I'm curious about this and very naive about it.

Do any of the musicians on this forum demo their music before they think it's the right representation of what they can do, or you just go for 'this is what I am, and this is what I do' approach'?

I am neutral to both approaches, since you get people who just nail it straight away in one take, and then you get people who make you think they should refine their arsenal in order to get it right. Anyway, your opinions are much appreciated, wherever they come from.

[dionysusundone]

I constantly demo. A lot of the time I do demos just so that I can hear what the hell I'm doing and make sure that it works for me. It helps a lot, especially with coming up with vocal lines and melodies.

Originally Posted by dionysusundone

I constantly demo. A lot of the time I do demos just so that I can hear what the hell I'm doing and make sure that it works for me. It helps a lot, especially with coming up with vocal lines and melodies.

Very good point. I do listen back to what I play constantly, since I am working by myself all the time, which is more tiring and doubles and trebles the amount of work you'd do if a few like-minded people were on the case.

[auto-aim]

Originally Posted by dionysusundone

I constantly demo. A lot of the time I do demos just so that I can hear what the hell I'm doing and make sure that it works for me. It helps a lot, especially with coming up with vocal lines and melodies.

I can agree with that. I think demo making is an important aspect of songwriting process... if you're doing ti by yourself albeit a frustrating process but it allows you to remove youself and look at it a bit more third person.

[terminal pharmacy]

my work is in constant demo until i think it is good enough to use in a show...

[Glice]

Solo-wise, I'm an improviser. This basically means that I practise between 2-4 hours a day (actually, I've been reading more lately, so this is closer to 45 minutes) and never get around to recording anything. The rare times that I do record, I immediately delete it and set about practising a bit harder. I did play a gig recently that was the first time I didn't feel like I'd been gutted for week afterwards. A positive step, of sorts.

Band-wise, we get together infrequently, are brilliant, record something brilliant, never play it to anyone and have gay arguments, infrequently, about how brilliant we are (current estimation: unspeakably so).

I've started playing violin with a band about a month ago, and they quite rightly have the approach of 'demo it, get out playing live and see what the kids make of it'. The music isn't earth-shattering, but it is fun to work with people who aren't overwroughtly thinking they're writing the best music ever (hello, me) but just making something that's fun to play.

Originally Posted by Glice

Solo-wise, I'm an improviser. This basically means that I practise between 2-4 hours a day (actually, I've been reading more lately, so this is closer to 45 minutes) and never get around to recording anything. The rare times that I do record, I immediately delete it and set about practising a bit harder. I did play a gig recently that was the first time I didn't feel like I'd been gutted for week afterwards. A positive step, of sorts.

Band-wise, we get together infrequently, are brilliant, record something brilliant, never play it to anyone and have gay arguments, infrequently, about how brilliant we are (current estimation: unspeakably so).

I've started playing violin with a band about a month ago, and they quite rightly have the approach of 'demo it, get out playing live and see what the kids make of it'. The music isn't earth-shattering, but it is fun to work with people who aren't overwroughtly thinking they're writing the best music ever (hello, me) but just making something that's fun to play.

The recording you sent me recently might be improvised, but it's a bona fide stunner. It's very beautiful in parts, and it sounds like everyone is having fun playing it.

[Glice]

Cool, thanks. I played that to a metaller mate of mine recently and he spent the rest of the evening asking me why I'd recorded it so shitly.

I agree with your metaller friend. It deserves a better recording, since the crap-fi sound doesn't do it justice, and sounds too deliberate.

[atsonicpark]

I just record a song and it's done. I might go back later and add some layers of shit but I very rarely demo it.. don't want to go through the hell of recording the song again. I think the first time I play something is usually the best, warts and all, and I'd rather keep it like that.

[pbradley]

Since all I do is guitar, I just write it outside of recording, play/practice it over and over, and then eventually record to the laptop when it feels complete but do very little in terms of producing what I've recorded. Mostly I just save the best take I recorded and call it done. I understand bringing production underneath the umbrella of artistic control but it doesn't appeal to me. It's an instrument I don't care to play.

[atsonicpark]

"Just so you know, Joe Hotdog stand owner, I manage a branch for a mortgage company which should imply to you that currently I am knee deep in making sense of global economics and have been for years. You are arguing an echonomics scholar (or soon to be) and a mortgage banker about economics... Like I said, go read a book!"

[ithinkimissyou]

I just got back into playing guitar over the weekend after a long (2+ year) absence, after myself and a friend decided we should do something before we're old farts.

Anyway I've been doing half assed demos of ideas, and re listening to the results to help the process of writing lyrics and developing ideas as I'm pretty anal about lyrics especially.

If I was into any sort of a groove and regularly playing maybe I wouldnt have to go through this stuff, but at the moment I'm finding it extremely helpful

It's whatever works for you

[atsonicpark]

 

This thread is not an argument, man. Chillax, and just talk about it.

Chillax.

Just, like, CHILLAX. Chillax.

[pbradley]

 

[atsonicpark]

I'm just searching for inner beauty.

Chillax inner beauty, man.