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"Real questions
from songwriters and music makers and real answers that can help you"
Quick Reference:
check the numbers of the questions then scroll to the answer.....why not
ask your own question? This is only a tiny indication of what you can get
from:
(1) "A Sinus Wave under the bass? Surely a Sine Wave?"
(2) "One chord songs, looping and live stage
shows?"
(3)"Should play-back tracks be mastered?"
(4)"Management want me to change my
style?"
(5)"A question on fan-base?"
(6)"Should
I give out cards to punters?"
(7)"Do I need to set
up my own Publishing Company?"
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A
SINUS WAVE UNDER THE BASS? SURELY A 'SINE'
WAVE?
Question (1)
Hi Dec!
In your writings you cover the aspect of how to enhance bottom end by adding a sinus wave an octave under the bass.
Some weeks ago, I told you that I just didn´t succeed with this technique. Now I found the reason. There is a trap of course. If you don´t have a proper acoustic you may feel that adding subbass gives you a "muddy" sound. But the only problem may be a standing wave in the control room.
That will never happen to me again!
What a fault...
F** A****
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<<<<<<<<,,by adding a sinus wave an octave under the bass>>>>>>>
Sine wave !!!! [grin!] Sinus is the tubes connecting your ears, eyes and nose that can cause a runny nose!
Still, I know you are from Europe.
35HZ takes 16 feet to reach your ears.....that is one of the few things you have to know about bass and sub bass as regards control rooms. The frequency wave is 16 feet long. You would have to have a huge room to suffer standing wave problems.
So, guys who buy monitors that go down to 16Hz and sit four feet away will actually never hear them working properly.
The only other problem will be the bass traps in corners. These are easily rectified by rounding the corners. Studiospares www.studiospares.com sell an extremely expensive corner filling solution to the problem. The easy solution is to fill the corners with soft board so there are no 90 degree angles.
The most important factor in a control room is to have no parrallel walls...so there are no sound reflections.
You should be just about able to hear the sub under the main bass. That way, when the track is played through a huge system, then the bottom end will be huge.
Regards
DEC [Cluskey]
dec@makehits.co.uk
The Boss and The Guv'nor. Jim Marshall presents Dec with his Gold
Marshall amp....
as one of the Top Ten most influential people in the Music Industry
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ONE
CHORD SONG, LOOPING AND LIVE STAGE SHOWS
Question (2)
I am really surprised that you're willing to call 'ray
of light' a one chord song...doesn't sound like one to
me. But then again, it depends what you mean by a chord. If a chord is the sum of the notes playing at
any one time, then that is not a one chord song, but I
think what you are referring to is the main harmony making instrument (though could be a string/wind/brass
section) playing one chord.
Secondly, the whole looping thing. I've was doing that
for ages, and then I gave it up. I found that unless I
approached the music with something to say in my mind,
all mapped out, a desire to communicate, then what I would write would be crap! Then again, I did make the
point of never using other people's loops. It was a principle thing. Be totally original - down to
designing my own synths. Can you recommend a good place to find these on the internet?
Or is it a case of listening to my records and grabbing any loopable chunk I can find?
And one last thing. I just watched a video of ELO performing in the 70s at Wembley. I saw the video in
the store, and had to see it. That show was legendary.
But it was all special effects! Not a patch on the Norah Jones live video (She plays every song
slightly differently from the album). So whilst I appreciate it can be hard to get a good sound on
stage, and some sounds are impossible, I can't help believing that part of the skill of doing it live is
rearranging things so they DO work. I only mention it because I've heard you recommend miming before.
R** S*******.
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Robert
In my side of the music game we don't get into somantics of whether an added melody note means that the basic one chord changes, note by note.....of course you can argue this and there has been much argued about when I put forward this idea on newsgroups.
Playing a C chord for 96 bars and putting a melody to that is termed a 'one chord song'. Or it could be a 278 chord song if you count all the melody notes!
There is one in the chart at the moment....same idea [memory won't give it to me at the moment], is it the 'Pink' song?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>with something to say in my mind,
> all mapped out, a desire to communicate, then what I
> would write would be crap<<<<<<<<
Crap in your opinion - but probably highly commercial and highly creative and sellable.
>>>>>>>>I did make the
> point of never using other people's loops. <<<<<<<<
That defeats the whole object!!!!!!!
There are loads of regurgitated loops on the Net [the quality is not consistent] but for the small investment it is worth looking at the 'Time And Space' collection....I recently bought 'Vinylistics 3'...excellent.
