Fingers
53 posts
Jun 13, 2011
8:17 AM
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This is my dilemma! i played with 3 bands over a period of 12 years and was considered a good player! and regularly had people raving about my playing at gigs! now recently i have come back to the harp after a 5 year lay off and am playing totally unaccompanied and just for fun! but i am finding when i record myself i feel i don't sound as pure and clear as i once thought i did! now is this because i have no band behind me or am i just my own worse critic? or is it the poor laptop mike? i have watched many fantastic clips on this forum and feel my sound is lacking now!!...have i lost my MOJO???
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12gagedan
55 posts
Jun 13, 2011
8:26 AM
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After a 5-year layoff, what do you expect? Practicing and playing out regularly makes one a better player. Laying off weakens the muscle memory, and diminishes one's skill.
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Joe_L
1286 posts
Jun 13, 2011
10:26 AM
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Yes. You've lost some of it. It'll take some amount of practice to get it back. I did the same thing and started playing again a few years ago. When I started playing again, it's take me a long time to get comfortable again. I think some of it is that I'm older and a better judge, but I know that I had to work at regaining some lost skill.
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nacoran
4198 posts
Jun 13, 2011
12:32 PM
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It depends on what sounds off in the play back. Some recording settings will kill the sound. Listen to your playback and see if it's things like timing. A bad recording set up will pick those up. If it's just tone issues it could be you or it could be how you are recording. I've had times when I've recorded the same thing two different ways at the same time and one sounds good and the other sounds like garbage. Spend some time figuring out recording. That's an art unto itself.
Also, remember that playing alone is different than playing in a band and it's not just that the other instruments covering mistakes or filling out the tone. Playing alone means you have to fill the gaps in you songs and sometimes a riff that plays great as a harmony doesn't have enough to stand alone as a melody.
So, if you have access to better recording setups, even if it's just for an hour or two, that can be a good way to see if it's you or the machine. Even just having someone else take a listen live while you play can help with that, as long as you trust them to tell the truth.
Practice. Some of it's probably rust.
And listen for spots where you were relying on the other instruments and figure out how to adjust for not having them.
As for the laptop, I use my desktop to record. I went out and bought a Blue Yeti USB microphone. That helped my recording a lot. Blue makes nice computer mics. Christelle Berthon uses a Yeti to record. I've seen people use really low end stuff too, but again, that's a skill unto itself.
Ultimately though, it doesn't matter which one it is. The advice is the same. Practice. Listen back. Work on recording skills. You'll find your mojo.
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Andy Ley
118 posts
Jun 15, 2011
9:14 AM
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Skill fade is a bitch!
It galling to have to teach yourself to do something that you could do easily before; I've found myself in the same boat with something else recently.
You have my sympathy sir!
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