HOW TO COMPOSE SONGS, WHAT TOOLS AND DAW TO USE, AND WHERE TO GET THEM?

Hey there,

This time I would like to share my experience on the subject of "how to compose songs?"

It took me a long time to figure out what is the most effective way to organize my song writhing, but here is a short description of what I like to do:

How do I get song ideas?

Sometimes when I play the guitar I just improvise and come up with a nice riff, a nice melody or just a cool sounding chord progression. Here is the first rule of songwriting in my book:

1. Immediately record your ideas

I use my iPhone's (http://www.apple.com/) voice memos to record the song idea. (You can use anything that records, it just needs to be simple). Then I send it to my e-mail as an mp3 file. From there I save it to my SONG IDEAS folder on my hard drive.

Simple enough?

2. Import your song idea file into your DAW

Whatever your DAW is:

Cubase, Nuendo

Logic, Pro Tools

You can easily import your idea file into it as a new track.
I use Pro Tools as my DAW.

3. Determine the song tempo and add a simple drum loop

Next you should determine your song tempo and add a simple drum loop.
The easiest to use programs for making drums that I have found are:

EZ Drummer, Superior Drummer



To add the loop after you choose it from the library of the program you JUST DRAG AND DROP the midi file into your DAW's midi or instrument track, than you can duplicate it several times. I use it instead of CLICK track, because this way I can make a better groove.

Still simple?

4. Record the guitar riff or chords on a track

After having set up the voice memo of the song idea and duplicating the drum loop, I record the guitar riff. To get a good guitar sound for my demo I use:

Eleven, Waves GRT


5. Build the song structure

Next I build the song structure.(Intro, Verse, Pre Verse, Chorus, Solo, Bridge etc.).
Each song is different, but you can use the memory locations to make the good song structure and to navigate fast trough the song.

6 . Record the voice

I usually play the song and start improvising by singing without any lyrics, just singing nonsense at first. After some time I get a better idea, and sometimes I even come up with the chorus line and the lyrics together.

7. Copy and paste

After I make one verse and one chorus I copy and paste them to the next verse and chorus, etc. I also record the bridge and any other parts of the song only one time.
Later I will sing with the lyrics until it is perfect, but at this stage it is not necessary.

8. Write the lyrics

Listening to the song I start marking some ideas on a blank sheet of paper. Things get clearer with time, and after a while I am done. I can and probably will make several changes later, but for now it works.

9. Record any additional instruments

At this stage I can give my song to the drummer, bass player, piano player etc. It will give them good idea of the song, while also leaving them space to get creative with it. You can stop here and leave some work for later. Because I play more instruments, like acoustic guitar, bass, and piano, I usually record more ideas to make the song sound better.

I actually record all the instruments, program the drums, drum fills, transitions between the parts, bass, piano, acoustic guitar, and after that I lay down the lead vocal and back vocals.
Finally, I make a basic mix and master the song.

This way I end up with a good sounding demo version of the new song.

Well, this is my way of making fast compositions and turning them into demos. Like with any other thing, there are several ways to approach your song writhing.

If you need to get deeper into it, I strongly recommend that you take an online course at Berklee Music:

This will definitely change your music making.

Have fun making your music!
4040

GUITAR STRINGS...HOW TO'S & TOP GUITAR STRINGS BRANDS!

Hey Gang,

Can you play the guitar without strings?

No?
Well thеn, the strings should be important, right?

For this week I made a short review of the different guitar strings.
Here it goes:))

When you choose or buy a guitar remember to ask the question: how thick are the strings?
When you buy a guitar it usually comes with the factory strings and set up. This is important to keep in mind.

The first question here is: How thick are the strings on this guitar? You should ask the question while choosing the instrument. If it feels nice, soft and easy, but the set is o.o9, then it may not be so nice with 0.10 thickness. You should consider also that the guitar might need a "Set Up". This is also good to know, because most of the mass factory guitars are not perfectly set in the factory. Also, you may preffer the strings as low as possible, which makes the guitar easier to play or a bit higher that assures clearer tone. Do not forget to buy some strings with the desired thickness along with the guitar. It would also be useful to get a tuner of some kind. Tuning is easy nowadays:)) My advice is go home and change the strings immediately, make the intonation and set up or find someone to do it for you.

How often should you change the strings?

Well, this is totally up to your individual preference, but I will tell you what I do:

Home Practice:
When I am only practicing, I change the strings every other week. However, I have several guitars and play selectively on all of them. As the strings age, the guitar does not stay in tune as long and also does not feel as good and easy to play. Bending is also harder. The sound is not good too (Yes, even if you use a lot of distortion:))

Rehearsal:
If I play with a band, I change the strings weekly. This way the guitar will stay in tune longer, and I won't waste everyone’s time tuning. I have 2-3 spare packs of strings with me at all rehearsals.

Studio recording:
I change the strings before each song!
If I record one song for more than a day, I change the strings before every recording day. This may sound like too much, but the sound engineer spends hours finding the best tone for you, so you should really help him out the best way you can! Each little detail matters for the quality of the sound. Besides, the next day the guitar sounds different. If you can not hear the difference yet, don't worry - in time you will.

How to keep my strings in shape?
The best way is to clean the guitar and the strings with a soft cloth each time you play the guitar.
This way any grease will be removed and the strings will stay "fresh" longer.

