Organizing Song DRAFTS for Efficiency

Do you have lots of songs "in your head" or written out quickly in a file "somewhere" until you have time to work through the music or develop lyrics?

Here is the easy method I use that results in creating full completed songs in less than a week sometimes (and I'm up to 225 songs, see www.DianaDeeOsborneSongs.com for the index list and free audio example and music sheets)...

1. Create a single enclosing folder such as "Songs 2012".
2. Within that folder, create 4 new folders:

a. Lyrics Drafts - to contain DOC style files of song words.
b. Music Sheet Drafts - to contain draft scores or DOC files of notes for chord progressions, etc.
c. Recorded Music Drafts - to contain BAND or MP3 or other files. You can create sub-folders depending on the type of music recording. For example, I have a GARAGEBAND folder and a VOICE RECORDER folder here (like .VPN files).

d. Support files..... see future blogs! These include Copyright records, indexes for journals so you can FIND your handwritten song drafts, etc.

There is SO much fun in taking your draft lyrics and "just playing" songs in your Recorded Music Drafts folder.... and suddenly realizing you have a great fit for your song! With some music already recorded, all you have to do is re-fit a bit either the words or the notes to quickly create a new song. Much joy in developing efficiency as you write songs for others to hear....
©2012 DianaDee Osborne

5 Tricks for Easy Vocal Tone Matches

As we record vocals for songs or readings, it's normal to sometimes goof.
And frequently we notice the goof as soon as we do it.
Have you ever continued through the song, stopped, gone back to the spot you needed to fix, and re-sung a perfect timing or enunciation or whatever this time -- only to be told "Your tone doesn't match" by either your producer or your own observation.
Perhaps time your voice might have seemed more rich -- or more like a little girl:)

Here are 4 tricks for avoiding the difficulty 

of matching your tone for "patching" a vocal, listed in order from most effective to 'worth a try':

1.  If there's a break in the music right afterward and you have the space and you know the song well enough, go ahead and sing that piece you'll need to replace RIGHT THERE.  You or your sound guy can easily separate it out and move it back to replace that piece where you goofed.

2.  If there's not enough break, but there is some space after you've finished the song and you know the piece, sing the piece right there (with the click track still going) even if without the matching music.   Then - Same fix as for #1.

3.  OR-- Immediately after finishing the first track, create a duplicate vocal track.  Re-sing the place where you goofed with the original recording (if the mistake wasn't enough to throw you off).

4.  If the mistake WAS really bad--- You can instead cut the mistake to put in FRONT of the area on the new track where you will be re-singing the piece, so your original tone will be fresh in your mind as you re-sing that part with the mistake cut out of the original track.

TECHNIQUE for the future:

5.  If you haven't already:  Start paying close attention to how your throat and upper chest feel  as you sing a specific music range.  For example, when you sing near middle C, you may have a rumble-y feel around your collar bone, compared to a thin feel around your larynx for high notes, or for song sections where you deliberately avoid a rich tone so that the song will have contrast later.

      Thus, when you have to 'repair' a vocal track, it's easier to match your tone by matching the feel in your throat or upper chest.    

      Just a hint for those days when you're hoping to not have to re-sing or re-speak your entire track just because you got one little word out of place! ..........
Much joy to you in singing out music!
©2012 DianaDee Osborne