Define and agree on your band's idea of "Making it" Currently in a bluegrass band (mandolin, kick drum, gango, bass vocals) that came together for a one off fall festival and still playing together 15 years later. Our "making it" is playing for fun, for free, and often for audiences that can't get out to see live bands like nursing homes, memory care centers, etc... Currently on pause for our lead singer/guitar/harmonica to go through various cancer treatments and bone marrow transplant
Typically the definition of "making it" refers to having sex. But after the 1960s, that changed to "getting paid for the thing in question such that you can earn a living doing said thing.' My condolences to your guitarist. Cancer is a bitch.
@@WhatGrenadeWhere Thanks - will pass it on! This is 6 years ago and recorded on a cell phone at a music festival we played at: ua-cam.com/video/JLZWZchOaC0/v-deo.html
That's a really awesome goal! A friend of mine's dad spent the last 10 years of his long life going to senior homes with various musician friends to play old timey stuff. He got to be a bit of a rock star in his twilight years and both gave and received a ton of joy. Best wish to your singer for a full recovery.
"Don't be afraid to sound like yourself" Christ, that might just be the most profound advice you've ever given. Everyone wants to be the next EVH, but so few people realize that those chops are one in a million. Refine and realize your own chops.
Even if sounding like yourself means time-aligning (by re-recording until you play it within a gridline) and perfecting the studio project, because you like your sound fucking tight, and you are partial to that Bob Rock or Mutt Lange hyper-produced crystal sound.
the sad part is that nowdays those guys aren't copying EVH, but a mediocre (yet skilled) bunch of people more interested in selling signature gear than making music
@@Jacksabbath44 Yeah music always reeks when making money from it is obviously the artist's goal number 1. The good shit is from people who didn't care about he fame or the money.
I seriously never got the whole "We have to compete with what's out there" mentality. Maybe because I have never really been competitive, but I just want to exist. There is plenty of space out there and I am willing to let my music stand on its own. Whether people like it or hate it, it is mine and I did it my way.
nah, whoever inspired you, that's who you're competing with. you just aren't inspired by the mainstream, so you don't feel competitive with them. but whoever your favorite band is, you're competing with them, even if you can't consciously notice it.
@@perfectallycromulent I completely disagree. I think the fallacy you have committed is that you assume to know the inside of my head better than I do. A fraction of individuals that inspire me to play what I write, aren't even in my genre. I pull fragments from those that came before and mix them my way for a song that may indirectly have seven people to thank from three different genres, two of which may not even be metal. I would be truly impressed if you successfully compared Bach to Emperor, or Michael Buble to Electric Wizard, because my favorite band changes pretty frequently. Second to that, I am very boring to play a game of Risk with and I don't give a toss about any sportsball teams, as I am not competitive.
I think too many bands ignore the vocals in their band. Having a good lead singer is great, but when you have 1 or 2 other guys in the band capable of singing as well, you are creating a unique dynamic that no other band has. That knocks out "Refine Your Act", "Get Your Own Sound, "and Turn off Autotune" all in one pop. People respond to the vocals the most in music, and vocal melodies are pleasing to the ear.
This may seem a bit old school. But it is a good idea. Watch the documentary 'Get Back' of the Beatles. It is long. But it really shows the writing process of the song writing process as it should be. And also from quite possibly the best song writing group ever. They all have some ideas, and then they run through them again, and again adding ideas, and play around till something clicks. You do not need to be a Beatles fan to get what they do about writing songs. True they were never 'metal'. But that should not matter. Making some great songs is mostly a colab of at least two, or more people. JMHO. oops. lol. I made this comment just before you brought up the Beatles. But, agreed.
Great remarks and for all the gearslutz out there.. notice they're not using Rickenbackers and Vox amps.. just regular Epiphones and Fender twins.. so freakin great.
What’s the point of being in a band to play someone else’s music? If you don’t play a part in writing songs (your part could be as simple as a couple fills from a drummer or a little turnaround on bass) then you might as well join a cover band. If you have complete control over what everyone else is doing you might as well do some solo stuff.
As the guitarist in my band, I structure the songs and write the riffs and an occasional vocal melody, and the rest of the members add their own flare, such as adding a new structure to the song, whether it’s a bass line or a new verse or even change a riff or the vibe/meaning of the song entirely. This kind of collaboration is missing in today’s world!
I love that you mention vocal melody. I think that is one thing that bands lack these days is vocals. In all honesty, the element most people (who aren't musicians) respond to the most in music is the vocals. Far too many bands ignore this element all too much. Having multiple vocalists in the band is great because you can knock out Glenn's #8, 9, and 10 on his list just by developing the vocals in the band. The one thing each band has that is truly unique are the vocals. Everyone has a unique vocal tone, and in many cases vocal style. Creating choruses with vocal melodies that are in key will almost automatically give you a unique sound for your band and something for the audience to sing along to. My band has 4 vocalists (only 1 lead vocalist though), so anything we do in a recording, we can pull off live, which is a plus.
For a long time in my old band I was writing both guitar parts, the bass part, and vocal lines (I am NOT a vocalist!) because the others were just bringing very little to the table. At the time I was flattered that they liked what I was doing so much they rarely changed things...it took me longer than I should admit how toxic it really was. The day it clicked for me that the rest of the band wasn't really a band was a day I went to practice puking sick because I swore I'd be there, three of the other dudes barely showed up physically and never mentally, and when I asked if anyone had anything new to work on, all I got was "Well, dude, you were sick. So....you want some soup or something?". It dawned on me right then that no one had called and checked on me, no one gave a damn at all, and that I was carrying the load. I told them I was too sick to play, packed my shit and went home. I initially determined that I would go back to practice when they called me, and 17 years later I've not heard from them since. It hurt at first, but I'm really glad I cut that tie.
My band actually went in to a studio micked up everything and recorded a raw album together, no mixing no mastering just our raw sound and we loved it. Was the most fun I've had in a studio. If you would like to hear it just let me know, we are from Sweden. 4 hours and 8 songs, they have their imperfections but we are proud of that album.
Alright let us se if third time is the charm, we are called Within and here is a link to one of our songs on youtube from that album. It's called In Hell, I'm the singer ua-cam.com/video/tqpFFPipNJs/v-deo.html
@@CamiloPefaur thak you my friend, that hit me right in the feels. A lot of years of practice i took me to get there and I still learn every day and evolve :)
I agree with all this advice. The hard part for me has been finding people to play with that I can depend on. Most quit after we’re done rehearsing a setlist, then I have to start the process all over again. This has been going on for 4 years Most people have a difficult job marketing and writing good songs. I can’t even keep a band together Any tips?
I went through that for 33 years in LA. Finding reliable people with talent who want to work and take it seriously is very difficult. It's like the college curse of "the group project."
I've given up relying on others....it's why I've resorted to One-Man-Metal studio project....and I'm much happier. That being said......finding fans is like finding a purple unicorn.
Can we just give Glenn a trophy or something for actually trying to teach people how to do their job right? I was in 2 bands. Both of them fell apart. Both were doing half of the things from precious vid, and almost none of the stuff in this one. Bro, thank you for the work you're doing
I started doing this band solo because I couldn’t find anyone else determined to do what I wanted to do. Sure, it’s not metal and it has synths and drum-machines but atleast I’m doing something I want to do. It’s inspiring to see you talk about this. I suck at marketing and need to get good at it. You’re saying the things every musician should hear. DIY is a good way to go these days. You can really build an audience if you are good at what you do.
My band, the Stiff Lips recorded the rhythm section of our new EP live off the floor but we also only gave ourselves three takes of each song, with the best take being used each time, mistakes and all. Nobody but us notices the mistakes, haha. Good old-fashioned Rock 'n' Roll.
@@johnchedsey1306 I couldn't agree more. 'Happy accidents' can definitely help a song stand out a bit. Good musicians can usually make an error sound intentional. Hendrix said something along the lines of 'I've been copied so much I'm now hearing people copying my mistakes'
Having a realistic written list of goals helps, and motivates you to follow them. If you have a target which is achievable, you can work out how to do it. It could be saving for some recordings, trying to get a gig at a certain venue or working on a cohesive show. I have found a great idea for promotion is to get custom guitar picks made. They can be cheap, and guitarists are always in need of them. Give them away at shows, or even sell them at cost. Guitarists would buy them to use if undercutting guitar shops, and non musicians would buy as souvenirs. Leaving them around shared practice rooms helps too. If they are well designed, every guitarist in your area will be carrying around adverts for your band.
for the writing together thing, i understand that. unfortunately, i have had a past of extremely unreliable bandmates and have had to write almost everything on my own as a result. however, whenever i get new members i always make sure to encourage them to take their own spin on things and to feel free to add ideas.
