The band continues to hump along. I've written another song, called The Cult Magnetic. I like how it's shaping up pretty well. With that on the list we have 15 or 16 songs to work with. About 9 of them fit the theme I have for a record called Serenity is Far Away.
I am thinking of another one called Villains. There are at least 3 songs I've written with the band that work along that theme as well.
I've also got a few ideas in the bag for some slower, solo work. Maybe acoustic. We'll see how that goes. I might try to save up an EPs worth of material and record it in my brother's basement, as he has a rad little home studio to work wonders on my mediocrity.
We skipped originals practice this week to focus on covers. It was not great. Weirdly, whenever I feel I'm absolutely killing a song the band inevitably feels their own parts are turble. I think we might just need to gig and deal with it. I'm sure we will rise to the occasion.
I will anyway.
I want to get our home recording nonsense going so we can at least make our own stuff happen. I know it's too late for stardom but I at least want to stop howling at the void alone, with nothing to show for it.
-Merlin
Guitar
Acoustic Guitar and Hand
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
It Lives!
It's been a busy time. Static Factory is attempting some basement recordings of our many originals (we have about 14 songs). Right now we are trying to iron out Guy's bass drum sound for the basic tracks and we will then layer our parts over his drums.
We aren't playing to a click track, so we will see how good it works in the end.
The Ugly Americans have solidified some set lists and we are going to try and set aside some weekends for focused cover practice. Hopefully we can get things up to speed. I feel fairly confident myself.
We played at an open mic in flushing at a place called Little Clifton's Corner. It has a nice stage and our sound seemed pretty good. The video is hit and miss however.
I did finally start a YouTube channel for Static Factory. Hopefully people dig our stuff.
http://youtu.be/b_tt0I7rza8
-Merlin out
We aren't playing to a click track, so we will see how good it works in the end.
The Ugly Americans have solidified some set lists and we are going to try and set aside some weekends for focused cover practice. Hopefully we can get things up to speed. I feel fairly confident myself.
We played at an open mic in flushing at a place called Little Clifton's Corner. It has a nice stage and our sound seemed pretty good. The video is hit and miss however.
I did finally start a YouTube channel for Static Factory. Hopefully people dig our stuff.
http://youtu.be/b_tt0I7rza8
-Merlin out
Monday, March 10, 2014
Been a Long Time
I've been busy of late, but the music plods on. I'm learning Wherever I May Roam by Metallica, Little Sister by the Elvis, and working on most of Sweet Child O Mine by GNR. Shesmovedon is okay, and I'm also relearning the Radiohead song Exit Music (for a film).
That's okay. Originals-wise, Static Factory is doing what we do, plodding along and writing a new song every few weeks. We've got about 12 now. Lazarus (Pits) is finally where I want it.
We've been trying to record but my cohorts are all human, and this is slowing us down. We will persevere.
-Merlin out
That's okay. Originals-wise, Static Factory is doing what we do, plodding along and writing a new song every few weeks. We've got about 12 now. Lazarus (Pits) is finally where I want it.
We've been trying to record but my cohorts are all human, and this is slowing us down. We will persevere.
-Merlin out
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Vacations and Practice
I was happy that while taking The Big Family Vacation this year I managed to keep playing guitar. There was two days I either missed practice or played for only a few minutes. Those are the only two days this year I haven't played guitar for 45 minutes.
That's pretty rad. I'm hoping I can keep it up all year. I feel I'll be a decent guitar player when it's all said and done. I'm looking into some kind of music lessons for my son as well: piano or voice. He's got quite a bit of natural talent that I feel we don't tap into enough. He could use the outlet for his energy.
The band. . .I'm not sure what they did in my absence. Robb said he wasn't feeling well and Guy had scheduling conflicts. They were supposed to start recording our stuff. I'd like to get some recordings done, so that at the least we can see what it would sound like to get our stuff out there.
I've been learning new songs, but I'm not sure the guys will like them. I've been leaning toward learning some acoustic numbers and trying to hit some open mics. Maybe if the band can't get rolling I can get a gig on my own to get some extra cash.
-Merlin out
That's pretty rad. I'm hoping I can keep it up all year. I feel I'll be a decent guitar player when it's all said and done. I'm looking into some kind of music lessons for my son as well: piano or voice. He's got quite a bit of natural talent that I feel we don't tap into enough. He could use the outlet for his energy.
The band. . .I'm not sure what they did in my absence. Robb said he wasn't feeling well and Guy had scheduling conflicts. They were supposed to start recording our stuff. I'd like to get some recordings done, so that at the least we can see what it would sound like to get our stuff out there.
