What do you think when you listen to your own music?

[Jim Soloway]

I've been sorting through a bunch of stuff I've recorded over the last year deciding what to put on a demo CD for my guitars. Some good, some less good but every once in while I hit a bit that makes me just stop and think "Damn, I actually played that. That's really good." It's a nice feeling. I think somehow I had actually lost touch with my own playing for a while. It feels good to step back a few paces and just listen to what I've done. It renews my faith a bit.

[Dazed]

What do you think when you listen to your own music?

 

It sounded better when I was recording it.

[Compact Diss]

I have sent out work I've done and regretted it later.

 

I feel the same as above, it sounds so much better while recording.

 

Recording is a practice I'm going to incorporate into my daily playing--it can only help me get better.

[musicalhair]

It is funny because you ask about music and talk about playing. I guess I make a big distinction between my "music" and my "playing", where I can honestly say that when I compose something or write a song or a part or an arrangement I really like it very often. My playing like soloing or like reacting in the moment I often am too critical. Lately I've eased up on myself. I've had a few moments of "inspiration" that were caught on tape and I've been really pleased when listening back, but we've all had those like spiritual musical experiences. But the bulk of my inprovising I don't think I can even be a fair judge of.

[miroslav]

I usually enjoy the music I make...even when I am aware of it's shortcomings...

...because I can still hear the essence of the song, regardless of any inferior qualities the recording my have.

 

Yesthere are elements that can make wonderwhat was I thinking

but I can also spot the gemseven if they are sometimes only diamonds-in-the-rough!

 

It can be difficult to step back from your own work and make truly objective observations. We tend to feel a certain nostalgic attachment to our children, and that can sometimes lead to myopic decisions.

 

I believe that most of the time I am aware of those trappings, and do manage to maintain a neutral positionI can easily erase/delete obvious crap, with any sense of personal loss!!!

[Phait]

Originally posted by miroslav:

I usually enjoy the music I make...even when I am aware of it's shortcomings...

...because I can still hear the essence of the song, regardless of any inferior qualities the recording my have.

That's how I feel too. When I listen to my demos from last year, very early this year, some of them I hear good ideas, that were executed alright. At the time, I didn't think as well of them as I do now. So sometime's listening to them is refreshing.

 

So what do I think of my music now that I'm working on an album? I've been working on it over a month, I'm just now getting into a 2nd song which is still developing. The first track, I cannot say "yep it's done!" but it sure feels done. The thing is, you never know what I might do with it. I think (for me at least), if you let a track rest a month after you feel quite satisfied with it, don't listen to it much or at all - then hear it a month later, and if it gives you the same good, content feelings it did when you finished it, you probably have a finished track. That's been my philosophy basically - when you think it's done, let it sit, relisten, still good? Yes? Move on!

 

BTW - nice avatar Dazed, NIN fan too?

[Guitarzan]

i have a problem listening to my stuff. my mind knows what i was thinking and feeling so it leaves little to the imagination. it less mysterious. i would have to leave something for a long time to really just hear the song as opposed to hearing each take. it is like planting a flower, i hear the water, the soil, the seed, the sun, the work and the weeding but i have a hard time just hearing the flower. it is my curse.

[Gifthorse]

Often when you record in the studio a song won't be what you expected. Live a song translates differently for some reason. Sometimes it is better in teh studio. Sometimes it isn't. I try to make sure when I record (god am I lazy) that I am doing what I like. Sometimes I get unlucky and my playing sounds exactly what I WASN'T going for. But I usually know exactly what I want. If I am recording for my band then the song is more important. I would hope my playing would compliment it and not make me look like a guitar wizard or something. Nobody wants to hear a song where the 'show off' solo poops on the song. Mostly I don't regret what I have done but I may think of more stuff I could have done. Or less..

[picker]

Usually, I think "oh crap."

[Chris.]

I usually get a buzz from listening to my own playing, but am very critical of the mistakes, and am always pointing them out to people even if they wouldn't have noticed a mistake. don't know why that is. really shouldn't do that. But privately or whatever, i really like listening, and yes, sometimes thinking 'god that sounds hard to play'!

[Bbach1]

Honest answer? Ok. When I listen to my own music I realize I need work on my technique. However, I have a blast. God music is fun. This is the greatest escape ever.

[Caevan O’Shite]

Sometimes I really enjoy listening back to something I've created; at times it can almost seem like somebody else's work.

 

Sometimes I find that it sounds different than I thought it did while I was always playing it, with some parts seriously needing more definition and clarity in their execution!

[Tedster]

What do I think?

 

"Dang, I wish I could play like that Jim Soloway fella".

[Bbach1]

Originally posted by Tedster:

What do I think?

 

"Dang, I wish I could play like that Jim Soloway fella".

