Can't really go wrong there with triple whammy of lyrical goodness!

    (I write this assuming that you have packets with English writing and not some Pinnekjøtt ready meal! Translating shouldn't be an issue either way)

    - alex

    Poet Becoming A Lyricist?

    in Songwriting

    Posted

    I suppose then to sum up this topic for me -

    I'm a strong believer that everybody has born natural talent. Just takes some longer to coax it, excellent point you made there about learning from other works. I think that's something inherent to us as humans to see how others do and imitate or create our own version, or to the other extreme realize that is exactly the opposite of what we'd like to be.

    Ignorance is bliss for me, I've sampled books but I don't have the patience to study in depth - I've met a great many people who have written some of the most inspirational pieces of lyric I have ever had the pleasure to develop with them, however they couldn't tell and p from a q. Literary aptitude is the smallest part of songwriting. Great things can still come through - even if they can't reach the levels of others - originality is key.

    Like many of the songwriters we have here on Songstuff, sometimes the grammar is poor or the spelling is less than stellar yet the message they give is truly heart warming, touching. I suppose coming from my childhood, I have always learned to do things without the aid of books - I learned to play guitar by listening to the radio and watching my older brother play. I learned to write lyrics just by practicing. Though my way has been harder and slower - I feel like I have achieved something that is only mine. The way I play my instrument is unique, no other guitarist has my quirks so far as I have seen. My lyrics are for the most part cliché free and I like to think they are creative (to the best of my personal ability).

    The members of Songstuff help me to polish my abilities and for that I am grateful - I learn from others, the vast amount of experience that is here on this forum. In that respect, people who have taken an academic route have no doubt influenced my work via this forum in the past year. I don't take for granted the expertise of other members, I thrive on it.

    This is just the way I see things - I like the way you see things too

    Guitar Recording Techniques

    in Music Production and Recording

    Posted

    Allow me to introduce Dustin Prinz - A young musician of I would say 25 or so, just a guess there. He's very talented and his album sounds completely out of this world. He records with fairly low quality gear, probably the equivalent of what most of us here would have to tinker with.

    This first video he discusses microphones... His prices are in USD $.

    ** BE CAUTIONED HE USES OCCASIONAL BAD LANGUAGE **

    In this video he discusses how to record a guitar

    I like his general philosophy that you don't need to spend thousands of £ or $ to get a good sound. "Make it work", as he says.

    I hope this is informative and helps people.

    - Alex -

    • Like 2

    Poet Becoming A Lyricist?

    in Songwriting

    Posted

    We have many dozens of lyricists here who I can guarantee have never done any serious studying or reading about writing lyrics - yet they are very good. I don't think you can get bad habits from writing a lot. Besides, recreating is the mother of invention, to make a mistake means to reinvent yourself to be better. No danger in that. I understand what you're saying... I just fail to see the same objective as you: Bad habits - in my mind I can't really think of any.

    The ones I can think of can't really be fixed by extensive reading. Writing lyrics is like writing music. You can read books if you want to and go down an intellectual path of learning or you can learn by doing like so many others. I'd probably wager my money that most people just go with what they feel...

    It's nice that we have different points of view anyway - People reading this later will be able to see both sides of the coins and two different ways two different musicians do things. Maybe it will help them make up their mind on which path they'd rather take?

    This was a nice topic to write on for me, thanks Donna :)

    Cut-Up And Fold-In Techniques

    in Songwriting

    Posted

    I just tried this with a lady friend who happened to be over at the time - Here's what we came up with:

    My dreams are made of papermaché

    Come help me paint them they seem kinda gray

    My sheets whisper, please come stay again

    Though I know water can't hold my weight

    i'm just glad my world hasn't yet fell apart

    My bones are all hollow, my heart is pumping air

    It was I who left, when I wanted to stay

    I promise you, you're more than a friend

    Though for many years I kept you at arms length

    I asked, where does creativity come from?

    A clever man said, "it's chemicals in your brain"

    I said, you must be insaine i've got a girl who does it for me

    Be he replies, "Sir, I don't quite understand"

    "Science explains all but why do we hold hands?"

    So I gave him some wisdom for the troubles he'd had

    "That's when that person you searched for's finally been found"

    Just two verses - rather impressed with how complex some very simple lyrics became with the cut up technique =]

    Poet Becoming A Lyricist?

    in Songwriting

    Posted

    While I agree reading may be a good way to learn for some I still maintain that the best way to learn is by doing. In the time you read & fully absorb the information in a book you could very easily have written 50 song lyrics for practice. I am not trying to discredit your way of doing things. It certainly has it merits. I would probably only point more seasoned song writers in the direction of reading books.

    I think while a person is an immature song writer they need to develop their own style and really get a feel for what they personally want to write. I think reading a book where an author may sway them down a certain road that they originally would not have taken is unwise.

    I believe lyricists should learn on their own and then use the wonderful resources provided above to polish their skills. (For those who posted above, your posts where really fantastic, i'm not trying to step on toes here)

    -Alex

    • Like 1

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