In my current band our guitarist adds chords to lyrics a friend of his from outside the band shares with him. It comes out pretty good. He has a very simplistic view of bass though and always suggests that I play the root, lol. I am a very creative and talented player who has spent years in various bands from a youngish age. So I supply the songs with some unique basslines. It's insulting and funny when he tells others he wrote the music though, lol. It's not that he is consciously taking the credit, he actually thinks the bassist just doesn't count as a contributor so the music was all his. It's ok I can handle it but guitarists are sometimes a little self centered in my experience. Our music would be a little lifeless without my contribution. That's one reason why some band members don't take part in writing I imagine. You have to make your co writers remember the credit is not theirs alone.
Thanks Glen, this video was Taylor made for my band. We just recorded our first single. It was done without any fancy equipment, drum samples, or effects like auto tune. It was recorded old school, on a 24 track reel to reel. We did however give the tracks to someone more experienced than us to mix but only basic effects and mixer automation were used to make mix down easier. We learned a lot in the process, but are very proud of what we accomplished with old analog technology. Would love to send you a copy of the song to review and give us your thoughts before it’s released on the streaming platforms. Thanks for all your great advice over the years.
Not metal, but… I’ve recorded five albums for one band, and they have a routine. They rehearse their songs and play live gigs regularly for a year before they come in. Two days in the studio to record their album, it’s mostly off the floor, and it goes quickly because they have worked out their sounds and parts. It’s great not to have to razor blade their parts (yea, tape). After their album is done, they start working on the next album’s songs. Another (folk) band I am working with for the first time tried this at my suggestion and the feel was immediately quite tight, and even half of the ‘scratch’ vocals and guide parts are keepers. Even though this is a metal channel, I always find a number of takeaways that helps me in the folk/bluegrass/jazz genres I usually work on. Love it!
We record live all the time everytime. Granted no 2 sessions are the same, we have fun doing it and our music has evolved over time sounding better. Next ill be putting our speakers with the Sheffield 1230 installed. An old 90s speaker that everyone around us likes.
Love the point about tracking live off the floor. Strapping Young Lad's Alien had the drums recorded with the whole band playing along and they re-recorded all the bass, guitars and vocals later. Sure only the drums were used from the initial live of the floor session but that live feeling carries across on the album because there was at least one "real" live element.
I guess I always thought this was the way it was done to begin with. You play "live" with the band in the drummer's headphones while recording him. How else do they do it? The drummer just "jerome jerome the metronome" sits down and bangs it out perfectly from memory without hearing the song?
Hanson Brothers (Nomeansno's side band) did a "live" album that only retained the vocals and drums from the actual show. The guitars and bass had to be rerecorded. Still represented what their show was basically like minus the stench of sweat filled leather jackets and Tommy Hanson's drool.
@@snap-off5383 A lot of bands today will pre-produce demo tracks to programmed drums and click that the drummer plays too. I'm sure it probably was the norm back in the day. The mean reason I cited Alien was because I watched the making of the other day. The album is an example to contextualise the point. I'm not saying that it's the only album that ever did it this way.
If you’re lucky enough to still be young, embrace your youth. Driving around to play bars 4 nights a week is a lot easier and more fun when you don’t have a mortgage or 401k to think about.
My band is currently in the process of recording our first record in the studio, and we did all the bass and drum tracks live on the floor along with scratch track guitar, and then went back and overdubbed the guitar and vocal tracks in full takes over it instead of punching in everything one measure at a time. And the crazy thing is, it feels like real music.
I believe gas is a reason many bands sound alike, we are allways connected either by algorythms or communities onto the latest news about those gear and stuff, and we do maintain some sort of consensus about which is the best for this and that, so we all end up with the same gear being used the same way. Past are the days of finding something obscure, buying it because you dont know better but finding your tone within it, or making it do with something you have because a whole new amp just for a clean tone is not on your paygrade so yours end up a bit messy but makes you play around its flaws, which makes you grow some character as a player.
Glen!!!! Your advice is absolute gold! I wish you were around when I was in a band in the 90s. Now as a father of 2, my 14 year old girls are following my footsteps. I just wish you had a 'bleeped' out version of your shows. They need to learn these important pointers.
"Write songs together". Of all the advice, I suspect this may be the most rewarding for many bands. I've been around and worked for a few successful bands (in the punk world, but the same approach can apply). The various members would often work on song ideas on their own, but bring them into practice for the full band to mold into shape. Karl Alvarez from All/Descendents basically described it as this: "It's like your buddy finds an old classic car to work on. He brings it to the shop and everyone gets excited about the possibilities of what they can do with it". Nomeansno brought in the riffs and the band arranged them into songs together, often starting at one point and the finished song being a whole different beast. These bands have survived over 40 years with fans still listening (although NMN is retired). Part of their success was working hard at songs to make them stand the test of time. A good song idea will be improved if a good band kicks it around and works it into shape.
Here is a little idea I had about a great substitute for live performances during covid. Get your band together and do live streams either every 2 weeks or weekly. Also, play songs that you haven’t recorded and/or released yet for demonstration purposes. This will get people excited and gives your fanbase (that you have built through those streams) an idea of what actual live shows from you could be once the situation gets better.
I can only agree! Meshuggah recorded Violent Sleep of Reason live on the floor, and that's their best sounding record imo just because it goes away from the rigid nature of their genre.
Glenn would still hate it because its modern metal so he assumes its all autotuned and prefected when the reality is meshuggah are just amazing musicians
To add to the topic of recording live on the floor, I know everyone knows Metallica and they’re so massive and everything, but the black album was near perfectly produced and became one of the hugest most popular music albums of all time, and from what I’ve heard they recorded it live in the studio together. Kinda awesome.
@@grindcoreblues7517 Yeah that’s definitely a good point how it was a completely different context, but yknow epic open floor recording. Thanks for the suggestion, I know my brother has a shirt or two of theirs as well and he’s a big metal head so I’ll give it a go since I haven’t.
@@grindcoreblues7517 Thanks for clarifying, that absolutely made sense and was very well put lol. Kinda disappointed that I’m 18 currently and missed out on the popular days of good ole classic recording methods and only recently started getting into playing guitar tbh, but at least there are lots of extra conveniences with the tech as well.
As a 61 yr old guitar player, and drummer n learning mode still !!in the early days we did not have a lot of toys like today but being yourself and making mistakes is real shit!! real is cool guys everyday there is something to replace what u are making payments on ,so be real guys do u own shit don't copy others so much . I been around seen and heard a lot ,today is my birthday 61 if I could get an 61 SG for my birthday would appreciate it lol ! great video SSS.
Maybe this makes me a megalomaniac drummer, but if I have to present "here's a new idea for a fill, is it OK with you guys?" to the rest of my band, unless it's a song we've gigged 100x already, then I'm in the wrong band. I'm here to present my own POV and to mesh with the rest of the band in interesting and sometimes challenging ways to help everybody improve, break out of a rut, etc etc. If all a band wants is for me to play the exact same thing every single time, just program your own drums and leave me out of it; I'm happy to find somebody else to play with who is interested in growing musically.
I am really enjoying this channel and it has inspired me as a 43 yr old who’s been playing since I was 15 to keep practicing.. I can’t solo and I’m going to learn finally damn it .. thank you
SPOT ON!!! Funnily enough, my band from 30 years ago has just been signed (which is bizarre). The album has real drums, no fucking autotune, our guitar sound, songs written together, recorded onto tape, no fucking Pro Tools editing, variable timing, mistakes included, and all recorded & mixed in a week. It sounds great - the complete antithesis of shit-boring modern metal. Oh, and it has dull snare because the drummer's a fucking drummer and forgot to buy a new snare head. 😄
@@giuliano8031 To be honest, I'll probably forget! The CD is probably 3 ish months away but the vinyl has an 8 or 9 month wait (fucking Adele's fault apparently!). I'm not going to divulge any info until I'm 100% sure its been pressed. I've been through this wait a couple of times before and it didn't end well...
