It has become a trend for all of us to dress up our videos with multiple instruments or with computer simulated rhythm and chords for accompaniment. Don't get me wrong I really like seeing all these cool ideas. It's fun. But I have noticed that in my case I actually play these tunes much better when I just play by myself i.e., without any artificial backup. I don't think it is my imagination either because I have the videos to prove it. I think with the back up I focus part of my attention on making sure I'm on the beat and less on am I on the right notes -- I do keep better time -- but at the expense of expression and "smoothness" or soul. Also I can play a tune much faster as well as cleaner if I do not have to worry about wachting/listening to the "rhythm section". What do others think this? What does this say about my playing? Maybe it is what happens when you regularily play by yourself rather than with others or a group?
I don't use the multiple instruments or backing tracks. I'm trying to learn the tune not produce a performance...
I feel that if you're not on the beat, it doesn't matter what notes you're playing. To me, rhythm is the most important thing, and I always strive to get that right first and foremost. I think it's way more important than playing the right notes. I'm not sure which rhythm program you use, I found I ended up not using Band In A Box very much because rhythmically it sounds rather dorky and hindered me from getting the right feel in the tunes. I'd rather just use a metronome and imagine the rest of the backing, or better still record the chords played on a mando or guitar (using a metronome to keep that backing track steady). You can waste a lot of time practicing without a steady beat. I strongly advise against it. Make the metronome your friend, and other musicians will want to be your friends too. (Sorry, mounted my pulpit there, just couldn't resist it). If you can't play with the beat, it just means you have to play it slower. Sometimes it's astonishing how slow I have to go.
Most of the tunes we learn here are dance tunes that are normally played by bands of musicians. The tunes we play are not normally played for a solo recital. I agree with Sausage, staying on the beat is most important. For me especially with old time music it helps to have backup to get the right "feel" of the tune. Irish tunes have their rhythm built into them and stand quite well on their own without backup but it's still the beat that's most important.
OS -- I'm not sure which rhythm program you use, I found I ended up not using Band In A Box very much because rhythmically it sounds rather dorky and hindered me from getting the right feel in the tunes. I'd rather just use a metronome and imagine the rest of the backing, or better still record the chords played on a mando or guitar (using a metronome to keep that backing track steady). That might be part of the issue the quality of the rhythm generator -- when I do play with a group or along with a recording I don't seem to have any big issues because like Dave says you get into the song and the beat is "natural". As to my "system" I have been creating back up by just making a new track and then cutting and just pasting in right (usually the right) guitar chords with the TablEdit program and then playing along with that. If the chords are in the song code already I just use those -- I can also set it up with a beat (like a metronome).
I prefer to play with backup - most commonly my husband's guitar. But when I make these videos I don't bother about having any backup, then I never would get done with the vids.
i agree about keeping the beat - playing these tunes out of tempo is rough of the ears. i hope i've trained my toes to keep a consistent beat throughout - the toes knows. a personal thing - not to detract from the quality of people's playing on the mandolin - but i find accompaniment to be a bit of a distraction. i think we can all imagine what we'd sound like with an "angel band" behind us, but for me, multi-tracks - canned, ersatz music in particular - interferes with what i'm trying to hear. also ... it would be nice to see the mandolin accepted as a solo instrument - beautiful for what it can do without " ... hanging 'round with the usual crew."
What keeps me from videoing arrangements is not so much the asthetic purity aspect as it is avoiding the distraction of too many technical gadgets bound to go wrong if I don't watch them like a hawk. I like to concentrate on my playing and leave accompaniment to the concentration of accompanists. I do like to arrange multiple tracks when I do audio recording, as in this example, but on video I'd not look good with headphones on Bertram
it would be nice to see the mandolin accepted as a solo instrument - beautiful for what it can do without " ... hanging 'round with the usual crew." I completely agree. While staying with the beat is essential, I find that basic backing tracks simply don't add anything to the performance, at least for me. This is why I try to create arrangements that stand alone and sound good with just the mandolin. If I'm going to add other tracks, they have to do something other than just lay down rhythm.
Bertram, I like your recording. It has a nice, full sound while not detracting from the tune. What are you using to do the recording? Will
Thanks Will, I use GarageBand with a set of natural-head mics. This might require a little bit of explanation - like dummy-head mics, natural head mics originally are for recordings that provide an optimized aural experience when listening with headphones; however, instead of being fixed in the "ears" of a dummy head, these are meant to be stuffed into the recording person's own ears just like iPod earphones. I don't do that, though. Instead, I let both tiny mics hang from either side of a small wooden box (the box being the "head" then). Between taking different tracks, I slightly turn the box to make it acoustically look in different directions, thus creating different spatial stereo positions of instruments by phase rather than by volume. One of these days I will post a video showing how I video myself videoing myself, then the construction will become clear. Bertram
Bertram, i think the addition of headphones may be an improvement...
How long you been messin' with Garage Band, Bertram? Any class, books, or just messin' with it to get it right? Probably a combo of all 3?
Mostly messin', Joe. Once or twice I used the help feature. Bertram
