Is anyone here interested in the path of becoming a good musician?

[Applegarden8]

Hello,

I have done music for a while and done something I wanted. There is a long ahead of me, but I can see that some systemic lifestyle improvements will solve almost all of my current problems.

I want to cover in depth analysis of how much time do you acctually have, what skills and circumstances it will take for you to be able to continiously practice with solutions etc. And I mean everything. From your own moodswings to people trying to stop you from doing what you want to do. And also a lot of technicalities about finding your own voice with examples from my life. I really have something to say I think, but if there is demand, then I can continune sharing, because unfortunately this also takes time, very necessary time for me to keep practicing etc., but to push my agenda, sort things out for myself by making them more obvious and sharing them with people who are in any point in the path themselves could be a worthwile symbiosis. Any feedback welcome.

[Applegarden8]

20 hours ago, Applegarden8 said:

Good day, friends. This is a pretty serious and non-sarcastic posts, unlike my other ones, where I rant how much time is spent in this section.

-- DISCLAIMER --

If you feel actual value is being provided from you reading this post (because I see that my previous one had a decent view count), contact me, I could potentially made more analytical and in depth video series of how I got to where I am.

So it has been over a year.

A lot has happened, but these are the main things.

I made more than 1 hour of material, most of it is waiting to be released.

I made en EP: 

 My toughts about it. Well, I feel it was needed for me to make it. The problem is that I have no tabs, notes or time to re-learn and do play-trough and music videos.

I am looking into fiverr and other services where I can buy a music video for upcoming stuff.

Releasing an album just like that is very bad move to do. The hype maybe lasts for a week and nobody will care, that is fine.

The stuff I am producing now has more complexity, variability between the songs and is more well thought. since I had more time and less urgency to share and my creative agenda got stronger to make more obscure decisions. There is still pretty decent amount of unwanted artifacts from my playing (sorry John), but I have to do less editing on the guitars and there is more creative automation from my side. Also John (the producer) made an interesting effect where my rythm guitars sound very dissonant (almost like a m2 harmony going on all the time), which of course fits the music, but I still resent the clipping on the palm mutes, and I don't know what can I do to fix that. But I am very happy that I have so much less mistakes and have more understanding of the drums, so that John doesn't have to re-write drums completely, but can use my ideas. He also gave me ~ 40 % discount. I guess he wants to produce Applegarden.  I also recieved compliments from him that this is his favorite stuff to produce other than his other projects. I am happy to give him creative problems.

The album is going to be 35 minutes approx and I somehow have to release these songs, maybe 1 per month or something. With a visualizer at least or music video or a play-trough. Only recently I started to notate my stuff and work for more holistic approach where I can re-learn my stuff and make a video for example.

We also wanted to apply for FiXT label, but we decided not to and I and John "had a little discussion"... We will wait until I make a better portfolio. Or I will join whatever John is doing, because he is building a studio and at some point could be a label.

About the scene here (where I live), I don't care that much I guess.

And I have stepped away from micro-tonality for now, since I rather focus on something I can tangibly pull off. If you are professional musician reading this, PLEASE, pick it up and carry it. I can't practice every day (I wish I could), but I try to practice 10-15 hours a week.

My guitar skills have drifted a bit, my lead playing is worse or stagnant at best, rhythm guitar has gotten a lot better. But I got to compose a lot. I really love that. I feel like I can never stop. At some point I think I would integrate electronic music into that, especially for a live project. So I have a space to play electric guitar but create very interesting soundscapes and effects, and I don't think it would sound like electronic music sounds generally, but I sold my synth so that is not such a possibility, but I will get that Minilouge XD, so I can carry it.

What are my interests with doing what I am doing?

When I am creating I feel unstoppable, immortal, I feel completeness, but I also feel pretty bad sometimes, but that does not stop wanting to create.

I have pretty much no audience, no people, method, equipment or notation to perform, yet I feel so good that I do what I do. It's like I created a musical universe for myself, kinda surreal a bit.

My aim is to refine this lifestyle. I go to work and then afterwards I just go to play guitar and record every weekend.

For that to happen for 20 years for example:

- I need to fix my diet to be less tired, not to invite unwanted diseases that could affect my lifestyle;

- I need to find a more strategic place where I can practice whenever I want, for how much I want;

- An audience would help, as I would like for people to hear it obviously;

- I need to be super pragmatic about how I spend and to be more productive at my work;

- Basically I just need to implement some systemic solutions in my life to like make it really sustainable.

I just have so much to tell and talk about this is surreal...

I will continue later, I want to play my instruments.

 

 

Entry from my journal for more info.

[Realms of Wonder]

YES.

 

Here is a post I made on my skill progress a month(ish) ago.

Here is thread of my rough finished, unreleased songs (waiting till I have the time to release them properly before finishing and releasing)

Currently making around an hour to two hours a day to write music and practice, songwriting is my zone of genius, so I give most of my time to that.

I have around 2-3 hours a day I could practice, though I dont have the capacity to do so every day. 

 

Biggest solved obstacles up to this point have been...

 

1. Phone/social media
2. YouTube
3. Smoking weed
4. unhealthy diet.
5. Living with others

 

Future obstacles include..

 

1. Inconsistent bedtime/waking time
2. Dedicating time to actual practice (piano and synthesizers)
3. About to start college, gonna have 0-30 minutes daily to practice for the next 15 months.
4. Resistance of all forms.

 

Would love to talk deeper on this, feel free to dm!

 

 

[Juressic]

@Applegarden8

I don't listen to metal anymore, but your music is awesome, and you play great! I think you should focus to do live shows with your band. People won't recognize it as an album only especially without vocals. You could make it theatrical as some ritual ceremony, make your audience wear masks at the show, burn some wooden sculptures and make it edgy... Wow man, I have tons of ideas, I could be your manager and make you millionaires  

[Applegarden8]

35 minutes ago, Juressic said:

@Applegarden8

I don't listen to metal anymore, but your music is awesome, and you play great! I think you should focus to do live shows with your band. People won't recognize it as an album only especially without vocals. You could make it theatrical as some ritual ceremony, make your audience wear masks at the show, burn some wooden sculptures and make it edgy... Wow man, I have tons of ideas, I could be your manager and make you millionaires  

While an over an hour of material I have recorded is not tabbed anywhere, I am re-organizing and now I write tabs for songs for a chance to re-learn and film a playtrough and perform them, even by myself with a phonogram. And I have no band, I only tracked the guitars and my buddy mixed and mastered all of that for me.

Edited August 24, 2022 by Applegarden8

[Juressic]

24 minutes ago, Applegarden8 said:

While an over an hour of material I have recorded is not tabbed anywhere, I am re-organizing and now I write tabs for songs for a chance to re-learn and film a playtrough and perform them, even by myself with a phonogram. And I have no band, I only tracked the guitars and my buddy mixed and mastered all of that for me.

Nice! Organize it, write it down and find yourself a band mattes. I think that's the point of metal.. going around, blowing people's minds and ruling the world  I love metal festivals, even though I'm not listening metal at home!

[Bittu]

Fellow music apprentice here!