@@Jacksabbath44 If you're referring to my drummer, sample blending wasn't a thing in 1993. But yes, it is what would be done nowadays. The drums were recorded on a Sunday when no shops were open and as we only had a week, we were on a crazily tight schedule.
In my studio I keep Eminence Swamp Thangs, Governors, Legends and Celestion G12T-75s, G12 S50s, Vintage 30s, G12 KJ85s, Seventy 80s, greenbacks, creambacks, and I'm probably missing something. I like to show folks some options. The hardest part is keeping them from mid scooping their Marshall MGs. I reamp them with my Laney VH100R with greenbacks, and they're like, "wow my rig sounds amazing!"
I love: : ..."people could sing just fine before Auto-Tune was invented".......And he drops a picture of Rob Halford with Priest! Fuck yeah! Just because of that, Im subscribing (something I never do)..... Great breakdown. Very real. Thankyou D. From Castle Lantern Studio
“Be entertaining”.. that’s a big one.. A lot of us forget about that. A lot of us don’t even know it how important it is. Yes, besides being a “good musician” you must be a good entertainer. I’ve learned the hard way that yes, being a good musician is important but if you can’t entertain, forget it.
So I do the all the recording for my band. We had a very poor experience in the studio and decided that we could produce something of greater quality if we did it ourselves. We learned a lot about prioritizing the band. But we ended up getting an electronic drum kit and superior drummer. I did not want to have to program the drums so we use the drum kit as a midi controller. We also have made the kits feel as live as possible. You see a major difference in drummers when there are no dynamics, as referenced in the video. So we learned how to make a programmed drum kit actually come to life and sound less digital because we allow for the human error, we do not do time correction. There was a lot in this video that hit home and I’m glad to hear that while things are moving slowly for us currently our goal as a band is a solid plan.
Honestly, I have had people come up and ask what gear I use after a set. They're the other bands members, more often than not, but it does happen. Your point still stands, there is no reason to buy specific gear to impress anyone. The gear you need to recreate the sounds in your head is the only gear you should buy.
I know that this is a metal channel, but I'm really hoping that the latest Beatles/Peter Jackson film will inspire a lot of people to make music the way that the Beatles did. So inspiring to see a group of musicians throwing ideas around constantly and pitching in ideas (hey, even their road manager Mal Evans made suggestions to Paul for lyrics to 'Long and Winding Road' and Paul was up for it). Creativity within that bunch was just like moss growing, and we were led to believe that the Beatles hated each other at the time. If that was the Beatles on a bad day, then lord help the rest of us.
We played 44 shows during covid & took advantage of the vacuum. Launched the band in March 2020, 3k followers by the end of '21. Sometimes you just have to be willing to do what the other guys won't.
i love what your saying our band usually records all live practice and every now and then there is a real jem and the rest helps us see what we are doing wrong
On "Being original" I made a checklist of things that everyone else does, so l know what to avoid: 1. Does it chug, or go widdly-widdly? 2. Do the kick drums sound like a helicopter? 3. Are the guitars tuned as low as they can go? 4. Are the guitars tuned in standard? 5. Screaming? 6. Masks or extreme make-up? 7. Use of audio clips from TV and Movies for dramatic effect? 8. Distortion, Compression, effects in general? 9. Is the band logo an illegible mess of barbed wire or rose stems? 10. Does the band's name begin "The"?
Dude, we've strayed so far from what makes metal, and even music as a whole worth enjoying. It's hard to find music that excites me anymore because most of it is so boring and lifeless. Glenn is 100% right and I will admit I fell into the trap of striving for perfection for a long time. Thanks Glenn!!! You are fucking awesome.
If you haven’t already, you should make a video like this about the epidemic of one man “side/solo projects” that every djent bro seems to think is a good idea.
I had a band fall apart once cuz I didn’t want someone else to play my drum parts if I couldn’t perfectly play a last minute off the fly change. It wouldn’t be like I showed up and didn’t know the song(s) it would have been like they came up with something completely new during tracking and would want someone else just to do it instead of just having me play the parts we already had before the studio
When it comes to 8 string guitars I think animals as leaders has the best all around sound. I don't know who's mixing their stuff, but its the best I've heard in the 8string world
Greetings, I just started to making my first album, I use garage band as an idea then take the idea to the engineer. an by far it is turning out better than i had ever believed. I don't care what anyone tells you, listen to your engineer!
Singing lessons are real! I'm getting up in years so my face isn't getting me breaks anymore. I took 2 lessons and my vocals have improved dramatically.
I don’t comment much on youtube, but I have to say: keep up the awesome videos. You literally have the most solid advice delivered in an entertaining way. Great stuff!
Formed a band during the pandemic, I don't know how, but we've played 2 shows a month for the past year in the western US and have only had one show that was a bust, and every show we've made money from tickets and our merch. That's kinda amazing and didn't expect that.
The editing and cuts and structure of this video is just so well done, apart from the good message- this is a really well made video to convey it, thank you glenn :)
So the band I'm in has spent the last six months songwriting at practice every week. It's amazing how you think you've got something down, then someone will come up with something that makes the track. We're now getting ready for performances and recording, leading to things like social media and (ugh) things like branding. This channel has given me so much insight and ideas (we're looking at live room recording, because the best element of the band is the way our dynamics work off of each other), so thanks and a Merry Fuck you for some of the best and most helpful videos out there.
If you are gonna use autotune (I don't understand why if it's to fix your singing) Use it as an effect. Here's a good example. Yes I know a lot of people hate Avenged Sevenfold on here but when they used autotune once it was to make a vocal sound different. They hard autotuned the vocals so you could hear it bouncing up and down and it made a cool dynamic to the very end of the song. Use it for backing vocals (More specificlly on demos). Use it to practice your vocals (Yes this actually fucking works) It's how I got better with singing my own songs. Back a few years ago the key of A was the most difficult key for me to sing in. I wrote a song in the key of A, sang the song in a key I was most comfortable in and pitched it up to the proper key and practiced singing it in that key. Autotune doesn't have to be just an effect to fix someone's voice. It can be used as a production tool rather than a tool the band will use to make their vocalist sound "Okay"
When go to a gig I always check the band gear, the pedalboard, guitar brand ,cables,monitors (probably owned by the venue) rack amps of course all the stuff so there is always 1 sober guy at shows who loves to check all that stuff ,trust me :)
I have interviewed many in bands that just 'made' it .. The common theme was they were together for 6 - 8 years before 'making' it. The vast majority of bands grind to make it.. Willie nelson said " it took 20 yrs to become an overnight success "
Noticed as we get older less people want to play. I consistently had a band since I was 16. As I got older (41 now) it’s just myself and another chap who is around the same age playing together. We write, jam, record, put stuff out. We both have families now, and see that this is the main excuse from other players. “Wife won’t let me anymore”, “kids have lacrosse practice”, “I have to be up early for work” “the pandemic dude. Can’t go out” However, noticed that myself and my drummer seem to get A LOT MORE done just the two of us. Pros and cons I guess!
Glenn, about 22 years ago, some friends of mine were recording with Michael Wagener at Wireworld. I was doing demos for what would be my fourth album and asked them if it wouldn't be too much to pass 'em over to Michael for an opinion. And he basically, in raw & honest German fashion, ripped apart the recording, mostly the guitar for "being all over the fuckin' place" frequency-wise. (This was the first time I was attempting an all digital recording). Had I not listened to and taken his criticism as something that would make my production skills better, I would have never learned of the concept of "spectral managment", which is one of the most important things as mix engineer needs to know. The prick kid in me was fuming, but the adult said "calm down, junior, remember this is the guy who has done Ozzy and Metallica, and you might just want to listen to some free advice!" I'd post a few sound samples, but, you know, that CD Baby thing....
Hey Glen! My band just put out a 3-song demo EP on Bandcamp, and we've received a really warm reception, so much so that a small independent label from Belgium contacted us wanting to do a physical release. What should we be weary of? Am I looking a gift horse in the mouth?
Im glad you made that video it makes me think don’t do that do that and if I do wanna take it to the next level like a living I know how to do it properly and how to make it work
For #2, it also comes down to who wants to participate in the writing process. In lots of bands only the guitar player is actually willing to put in the time and creativity 😅
A little research backing for your drummer flatulence statement: Edwin Gordon, one of the greatest music education researchers of all time, suggested that percussionists be taught both drums and bellset (basically xylophone) from the beginning because playing drums doesn't work your melodic or harmonic brain. Basically, drummers, if you want to be a good musician, pick up a melodic/harmonic instrument and learn them both! Guitar may be your best bet if you play metal.