[Guitarzan]

i like the process of recording if i don't have to do all the button pressing. i like to work fast because my mind spews out ideas quickly, editing distracts me.

Chris, i love Moonlight Sonata.

i am listening to it now. i would probably pick that as my fave classical piece.

"Well Done"

[Sean Eldon]

I've been recording stuff of my own for years now, and initially, I always love it. After about a week of mixing a record, I get sick of the songs. Then I get even more sick of them after touring with them for a year. I put them off to the side until I remember how good they were, then I bring them back.

[Chris.]

Originally posted by Guitarzan:

i like the process of recording if i don't have to do all the button pressing. i like to work fast because my mind spews out ideas quickly, editing distracts me.

Chris, i love Moonlight Sonata.

i am listening to it now. i would probably pick that as my fave classical piece.

"Well Done"

 

yeah i love that peice!! thanks mucho mate!!

OT(apologies): did you see my other psudo classical bits, they went completely unnoticed on the music thread!

[DP3]

Just like anything, you listen to it to much, after a while you get numb to it then can't stand to hear it anymore.

 

I listened to a cd I did after not hearing it for about a year and actually enjoyed it.

[fantasticsound]

Yeah, Baby!!

 

I love listening to my own recordings.

 

I, too, am my own worst critic, but I still love hearing certain songs or parts of songs and realize I recorded something interesting.

 

This weekend I had the chance to re-visit the past. The singer/keyboard player from my old band (14 years ago!) had assembled one of our old songs using Sample Tank instruments. He revamped the feel of the tune in a way I really felt improved the song while drawing heavily on the original recording. He hadn't worked on a solo, so I suggested I could record one for him. He jumped at the chance and I played the original solo, almost note for note. We did several takes from which he could pick and choose his favorite performance. The funny thing is, he intends to give our old drummer a listen to his programming work. I told him not to tell the drummer that the solo is a "real" take. I imagine he'll compliment Johnny on the programming, but ask him why he decided to program the lame, original solo.

 

I like it, but it ain't Stevie Ray Vaughn, Eddie Van Halen, etc.

[revolead]

I wish I could perfect the imperfections to sound the way it does in my mind.

[Billster]

When I listen to older recordings, I think "Damn, I USED to have chops"

 

In terms of improvising, I have enough confidence now that when I record something, if there are no obvious mistakes I run with it. I practice specifically before I hit record, and have a general concept of what I want to express through improv. I feel I can get something worthwhile out just about whenever I want; it won't be identical to what I played yesterday, but just as good in terms of expression.

 

Tracking a written part doesn't alarm me at all - writing a quality tune is the time consuming part.

[miroslav]

Originally posted by billster:

[QB]When I listen to older recordings, I think "Damn, I USED to have chops"

 

Hey...have you ever listened to any of your old recordings...and then had a hard time figuring out how the hell you pulled off some of those licks?!

 

I get that every once in awhile when I want to use something from a really old recording I did. I have to sit there and really work at it...learning the part!

 

It's almost like someone else played it!

[coyote]

Most of my recordings are of live performances. And invariably they sound much better on listening than they did when I was playing... I did a performance many years ago where I thought I played really badly, to the point that I cued the band early out of a few of my longer solos. Then I got a copy of the video of that show a few years later, and all I could think was "Wow I was playing well that night". Certainly on playback I hear many points where I could have made better choices, but in general my playing is better than I imagine while I'm actually playing.

[Darklava]

Man why don't I have a record deal

[Mudcat]

My normal reaction is, "Well, that's kinda close to what I was going for," although, occasionally I play back a tune and have the,"Gee, that's really pretty good!" reaction too.

 

There are also some recordings I listen to where I immediately think "Man - wish I had been there when this was mixed. A flanger has no business on my guitar in this song!"

[Boggs]

I always wish that someone else would be inspired enough in hearing it to want to play it so I could hear more of its true potential. Boggs

[Phait]

What about when people want to collaborate with you? I've had a few instances of that, it's flattering.

[Boggs]

They DO? WHO? Boggs

[pauldil]

What do you think when you listen to your own music?

Thank God I have a day job!!!!

 

Paul

[PBBPaul]

Initially, I usually can't stand recordings of myself and want to tweak them into oblivion. Later, I'll listen to the raw, spontaneous recordings and think "that was pretty cool, who played that?" and then I'll listen to the tweaked version and think "what the hell was I thinkin'?". A lot of the recordings I have of myself are live ones with some dating back 20 plus years. Some of my best stuff was recorded around 8 or 9 years ago when my band was pretty popular and playing 3 - 5 days a week. I listen to those and wish I could play like that guy. I have one particular live recording from several years ago when my wife and I were just starting to date. She was dancing right up front during one of my original tunes and the solo I took was friggin' awesome. To this day, I can't replicate it but I always picture during that tune. Alas, young lust... er, love.