Robert, perhaps a secret of success is to stop trying to re-invent the wheel and just get on with making music the way the successful guys do it. I have never questioned anyone successful who has given me advice [in any line of business] I just get on, learn from them , and do it their way....works every time!
"If you want to climb Mount Everest, meet someone coming down"
"Why create mediocrity when you can copy genius?"
>>>>>>>>>>I can't help
> believing that part of the skill of doing it live is
> rearranging things so they DO work, <<<<<<<
Of course...and Elton does it every year on his solo tour...as did Simon And Garfunkel at the famous Hyde Park concert. But it is not a techniqe that will hold up. Eventually the public realise that it is a money grabbing tour and will not support it.
You miss the point that it is OK for a well established artist to do an 'off the wall', small band, tour...even an accapella or unplugged tour...but if YOU did that or any 'not so known' artist did it, it would sound like folk music! You could only get gigs at folk clubs. Correct? And as regards a live band...every 'two guitars bass and drums' sounds exactly like the next 'two guitars, bass and drums'.
Robert, I have heard all you have to say so many times. Yet successful writers like Diane Warren, Rob Davies, Cathy Dennis talk exactly and precisely like me....we don't get into the silly arguments, we just get on with making sellable music ....that makes money! We don't care whether it is termed 'good' music...we know that it is good because it makes money! And who knows, an odd time we create a masterpiece that lasts forever....it gives me great pleasure every time I hear anyone sing my arrangement of 'I Believe'.
I have got four releases before Christmas. They will make money...therefore they are 'good' music...I'm happy, the bank manager is happy and my family eat well!
Finally Robert, I feel you are falling into the trap that all the 'newsgroup' music guys fall into. You bicker and moan about the state of 'today' music, instaead of getting in there, competing with it, winning and who knows, even enjoying the experience!
Regards
DEC [Cluskey]
dec@makehits.co.uk
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SHOULD
PLAY-BACK TRACKS BE MASTERED?
Question (3)
Hi dec,
i've got a quick question.
Tomorrow night I have a little gig. I'll do it
half play-back, so only my vocals are live. Today I produced the playback. Now my question: Should I master the Playback just like a "full" Studio version? Or should I leave it unmastered?
Regards
M*****
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M******:
If you can afford to do it and have a good mastering suite nearby in your town/city then do it. It can't take more than an hour for one track....if you get on well with the owners then you can have a constant 'deal' with them....tell them you can come anytime...then you won't interfere with their main money earning clients.....they
always have spare hours in the day.
The reason why you should master backtracks is that the quality will be
better. They can reference the sonic density [the overall warmth/hardness] with your other tracks...so the whole show sounds the same and also they can have all the tracks at precisely the same level. Usually at +4DB.
Regards
DEC [Cluskey]
dec@makehits.co.uk
"The Boss, Dec,
with our managing director Vicci
Esselle and
'Led Zeppelin' pal and legend Jimmy Page"
The Serious Writers Guild is run by
real, successful, active music people....not faceless businessmen.
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MANAGEMENT
WANT ME TO CHANGE MY STYLE?
Question (4)
hi dec,
i need your help.
this weekend i've met up with some guys from a management to shoot some promo photos. (i dont really want anybody to manage me, because i think i need to study my craft first...just needed promo photos..)
One of those guys told me he was interested in working with me as an artist. he pictures me to be "some kind of new elton john", playing the piano, singing.
well... i'm confused, really. i only went there to do some promo pictures (i got them, by the way, they're goooood) and then this one guy (he drives an old Opel by the way) tells me to do things, to change my music, to be less "robbie williams like" and more "elton john like", with some gospel singers in the background plus a choir plus white grand piano...
what do i do if he wants me to change so much? should i just do it to be "in the buisness"? i
don't wanna sign anything, you know. i'd rather work and work and work and gig my a** of, get a fanbase and really become a professional,
business - like superstar.
So, i really need your HONEST advise soon.
Thank you so much
Your member
M*****
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It is hard to know what to think about 'management'. You are absolutely correct about gigging and creating fanbase.
You should understand now that success is all about giving the public what they want. In other words, music and image that will sit comfortably between the Number One and The Number Three this week.
The changes he wants to make should be positively aimed at Number One. We have a guy in the UK [Jamie Cullum] who is just breaking big, playing piano, but his music is 'swing' orientated, new and old...his image is very ripped jeans and 'cool' T shirt. He's a good looking guy.