Darkside (drummer in the band Mgła) started out playing xylophone. His cymbalwork is insane. There's a drum cam on Exercises in Futility V where he plays melodically on almost all his cymbals in 16ths, switching hands on snare while keeping a stable 16ths double kick backbeat.
Related to #8...I think it's beneficial to explore guitar tones from outside of metal. For example, I love the tones of Robin Trower and Carlos Satana. Dial something in and tweak it to make it your own. Also, don't dismiss clean tones like some metal players seem to do.
5:05 - On top of that, the Beatles also wrote over 200 songs before recording their first album. That way: (1) They had a set list of 200 songs to choose from to put on their debut album, increasing the odds of at least one song being a hit and (2) If the debut album was a success, they had over 180 songs to pick from to put on their sophomore album, on top of the new songs they wrote. The big mistake most bands make is for their debut album or EP, the songs on the album are the first songs they ever wrote, along with the 2 or 3 extra songs that didn't make it on the album because of lack of space for them. ...
Great vid as always Glen! Im a guitarist (playing for 15 years) starting a new band with a good buddy (bassist) and his friend who is now my friend (synth/keys) and we are writing original songs. Kind of a psychedelic inspired alt rock/punk/metal thing, but we also kinda suck. Most of the advice given here is already incorporated (were writing together, not gear sluts, metronome is not law) but, 1. Im terrified because we actually are kind of developing our own sound. 2. We need a drummer... i think? Yea where does one find a drummer? I went to guitar center and didnt find one for sale xD But really i dont want to go to the studio without one. engineer does not equal good drums.
Live off the floor rocks. One of my favourites is Reeve Gabrels Rockonica, one off end to end off the floor recordings warts and all and they sound epic.
I love seeing the reactions to the hate comments, Glenn! I don't agree with all of your opinions, or even everything you say in this video, but people don't seem to understand that I don't have to agree with you 100 percent of the time to still appreciate the content. On the topic of 8 string riffs though, while I do agree that it can be stale, there's an incredible amount of people that use 8 strings to do amazing stuff, and there are many riffs that I would consider iconing, as well as many other people. After spending a period of time in the extended range guitar community, you'll definitely see a number of songs that people bring up consistently over a long period of time, just like with any other riff that anyone else might seem iconic. Either way, keep up the good content!
Point 2 is world changing. I was the premadonna on the 7, I wanted the next level. So I got a job at Dominos and found the best drummer in the house and rocked out with him 2-4 nights a week for 4 years garage bad style. It makes you into something you can't get from a formula, it taught me to listen and take turns leading the conversation in jam space. Usually we end up with at least one jam that has an album worthy vibe to it, and it's easy now Seriously, you want to find the best band members ever go deliver pizza and learn how to talk with your instruments for a few hours from nothing. The ideas present themselves in time
Know when to get a lawyer and an accountant. The accountant will help with knowing where money is going or needs to go, and where it all comes from. The lawyer is for getting the band legally setup with name, logos, legal separation between the people and the business, reading over contracts, and making sure that the band is the owners of all of its intellectual property.
I love that new speaker combo that you have it sounds amazing! I have found a sound that I like as well that is slightly different than most. I like the 5150 with a 4x12 like most but then I use a Marshall Valvestate VS100 through a 4x12 as well and mix the sound and it is pretty cool.
Awesome. I've been hooked on your format since I discovered these vids earlier this year (Feb 2021). The humor keeps me engaged, but the advice keeps me coming back. Happy Frickerstag!
Learning to listen to criticism and suggestions from your bandmates is incredibly important and the inability for the ego-driven "band leaders" to do this is likely why most bands end up falling apart. And this is not unique to bands struggling to make it. In the "Get Back" Beatles documentary George Harrison actually quits the band after a miserable few weeks because Paul and John (mostly Paul) won't listen to what he has to say. And John just shrugs it off saying they'll get Eric (Clapton) to replace him. Listen to your band mates, keep an open mind, and apologize when you are wrong. Be more like George when he helped Ringo out with his "octopus song" and less like John not giving a fuck if you stay or go. If your ego can't stand to take criticism or suggestion by your bandmates then hire session musicians off fiverr instead.
I can totally see where you're coming from with the auto-tune argument, but I don't think it's that simple. Although there certainly are cases of mediocre singers being autotuned to sound good enough, you also have great singers using it. I think it doesn't have to be on at all times, but there's nothing wrong with liking the sound of it and including it on a part of a song where you think it fits (also, autotune can sound really subtle, you don't have to go full robot). After all, you'd never tell a guitarist to turn off their effects because they sound unnatural. Oh, and as for the iconic riffs that use extended-range guitars, I'm not that knowledgeable on 8-string guitar music, but "Bleed" by Meshuggah is definitely one. When it comes to 7-string guitars, you have "Blind" by Korn and "Icarus Lives" by Periphery.
as a guitarist, bassist, and drummer that does all of the music myself, I completely agree with all of this. everything my friends show me in metal now I get confused and as them "is this [insert modern metal band name here]" and they say no it's not. I have a very hard time telling what band is who nowadays and I try to take pride in how I use the gear I have to make it sound different. I don't by any means think I'm better than any other band out there but I try to avoid using the same techniques modern bands because I don't want to try to sound like everyone else. also using a more less popular tuning than drop Z lmao.
I laughed so hard when you said, “once upon a time we had actual drummers on record, imagine that.” Thanks for giving us some credit 🙏
me too xd. Are you a drummer? i admire drummers
Drummers Unite!... Tomorro! xD
He said we're good at farting too 😀
HOORAY for drummer love! Give us some help loading in and out too please. Least you can do, as we'll be buying our own sticks and heads regular.
we aren't extinct just yet
Im in a band starting out, the bass player is oddly enough always on time if not early. He even empties his own drool bucket!
I'm a bass player, and I can confirm that even I empty my own drool bucket.
Not the bass players we knew existed, but the bass players we need
He’s early, even when playing in odd time signatures.
@@idrinkmercury lucky for me he usually forgets to turn his volume knob til hes caught up and wonder why he doesnt hear anything 🤣
Define and agree on your band's idea of "Making it"
Currently in a bluegrass band (mandolin, kick drum, gango, bass vocals) that came together for a one off fall festival and still playing together 15 years later. Our "making it" is playing for fun, for free, and often for audiences that can't get out to see live bands like nursing homes, memory care centers, etc...
Currently on pause for our lead singer/guitar/harmonica to go through various cancer treatments and bone marrow transplant
I wish your guitar player the best and that he may conquer cancer. Let him know some random guy online is rooting for him.
Typically the definition of "making it" refers to having sex.
But after the 1960s, that changed to "getting paid for the thing in question such that you can earn a living doing said thing.'
My condolences to your guitarist. Cancer is a bitch.
@@WhatGrenadeWhere Thanks - will pass it on! This is 6 years ago and recorded on a cell phone at a music festival we played at: ua-cam.com/video/JLZWZchOaC0/v-deo.html
@@nicholasmullins3693 Thanks!
That's a really awesome goal! A friend of mine's dad spent the last 10 years of his long life going to senior homes with various musician friends to play old timey stuff. He got to be a bit of a rock star in his twilight years and both gave and received a ton of joy.
Best wish to your singer for a full recovery.
"Don't be afraid to sound like yourself" Christ, that might just be the most profound advice you've ever given. Everyone wants to be the next EVH, but so few people realize that those chops are one in a million. Refine and realize your own chops.
Exactly!
Even if sounding like yourself means time-aligning (by re-recording until you play it within a gridline) and perfecting the studio project, because you like your sound fucking tight, and you are partial to that Bob Rock or Mutt Lange hyper-produced crystal sound.
the sad part is that nowdays those guys aren't copying EVH, but a mediocre (yet skilled) bunch of people more interested in selling signature gear than making music
yes an EVH wasnt even that good.
@@Jacksabbath44 Yeah music always reeks when making money from it is obviously the artist's goal number 1. The good shit is from people who didn't care about he fame or the money.
