pogo97

 

Which song(s) are you concerned about? I listened to a couple, and I thought they sounded pretty good.

 

And there's always the question of "when's it finished?" After something's already been released, I'm less interested in re-doing it, and more interested in working on whatever the follow-up is going to be. YMMV.

 

Thank you, Phil. That may be a signal for me to relax. It's true that I've written more songs, maybe a half-dozen, since then. Maybe I should do a "greatest hits" before I retire.

I recorded a CD in 2013 and have sold them all. I'll have a chance to remix etc. before I have another batch made. For one thing, nineteen songs is too many and I think it should be cut back to twelve songs. But I'm most curious about the mix and (probably the weakest part) the mastering.

Here's a sampling from spotify

I can suggest a couple of songs to focus on if you'd like. I probably can't erase the budgie chirping on some tracks, but I'm okay with that.

DE' date=' I almost moved this over to amps, but the general attitude there has always been to push high end gear, and little to zero help on entry level, whereas we, in here, are far more accommodating...[/quote']

 

Aren't we, though…

 

BTW, what happened to the "reply" button?

The Standard Standards

This is from a little programming project using iTunes. I found songs from five pretty good sources of "standards" on the internet and in my books and used smart playlists to list songs that were on four or five of the lists.

The Lists:

Dave's Database top 100s internet

Dick Hyman 100 songs you need to know songbook

music vault -- Warner Brothers songbook

Top Standards internet

wikipedia jazz standards internet

On all five lists:

Avalon

Body and Soul

Lover, Come Back to Me

Somebody Loves Me

Sweet Georgia Brown

What Is This Thing Called Love?

On four of five lists:

Am I Blue

Avalon

Body and Soul

Dancing in the Dark

Embraceable You

Get Happy

I Can't Give You Anything But Love

I Get a Kick Out of You

I Got Rhythm

I'm in the Mood for Love

I've Got the World on a String

Jeepers Creepers

Just One of Those Things

Lover, Come Back to Me

The Man I Love

Night and Day

Oh, Lady Be Good

On the Sunny Side of the Street

'Round Midnight

Skylark

Somebody Loves Me

Someone to Watch Over Me

Sometimes I'm Happy

Sweet Georgia Brown

Tea for Two

The Very Thought of You

The Way You Look Tonight

What Is This Thing Called Love?

In part, you should consider what you're using the two guitars for. In a band context, I mostly see players/singers use a flat-top as a rhythm instrument; strumming to drive the beat.

[video=youtube;wsgXeMFFAK8]

Sonic nuance is 'way secondary to being heard clearly without muddying the mix.

And electric? A whole different matter. Tone tone tone and tone.

So unless your band has you finger-picking and playing leads on the acoustic, I'd say focus on your electric sound and just run the acoustic through the PA.

If you're the kind of player that frets over NOS tubes versus a matched set of "empty your wallet" tubes' date=' and/or you've replaced your PUPs a million times. . .[/quote']

 

ah yes, tubes: the world's most expensive tone control

I'm very fond of my Fender Deluxe Reverb. It's not designed for acoustic, but it's good and clean. Maybe with a DI in line to send to the mains. And for electric -- awesome! I know there are some does-it-all modeling amps out there but I have this thing against digital and, despite therapy, refuse to subject my beautiful analog signal to the insult of being converted to digital and back again.

And, just in the nick of time: http://www.harmonycentral.com/articles/arranger-keyboards-as-studio-tools-are-you-nuts

I think everyone should learn this song, if only so they can choose to sing it or not sing it if circumstances dictate.

POPULAR CALYPSO SETLIST

A short list of calypso (and mento and goombay) songs that are relatively well-known in north america, along with an early and idiomatic performer:

Big Bamboo Lord Creator

Boo Boo Man (Mama Look a Boo Boo) Lord Melody And The Caribbean All Stars

Brown Skin Gal The Charmer

Choucoune (Yellow Bird) Emy de Pradines et son orchestre

Day-O (The Banana Boat Song) Lord Foodoos And His Calypso Band

Drink-a-Rum Lord Kitchener

Gin & Coconut Water Wilmoth Houdini

Hold 'Im Joe Mac Beth The Great

Island in the Sun Count Owen And His Calypsonians

Island Woman Vincent Martin and the Bahamians

Jamaica Farewell Harry Belafonte

Jean & Dina Sparrow

John B Sail (The Wreck of the John B) Blind Blake & The Royal Victoria Hotel Calypsos

Man Smart Woman Smarter (Not Me) King Radio

Mary Ann Roaring Lion

Matilda King Radio

Mr. Walker Sparrow

Out On the Rolling Sea Bahamian Traditional Singers

Rum and Coca Cola Lord Invader

Ugly Woman Roaring Lion

Wau Wau (Shame and Scandal) Lord Melody

Yellow Bird André Toussaint

POPULAR LATINO SETLIST

A short list of Cuban (mostly) songs that are relatively well-known in north america, along with an early and idiomatic performer:

Amapola The Castillians

Andalucía (The Breeze and I) Ernesto Lecuona

Aquellos Ojos Verdes (Green Eyes) Don Azpiazu

Bésame Mucho Lucho Gatica

Brazil Tito Puente

Cerezo Rosa (Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White) Pérez Prado

El Manisero (The Peanut Vendor) Don Azpiazu

Guaglione Pérez Prado

Guantanamera Joseito Fernandez & Indio Nabori

Malagueña Ernesto Lecuona

Mambo No. 5 Pérez Prado

María Elena Los Panchos

Mosaico Lecuona Cuban Boys

Patricia Pérez Prado

Perfidia Los Panchos

Quien Será? (Sway) Pablo Beltrán Ruiz

Quiereme Mucho (Yours) Victor Cuban Orchestra

Siboney Ernesto Lecuona

I love "The Letter." And I do it with the Box Tops changes, too, rather than Joe Cocker's. This can cause some disruptions when playing with other people.