I've been learning new songs, but I'm not sure the guys will like them. I've been leaning toward learning some acoustic numbers and trying to hit some open mics. Maybe if the band can't get rolling I can get a gig on my own to get some extra cash.
-Merlin out
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Catchup Post
I'm not sure that I blogged about music last week. It's been going pretty well for me at least. Robb and I have managed to play acoustic twice, which is great for working on vocal harmonies.
Practice itself wasn't great. I was pretty stressed out that day, and I was a half hour late, so not as much got done as I'd like. There are a lot of little things getting in the way of me being more efficient in musical productivity.
For instance, Robb finally got me some song sketches from Static Factory practices so I can work on lyrics and vocal melodies, but iTunes has ceased functioning on my laptop. It's been a pain reinstalling it.
Then I went to practice again, and it went fairly well. Static Factory went through our entire catalogue. The guys were wondering just how many songs we have. Let's see. . .
E-tuned guitars a half step flat:
The New Gods
(Promethean) Halo
Stutterstep
Drop-D a half step flat:
The Operative
My Companion
Payroll
Lazarus (Pit)
The Road's Home
MAD
Body Piercing Mandatory
The Truth is a Virus
Drop-B guitar (half step flat?)
Blow the Lid
We are also working on several other songs. Hopefully Haven No More and All Mighty Dolla' will be fleshed out next week. That's a decent catalogue.
I also want to write a song called Those Left Behind, but I haven't heard the music for it yet. I did just get some more stuff from Robb.
We'll see what comes of it.
The Ugly Americans are focusing on a handful of songs to do a series of videos in an attempt to do a gig. We've chosen a song from each decade from the 60s to around now.
Here Comes the Sun
American Band
Jessie's Girl
No Excuses
Then either Show Me How to Live or This Love
We also played some new stuff that I learned behind everyone's back. Robb was all pissy about that, but it's also his disposition to be vinegary, so whatever. One day we shall play a porcupine tree song. . .
-Merlin out
Practice itself wasn't great. I was pretty stressed out that day, and I was a half hour late, so not as much got done as I'd like. There are a lot of little things getting in the way of me being more efficient in musical productivity.
For instance, Robb finally got me some song sketches from Static Factory practices so I can work on lyrics and vocal melodies, but iTunes has ceased functioning on my laptop. It's been a pain reinstalling it.
Then I went to practice again, and it went fairly well. Static Factory went through our entire catalogue. The guys were wondering just how many songs we have. Let's see. . .
E-tuned guitars a half step flat:
The New Gods
(Promethean) Halo
Stutterstep
Drop-D a half step flat:
The Operative
My Companion
Payroll
Lazarus (Pit)
The Road's Home
MAD
Body Piercing Mandatory
The Truth is a Virus
Drop-B guitar (half step flat?)
Blow the Lid
We are also working on several other songs. Hopefully Haven No More and All Mighty Dolla' will be fleshed out next week. That's a decent catalogue.
I also want to write a song called Those Left Behind, but I haven't heard the music for it yet. I did just get some more stuff from Robb.
We'll see what comes of it.
The Ugly Americans are focusing on a handful of songs to do a series of videos in an attempt to do a gig. We've chosen a song from each decade from the 60s to around now.
Here Comes the Sun
American Band
Jessie's Girl
No Excuses
Then either Show Me How to Live or This Love
We also played some new stuff that I learned behind everyone's back. Robb was all pissy about that, but it's also his disposition to be vinegary, so whatever. One day we shall play a porcupine tree song. . .
-Merlin out
Thursday, January 30, 2014
The Week in Music
My week in music revolved around the song I wrote on Friday. It's called "All Mighty Dolla'". I wrote a basic guitar line with some blues influences and came up with some words and a theme on the spot. I set a basic recording down in Garage Band and I sent it out to Robb to check it out.
He liked it. We tried to play it at practice tonight, but it's going to take some time to figure out the weird rhythms I tend to write.
Practice was truncated due to schedule changes and tardiness, but it still felt good to play. I feel we were still productive.
The Ugly Americans have settled on a set of 5 songs to play at an open mic night somewhere in an effort to get some YouTube videos online. That will help us get gigs. All the clubs I've called want some proof that we don't suck. We'll do what we can.
Personally I've been focused more on writing my own stuff instead of cover practice. Cover practice went well tonight anyway.
-Merlin out
He liked it. We tried to play it at practice tonight, but it's going to take some time to figure out the weird rhythms I tend to write.