I seriously never got the whole "We have to compete with what's out there" mentality. Maybe because I have never really been competitive, but I just want to exist. There is plenty of space out there and I am willing to let my music stand on its own. Whether people like it or hate it, it is mine and I did it my way.
Agreed. The only one I would really want to feel like I am competing with is myself
I just want to exist , deep man I feel that
One day the sun is going to explode and all of this will have been for nothing.
nah, whoever inspired you, that's who you're competing with. you just aren't inspired by the mainstream, so you don't feel competitive with them. but whoever your favorite band is, you're competing with them, even if you can't consciously notice it.
@@perfectallycromulent I completely disagree. I think the fallacy you have committed is that you assume to know the inside of my head better than I do. A fraction of individuals that inspire me to play what I write, aren't even in my genre. I pull fragments from those that came before and mix them my way for a song that may indirectly have seven people to thank from three different genres, two of which may not even be metal. I would be truly impressed if you successfully compared Bach to Emperor, or Michael Buble to Electric Wizard, because my favorite band changes pretty frequently. Second to that, I am very boring to play a game of Risk with and I don't give a toss about any sportsball teams, as I am not competitive.
I think too many bands ignore the vocals in their band. Having a good lead singer is great, but when you have 1 or 2 other guys in the band capable of singing as well, you are creating a unique dynamic that no other band has. That knocks out "Refine Your Act", "Get Your Own Sound, "and Turn off Autotune" all in one pop. People respond to the vocals the most in music, and vocal melodies are pleasing to the ear.
This may seem a bit old school. But it is a good idea. Watch the documentary 'Get Back' of the Beatles. It is long. But it really shows the writing process of the song writing process as it should be. And also from quite possibly the best song writing group ever. They all have some ideas, and then they run through them again, and again adding ideas, and play around till something clicks. You do not need to be a Beatles fan to get what they do about writing songs. True they were never 'metal'. But that should not matter. Making some great songs is mostly a colab of at least two, or more people. JMHO. oops. lol. I made this comment just before you brought up the Beatles. But, agreed.
Great remarks and for all the gearslutz out there.. notice they're not using Rickenbackers and Vox amps.. just regular Epiphones and Fender twins.. so freakin great.
What’s the point of being in a band to play someone else’s music? If you don’t play a part in writing songs (your part could be as simple as a couple fills from a drummer or a little turnaround on bass) then you might as well join a cover band. If you have complete control over what everyone else is doing you might as well do some solo stuff.
As the guitarist in my band, I structure the songs and write the riffs and an occasional vocal melody, and the rest of the members add their own flare, such as adding a new structure to the song, whether it’s a bass line or a new verse or even change a riff or the vibe/meaning of the song entirely. This kind of collaboration is missing in today’s world!
I love that you mention vocal melody. I think that is one thing that bands lack these days is vocals. In all honesty, the element most people (who aren't musicians) respond to the most in music is the vocals. Far too many bands ignore this element all too much. Having multiple vocalists in the band is great because you can knock out Glenn's #8, 9, and 10 on his list just by developing the vocals in the band. The one thing each band has that is truly unique are the vocals. Everyone has a unique vocal tone, and in many cases vocal style. Creating choruses with vocal melodies that are in key will almost automatically give you a unique sound for your band and something for the audience to sing along to. My band has 4 vocalists (only 1 lead vocalist though), so anything we do in a recording, we can pull off live, which is a plus.
For a long time in my old band I was writing both guitar parts, the bass part, and vocal lines (I am NOT a vocalist!) because the others were just bringing very little to the table. At the time I was flattered that they liked what I was doing so much they rarely changed things...it took me longer than I should admit how toxic it really was. The day it clicked for me that the rest of the band wasn't really a band was a day I went to practice puking sick because I swore I'd be there, three of the other dudes barely showed up physically and never mentally, and when I asked if anyone had anything new to work on, all I got was "Well, dude, you were sick. So....you want some soup or something?". It dawned on me right then that no one had called and checked on me, no one gave a damn at all, and that I was carrying the load. I told them I was too sick to play, packed my shit and went home. I initially determined that I would go back to practice when they called me, and 17 years later I've not heard from them since. It hurt at first, but I'm really glad I cut that tie.
My band actually went in to a studio micked up everything and recorded a raw album together, no mixing no mastering just our raw sound and we loved it. Was the most fun I've had in a studio. If you would like to hear it just let me know, we are from Sweden. 4 hours and 8 songs, they have their imperfections but we are proud of that album.
Dude, name your band and put a link to a UA-cam thingy here. I wanna hear.
I want to listen to it!
Alright let us se if third time is the charm, we are called Within and here is a link to one of our songs on youtube from that album. It's called In Hell, I'm the singer
ua-cam.com/video/tqpFFPipNJs/v-deo.html
@@zeljkomilojkovic your voice man. You're amazing
@@CamiloPefaur thak you my friend, that hit me right in the feels. A lot of years of practice i took me to get there and I still learn every day and evolve :)
I agree with all this advice. The hard part for me has been finding people to play with that I can depend on. Most quit after we’re done rehearsing a setlist, then I have to start the process all over again. This has been going on for 4 years
Most people have a difficult job marketing and writing good songs. I can’t even keep a band together
Any tips?
I went through that for 33 years in LA. Finding reliable people with talent who want to work and take it seriously is very difficult. It's like the college curse of "the group project."
@@DrumWild perfect description haha!
blow up the internet so life can become boring enough that being in a band is a _pastime_ thing again?
The only thing you can really do is just keep trying. People are flakes.
I've given up relying on others....it's why I've resorted to One-Man-Metal studio project....and I'm much happier. That being said......finding fans is like finding a purple unicorn.
Can we just give Glenn a trophy or something for actually trying to teach people how to do their job right?
I was in 2 bands. Both of them fell apart. Both were doing half of the things from precious vid, and almost none of the stuff in this one.
Bro, thank you for the work you're doing
I started doing this band solo because I couldn’t find anyone else determined to do what I wanted to do. Sure, it’s not metal and it has synths and drum-machines but atleast I’m doing something I want to do. It’s inspiring to see you talk about this. I suck at marketing and need to get good at it. You’re saying the things every musician should hear. DIY is a good way to go these days. You can really build an audience if you are good at what you do.
My band, the Stiff Lips recorded the rhythm section of our new EP live off the floor but we also only gave ourselves three takes of each song, with the best take being used each time, mistakes and all. Nobody but us notices the mistakes, haha. Good old-fashioned Rock 'n' Roll.
The only reason to fix a mistake is if it stands out like a sore thumb in the results. If you can't tell, perhaps it wasn't a mistake after all!
@@johnchedsey1306 I couldn't agree more. 'Happy accidents' can definitely help a song stand out a bit. Good musicians can usually make an error sound intentional. Hendrix said something along the lines of
'I've been copied so much I'm now hearing people copying my mistakes'
Having a realistic written list of goals helps, and motivates you to follow them. If you have a target which is achievable, you can work out how to do it. It could be saving for some recordings, trying to get a gig at a certain venue or working on a cohesive show.
I have found a great idea for promotion is to get custom guitar picks made. They can be cheap, and guitarists are always in need of them. Give them away at shows, or even sell them at cost. Guitarists would buy them to use if undercutting guitar shops, and non musicians would buy as souvenirs. Leaving them around shared practice rooms helps too.
If they are well designed, every guitarist in your area will be carrying around adverts for your band.
for the writing together thing, i understand that. unfortunately, i have had a past of extremely unreliable bandmates and have had to write almost everything on my own as a result. however, whenever i get new members i always make sure to encourage them to take their own spin on things and to feel free to add ideas.
In my current band our guitarist adds chords to lyrics a friend of his from outside the band shares with him. It comes out pretty good. He has a very simplistic view of bass though and always suggests that I play the root, lol. I am a very creative and talented player who has spent years in various bands from a youngish age. So I supply the songs with some unique basslines. It's insulting and funny when he tells others he wrote the music though, lol. It's not that he is consciously taking the credit, he actually thinks the bassist just doesn't count as a contributor so the music was all his. It's ok I can handle it but guitarists are sometimes a little self centered in my experience. Our music would be a little lifeless without my contribution. That's one reason why some band members don't take part in writing I imagine. You have to make your co writers remember the credit is not theirs alone.
