Recording

HI guys,
I am new to recording. I have been experimenting around with sounds ect. I have noticed that when I am just jamming by myself (with just clean guitar, no beat or bass ect. and playing things like pentatonic notes, an no chord strums) it comes across sort of nicely. But when I add a beat or strum chords it sounds like a bunch of cats on a railway. any tips on making my strumming sound better. as I said I am new to recording. please say what you feel like saying. thanks a lot.

Originally Posted by: harlandcoxBut when I add a beat or strum chords it sounds like a bunch of cats on a railway.[/quote]
I think you've just discovered that recording yourself is the best way to objectively assess your current skills. :)

Playing smoothly in time with other musicians or a steady beat is a skill like any other that has to be learned through repetition & refinement.

[QUOTE=harlandcox]... any tips on making my strumming sound better.

First start with a metronome. Record yourself playing against a simple metronome click or a simple drum beat. Try to stay in simple rhythmic patterns. Quarter notes, eighth notes. Listen to the results & assess where you are having troubles.

Problems starting exactly on time? Does your strumming jump ahead of the beat? Lag behind the beat so you can't get to the next measure or chord change on time?

Work explicitly, intentionally on correcting the errors you are making.

If necessary, slow down the beat. Simplify the rhythms until you are playing smoothly in time. Only after you've accomplished that do you gradually add complexity to your rhythmic playing.

Older players (like me :p ) learned to play in time by playing along with other musicians for hours & hours on end. So, there's that option also. But again, until we recorded ourselves & heard the results, some times we thought we are awesome! :) Only after hearing the tape playback did we realize we still had work to do. :eek:

So, practice! Simplify & build slowly. Repeat & refine!

Hope this helps!

If you have an issue where you are hitting the strings too hard when you strum, try to focus on relaxing your hold on the pick. You may have a different grip on the pick to strum chords than to play individual notes. When strumming chords, you want the pick to glide over the strings.

One thing I'll add to what Christopher said about keeping time...listening. You need to listen very carefully to what you are playing over, whether it be your bandmates or a backing track. You need to listen to yourself also to even know that you are going off track :). If I notice I'm starting to play out of time, I'll refocus my ears on what I'm playing over and get back on track.

I'm a big fan of using recordings to assess my playing also. It's not always bad, many times you'll find things are working better than you may have thought.

thanks Christopher and maggior, I will keep at it then so when iam an old person I can play as good as Mr.Schlegel ;-) cheers and thxs again

You're welcome!

Originally Posted by: harlandcoxI will keep at it then so when iam an old person I can play as good as Mr.Schlegel ;-)

Well played. :D

..'well played'.. haha. nice1 ;-)

The right hand needs to practice just like the left. Plan to take 5 - 10 minutes of each session to just work on your right hard.

If you can, make a D chord and strum it a few times. Then get a friend or family member to make and strum the D chord. Why does it sound different it's the same guitar. It's in the way the strings are touched and the timing they are touched at. That's all right hand work.

Even if you just deaden the strings with your left hand as you strum different timings. You don't need to make chords to practice with your right hand. Just mimic strumming from different styles of music.

I read an article in a Guitar magazine they were interviewing Joe Walsh. They asked him how he learned to play. He said something close to. I started watching players right hand, everyone's left hand is doing the same thing.

thanks a lot Haghj500. that part about Joe Walsh is very interesting. something I had never actually realised until I read it. but its true though, a D chord is a D chord, but there are a million ways to play that D chord that all sound different. cheers bro ;-)

Originally Posted by: haghj500I read an article in a Guitar magazine they were interviewing Joe Walsh. They asked him how he learned to play. He said something close to. I started watching players right hand, everyone's left hand is doing the same thing.

That's quite interesting! Good point.