Lars68

I really appreciate to hear there is progress. One thing that I have noticed with the last couple of songs of mine is that I can hear hints of personality coming through and some tendencies towards a style of my own (one that is not necessarily minor key songs, sung out of tune...). That is something I have consciously been working towards. My thinking is that if I write honestly about myself and my experiences, chances are others will find at least a bit of themselves in the songs too. Looooong way to go still... I doubt your efforts are uninteresting. I would gladly have a listen. Lars

That's a great question, BBG, and billroy, I hope you take it the right way. I have myself lately come to realize that, in regards to my own ability to hear weaknesses in my early stuff, that I at the time was the only dog not being able to hear the dog whistle... Lars

Thanks, Kelly! For anyone interested in the sound difference between a single mic, one-track, recording of both vocals and guitar at once, versus a two-track, with seperate recordings for vocal/guitar, here is a new recording of the same song to compare to the original. Original one-mic, one-track recording. Ear Trumper Labs Myrtle mic, about 40 cm out, midway between guitar and mouth: https://soundcloud.com/lars1968/circling-round-the-sun New two-track recording, same mic but shorter distances, 30 cm out (same distance for both tracks): https://soundcloud.com/lars1968/circling-round-the-sun-1 Only reverb and compression added to both tracks in the same amounts, no eq. The sound improvement in version two is HUGE, and the performance is better too from editing several takes into one. Lars By the way, might this be the first mention of James Bigglesworth in a song??

I think I might have some meaningful insight and possibly good tips for you. I started playing guitar, strumming cowboy chords, in my thirties, then decided to learn to write, play and sing original songs at age 47. When I started I had just about no musical ear whatsoever, but I decided (and I mean really DECIDED) to learn piece by piece no matter what. What I have done since that first original song, about four years ago, is to listen to myself sing and play over, over, over and over again. Listening to short snippets of vocals, comparing several version against eachother, trying to pick the best one. Also, when something doesn't sound right, I try figure out why. Sharp or flat? I have an iPad with the Garageband app, and this is really the perfect tool for this. If you record just your guitar on one track, you can then record several vocal tracks on top of eachother on a second track. You can then very easily cut that track up into individual pieces and compare vocal takes and pick the best bits and piece them seamlessly together into one full take. Forcing yourself to do this makes you practice, but it also gives you an end result that is better than any vocal take you can do in one go. So it serves two purposes, you practice but you also create songs. This has worked for me and has helped develop my ear. I'm now at the point where I can at least pick out the bad bits, and if I do those bits enough times I will get a somewhat decent result. I will never be a natural singer, but I can at least make song recordings that can convey decent versions of the songs I write. I am very happy about that. I have a hard time seeing me performing songs live any time soon, but maybe somewhere down the line... Best of luck! Lars P.S. was that an Apogee Mic in your other song thread? I know they are for IOS-products, so maybe you already record in Garageband? (if so, an iPad is good for size, the phone might be a bit small)

Don't be discouraged by some of the comments. It's important for you to know how your stuff comes across to others. You love what you do and you have guts! I'm traveling down the same road as you, and my advice would be to give yourself credit for the things you do well, while at the same time acknowledge your weaknesses and focus on them. Like Sal said, some of the members here are real pros, so there is substantial experience behind the advice given. Learning to judge my own stuff has probably been the most important factor in my own development. That is also a skill that will come with practice. So listening back at yourself, over and over, looking for weaknesses is a good way to practice, at least it has been for me. I have posted many, many poor song attempts here asking for the weaknesses to be pointed out and have always been given good advice how to correct them. There have also been a some nasty comments along the way, some really mean and heartbreaking, but I don't let that bother me. It's only fuel for the fire. Keep at it and keep posting! Lars

Personal taste is like our behinds, parted straight down the middle. I happen to love REM, as well as Neil Young. Do agree about the UST-pickups, though. Lars

Thanks for the feedback and kind words, Larry. Means a lot to know that the writing is on the right track. I just try to write what I feel. Just out of curiosity, would you mind telling me where you would change the English? I'm just interested in finding out how it shows it's my second language. By the way, not sure you noticed, but in the very last chorus I changed “...the clock runs” to “...’till I’m done”. I kind of like that myself I'll try to do a new recording of the song eventually, with guitars and vocals on separate tracks. That will give me a chance to edit together “best of” bits from several vocal takes. I still can't manage to get through 4 minutes of singing without making mistakes. Lars

This is just unbelievably good. There are people making music, then there are true musicians making music... Lars

I really like that song. The fact that Kris is not that good of a singer actually makes me feel a little better about my own efforts For me the below version has always been the definitive cover of this song. I bet you've never heard of the singer (had he been born in an English speaking country, I'm sure that would have been different). I love it when he start belting it out at about the 2 min mark. Lars

Larry, thanks for listening and the comments. I'll take pretty-damn decent all days of the week (and Twice on Sundays, as Anne would say) Em7, my dad actually flew Lansen. Draken came later and the two types co-existed for a while. For eveybody else, these are two types of Swedish figther jets. Sweden, athough being a small country, has always developed its own figther jets (Draken = The Dragon, Lansen = The Spear). Em7, cool that you know about these! I was actually chasing Ivans under water during my military service in the late ninteen haties, no room for that in the song, though. I'll keep an eye out for your mail box red Spitfire, sporting white racing stripes, I'm sure Lars

