Archive for the JaymeGutierrez Category

Quick Shout-out

by Jayme Posted in JaymeGutierrez, Music | 4 Comments »

I like posting after Joe! …pushing his post down a peg, hee hee hee, he can get a bit boring..
I am starting to notice that the general subject at the moment seems to be about computer fans. So, sorry about that! The plus side is that we both now have clean and more powerful computers!!!! …meaning better video blogs! (Hopefully)

Anyway, changing the subject..

I would like to give a couple of ‘shout-outs’.
Firstly to the person who has been translating all of our posts into Spanish!! So thank you Titi!! (Who will, evidently, be translating this post ;P )
Today I had a little singing lesson with my cousin Helen Monks. She’s a level 2 SLS trained singing teacher (soon to be level 3) and has been giving me some advise and some exercises to do. She has just started a youtube channel; helenmonksvoice. So be sure to check her out if you’re wanting some singing lessons!

Clean The Fan

by Jayme Posted in Computers, JaymeGutierrez | 4 Comments »

So, I sort of got distracted the other day, with this song..
It’s going well and I have all the lyrics done already! I’ve also done the drums, guitar, bass AND recorded the main vocal track, all in a weekend!!!! When I’m inspired and motivated, ideas come so fast!!
The trouble is that it uses up a lot of my time. Sometimes I get so involved that I go passed the hunger stage and then start feeling sick! But I’m a bit more conscious of it now and don’t let it happen as much…

Anyway, hopefully this new song shouldn’t take long. I’ve already started on the harmonies.
I’ve decided to call the song ‘Clean The Fan’ because it’s about my computer fan. Look at how dusty it is!
fan
I had quite a job getting to it, that’s why I’m writing a song about it. I know, I know, the subject sounds petty, but me and ‘Joe!’ have got an idea for a video, that goes very well with it and it’s going to be a funny song that also has a little dig at ‘HP’, for a stupid design! So there’s that, for you all to look forward to!!!

How To Write A Song! 11

by Jayme Posted in JaymeGutierrez, Music | No Comments »

I Haven’t done the harmonies yet because I got distracted.
Just recently I had to completely take apart my laptop, just to clean the fan!
Now, I managed to do it and still carry on with the song, but the problem now is that it has inspired me to write another song!
This often happens when I’m writing, I usually end up working on two or three songs at a time!
This new one is going to be about wanting to clean a laptop fan but having trouble doing it (it’s hard to explain), usually I don’t like to be too literal about what I’m writing about because it can sound a bit cheesy. But I think that, because of what I’m going to do with this new song, it’ll be o.k.

So anyway, it’s going to put a slight delay on the old song (that I’m calling Hannah) because I’m inspired and motivated, so I have to go with it! And this one has a video idea attached to it, so stay tuned for that one!

…I will continue with “Hannah” when I can.

How To Write A Song! 10

by Jayme Posted in JaymeGutierrez, Music | No Comments »

I love doing harmonies!

I usually do them in 3 groups of 5 part harmonies; 5 panned left, 5 in the center and 5 panned right.
I often treat them as if they were like people commenting on the lyrics that are being sung.
Depending on the song, I think that 3 sets of 5 part harmonies can be a bit too confusing, especially when there is lots going on. I think that the average listener listens to a song as a whole and doesn’t always home in on any specific instrument, or harmony, other that the main vocal line. So I don’t think that they get to appreciate a complicated harmony part when the rest of the music is quite busy. It’s also down to my mixing not being good enough to get them heard properly! But hey, I’m still learning.. (that’s why I did a bonus version of “cats and rats” that was just the voices!)

So, for this song I have decided to do 2 groups of 3 part harmonies, panned left and right. That way they should be easier to pick out!
When writing the harmonies, I like to sit in front of my computer with the microphone and a keyboard and record them in as I write them. I don’t bother with doing lots of takes because they’re more in the background than the main vocal, so they don’t have to be as perfect. Also, there are so many parts that it would take me ages to process it all!
So, I listen to the track and think of where to put the harmonies and what they should be saying. Then I press record and see if I like the way it sounds, then check to see if it’s correct and goes with the chords of the song and that it doesn’t change the flavour too much. Finally I check to see if the take needs re-singing or is ok enough.
I always try to avoid singing too many different words on top or the main vocal, because it can be too confusing. Also I try to make sure that the vowel sounds are the same. So that I don’t get one voice in a harmony par standing out above the rest, simply because it’s singing an “aaaa” when it should be singing an “ahhh”. ..and yes, it happens.
So..
That’s how I write and record harmonies!
I’d best get to it…

How To Write A Song! 9

by Jayme Posted in JaymeGutierrez, Music | 2 Comments »

Ok, well I’ve managed to do the vocals now!