@@robbee23 yea I don't understand players who only want one instrument to be creative, I like to add olavour to every ijstrument
We all throw something into the mix here. 1 of us brings an idea to rehearsal and then we jam some ideas that work with it,. Until something fits
@@SteveCremulation666 good method, I've started doing that with my band, make sure I don't get carried away and write it myself lol
There have been many great bands where one or two members wrote almost all of the stuff. Death being a prime example.
Thanks Glen, this video was Taylor made for my band. We just recorded our first single. It was done without any fancy equipment, drum samples, or effects like auto tune. It was recorded old school, on a 24 track reel to reel. We did however give the tracks to someone more experienced than us to mix but only basic effects and mixer automation were used to make mix down easier. We learned a lot in the process, but are very proud of what we accomplished with old analog technology. Would love to send you a copy of the song to review and give us your thoughts before it’s released on the streaming platforms. Thanks for all your great advice over the years.
Candlemass is a good example of amazing vocals and as far as uniqueness, type o negative is another good example of sounding differently
Not metal, but… I’ve recorded five albums for one band, and they have a routine. They rehearse their songs and play live gigs regularly for a year before they come in. Two days in the studio to record their album, it’s mostly off the floor, and it goes quickly because they have worked out their sounds and parts. It’s great not to have to razor blade their parts (yea, tape). After their album is done, they start working on the next album’s songs. Another (folk) band I am working with for the first time tried this at my suggestion and the feel was immediately quite tight, and even half of the ‘scratch’ vocals and guide parts are keepers.
Even though this is a metal channel, I always find a number of takeaways that helps me in the folk/bluegrass/jazz genres I usually work on. Love it!
We record live all the time everytime. Granted no 2 sessions are the same, we have fun doing it and our music has evolved over time sounding better. Next ill be putting our speakers with the Sheffield 1230 installed. An old 90s speaker that everyone around us likes.
Love the point about tracking live off the floor. Strapping Young Lad's Alien had the drums recorded with the whole band playing along and they re-recorded all the bass, guitars and vocals later. Sure only the drums were used from the initial live of the floor session but that live feeling carries across on the album because there was at least one "real" live element.
I guess I always thought this was the way it was done to begin with. You play "live" with the band in the drummer's headphones while recording him. How else do they do it? The drummer just "jerome jerome the metronome" sits down and bangs it out perfectly from memory without hearing the song?
Well, the Black Album was recorded like that so...
Hanson Brothers (Nomeansno's side band) did a "live" album that only retained the vocals and drums from the actual show. The guitars and bass had to be rerecorded. Still represented what their show was basically like minus the stench of sweat filled leather jackets and Tommy Hanson's drool.
@@gianlucatixson6621 No it wasn't. See: A Year and a Half In the Life of Metallica part 1.
@@snap-off5383 A lot of bands today will pre-produce demo tracks to programmed drums and click that the drummer plays too. I'm sure it probably was the norm back in the day. The mean reason I cited Alien was because I watched the making of the other day. The album is an example to contextualise the point. I'm not saying that it's the only album that ever did it this way.
If you’re lucky enough to still be young, embrace your youth. Driving around to play bars 4 nights a week is a lot easier and more fun when you don’t have a mortgage or 401k to think about.
I am playing in one of my bands with guys who have those concerns. Things move very slowly but the band still writes, records and performs.
My band is currently in the process of recording our first record in the studio, and we did all the bass and drum tracks live on the floor along with scratch track guitar, and then went back and overdubbed the guitar and vocal tracks in full takes over it instead of punching in everything one measure at a time. And the crazy thing is, it feels like real music.
I laughed so hard at the HP swipe. You completely caught me off guard. Really enjoyed the show.
I believe gas is a reason many bands sound alike, we are allways connected either by algorythms or communities onto the latest news about those gear and stuff, and we do maintain some sort of consensus about which is the best for this and that, so we all end up with the same gear being used the same way. Past are the days of finding something obscure, buying it because you dont know better but finding your tone within it, or making it do with something you have because a whole new amp just for a clean tone is not on your paygrade so yours end up a bit messy but makes you play around its flaws, which makes you grow some character as a player.
Glen!!!! Your advice is absolute gold! I wish you were around when I was in a band in the 90s. Now as a father of 2, my 14 year old girls are following my footsteps. I just wish you had a 'bleeped' out version of your shows. They need to learn these important pointers.
"Write songs together". Of all the advice, I suspect this may be the most rewarding for many bands. I've been around and worked for a few successful bands (in the punk world, but the same approach can apply). The various members would often work on song ideas on their own, but bring them into practice for the full band to mold into shape. Karl Alvarez from All/Descendents basically described it as this: "It's like your buddy finds an old classic car to work on. He brings it to the shop and everyone gets excited about the possibilities of what they can do with it". Nomeansno brought in the riffs and the band arranged them into songs together, often starting at one point and the finished song being a whole different beast. These bands have survived over 40 years with fans still listening (although NMN is retired). Part of their success was working hard at songs to make them stand the test of time. A good song idea will be improved if a good band kicks it around and works it into shape.
Here is a little idea I had about a great substitute for live performances during covid. Get your band together and do live streams either every 2 weeks or weekly. Also, play songs that you haven’t recorded and/or released yet for demonstration purposes. This will get people excited and gives your fanbase (that you have built through those streams) an idea of what actual live shows from you could be once the situation gets better.
I can only agree! Meshuggah recorded Violent Sleep of Reason live on the floor, and that's their best sounding record imo just because it goes away from the rigid nature of their genre.
Yeah I remember the drum video for one of the songs and bass player was rocking out with him in the next room.
Glenn would still hate it because its modern metal so he assumes its all autotuned and prefected when the reality is meshuggah are just amazing musicians
giving another listen to that EVH and Hempback combo, that somehow makes a leeway for the snare to cut through.
Every different guitar player, and snare drum and song would be different. No one thing is always an answer for everyone.
To add to the topic of recording live on the floor, I know everyone knows Metallica and they’re so massive and everything, but the black album was near perfectly produced and became one of the hugest most popular music albums of all time, and from what I’ve heard they recorded it live in the studio together. Kinda awesome.
@@grindcoreblues7517 Yeah that’s definitely a good point how it was a completely different context, but yknow epic open floor recording. Thanks for the suggestion, I know my brother has a shirt or two of theirs as well and he’s a big metal head so I’ll give it a go since I haven’t.
@@grindcoreblues7517 Thanks for clarifying, that absolutely made sense and was very well put lol. Kinda disappointed that I’m 18 currently and missed out on the popular days of good ole classic recording methods and only recently started getting into playing guitar tbh, but at least there are lots of extra conveniences with the tech as well.
As a 61 yr old guitar player, and drummer n learning mode still !!in the early days we did not have a lot of toys like today but being yourself and making mistakes is real shit!! real is cool guys everyday there is something to replace what u are making payments on ,so be real guys do u own shit don't copy others so much . I been around seen and heard a lot ,today is my birthday 61 if I could get an 61 SG for my birthday would appreciate it lol ! great video SSS.
Maybe this makes me a megalomaniac drummer, but if I have to present "here's a new idea for a fill, is it OK with you guys?" to the rest of my band, unless it's a song we've gigged 100x already, then I'm in the wrong band. I'm here to present my own POV and to mesh with the rest of the band in interesting and sometimes challenging ways to help everybody improve, break out of a rut, etc etc.
If all a band wants is for me to play the exact same thing every single time, just program your own drums and leave me out of it; I'm happy to find somebody else to play with who is interested in growing musically.
I am really enjoying this channel and it has inspired me as a 43 yr old who’s been playing since I was 15 to keep practicing.. I can’t solo and I’m going to learn finally damn it .. thank you
Really loving the "paired" videos approach, presenting both sides of a topic. Brilliant teaching style! Keep up the great work, Glenn!
SPOT ON!!!
Funnily enough, my band from 30 years ago has just been signed (which is bizarre).
The album has real drums, no fucking autotune, our guitar sound, songs written together, recorded onto tape, no fucking Pro Tools editing, variable timing, mistakes included, and all recorded & mixed in a week. It sounds great - the complete antithesis of shit-boring modern metal.
Oh, and it has dull snare because the drummer's a fucking drummer and forgot to buy a new snare head. 😄
Sounds about right for practice time.
Can you give me an answer to this comment when the album is released? Also what is it called and what is your bands name?
