https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/y9-wk44-nicks-notebook/ Guitar Noise Discussion Board en-US Thu, 04 Jun 2026 11:32:24 +0000 wpForo 60 https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/y9-wk44-nicks-notebook/#post-369204 Fri, 09 Sep 2011 01:57:58 +0000
How's it going with recording music snippets?]]> Sunday Songwriters Group Chris C https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/y9-wk44-nicks-notebook/#post-369204 https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/y9-wk44-nicks-notebook/#post-369105 Mon, 05 Sep 2011 04:12:06 +0000
I did wonder for a while there if you'd gone "missing in action", perhaps due to illness/accident or pressing work drama. So it was good to see the later entries.

How do you feel that the "habit" side of things is going for you?

Do you think there's good chance that'll you'll keep writing down ideas on a regular basis? Or maybe get the habit going in some way, but not necessarily do the writing down part?

I was struck by your frank admission (in the original assignment) that you haven't kept notebooks in the past. Me neither. I do know that formal structured diaries and logs don't work for me, but I don't know why. With music, I've never had a practice schedule, a notebook, a planned structure, written goal sheets, or any of the usual recommended strategies. Yet I do put some hours in and I have moved forward. I used to find it frustrating that I was unable, or unwilling, to follow even the simplest practice sheet, but I seem to have accepted that I don't necessarily need to work that way.

LIke you, I have had some experience in IT. In that world it's not just permissible to be disciplined, pedantic, picky, and well versed in the arts of precise planning and structure - it's more or else essential, or your code doesn't run properly. I must have had some skills there, because I still use some programs I wrote over 25 years ago and they still work. I also designed a whole house, and then built it myself - a task that required a great a deal of tightly structured written planning. But not with music...

I guess that you can learn to talk entirely by a combination of listening and improvising. In fact most of us did. You don't have to have grammar classes or textbooks. Although you might learn something that way it's clearly not essential. Many great musicians used the "listen and improvise" method too.

I may have it wrong, but I believe that (among other things) you work in IT, write, act, sing and play - which suggests a strong ability to wear a number of different hats. So do you change more than just the hat? Do you change strategies, methods and approaches too?

Cheers,

Chris]]> Sunday Songwriters Group Chris C https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/y9-wk44-nicks-notebook/#post-369105 https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/y9-wk44-nicks-notebook/#post-369067 Sat, 03 Sep 2011 20:27:33 +0000
So everyone go through everyone else's contributions one more time in case you missed some gems. I know I did.]]> Sunday Songwriters Group Nick Torres https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/y9-wk44-nicks-notebook/#post-369067 https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/y9-wk44-nicks-notebook/#post-368983 Tue, 30 Aug 2011 17:18:18 +0000 Sunday Songwriters Group Nick Torres https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/y9-wk44-nicks-notebook/#post-368983 https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/y9-wk44-nicks-notebook/#post-368969 Tue, 30 Aug 2011 02:11:12 +0000
Coincidentally, there's been some press here recently about the possible dangers of getting henna tattoos in Bali, as some people can get bad skin reactions to them. Here's an article about a boy who now has a dragon shape still on his arm, after the henna itself washed off. Henna scar. So perhaps that's a possible song twist - the guy thinks it will be temporary but it burns in? He could be left 'scarred' by the experiences (both love and tattoo), or maybe he accepts that whatever you do in life has some kind of consequences, or....??

Cheers,

Chris]]> Sunday Songwriters Group Chris C https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/y9-wk44-nicks-notebook/#post-368969 https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/y9-wk44-nicks-notebook/#post-41748 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 20:42:51 +0000
1. a song about a guy who thinks he's in love, but isn't sure, so he gets his girlfriend's name tattoo'd on his arm...in Henna.

2. The line at the grocery store? Out the freakin' door. The line at Dunkin' Donuts? There is no line at Dunkin' Donuts. 5 dozen donuts and 18 Mocha Coolatas should last us through Irene.

Monday:

1. Chimichanga. mmmmmm...I just like the sound of the word. It sounds like the last line of a chorus to me. Maybe a love song. Wait, they're all love songs, aren't they?

2. A digital age break up song

You didn't call
you didn't text
post on my wall
but you know best
you blah blah blah
and blah blah blah
I just wish I had a way to say goodbye

Tuesday

1. I wanna start me a Jihad

Wednesday and Thursday I had nothing, weird...

Friday

I'm gonna shave my head, grow a beard, change my name and disappear

Saturday

I've never been to Starbucks*
it just never appealed to me
paying 10 bucks for some coffee
and WTF is a Venti

*this idea came to me while standing in line at Starbucks.

Second idea:

I'm not too old for you]]> Sunday Songwriters Group Nick Torres https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/y9-wk44-nicks-notebook/#post-41748