I usually record several takes of me singing the whole song, before I start editing. But I don’t do the song the whole way through. I start with the verse over and over then move on to the chorus, e.t.c..
When I have them all down, and am roughly pleased with the performance, I then start comping.
(Vocal compositing or “comping” as I just called it, is basically taking the best bits from the various raw takes and editing them all into one master vocal track)
I never put the microphone away until after the editing because often I’ll find that, on some parts, I’m not happy with any of the takes! So I’ll end up re-recording those takes again. Now, I know I could just simply edit the takes that I don’t like by pitch-bending them or time-stretching them but I think that, apart from lowering the quality of the sound, it’s better and quicker to simply re-record them.

So anyway, now I can start writing the harmonies! Yey!

HP Pavilion Laptop Fan

by Jayme Posted in JaymeGutierrez | 2 Comments »

Today my laptop core temp reached 95º C!!!!
Strangely, my BIOS doesn’t seem to think that the processor is over-clocking because it’s not automatically shutting down! But 95 degrees MUST be hot enough no?
The strange thing is that even after updating the BIOS, it still lets it get this hot!!

So anyway, I think that it’s time to open up the back and give the fan a little clean.. YEAH RIGHT!!! In order to get to the fan; you need to take the whole thing apart (keys, screen, EVERYTHING!!). Why is there not just a simple panel at the back that you can just unscrew and open!!!???

So..
After looking at videos on youtube of people modifying their own fans and even burning holes in the back plastic, for better ventilation and seeing as my laptop is now out of warranty, I’ve started to think of what mods I could do to mine.
Apart from taking the whole damn thing apart and doing some of the mods that people have suggested, I’m also going to see if I can cut a hole in the back piece and fit some sort of home made removable panel, where the fan is, to be able to access it easier for future cleaning..

I start tomorrow… wish me luck!

How To Write A Song! 8

by Jayme Posted in JaymeGutierrez, Music | No Comments »

So, here are the lyrics…

1st Verse:

Oh no..
Here we are, just disagreeing,
Over one small thing that doesn’t really matter,
When you think about it clearly, “You don’t” (I think I’ll have the harmonies sing that)
One more row, we’re both too stubborn,
maybe I’ll back down so I can agree with you,
Let’s be wrong together, A little joke there

Small fuss festers in between us,
We should take big step back, Just to see the bigger picture,
Don’t say you’re not too sure,
I swear there’s more,
So just slow down cos we’re still learning.. Meaning; “not too sure” on the relationship. And “slow down” as in; take time to reflect on what’s important, instead of just arguing because the body is feeling angry.

1st Chorus:

Can’t you see what we have found,
Hard stone feelings forced into the ground,
Past is rock we stand upon,
Storng enough to build.. (a future on). Basically, the memories of all the good times that they’ve spent together should reinforce the reason to persevere through the hard times.

2nd Verse:

But you don’t want to hear,
The point that I’m trying to make is all so clear,
But you’d rather have another heated conversation,
And you still hold to a point even though you know,
I proved you wrong but you can’t let it go,
Because you don’t want to be the loser.  Again, just another silly argument.
I told you once before,
I swear there’s more,
So just slow and learn…

2nd Chorus:

Can’t you see what we have found,
hard stone feelings join to make the ground,
Past is rock we stand upon,
Storng enough to build,
A future on…

Break:

Coz, We are learning,
through these turning,
twisting troubled times of hurting.
fighting, failing, falling, wailing,
trying re-conciliating,
There is so much more for us to learn…

Hannah.. (I put the word “Hannah” in there, purely out of laziness. I needed a two syllable word, so I thought that maybe it could be the guy talking to a girl called “Hannah”, I think I’ll call the song “Hannah” just to make it seem more deliberate!)

3rd Chorus (Double):

Can’t you see what we have found,
hard stone feelings forced into the ground,
And it’s rock we stand upon,
Here to build a future on..

…Hard stone feelings forced into the ground,
And it’s rock we stand upon,
Strong enough to build..