@@giuliano8031 To be honest, I'll probably forget! The CD is probably 3 ish months away but the vinyl has an 8 or 9 month wait (fucking Adele's fault apparently!). I'm not going to divulge any info until I'm 100% sure its been pressed. I've been through this wait a couple of times before and it didn't end well...
this may be one of the cases where sample blending could help a bit in the mix
@@Jacksabbath44 If you're referring to my drummer, sample blending wasn't a thing in 1993. But yes, it is what would be done nowadays. The drums were recorded on a Sunday when no shops were open and as we only had a week, we were on a crazily tight schedule.
In my studio I keep Eminence Swamp Thangs, Governors, Legends and Celestion G12T-75s, G12 S50s, Vintage 30s, G12 KJ85s, Seventy 80s, greenbacks, creambacks, and I'm probably missing something. I like to show folks some options. The hardest part is keeping them from mid scooping their Marshall MGs. I reamp them with my Laney VH100R with greenbacks, and they're like, "wow my rig sounds amazing!"
I love: : ..."people could sing just fine before Auto-Tune was invented".......And he drops a picture of Rob Halford with Priest!
Fuck yeah!
Just because of that, Im subscribing (something I never do).....
Great breakdown. Very real. Thankyou
D.
From Castle Lantern Studio
“Be entertaining”.. that’s a big one.. A lot of us forget about that. A lot of us don’t even know it how important it is. Yes, besides being a “good musician” you must be a good entertainer. I’ve learned the hard way that yes, being a good musician is important but if you can’t entertain, forget it.
So I do the all the recording for my band. We had a very poor experience in the studio and decided that we could produce something of greater quality if we did it ourselves. We learned a lot about prioritizing the band. But we ended up getting an electronic drum kit and superior drummer. I did not want to have to program the drums so we use the drum kit as a midi controller. We also have made the kits feel as live as possible. You see a major difference in drummers when there are no dynamics, as referenced in the video. So we learned how to make a programmed drum kit actually come to life and sound less digital because we allow for the human error, we do not do time correction. There was a lot in this video that hit home and I’m glad to hear that while things are moving slowly for us currently our goal as a band is a solid plan.
Honestly, I have had people come up and ask what gear I use after a set. They're the other bands members, more often than not, but it does happen. Your point still stands, there is no reason to buy specific gear to impress anyone. The gear you need to recreate the sounds in your head is the only gear you should buy.
All hail the genius Glenn! Not afraid to try making music and musicians better, thanks for another brilliant episode.
I know that this is a metal channel, but I'm really hoping that the latest Beatles/Peter Jackson film will inspire a lot of people to make music the way that the Beatles did. So inspiring to see a group of musicians throwing ideas around constantly and pitching in ideas (hey, even their road manager Mal Evans made suggestions to Paul for lyrics to 'Long and Winding Road' and Paul was up for it). Creativity within that bunch was just like moss growing, and we were led to believe that the Beatles hated each other at the time. If that was the Beatles on a bad day, then lord help the rest of us.
Dude is the man!
Perfect motivation for the new year! Thank you Glenn!
We played 44 shows during covid & took advantage of the vacuum. Launched the band in March 2020, 3k followers by the end of '21. Sometimes you just have to be willing to do what the other guys won't.
I love how Glenn takes the piss out of Henning and visa versa (I suspect there is some brotherly love there)
"They've grown up thinking that mediocrity is the norm so is it any wonder that they themselves aspire to be mediocre." Fucking nailed it, mate.
i love what your saying our band usually records all live practice and every now and then there is a real jem and the rest helps us see what we are doing wrong
On "Being original"
I made a checklist of things that everyone else does, so l know what to avoid:
1. Does it chug, or go widdly-widdly?
2. Do the kick drums sound like a helicopter?
3. Are the guitars tuned as low as they can go?
4. Are the guitars tuned in standard?
5. Screaming?
6. Masks or extreme make-up?
7. Use of audio clips from TV and Movies for dramatic effect?
8. Distortion, Compression, effects in general?
9. Is the band logo an illegible mess of barbed wire or rose stems?
10. Does the band's name begin "The"?
Dude, we've strayed so far from what makes metal, and even music as a whole worth enjoying. It's hard to find music that excites me anymore because most of it is so boring and lifeless. Glenn is 100% right and I will admit I fell into the trap of striving for perfection for a long time.
Thanks Glenn!!! You are fucking awesome.
If you haven’t already, you should make a video like this about the epidemic of one man “side/solo projects” that every djent bro seems to think is a good idea.
I had a band fall apart once cuz I didn’t want someone else to play my drum parts if I couldn’t perfectly play a last minute off the fly change. It wouldn’t be like I showed up and didn’t know the song(s) it would have been like they came up with something completely new during tracking and would want someone else just to do it instead of just having me play the parts we already had before the studio
When it comes to 8 string guitars I think animals as leaders has the best all around sound. I don't know who's mixing their stuff, but its the best I've heard in the 8string world
I know Nolly’s been working with them recently
Greetings, I just started to making my first album, I use garage band as an idea then take the idea to the engineer. an by far it is turning out better than i had ever believed. I don't care what anyone tells you, listen to your engineer!
new 8 channel inner face. getting ready to record live. cant wait. 🍻
Singing lessons are real! I'm getting up in years so my face isn't getting me breaks anymore. I took 2 lessons and my vocals have improved dramatically.
I don’t comment much on youtube, but I have to say: keep up the awesome videos. You literally have the most solid advice delivered in an entertaining way. Great stuff!
I love your brutal honesty and humor.
Formed a band during the pandemic, I don't know how, but we've played 2 shows a month for the past year in the western US and have only had one show that was a bust, and every show we've made money from tickets and our merch. That's kinda amazing and didn't expect that.
The editing and cuts and structure of this video is just so well done, apart from the good message- this is a really well made video to convey it, thank you glenn :)
So the band I'm in has spent the last six months songwriting at practice every week. It's amazing how you think you've got something down, then someone will come up with something that makes the track. We're now getting ready for performances and recording, leading to things like social media and (ugh) things like branding. This channel has given me so much insight and ideas (we're looking at live room recording, because the best element of the band is the way our dynamics work off of each other), so thanks and a Merry Fuck you for some of the best and most helpful videos out there.
I so agree with this, love the fact that you express yourself so honestly about all these points. STOP TIME ALIGNING EVERYTHING!!!!
If you are gonna use autotune (I don't understand why if it's to fix your singing) Use it as an effect. Here's a good example. Yes I know a lot of people hate Avenged Sevenfold on here but when they used autotune once it was to make a vocal sound different. They hard autotuned the vocals so you could hear it bouncing up and down and it made a cool dynamic to the very end of the song. Use it for backing vocals (More specificlly on demos). Use it to practice your vocals (Yes this actually fucking works) It's how I got better with singing my own songs. Back a few years ago the key of A was the most difficult key for me to sing in. I wrote a song in the key of A, sang the song in a key I was most comfortable in and pitched it up to the proper key and practiced singing it in that key. Autotune doesn't have to be just an effect to fix someone's voice. It can be used as a production tool rather than a tool the band will use to make their vocalist sound "Okay"
When go to a gig I always check the band gear, the pedalboard, guitar brand ,cables,monitors (probably owned by the venue) rack amps of course all the stuff so there is always 1 sober guy at shows who loves to check all that stuff ,trust me :)
Preach! This episode is what I love about your channel!
I have interviewed many in bands that just 'made' it .. The common theme was they were together for 6 - 8 years before 'making' it. The vast majority of bands grind to make it.. Willie nelson said " it took 20 yrs to become an overnight success "
Indeed!
We don't always agree, but I do respect you and your efforts to be helpful.
I bookmarked this because it sounds very useful. I'll put my trust in you, Glenn.
Just awesome... Truth hurts for most, and egos are one of the biggest reasons for failure... Thank you for keeping it real!!
Noticed as we get older less people want to play. I consistently had a band since I was 16. As I got older (41 now) it’s just myself and another chap who is around the same age playing together. We write, jam, record, put stuff out.
We both have families now, and see that this is the main excuse from other players.
“Wife won’t let me anymore”, “kids have lacrosse practice”, “I have to be up early for work” “the pandemic dude. Can’t go out”
However, noticed that myself and my drummer seem to get A LOT MORE done just the two of us.
Pros and cons I guess!