This is for a museum gig where the exhibits include WWI, a photographer active from 1921 to 1955, and the St. Lawrence River. So we decided to do a chronological gig with a couple of water songs tossed in.

I'm pleased to say that all of these songs are absolutely first-class except "The Thousand Islands Song" which is kinda B-grade but, ya know. . . Gananoque "Canadian Gateway to the Thousand Islands" and all that. There's another song, "I Sent My Wife to the Thousand Isles" from 1916. It's pretty stupid, too, but again. . . It WAS good enough for Al Jolson to record it.

1910 Some Of These Days

1911 Alexander's Ragtime Band

1912 Moonlight Bay

1913 Waiting for the Robert E Lee

1914 Sister Susie's Sewing Shirts For Soldiers

1914 It's a Long Way to Tipperary

1914 Keep The Home Fires Burning

1914 They Didn't Believe Me

1915 Pack Up Your Troubles In Your Old Kit Bag

1916 Walkin' The Dog

1917 K-K-K-Katy

1917 For Me and My Gal

1925 Paddlin' Madeline Home

1926 When the Red Red Robin Comes Bob-bob-bobbing Along

1927 Side By Side

1927 Ol' Man River

1927 The Best Things in Life Are Free

1928 Honeysuckle Rose

1929 Can't We Be Friends?

1929 I'll See You Again

1930 I Got Rhythm

1930 Lazy River

1931 As Time Goes By

1932 Try a Little Tenderness

1932 Let's Have Another Cup of Coffee

1933 It's Only a Paper Moon

1934 What a Little Moonlight Can Do

1935 Summertime

1938 Heart And Soul

1940 When You Wish Upon a Star

1940 Polka Dots and Moonbeams

1941 I'm Glad There Is You

1946 Choo Choo Ch Boogie

1946 Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens

1949 The Thousand Islands Song

2013 Walking by the River

1650 The Water Is Wide

 For the early music enthusiasts.

I have a couple of musical persona. I'll bore you with my old old stuff setlist another time. I'm working with a couple (that makes us a trio--still allowed?) who are into, I guess, alt country-ish. Some nice songs here. My own contributions are two of my own songs on the grounds that they're good songs any nobody else sings them, but mostly I'm the electric guitar player. Right now, Shelagh and I join Norbert at his gigs and do one set together. Once we're doing full nights (and if there's room on stage) I'll also haul along my piano. Here's our current song list:


Most of the Time Bob Dylan
Stars Go Blue Ryan Adams
Kindness Ryan Adams
Answering Bell Ryan Adams
Angel From Montgomery Bonnie Raitt
Amie Pure Prairie League
And It Stoned Me Van Morrison
Bartender's Blues James Taylor
Brown Eyed Girl Van Morrison--we do this very slow, as a wistful ballad; otherwise no touch with bargepole
Reste un Peu Ani K
Unlonely John Prine
Diddy Wa Diddy Papa Doo Doug Gifford
front porch song Doug Gifford
Under Your Breath Ryan Adams
For Free Joni Mitchell
Mary Patty Griffin

And for the Christmas season:
Christmas Must Be Tonight The Band
Nothing But a Child Steve Earle

My tuner recommends tuning just after the furnace becomes necessary in the fall and/or just after you stop needing the furnace in the spring. Seems to work pretty well.

I get my piano tuned once a year; twice would be better but not $100 better. Untuned pianos can stay playable for many years, they just sound progressively worse and may take a second (or third?) tuning to get them stable enough to hold their tune.

You need to do your research but, as you said, an old instrument flaunts its flaws. If it sounds good (though probably out-of-tune) it probably is good. You do, though, need to budget moving unless you have a bunch of strong obedient buddies and a truck.

Do you have Kijiji or Craigs List or equivalent? You'll often see pianos for very little or free and often the price is unrelated to the quality of the instrument because the sellers didn't buy it and don't care--they just want it out of the house. That's how we got our piano and, though it's not a Steinway, it's a wonderful instrument and very rewarding to play. Best $400 I ever spent.

No kidding. I've got a wonderful tuner: willing to work on an old piano (the first tuner I called refused--only does modern pianos) and game to tune it to Werkmeister III temperament once he was clear I knew what I was asking for. Owen Greyling FTW!

People get rid of their pianos most often because the kids have grown up and moved out and mumndad don't play. If you accept that tuning will be about a $100 to $200 a year commitment, you'll be fine. That's really not much in the great run of things.

I looked very seriously into it; read the books; opened up the piano and stared at it for hours; called a technician; no regrets

It's not. I was barely working before and I'm barely working (at, mind you, a nice enough rate) now. My wife's a teacher with reasonable seniority. If I was dependent on construction or manufacturing or their derivitive, I'd be worried.

We've just elected a minority Conservative government with a control-freak anti-human true believer at the helm. I'd be very worried.