Just let this guy do all the talking, agree 'in principle' to what he says and always say that you will have to run the deal past your mentor, pal, girlfriend, father...whoever. You can then run it past me!
Regards
DEC [Cluskey]
dec@makehits.co.uk
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A
QUESTION ON FANBASE?
Question (5)
Hi Dec!
I have got a question about fanbase.
I meet more and more promoters and pushers who say that live gigging and building a fanbase won´t help to getting a record deal...
I´m a bit confused. I thought fanbase is an absolute
necessity to have success in this business. Are they only trying to underline their importance? Do they want to give me the impression that I can´t make it without them?? I know that their only interest in me is making money. So they need a
legitimation for what they´re doing in this industry. Going down your route to success would mean doing everything on my own, so I won´t need them. Is that the reason why they tell this stories???
Looking forward to reading what you think about that!
Best Regards
F******
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Database and fanbase is the most important part of 'success'. It is hard to argue that you are not successful if you have a database of 57,000
clamoring for your next white label release or news of your next gigs or TV and Radio appearances?
Those guys you talk of do not know this business.
It is the single biggest, most important thing to aim for...it is the ultimate indication of success.
You should be actively collecting names, addresses, Email addresses at every gig. you should have a newsletter each week/2 weeks/ month...whatever is best at the start.
You should have a web-site with pics of the audience at last night's gig....and an archive of photos for the punters to enjoy...they just love it.
F******...there is a terrible temptation to sit back and wait for an 'agent', 'promoter' to do all this for you.
One of the members had a career blasting to success....he then signed with a major agency in London 18 months ago....
When he was booking himself, and promoting himself, he was working all the time and making
lots....he has not had ONE gig from that major agency!!!!!
Does that tell you something?
Regards
DEC [Cluskey]
dec@makehits.co.uk
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SHOULD
I GIVE OUT CARDS TO PUNTERS?
Question (6)
After shows, when there is an after show party or something, people keep asking me "who i am", if i have a cd out, where they can get my songs and things like that. so
i'm planning on having a website sooooon.
but i would also like to "give something to them", so they can remember me more easily.
so my question is: do "real pop stars", or people who want to be
pop-stars have "visiting cards"? (is that the right word for it? i mean these little cards with your name, your job, your contact data on it...)
because if they had, i would get myself good visiting cards.
but: what would i print on it?
can you tell me?
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You will learn from the ten month program 'How To Make A
$Million From Your Music' that the most important item to start your 'assault' on the public is a merchandising CD. Then, photos, posters, tour brochures.
This is all in the program. That way, folk remember you, have contact details and spread the word about you.
Cards are a bit useless...really, a waste of money. You would be better just asking the simple question:
"Let me have your contact details and we will put you on our
mailing list for the next gigs and the Album release dates." Then write down the details [Email address is important] and then keep in touch through a weekly or monthly news-sheet. It is important to enter them on a proper database 'Works Data Base' or 'Access' are the two most popular programs.
That way, your database will grow and grow...and that is what record companies love...database!
If you give them cards etc. they will never get back to you...trust me...you have to catch them just after your phenomenal
show. Of course, the sale of your merchandising albums, photos, posters, brochures will make you MONEY.
Dec [Cluskey]
dec@makehits.co.uk
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DO I
NEED TO SET UP MY OWN PUBLISHING?
Question (7)
Hi Dec
I look after an R&B production/songwriting outfit, do I need to set up
my own publishing company or do they need to do this themselves?
Regards
K*** D*****
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Hi K***
You will find that artists, in general, don't want to be involved in the 'hard work'...the 'business work' and they always believe that some d*ck will do it for them.
It would seem that you are that d*ck.
But my logic, and the logic of all those that have made a lot of money in this business , is that, if you get up early in the morning and are prepared to do the work then YOU should make the money.
I would certainly form my own Music Publishing Company...it's simple...go to
www.makehits.co.uk/publishing.htm
. We publish the best selling manual in the world "How
To Start Your Own Publishing Company For Less Than £100".
Then you can copyright and publish all the tracks...you get 50%, as the publisher, and the guys get the other 50% between them...that is industry
standard....despite what they may say.
You then get all the contracts signed [all contracts are in the publishing manual] and lodge them with PRS, PPL, MCPS when you have the release date of the first track/tracks. Simple stuff....and if they have success then you make a fortune...if they don't have success, then you go on to the next band etc....and your business grows....and all because you wrote this Email and were prepared to get up in the morning and work hard!
Regards
Dec [Cluskey]
dec@makehits.co.uk
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