Practice was truncated due to schedule changes and tardiness, but it still felt good to play. I feel we were still productive.
The Ugly Americans have settled on a set of 5 songs to play at an open mic night somewhere in an effort to get some YouTube videos online. That will help us get gigs. All the clubs I've called want some proof that we don't suck. We'll do what we can.
Personally I've been focused more on writing my own stuff instead of cover practice. Cover practice went well tonight anyway.
-Merlin out
Friday, January 24, 2014
More Cover Practice
We had a disappointing session this week. I had to relearn a half dozen guitar solos and it showed. I did okay on most of them, but we are revisiting the same set again next week. Of course, I make the sets so it's technically my fault.
The songs I chose this week were based on the fact that we should know them, but we don't. There are a decent amount of songs on our song list that we simply don't practice enough. I grouped them all together and it made for a lot of work.
It still feels good to work on things and tighten up trouble songs, but it didn't go well. I feel like as a band we don't always gel on tunes. If we're playing a song I know well then I'm invested in it, but maybe Robb and Guy aren't. I have trouble learning songs I don't know before we choose them, but I can tighten them up with practice. Learning lyrics is the toughest for those.
Anyway, I'm hoping next week will be better.
Static factory also played, and the things we already have solid continue to be so. We are still trying to iron out the kinks on two newer tunes. I need to revise the lyrics to one again. I'm on my 3rd rewrite. Maybe next week I'll get it.
-Merlin out
The songs I chose this week were based on the fact that we should know them, but we don't. There are a decent amount of songs on our song list that we simply don't practice enough. I grouped them all together and it made for a lot of work.
It still feels good to work on things and tighten up trouble songs, but it didn't go well. I feel like as a band we don't always gel on tunes. If we're playing a song I know well then I'm invested in it, but maybe Robb and Guy aren't. I have trouble learning songs I don't know before we choose them, but I can tighten them up with practice. Learning lyrics is the toughest for those.
Anyway, I'm hoping next week will be better.
Static factory also played, and the things we already have solid continue to be so. We are still trying to iron out the kinks on two newer tunes. I need to revise the lyrics to one again. I'm on my 3rd rewrite. Maybe next week I'll get it.
-Merlin out
Friday, January 17, 2014
Weekly update
I've actually had two practices since my last blog. Well, two full-band rehearsals. I practice the guitar every day. I've done at least 30 minutes of guitar a day in 2014, and I'm averaging more like 45-60. Some weekends it's more like 90.
The first full practice was covers only. Two hours of drop D and drop B songs. It went okay considering we don't often play those songs. I actually feel really strong about quite a few of them. It's a shame that we don't sprinkle drop-D songs into our sets and currently just play them in a big bunch. Many of them are newer songs because of how in vogue the tuning has become.
That makes the set feel more new or fresh, but it also lacks that classic-rock feeling. I feel like a good cover band should try to shoehorn some classic rock in all the time. We do play fat-bottomed girls, though at this point it's pretty rough going.
Then on Wednesday we played originals for a couple hours and then covers for an hour.
Static Factory ran through 5 or 6 songs in our own low-tuned catalogue, then we played a newer tune that we are still working on. The newer song, Lazarus (Pits), is pretty sweet. I sang it much more to my liking this week than I have previously. For that reason we recorded a version so I would be able to find and practice my own vocal line. I guess that's the danger of writing from intuition rather than intellect. Sometimes I just feel my way around until I emerge from the dark, sweaty and fulfilled.
Recording turned out to be a debacle. We have -a- version of the song for my purposes, but the four of us didn't quite gel on the whole song. Perhaps next week we will get it right.
I also wanted to run through another song I've been tweaking, called Haven No More, but my goddamn iPhone ate the lyrics I had been working with on the road all day. I often write songs in the car while driving, using talk-to-text to "write" them.
Autocorrect is bad.
Anyway, that sounded good, and I wanted to revise what I'd already written anyway. Then we played a bunch of covers that make me feel rad. Yellow Ledbetter is still my spirit animal. I love playing that song.
Next week we are working on those two new originals and I want to relearn about a dozen songs that we haven't played well or in some time. I hope that goes well.
Peace,
-Merlin out
The first full practice was covers only. Two hours of drop D and drop B songs. It went okay considering we don't often play those songs. I actually feel really strong about quite a few of them. It's a shame that we don't sprinkle drop-D songs into our sets and currently just play them in a big bunch. Many of them are newer songs because of how in vogue the tuning has become.
