Relax

[James Murphy]

short breaks.

 

[Jaymz]

short breaks.

Indeed, thats one mistake I did make, I played for 3 hours or so straight take after take....so much so ive actually got a bastard of a rash on my right arm from resting it on the strings so much

I can see me trying to trick myself tbh "Hmmm lovely beer...shall we just have a "run through".....*taps record*....."

 

[LSD-Studio]

short breaks.

That's it...
often when I'm still composing a solo I have like 180 takes and fuck them all up, but it's just because I'm just trying and improvising stuff...
once I think I know what I wanna play I play that like 10 times, then make a break and record that part later it's usually way easier then (the brain needs some free time after learning new stuff to get it down....you all know that phenomenon from when you try some new figures are licks and you're just not able to play them tight...when you've slept over it and try it the next day it all of the sudden works without much effort).
the brain can't create the new connections while still playing, it NEEDS the time after practicing

 

[dontletmedrown]

Do you record with a metronome? Do you practice with a metronome? I know nobody likes to hear it, but perhaps you are not ready to record just yet. Practice the part with a metronome at a very slow speed and incrementally build up. If you've never worked this way, it could take years to master, so maybe start today. If it is just an issue of you being nervous, then fire up the greens and be done with it.

 

[Jaymz]

Oh yeah I do record with a metronome, programmed like a trooper it is! Im usually 3/4 way through what I did yesterday. Ive sunk a few brewskies and its going well. In what took 2 hours to do yesterday ive done in around 30 minutes today AND it sounds better! Just trying to relax. I havent yet done the bit I had the most trouble with last night but I think its a timing issue more than anything, I was either too slow or too fast yesterday so we will see! *attempts the lick of doom*

 

[-J-]

a lot of it can be how you are sitting and holding the guitar. sometimes if I do a bad take or three, I'll realize I'm hunched over and super tensed and not even holding the guitar like I normally do. then I sit back in the chair with a who-gives-a-shit attitude then bam, that's usually the one.

however, another item that is tricky is...you THINK you just flubbed it, but in actuality you nailed it. I often find my best solos were ones that I thought I goofed up. Every time I've been in a "real" studio with someone else recording, they catch it - the solo I was going to toss, they say keep.

I've adopted a total Zen to solos anymore....I say screw what you are trying to capture in terms of "this is how the solo should be played." free your mind from that. if something jumps into your solo that wasn't supposed to be there....it was supposed to be there. It's what your mind and body wanted to play. I've kept solos with bad notes, off-key phrases, etc. simply because the vibe was on. But I'm just recording stupid songs for my own pleasure, not to please someone else.

 

[Radd]

I'm curious to hear what "the lick of doom" sounds like.
Will I die in 7 days if I hear it?

 

[Jaymz]

Cool advice J, im all over the shop when it comes to positions! Guitar in the classical position, normal, sat on the floor, neck tilted all the way up hehe.

But anyway ive pretty much done what I couldnt do yesterday in half the time! Must have been those brewskies
Its not how I imagined it, I wanted it to be as clean as Michael Romeo's shorts but I aint getting that smooth tone right out of the box hahaha.

Ive doubled all the leads so far panned hard L and R. Even managed to construct the first half of the main solo which ive recently decided to include, so things are goign quite well =)

Radd - You may die from laughter, because its not actually hard! Its just the frame of mind I was in last night I could do it for shit. Its just a little sweep tapping thing thats repeated. Its nothing really flash! Its more of a sweepy tap melody, thats the tricky part melodic sweepy taps in time gah, but yes ive got it down. It sounds quite "raw" but as you said J...things like this you just leave in, it adds character...and the vibe. *Plus thats the tone I got *

Thanks too everybody whos replied! All always keep them in mind for the future

 

[greyskull]

Steve Morse once told me that he practices each solo at half speed. And if he can play it without mistake 10 times in a row, then he knows he can also play it at full speed.

I tried this and it is MUCH harder than it sounds, but it really helps your cleanliness.

dead on
if you cn play it slow, you can play it fast