————–

So, I just need to record them and then I can start on writing the harmonies!

How Tow Write A Song! 7

by Jayme Posted in JaymeGutierrez, Music | No Comments »

O.k, quick update; today I added some organ and electric piano.

Now the lyrics….

I often find them quite hard to do because I like them to flow with the song and now sound contrived, when I sing them.
I don’t like to put the stress of the syllable of a word in the wrong place, just so that it will fit into a verse. That is when it sounds forced.
Before I start looking at the rhyming dictionary, I need to know what I want to say. So I think about the line and then write it down in rough. Then I start to make it rhyme and fit to the melody.
I like to use thesaurus.com and rhymezone.com to help me with words, when I get stuck.

So, now I’m off to try and write. This may take a while…

How To Write A Song! 6

by Jayme Posted in JaymeGutierrez, Music | No Comments »

So…..

Again I return, to let you all know a bit more about what I’ve been up to!
I’ve done all of the guitar!!!
(Just so you know, “Joe!” has also been filming some of my progress along the way, so you will also be able to see a video of the progress too! I’m not sure when he will have time to edit it though..)

Anyway..
I’ve done the intro guitar, some rhythm guitar and some extra guitar to beef up the piano on the verse, some distortion guitar picking with psychedelic delay on it and then some rhythm guitar with distortion for the chorus. Oh, and the ending bit of guitar, that fades out.

Luckily I didn’t have much trouble finding the tones that i wanted, so that sped things up a bit!
But then I was slowed down because I broke a string. And me being me, I had to change them all because the only replacement string I had was a 9 gauge, from a different pack of strings. The ones I had on were 10s.
That meant that all the parts that I record with the new strings are going to sound brighter than the parts that I had already done with the old ones and that the tone would also be thinner!
But fortunately all the bits I had already done were rhythm guitar, so they didn’t need to be that bright! And lucky for me, all I had left to do was the picking, and bright & thin is exactly what I want for cutting through the mix!
However, having new strings on meant that after every take I had to check the tuning. But it seemed to say in tune perfectly (that Gibson I won is amazing!).

I think the psychedelic delay, on the picked guitar, is going to end up causing a problem, when I start putting in more instruments because of the delay. Although, come to think of it, the delay is pitch shifted one or two octaves higher than the original pitch, so as long as I don’t have anything else going on up there then I should be alright. We’ll see..

I think that it is also going to need some organ on the chorus, to fill it out a bit. And I’m hearing some electric piano on the second part of the verse. Hmmmmm…..

Anyway, that’s it for now.
Stay tuned for more!

How To Write A Song! 5

by Jayme Posted in JaymeGutierrez, Music | No Comments »

So, before I start, I bounce down the bass and then save the project under a new name, so that I can save on processor!
Now I have the bass, piano and drums all bounced down into individual stereo tracks.
Next stop guitar…

Again, before I start writing the part I need to search for the sound/tone..
I find that it’s much easier to compose a piece of music when I’m playing an instrument that sounds nice, or sounds nice when playing along to the track. I need to be able to appreciate and enjoy the sound. If I’m playing with old guitar strings on an acoustic guitar, it sounds dead and boring. But when I have a new set on, it sounds bright and interesting and suddenly I can hear all the detail in the note, making me realize that the simple song I played before I changed the strings is actually quite nice and doesn’t need to be made any more complicated! It makes me enjoy listening to it and that’s when I get the best ideas!
So, that’s another reason why it’s so important for me to get the right sound, not just to go well with the song, but to appreciate and enjoy listening to it, inspiring me to continue.
For this song I have decided to use electric guitar and no acoustic guitar, so…
Like the bass; I make a mono audio track and patch it through to a stereo group channel track, with GR4 on an insert and then I start messing around with effects!
I can spend a whole day or two, messing around with different amps and effects, just searching for the right sound! Now, in this song, I’m going to use the guitar to give the piano some more guts and at the same time not be too out front on the verses. Obviously I want the guitar intro to stand out because it’s going to start just with guitar, so I’ll make a different patch for the intro and for the verse. I think I’ll go for some heavier distortion for the chorus and some distortion guitar picking as well… ..maybe panned left, not sure.. So that’s another two patches.. Oh.. and one more patch for something that I have just heard in my head, that I think will go well! So, in total; 5 patches to do! …maybe 6..
Well, I’d best get busy…

Stay tuned!