That makes the set feel more new or fresh, but it also lacks that classic-rock feeling. I feel like a good cover band should try to shoehorn some classic rock in all the time. We do play fat-bottomed girls, though at this point it's pretty rough going.
Then on Wednesday we played originals for a couple hours and then covers for an hour.
Static Factory ran through 5 or 6 songs in our own low-tuned catalogue, then we played a newer tune that we are still working on. The newer song, Lazarus (Pits), is pretty sweet. I sang it much more to my liking this week than I have previously. For that reason we recorded a version so I would be able to find and practice my own vocal line. I guess that's the danger of writing from intuition rather than intellect. Sometimes I just feel my way around until I emerge from the dark, sweaty and fulfilled.
Recording turned out to be a debacle. We have -a- version of the song for my purposes, but the four of us didn't quite gel on the whole song. Perhaps next week we will get it right.
I also wanted to run through another song I've been tweaking, called Haven No More, but my goddamn iPhone ate the lyrics I had been working with on the road all day. I often write songs in the car while driving, using talk-to-text to "write" them.
Autocorrect is bad.
Anyway, that sounded good, and I wanted to revise what I'd already written anyway. Then we played a bunch of covers that make me feel rad. Yellow Ledbetter is still my spirit animal. I love playing that song.
Next week we are working on those two new originals and I want to relearn about a dozen songs that we haven't played well or in some time. I hope that goes well.
Peace,
-Merlin out
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Inauspiscious Beginnings
I haven't quite figured out my update schedule for this blog. I feel like daily updates without substantial content is silly, though perhaps a "journaling" tone might be fun for a bit. Weekly seems to be what I will do for the time being, with most updates on Wednesday evenings.
Last week was a good one for my personal practice but not for the bands' rehearsals. We missed a bit over the holidays and then had to cancel again last night as quite a few of us are dealing with illness, family, or family illnesses. I don't like missing practice, and as the Ugly Americans tend to get a lot done while Eric is out missing that chance was rough too. Perhaps we will get together this weekend.
Personally, I've decided to let my kids choose some songs for me to learn. Austen didn't quite understand the question, but I will probably learn some Raffi song or other for her. Harper asked that I learn another Neil Diamond song, Forever in Blue Jeans.
I have the basic chord structure down; it's simple enough. The pretty part in the introduction is tabbed a half dozen different ways on line. I'll probably pick the easiest and get it down, as I won't be playing this for the Ugly Americans any time soon.
I also spent some time with Judith by A Perfect Circle and Sweet Child O Mine by GNR. Those are both technically difficult songs made more so by the fact that I'm also singing them. I have most of both down (I am going to have to dump hours into the big solo for Sweet Child) on guitar but bringing it all together will take practice, and full band practice at that.
I'm continuing to work with our low-tuned songs for next practice as well. Fat Bottomed Girls is weirdly timed.
-Merlin out
Last week was a good one for my personal practice but not for the bands' rehearsals. We missed a bit over the holidays and then had to cancel again last night as quite a few of us are dealing with illness, family, or family illnesses. I don't like missing practice, and as the Ugly Americans tend to get a lot done while Eric is out missing that chance was rough too. Perhaps we will get together this weekend.
Personally, I've decided to let my kids choose some songs for me to learn. Austen didn't quite understand the question, but I will probably learn some Raffi song or other for her. Harper asked that I learn another Neil Diamond song, Forever in Blue Jeans.
I have the basic chord structure down; it's simple enough. The pretty part in the introduction is tabbed a half dozen different ways on line. I'll probably pick the easiest and get it down, as I won't be playing this for the Ugly Americans any time soon.
I also spent some time with Judith by A Perfect Circle and Sweet Child O Mine by GNR. Those are both technically difficult songs made more so by the fact that I'm also singing them. I have most of both down (I am going to have to dump hours into the big solo for Sweet Child) on guitar but bringing it all together will take practice, and full band practice at that.
I'm continuing to work with our low-tuned songs for next practice as well. Fat Bottomed Girls is weirdly timed.
-Merlin out
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
New Beginnings
Hello. My name is Merlin and I play the guitar. I want to play the guitar better than I do, so I'm creating this blog to chronicle my self-teachings and practice plans. I'll also probably use this as an all-purpose music blog for both my cover band (The Ugly Americans) and my metal band (Static Factory). I'll be talking about songwriting and poetry in addition to guitar, but hey, the main thrust of this is to spur me to greater guitar skills.
2014 is the year of the song.
-Merlin out
2014 is the year of the song.
-Merlin out
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