December 10, 2011

Trick #57: Recognize and embrace patterns

All music is based on patterns.

Rhythmic patterns. Melodic patterns. Structural patterns. Logic patterns.

When does the music you’re working on feel ‘right’? It’s usually when you’ve created a pattern that is similar — but different — from a pattern that’s in your subconscious.

This is not plagiarism; plagiarism is when the pattern is the same thing. Something that feels right is when the pattern shares similarities, and the similarity was not a conscious choice.

For example, I made an album called Girls Aliens Food. I came up with the title while driving. I was thinking about the themes on the album and happened to drive past a strip bar which was advertising “Live girls… food.”

But it wasn’t until months later that I noticed that the rhythmic feel of the title shared similarities to a Lemonheads album that I like called Car Button Cloth.

Plagarism? Nope.

A conscious attempt to mimic the rhythm and logic pattern? Nope.

Did the title Girls Aliens Food feel right on a subconscious level because it shared a similar rhythmic and logic pattern with Car Button Cloth?

Most likely.

Recognize the patterns in your work and in your influences. Don’t try to copy them, but embrace the similarities when they feel right.

October 26, 2011

The Simple Carnival: “Effortlessly”

I wrote about The Simple Carnival’s song “Effortlessly” recently. It seems to be a song that always gets a strong response, so I thought I’d put the whole thing on YouTube in case you haven’t heard it:

October 25, 2011

Trick #31: Thumbtacks

Do you have an anemic-sounding acoustic piano that ought to be disposed of?

Don’t throw it out until you try putting thumbtacks in the hammers.

Not all piano strings respond to thumbtacks in the same way. I did this with a handful of pianos, and, in the best case scenario, it can magically transform a poor-sounding spinet into Superman. This is the sound of the acoustic piano on the Girls Aliens Food album.

(Inexplicably, the better-sounding, higher-quality piano I acquired after Girls Aliens Food didn’t sound that great with thumbtacks.)

October 15, 2011

Trick #25: Take the alternate route

Sometimes it’s a sign.

I’m not superstitious, but sometimes things just happen and you’re forced to route around the damage in order to get work done.

For example, I’d hurt my right hand when making Girls Aliens Food and didn’t want to use it playing the piano.

But I still wanted to write songs.

So “Effortlessly” was written with my left hand:

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You can hear it in how the piano part is written — it’s heavily dependent on the left hand. ‘Cuz that’s all I had to work with at the time.

Many people have told me that “Effortlessly” is their favorite track on that album. I’m glad I didn’t hold off on writing songs that night.

When life happens, take the alternate route.