What brand of strings?
Hmm most of the string manufacturers are making great strings! You can try different brands and see for yourselves. I will give you some of the companies that I like and use below.
My favorites are probably Eliksir, D'Addario and Ernie Ball. Keep in mind that all of the guitar heroes are advertising some strings, but it does not mean that these strings are better than the other. The rule here is: the best strings are the new strings:))

My strings:

Electric 6 string guitar:


Note inches mm lbs kg
E 0.010 0.25 16.2 7.35
B 0.013 0.33 15.4 6.98
G 0.017 0.43 16.6 7.53
D 0.026 0.66 18.4 8.34
A 0.036 0.91 19.5 8.84
E 0.046 1.17 17.5 7.94


Acoustic 6 string guitar:

Note inches mm lbs kg
E 0.010 0.25 16.2 7.35
B 0.014 0.36 17.8 8.07
G 0.023 0.58 27.2 12.34
D 0.03 0.76 26.2 11.88
A 0.039 0.99 24.5 11.11
E 0.047 1.19 19.9 9.03

Here is a list of my TOP Guitar Strings Brands. You can also watch the video called “How to Restring Guitars With a Stop-Bar Tailpiece” – very interesting and useful.



Best
4040

MY TOP 20 MUSIC AND GUITAR MAGAZINES

Hi folks!
I just made a list of my TOP 20 music and guitar magazines, which I am now sharing with you along with links to their websites (one click on the pic). I think you would enjoy them, and this list would definitely save you time and effort when browsing the web for articles on guitars and the music world. Soon I will post a list of links to what I think are the most interesting music websites, forums and e-shops.I hope that you will find such info interesting and useful :)

Best
4040

WHY SHOULD I PAY THE PRICE FOR AN EXPENSIVE ELECTRIC GUITAR?

Why indeed? :))

Well… The first time I picked up a $500 guitar and compared it to $2000 guitar I thought “hmmm not much of a difference.” The guitars felt pretty close; the sound was different, but the $500 guitar was GOOD ENOUGH. Now this is the key right here. In the store it sounds just GOOD ENOUGH.

I kept thinking that the $500 guitar was good enough until….well, until I had the money to get the $2000 guitar. What happened was that I played the dream guitar for a few weeks and then….I forgot about the $500 guitar.

Why did that happen? Here is why:

1. The more expensive guitar was easier to play.
2. It stayed in tune much, much longer.
3. The tone was significantly better.
4. No hums, noise or pops.
5. Perfect tuning and intonation

Maybe not immediately, but within a month or two from purchasing the $2000 guitar, I had a very clear idea why the more expensive instrument was better. Let’s elaborate a little on the different aspects that make it a better guitar:

The wood

There is a big difference between the different kinds of wood and the way they sound (I will have a separate post on this topic in the future). Also it is very important how the wood was prepared before it was turned into an instrument. For now let me just say that the more expensive guitar is usually made from a higher quality wood, which, in turn, gives a better sound.

Tuning Machines

More expensive models have better keys. I personally like Sperzel or Gotoh tuning machines. I would also recommend getting the locking type even if you use a Floyd Rose or another locking tremolo system. This will give you much better tuning stability.

www.sperzel.com
www.guitar-machine-heads.com

The pickups

Some more expensive models already have great pickups. You can also check:
www.dimarzio.com
www.seymourduncan.com
www.carvinworld.com

Bear in mind that you need to have some experience with different pickups to start noticing the difference. The sound will also depend on the style you play, the guitar, the amp, the cables, the effects you are using, and, most importantly, on HOW YOU PLAY. Still, the rule of thumb usually is that the more expensive instruments have better pickups.

The Tremolo

I have all kinds of tremolos and bridges in my arsenal, but since I use the whammy bar a lot, my top choice is the Original Floyd Rose tremolo. I say the ORIGINAL because there is a huge difference between the original and any copies. I don't know why, but I’ve had several guitars with licensed tremolos where I was afraid to use the whammy bar because my guitar would be out of tune in no time. With the original, I stay in tune for days no matter how much I use it!!!

So if you like to use the whammy bar go for THE ORIGINAL FLOYD ROSE. You will love it!
http://www.floydrose.com/

Let’s Summarize

The most important thing to take from this is that more expensive guitars are made of better wood, hand finished by people who spent their lives making guitars (not just any machines), have better hardware ( frets, keys pickups, tremolos ) that are installed in the perfect position and set up by a specialist in the factory. Also, the quality control is very good.

My favorite custom made guitar has the following specifications:

.
CARVIN DC400AC
Right Handed
Floyd Rose Tremolo
Floyd Rose Locking Nut
Clear Gloss Finish
Deep Dragonburst Quilt
Neck Covered By Optional Top
Wood -
Inline Headstock
5-Piece Neck/Headstock Shows
Birdseye Maple Fingerboard
Stainless Jumbo Frets .055" H .110" W R14 - 14in Fretboard Radius
S22B - S22B Bridge Pickup w/ Metal Cover to Match Hardware
S22J - S22J Neck Pickup w/ Metal Cover to Match Hardware-
Black Coils w/ Black Bezels
Gold Hardware
Elixir 1046E Light Gauge .010 -.046
Gold Plated Logo
Metal Knobs w/ Abalone Inlays
Engraved Truss Rod Cover
Truss Rod Engraving: 4040
.





Best,
4040