Where have all the flowers gone - 2024 03 10

It seemed simple in the beginning. "Just hit record". However it was a hard-fought day for me. 

I set myself a goal to make one recording of one of the songs that I've been working on. I chose "Where Have All The Flowers Gone" by Pete Seeger.

My first task was to figure out what key to pitch the song so that I could sing it in my best range. 

The first step to complete this task was to play through the chart I had written from chords and lyrics I found on the internet. The best way for me to hear whether the key is right is to record myself playing the song. 

Recording myself makes singing more difficult because it adds a conscious layer of observation onto the experience of singing the song. I am more aware of the mistakes I am making with:

1. the instrument I am playing to accompany myself (in this case, the guitar), 

2. word scanning and articulating the lyrics

3. playing through the arrangement with the right repeats

4. vocal intontation and inflection

5. consistent tempo

6. managing the recording equipment - mic placement, music stand, body position, etc

If there is any issue with the key the song is pitched in, those difficulties are going to show up in my singing as I struggle to keep all the plates in the air and stay relaxed enough to keep my stress and anxiety out of my performance of the song.

The second step to complete this task was to play through the song in the keys of A, G and F. I started with the Key of F and got through the first verse before abandoning the effort. I could feel myself struggling to sing the final note in the verse because it was too low in my range. However, at this point, I was so frustrated with my recording effort I was in tears. I was not comfortable, I was not enjoying the set up, I was feeling overwhelmed.

After consulting with Matt, he pointed out that I was trying to do too many things at once. All I needed at this point was to play through the song and find out how it felt vocally. Leave everything else out. 

I re-set my studio setup so I was more comfortable and used my iPhone with a shure microphone attached to record my next try. This time I started in the Key of G. Immediately I felt happier singing, that I wasn’t struggling to voice the words and music. I didn’t worry about how well I was playing the guitar. I used it to help me find my notes and left off any other ideas about strumming or plucking. I stripped down the arrangement to a very simple Intro and Outro so it felt natural, there wasn’t any extra elaborations to remember. I turned off the metronome and trusted my own internal tempo to stay steady. 

I was able to play the song through and get a recording of it. This was my goal for the day, and this was enough. I had also figured out the pitch for the song and become more comfortable with learning to make sketch recordings. This is what I do when I am drawing. I start by making the lightest, simplest contour lines to help me understand what it is I am looking at and what I am rendering in the drawing. Once I am happy with the initial sketch, I can then add layers to build up shape, tone, colour and depth.

Soundcloud link

What I learned today with recording my music-making was to take a sketching, experimental approach to the process. I don’t have to get it right the first time, I don’t have to perform flawlessly. I just have to do the work and share it with others. It is the sharing that is most important, to feel connected, as sense of belonging, to feel empowered, autonomous and competent. I want to foster relationships where we can share our vulnerability, our creations, the mysterious visions that visit us as we struggle to make sense of what it means to be humans living on this planet together. We need to build strength in ourselves and our communities for the good of all concerned. Each step counts.