This is the opening stage of the next song on the forthcoming album. All of these songs were written in the last eight years, and though I never actually intended to record them, I’ve got a pretty solid idea of what they should sound like. However, since I wrote these all these songs on guitar, there remains a lot to fill in if I want to make a decent arrangement. At this stage, there are several instruments and elements that I have been playing with in order to fill out the song.
Most notable to my ear is the percussive “waka-waka” synthesizer I’ve tossed in here and there at the beginning of the song. I like the effect, but it’s not quite jelling for me so I’m fairly sure I’ll cut it from my next attempt. In this take I’ve got the following instruments: drum kit, rhythm guitar, an electric guitar playing various simple fills, the “waka” synth, and a first try at the vocals. There is little to no processing on any of the instruments, so this track is quite plain and dry. That will change of course, as the song takes shape and grows into a final mix. You will also notice considerable space in the song for solos - I haven’t played those yet!
Done! Hard to tell sometimes when you get here, but all of a sudden you’re finished. To do it, I polished and rerecorded some of the guitar riffs, and then totally redid the ending guitar overdub fadeout extravaganza. That final part has four guitars coming in at different times, all panned to different locations, playing simple, repetitive lines. I don’t know why, but I’ve always loved this kind of thing. I try not to overdo it (kind of a once-an-album sort of trick, when you think about it) but jeez, the effect on me is uplifting and marvelous. I dunno - it just sorta gets me right there.
After I completed the recording, I messed around with the placement of each instrument or element. This is a lot of fun for me. You can really change a song drastically with panning. There is a profound difference between a guitar sound sitting solidly in one place versus a guitar whooshing from one ear to the other. Rabinal isn’t really a whooshing guitar song, but it’s still important that all the pieces fit in the right places, so I spent quite a bit of time panning around and getting everything to lock in how I like it. I also find that getting everything in its place makes for less EQ, which is sort of what I’m trying to do with this album: less of everything. Almost minimalist.
Finally, I piped most of the tracks through one of three different reverbs I set up. Again, I don’t want to overdo it: reverb on a track is like salt or vinegar - a dash can really bring out the flavor, but too much and you’ve ruined it. And no amount of salt will hide bad cooking! So I’m trying to do my work on the front end - good performance, good recording, and just a touch of reverb at the end.
Now I’m shelving this song and off to the next one down the list. Recording is wonderful! Download Free
Two steps forward and one step back for this song, I guess. Listening to the second cut, I realized that I wanted slightly different guitar and bass parts. There’s no way around this kind of thing, and no real way to correct it. You either start over now or have to start over later, so I chucked the bad parts, rolled up my sleeves, and dove in fresh. Otherwise you lose sleep.
This cut is as yet unmixed, with the tracks more or less panned correctly but still utterly raw. I decided to keep the drums and vocals in place, but there is no reverb or processing on the tracks to suggest any kind of atmosphere. This is not supposed to be that reverby of a song anyway, but it helps to have a touch I think. Well, there isn’t any here. What reverb there was on Cut 2 has been erased, since I started over. I’m going to add it all later, and you’ll hear it next post, when the song is complete. Reverb and mixing can make some immense changes to a song.
But all parts of the song are now for the most part present. The guitars and bass are much better now, says I, and I always think it’s worth the extra time to get something that I like. Here’s what I’ve got left to do:
1) Cut another, longer, better solo in the final “fade out” overdub extravaganza part
2) Balance the track volumes
3) Add some reverb here, some EQ there, nudge one track to the left in the stereo field, nudge another track to the right, make it all fit nicely…
4) Mix it down and move on to the next song in the album. And that’s that!
The song is coming together more recognizably now. I laid down a vocal line and double-tracked my voice for the harmonies during the chorus. I also added a quiet synth in the background in order to beef up the mix and maintain interest in the middle. I generally like it when a song starts off pretty bare and then builds up, layer upon layer, until you’re awash in something undeniable and majestic. But it has to be done right, of course. That’s the trick I’m working on.
The guitar line intro, solo, and outro are just me fooling around and trying to get an idea of what I’d ultimately like to play on this song. I actually have a pretty concrete idea of what the guitar lines should be, since I recorded a pretty fun demo of this song four years ago. Although, to be fair, I think I’ve improved my guitar skills in the last four years, so I wanted to see what I could come up with off the top of my head. I think there are some decent ideas here, ideas that I will identify, isolate, and flesh out. Then it’s a matter of stringing them together under a broader idea of what I want the guitar to say. After that it’s just: deep breath, hit the record button, and try to nail it.
But that’s all for next post. For now these ideas are still seeds, and the song doesn’t yet fully exist. This is Rabinal, half-developed:
I am officially beginning recording on my new album - a collection of songs old and new, dating from 2000 - 2008. It’s the first time I’m trying anything like this, grouping together all my more traditional folk-pop songs. This song I wrote in December 2004, during a trip in Guatemala and Mexico.
Unlike Mostly About Ferns, which I wrote song by song under a predetermined framework, all the songs for this album are already finished; for the most part they’re polished and done. Recording them is therefore easier than I’m used to. So: presented here is the basic track I’m laying down for Rabinal. Basic drums, guitar, and bass. Barebones. Next I’ll post the song as it fleshes out with lyrics and more and, if I can keep to schedule, by the end of the week I’ll have the entire song completed.