Some real good points here I'm 40 currently in a band i've learnt a lot over the years
Glenn looking so good these days, so proud of the boy
I wasn't surprised one bit when this guy said he was Canadian, my guess somewhere in the southern Ontario. Love your shit keep them coming!!!
Glenn, about 22 years ago, some friends of mine were recording with Michael Wagener at Wireworld. I was doing demos for what would be my fourth album and asked them if it wouldn't be too much to pass 'em over to Michael for an opinion. And he basically, in raw & honest German fashion, ripped apart the recording, mostly the guitar for "being all over the fuckin' place" frequency-wise. (This was the first time I was attempting an all digital recording). Had I not listened to and taken his criticism as something that would make my production skills better, I would have never learned of the concept of "spectral managment", which is one of the most important things as mix engineer needs to know. The prick kid in me was fuming, but the adult said "calm down, junior, remember this is the guy who has done Ozzy and Metallica, and you might just want to listen to some free advice!" I'd post a few sound samples, but, you know, that CD Baby thing....
Can you elaborate on "spectral management"?... might be a oversight i may be currently doing. Always glad to pick up things i ignore.
"Maybe hear him out and try it out." Literally the best thing said ever.
I’m in a jam band and all of these rules still apply. Very useful info!
Hey Glen! My band just put out a 3-song demo EP on Bandcamp, and we've received a really warm reception, so much so that a small independent label from Belgium contacted us wanting to do a physical release. What should we be weary of? Am I looking a gift horse in the mouth?
Im glad you made that video it makes me think don’t do that do that and if I do wanna take it to the next level like a living I know how to do it properly and how to make it work
Agree on.. Like.. Everything!..... And I am born in 89. Cheers from Norway!
Glenn just does not freaking miss
For #2, it also comes down to who wants to participate in the writing process. In lots of bands only the guitar player is actually willing to put in the time and creativity 😅
and unless you're opeth, 99% of the time the songs suck.
@@alexobregonbauluz3304 true 😅 luckily in my band everyone except the bassplayer contributes 🙃
People who are unwilling to put in time and creativity to a time hungry creative process are dead weight. Sack them.
A little research backing for your drummer flatulence statement: Edwin Gordon, one of the greatest music education researchers of all time, suggested that percussionists be taught both drums and bellset (basically xylophone) from the beginning because playing drums doesn't work your melodic or harmonic brain. Basically, drummers, if you want to be a good musician, pick up a melodic/harmonic instrument and learn them both! Guitar may be your best bet if you play metal.
Darkside (drummer in the band Mgła) started out playing xylophone. His cymbalwork is insane. There's a drum cam on Exercises in Futility V where he plays melodically on almost all his cymbals in 16ths, switching hands on snare while keeping a stable 16ths double kick backbeat.
As a drummer who did this, I fully agree!
Related to #8...I think it's beneficial to explore guitar tones from outside of metal. For example, I love the tones of Robin Trower and Carlos Satana. Dial something in and tweak it to make it your own. Also, don't dismiss clean tones like some metal players seem to do.
Opeth is pretty great!
@@MykEviiL Opeth is my #1 band and a perfect example.
@@carlstawicki1915 agreed
Very good content. Thanks Glenn. Video prod quality on the rise I can tell. Keep it up and have a happy New Year
5:05 - On top of that, the Beatles also wrote over 200 songs before recording their first album. That way: (1) They had a set list of 200 songs to choose from to put on their debut album, increasing the odds of at least one song being a hit and (2) If the debut album was a success, they had over 180 songs to pick from to put on their sophomore album, on top of the new songs they wrote.
The big mistake most bands make is for their debut album or EP, the songs on the album are the first songs they ever wrote, along with the 2 or 3 extra songs that didn't make it on the album because of lack of space for them.
...
Why aren't you the best producer possible. If I ever get a band together and ready for recording I'm going to you.
Great vid as always Glen! Im a guitarist (playing for 15 years) starting a new band with a good buddy (bassist) and his friend who is now my friend (synth/keys) and we are writing original songs. Kind of a psychedelic inspired alt rock/punk/metal thing, but we also kinda suck. Most of the advice given here is already incorporated (were writing together, not gear sluts, metronome is not law) but,
1. Im terrified because we actually are kind of developing our own sound.
2. We need a drummer... i think?
Yea where does one find a drummer? I went to guitar center and didnt find one for sale xD
But really i dont want to go to the studio without one. engineer does not equal good drums.
Nice shot of Negative Approach/ Easy Action
best closing line to a video ever
Live off the floor rocks.
One of my favourites is Reeve Gabrels Rockonica, one off end to end off the floor recordings warts and all and they sound epic.
I love seeing the reactions to the hate comments, Glenn! I don't agree with all of your opinions, or even everything you say in this video, but people don't seem to understand that I don't have to agree with you 100 percent of the time to still appreciate the content.
On the topic of 8 string riffs though, while I do agree that it can be stale, there's an incredible amount of people that use 8 strings to do amazing stuff, and there are many riffs that I would consider iconing, as well as many other people. After spending a period of time in the extended range guitar community, you'll definitely see a number of songs that people bring up consistently over a long period of time, just like with any other riff that anyone else might seem iconic. Either way, keep up the good content!
Point 2 is world changing. I was the premadonna on the 7, I wanted the next level. So I got a job at Dominos and found the best drummer in the house and rocked out with him 2-4 nights a week for 4 years garage bad style. It makes you into something you can't get from a formula, it taught me to listen and take turns leading the conversation in jam space. Usually we end up with at least one jam that has an album worthy vibe to it, and it's easy now
Seriously, you want to find the best band members ever go deliver pizza and learn how to talk with your instruments for a few hours from nothing. The ideas present themselves in time
The anamorphic lens looks fantastic
Know when to get a lawyer and an accountant. The accountant will help with knowing where money is going or needs to go, and where it all comes from. The lawyer is for getting the band legally setup with name, logos, legal separation between the people and the business, reading over contracts, and making sure that the band is the owners of all of its intellectual property.
I love that new speaker combo that you have it sounds amazing! I have found a sound that I like as well that is slightly different than most. I like the 5150 with a 4x12 like most but then I use a Marshall Valvestate VS100 through a 4x12 as well and mix the sound and it is pretty cool.
Awesome. I've been hooked on your format since I discovered these vids earlier this year (Feb 2021). The humor keeps me engaged, but the advice keeps me coming back. Happy Frickerstag!
Learning to listen to criticism and suggestions from your bandmates is incredibly important and the inability for the ego-driven "band leaders" to do this is likely why most bands end up falling apart. And this is not unique to bands struggling to make it. In the "Get Back" Beatles documentary George Harrison actually quits the band after a miserable few weeks because Paul and John (mostly Paul) won't listen to what he has to say. And John just shrugs it off saying they'll get Eric (Clapton) to replace him. Listen to your band mates, keep an open mind, and apologize when you are wrong. Be more like George when he helped Ringo out with his "octopus song" and less like John not giving a fuck if you stay or go. If your ego can't stand to take criticism or suggestion by your bandmates then hire session musicians off fiverr instead.
I can totally see where you're coming from with the auto-tune argument, but I don't think it's that simple. Although there certainly are cases of mediocre singers being autotuned to sound good enough, you also have great singers using it. I think it doesn't have to be on at all times, but there's nothing wrong with liking the sound of it and including it on a part of a song where you think it fits (also, autotune can sound really subtle, you don't have to go full robot). After all, you'd never tell a guitarist to turn off their effects because they sound unnatural.
Oh, and as for the iconic riffs that use extended-range guitars, I'm not that knowledgeable on 8-string guitar music, but "Bleed" by Meshuggah is definitely one. When it comes to 7-string guitars, you have "Blind" by Korn and "Icarus Lives" by Periphery.
Yeah it seems sometimes they're using it for like a talkbox effect on the vocals, not fixing bad singing like they do in hip hop.
as a guitarist, bassist, and drummer that does all of the music myself, I completely agree with all of this. everything my friends show me in metal now I get confused and as them "is this [insert modern metal band name here]" and they say no it's not. I have a very hard time telling what band is who nowadays and I try to take pride in how I use the gear I have to make it sound different. I don't by any means think I'm better than any other band out there but I try to avoid using the same techniques modern bands because I don't want to try to sound like everyone else. also using a more less popular tuning than drop Z lmao.
Couldn't agree with you more Glen...and I laughed my ass off. Like legit woke my wife up. You do us a great service sir.