A solid work day. First finalised the Sisyphus composition and the words, changing the song structure a bit. Nowadays, a simple verse chorus repeat isn't enough for me, I normally have three or four components which interchange to add variety. One thing I've learned from poetry is the essential point of dramatic contrast which all art needs, so I think of that key part of the song, and aim for lots of other contrasts and mini-dramas too. I've realised that I actually tweak and change songs a lot, sometimes over months or years, so this is an unusual example of checking it and finalising it thoroughly early on, which is a necessary part of a song with lots of live recorded bits.
I recorded the rhythm guitar parts in the afternoon, using a splitter lead so that I could hear the recording as it was happening and the backing track; this really improved how it sounded as it's impossible to hear the exact tone when listening in the room, so this was an important lesson. One challenge will be to mix these guitars. Unlike my (albeit great sounding) electronic guitars, these recordings can vary a lot in tone, strength and level. Variety is good, it's emotional variety, but the tone will differ between each song and performance, so it's more variables to learn to juggle. The tuning is also a bit of a problem. Tuning the guitar on its stand doesn't work as the tuning changes when one moves the guitar to playing position, yet, even then the tuning seems to be correct for individual strings but the performance seems a few cents sharper. Odd (and it doesn't seem to be the 'intonation' via the bridge screws). But then, like a voice, no real instrument is perfect and it this isn't all bad, it adds an organic quality and I can't 100% be sure if the pitch IS right, except by ear - so it can't be that bad.
I probably need more backing guitars. I've not quite worked out the production because how these would sound was and remains an open question. I also need to record lead guitars and add those. Then I'll know what the mix sounds like.
I want to work quickly and get this done, fast lessons are always better than slow lessons.
In other news I've sold print number 12 of The Paranoid Schizophrenia of Richard Dadd. I'm certain all of these will sell and future ones will feature new bigger and more expensive frames. The problem is that the print is currently in the closed Macc Lounge. I am anxious to get this from the shop and to the customer before the lockdown on Thursday. I had planned, last December, to make a new English white-oak (and 18ct gold, and some jewels too) cabinet for the orignal painting this summer, but these were laid waste by Covid; but this has led to a very musical 2020 instead. Art will continue.