Well, that is a whole lot more poetic than my humble version! Lars

I don't remember all my high school class mates either My idea with the lyrics was to be personal and specific on a universal topic, hoping people could see a glimpse of themselves perhaps in my experiences. At least that was the idea... I hope you enjoy the reunion! Lars Oh, I hope the topic title didn't offend anyone...I include myself in that categorization

I hope you consider posting the audio to Soundcloud or similar site. I enjoy your stuff! Lars

Here is a new song I just wrote. It's about not being able to sleep one night from looking back at life, thinking about the passage of time, realizing more than half of it has passed, and then getting up in the morning writing a song about it https://soundcloud.com/lars1968/circling-round-the-sun It's a one take, one mic recording. So me being me, there is no such thing as perfection, but I do think there is something pure about a one take recording. At least it's all me and it's honest, which serves the lyrics. These might, by the way, very well be my best set of lyrics so far (a special thanks to Roy, PatriotsBiker, who shared some great pointers helping me back channel). CIRCLING ROUND THE SUN I was born in 1968, a time of peace & love, and unsure fate My daddy flew our fighter jets, to scare the Reds of the Soviets When I was four we moved away, to the small town where I live to this day It's been a long time passing Circling round the sun Tick tock, tick tock the clock runs I read Tarzan and James Bigglesworth, dreamt of his Spitfire way above earth I was the shy kid at my school, my desk was tidy and I followed each rule Kept to my side with vinyls and sports, turned out I played well on the courts It's been a long time passing Circling round the sun Tick tock, tick tock the clock runs A college said let us pay your way, I studied hard and found a job with good pay For 23 years it has paid the bill, but left a soul with some holes to fill. Never made plans, just hoped the train, beyond the bend lies the tracks that remain It's been a long time passing Circling round the sun Tick tock, tick tock the clock runs It's 2 AM and I can't close my eyes, thinking 'bout life and hellos and goodbyes Come dawn I'll turn this night into song, with my loved ones right where I belong It's been a long time passing Circling round the sun Tick tock, tick tock 'till I'm done Lars

Great! Very, very good on so many levels. Lars

Well, everything is relative, I guess. Your foul language comments are more in tune than most of my actual singing... Lars

None of these are my cup of tea, but I do like the fact that they chose to play a Gibson. I really, really like that! Lars

Hey Anne, I really like the new song. Liked Twice on Sundays too. Your lyrics have bits in common with this song: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1rmAi9XmlIo. But that's about all they have in common... Lars

Thanks a lot, David! Lars

Absolutely wonderful! You do Jayhawks extremely well. Their style really suits your voice. Why the selling sprea? I think the mandolin suited your stuff very well. Lars

Thanks HH and David. I'll look up the youtube songwriting videos. I really like that kind of stuff. Unfortunately my Soundcloud page crashed, so the links above don't work. I reloaded my songs, and for anyone who would like to sample my efforts, it's now all here: Lars

Yes, agreed, most solid advice. I don't want my response above to come across like I think otherwise. There is no mathematical equation to solve, or a paint-by-numbers solution to make any kind of great art, but I do think that there are tangible skills that great singer-songwriters have in common, which they use as a platform when creating. I'm looking for my platform. And Sal, regarding my guitars. I can most honestly say, that the better I get at making my own music, the less I feel an urge to trade/buy guitars. I think guitars, from a materialistic point of view, have been my way to immerse myself in this hobby, when I could not do it musically. It's not until the last six months or so that I have finally started to make the guitars justice. I would gladly travel to the nearest crossroad and strike a deal with the devil. My guitars for the ability to find the ”zone”. I would make that deal! Lars

I understand this point of view, and mostly agree, but I think all greatness comes from first learning your craft. I used to be a pretty good tennis player, and I know from experience that you cannot get to the "zone", when your mind is blank and you just act in the moment, without first practicing that swing in detail, over and over, while analyzing and getting feedback from good coaches along the way. I think the same analogy holds for music. For me, I'm still at the practicing/learning stage, at which I'm sure also Al Pacino sought outside guidence. I don't see the stuff I linked above as me trying to present a finished product to the world. It's a only a practice run, and I do hope to learn enough about this great hobby, so I can one day find the "zone" and never leave So far I have learned two valuable things. Be careful with the amount of words, and how they fit into the pace of the song. Consider timing of vocals in relation to the beat. That's vauable input for a hack like me... Lars

Thanks for the comment! Do you mean the timing of the vocals in relation to the beat, and that you think the vocals should be a little more "behind" the beat? Also what does top line refer to? Perhaps the vocal line leading into the last chord of the phrase? This is interesting stuff, which I have never given much thought. Everything I do is 100% by instinct. I'm looking forward to trying to learn the actual tools of the trade, not just the basics, and figure out what makes particular songs/performances great, then try to apply that to my own stuff. Lars

Thanks, Dan. That's the kind of specific advice I'm looking for. Suggestion noted and filed to memory. Lars