KVR Audio

publicradio · Post by **publicradio** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 1:37 am

I've never been able to do this while recording a take. And it's not just music -- for a long time I would only draw in pencil because the second I put the pen to the paper I would screw it up and not be able to undo it.

I'll play something flawlessly and the second I hit record and hear that metronomic countdown, forget it. Lat night I spent all night trying to lay down a single decent acoustic egg shaker take. A f**king egg shaker! With MIDI at least I can go back in and nudge the notes around.

I've always had an ear for music and I can write songs and produce, but I could never play in real time because I always psyche myself out. Can someone offer me some solution, please? Meditation? Is there a book I can get?

Maybe there's a DAW that will allow me to play midi at a tempo that feels right and then match the tempo afterwards?

Sometimes being drunk helps because then I just don't care and when I listen to it the next day it's sloppy, but not that sloppy. I wonder if I'm just hyper aware of all the flaws.

HELP ME!!!!!!1111eleven

Meffy · Post by **Meffy** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 1:43 am

At least a couple of hosts have a "record everything, even when not recording a take" feature. Cubase and FL maybe? Don't take my word for it, search a little. It was just in the past week or two, in the Hosts forum.

Kim Lajoie · Post by **Kim Lajoie** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 1:49 am

Sounds like a case of nerves. Being able to record in the privacy of your own studio helps - especially if no-one else is in the house.

Another thing I do is record each section one at a time (typically about eight bars or so). I loop the section and record about four takes in quick succession. That way the performer doesn't have the pressure of having to get it right first time. Often it takes a couple of rounds to warm up and become comfortable (and to get into the groove!).

Playing live also helps. It gets you more comfortable with having to do a good performance on the spot (no re-takes!), and also helps you to relax under pressure. Practice some songs and play in front of friends and family, or find a bar with an open mic night.

I don't recommend alcohol (or any other drugs). It's a fine line between increased confidence and decreased hand motor skills.

-Kim.

contrary · Post by **contrary** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 1:50 am

There is only one way . stop stopping when you flub. That's why players who play live get good , they can't just stop and ask the audience if they'd mind a do over ; they just have to push on.
If you stop when you practice , you only reinforce the habit of zooming in on every flaw . Or just do comps and get on with life!!!

Dean Aka Nekro · Post by **Dean Aka Nekro** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 2:07 am

Practice much harder and more intensively, be strict and work on your weak areas not just the stuff you are good at

publicradio · Post by **publicradio** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 2:10 am

Thanks for your advice. What are comps?

robogone · Post by **robogone** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 2:10 am

You can also play all the way through something, mistakes and all then at the end cut out the bad pieces and replace them with good pieces to make up a good whole.

Reverse Engineer · Post by **Reverse Engineer** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 2:16 am

publicradio wrote:Thanks for your advice. What are comps?

Composites. Doing a number of takes, and using the best parts from each.

Murky · Post by **Murky** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 2:16 am

contrary wrote:There is only one way . stop stopping when you flub. That's why players who play live get good , they can't just stop and ask the audience if they'd mind a do over ; they just have to push on.
If you stop when you practice , you only reinforce the habit of zooming in on every flaw . Or just do comps and get on with life!!!

Contrary has good advice. Remind yourself that it is "ok" to make a mistake and just keep going. If you have ever heard some of the home tapes that John Lennon made while he was working on songs at home you would think "this guy is pretty bad". But he (and others) kept practicing the same song until he got it right.

There is that old line "practice until you get it right, then practice till you can't get it wrong."

Making mistakes is just part of the journey.

EuropeanOnUranus · Post by **EuropeanOnUranus** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 2:18 am

Just always "roll tape", even on your very first practice runs. No reason not to, your hard disk isn't going to wear out.

afreshcupofjoe · Post by **afreshcupofjoe** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 2:20 am

Just keep recording. sometimes it can require A LOT of takes to even get a simple part just right. Don't get down on yourself and get frustrated. Very few people are one take wonders, and most bands have rehearsed the same song a few dozen times over the course of weeks before they ever hit a record button in a studio. Sleeping on it also helps. I find that something I've been tripping over all evening magically disappears by the next morning. Also, try playing over something other than a metronome to keep time. Write a simple drum loop to the rhythm of the song that you can delete later, just to keep you in the groove.

afreshcupofjoe · Post by **afreshcupofjoe** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 2:24 am

EuropeanOnUranus wrote: No reason not to, your hard disk isn't going to wear out.

Crosses fingers.

rpc9943 · Post by **rpc9943** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 2:26 am

use live or tracktion, or anything that has loop record, so play through a bunch of times and then splice in your fav parts from all the times you looped it.

RonC

ughnonumus · Post by **ughnonumus** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 2:44 am

WOW! And, I used to bug out about getting the whole take (i.e. 3 min or so) down.

Try going back over the part you're screwing up so many times that you fear practicing it more than getting it down.

Dean Aka Nekro · Post by **Dean Aka Nekro** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 3:38 am

After a little more thought on the topic and Kim mentioning 'Nerves' being the culprit, I think its a mental blockage which you are suffering from which ties in with nerves: as soon as you know the red button is lit up you become overly tense due to build up and release of lactic acids through your body and this prevents the brain from telling your body to relax (adrenaline's ugly side) and the more you have focused/experienced this the worse it has become and maybe by now your brain has trained itself to release this bad but natural chemical on demand. The best way i can describe this exactly is this - i don't know if you have ever watched a snooker match/competition or not but sometimes due to a mental blockage a few really decent players have literally lost many frames/tournaments and even careers when having to use the snooker cue along with the rest, they develop this mental blockage which for some reason makes their brain incapable of communicating with the body properly and this renders them incapable of letting go of the end of the snooker cue and fluffing the shot entirely and commiting a foul (losing points), really it is quite bizzare to watch as they simply can not follow through the shot to strike into the white ball and make the shot and if it happens a few times it rapidly develops into a huge problem and ruins their game like i described (i hope you can relate to what i am trying to get across, as i am junk at explaing things very well)

As well as all the other advice given by people it might be worth buying a simple footswitch if your interface supports one for hands free recording (starting or stoping the transport with the footswitch) so your are not fumbling with a mouse or hitting the spacebar and then back into position ready to record?

I hope you get through the block and the only way is perseverence and brain training (no nintendo ds game needed for that!)

Dean/Nekro

how do i play through and not f**k it up?