I couldn't find one of these -- I scanned all 12 pages of topics, honest! -- so I thought I start one.
Hi, my name is RicBassDude. {Everyone: Hi RicBassDude!} And I'm a songwriter.
I'm more of a musician-songwriter (i.e., composer) than a word-songwriter. My main instrument is electric bass, but I also play guitar and a little mandolin. I used to play trombone and tuba. I can sorta play (but am not proficient on) keys and drums.
I typically write music first, then add lyrics to accompany the mood/emotion I get from the music. This is not an efficient way to crank out many songs, at least not for me. Lyrics in general are the most difficult part for me.
I am aware that I am not a singer or vocalist worthy of recording.
I grew up listening to what is now called classic (ex. Led Zeppelin), blues-based (ex. Eric Clapton), and progressive (ex. Rush) rock; my music echoes those roots. I've also played in jazz and classical bands, which can also be influences. Sometimes I write instrumental pieces in a classical style.
After recording bass on 2 full length and 1 ep cd of other people's material (well, I wrote the bass lines) which were never released, I've decided it's time to record my own songs. I'm currently learning "home recording" for this purpose. This was partly inspired when I found out my new Mac came with GarageBand. I try to record as much stuff "real" as possible, but I'll have to live with MIDI drums until I can afford real studio time or better equipment.
Right now I have about 20 songs "backlogged" for recording. I have 5 in "amateur demo" quality sans vocals, with another instrumental nearing completion. I'm mostly doing it to "get it out of my system", but I wouldn't mind turning it into an economic opportunity. I've even started considering "jingles" ...
I look forward to e-meeting many of you here on this forum.
