"Will talk about producing arranging for a rock band, pop bitch, rap group video game orchestrating and EDM"

Please do. This was extremely interesting.

next on that list.

hard to describe but basically a hired gun to help out the artist / producer with pretty much anything music related be it arrangement, harmony, melody. Most acts especially new ones have alot of help not that they want it but its in the contact. Usually they will actually have to get 2 songs written by a certain song writer and they don't have a say which is kinda shitty but i understand where the labels are coming from. They need 2 singles they can promote so worst case scenario, they use the hired writers. And then you have your george martin kinda guy that isn't the producer but kinda someone that can do everything and play everything and make things go from good to great.

i worked with a pretty well known hard rock / punk group and although I was already hired and the band really didn't have a say unless the tension was too much, the hardest part was really just getting the band to trust you in 1-2 days.

So basically had coffee with the main song writer and just talked about music. I was given kinda everything they like , the direction they want to go and just general stuff about them from their manager prior so it seemed like i knew who they were and i was a fan. Bands despite being kinda shitty in the talent area have some american size egos so basically just listened and agreed. Again that 1 hour was to make him trust/like me. Then i meet the entire band and kinda just jammed a bit on what ever was there. Then the manager kinda tells them a bit about me and that I am basically just there to make sure the producer isn't fucking up. I mean everyone is in on it including the manager/ producer / engineer but you have to really treat them like babies. So basically, they think i'm on their side and that i'm doing something production related which can be everything. I've already listened to all the music and already have the things i think need changing which the producer has also already heard but again, although the band legally has no choice, it just works better if they are working with you.

Then I have to go out with the band and drink and slowly introduce what i'm there for which is not so hard because people are drinking and well you just gauge the overall mood.

Then the hardest part is introducing the changes to the band. Had to use some serious sandwhich technique while referencing bands they like that have done it this way so that they don't start to wig out. On that particular album, there was 3 bridges that needed to be tweaked, some voice leading , a few harmony issues and about 6-9 things on guitar and drums. The main changes ie the bridges are really kinda non negotiable as much as you can say that with a band so i basically show them how to make it better with some clever chord modulations and what not again stating artists that have done it that they dig always making it seem like i'm not really doing anything but showing them a way that they will like because it is better and using an artist they like to make them think more about the band than me.

SO basically, i just play the chord change on guitar as none of them can read music and explain why certain things are the way they are. They kinda get giddy because they are kinda musical idiots and think its neat. There is the actual part on notation in case they need it later (p[roducer) .

Once the change that is most likely to make them happy is done. Its easier everything other thing you suggest. Again , sandwhich technique to the max and everything is just a suggestion.

But basically 4 days of showing things that say studio musicians would learn in about 10 minutes. But thats kinda part of the thing. You just have to make sure you don't make them wig out and go Oasis.

Was paid a fixed producer fee and an hourly fee. I could of got some back end points but i asked for more upfront instead because honestly, royalties for bands these days are just , well lets just say most bands have about 3 months and thats it. That album will never be bought again.

Entire thing was actually pretty demanding but mostly on my patience. You can't let them know you went to julliard for composition and that there is nothing theory wise i don't know because to them , the second they hear theory, they get defensive. Its not what where about or shit. And they tend to act like babies. There is always one drug addict in the band. The guitar player thought he was gods gift to music. And the singer was sensitive but in that hard rock way ... ya , some prettty funny lame stuff. So all in all 5 days, but the pay was worth it and if i was single, well rock bands are still just as cliche and might of got more mileage.

As far as how i went about know how to fix the parts, the were certain technical things like knowing where distorted guitars sound good and where they don't in terms of like the foundation power chord thing. Then the singer's range. Also general arrangement things like say the drummer is playing something that is not working with the guitar as most producers just don't have the music background to spot the problem and fix it there. The music is really simple and the actual changes took about 10 minutes. Not really much to think about. And since i play guitar and drums and i was into hard rock and well could play all their instruments better than they could, fixing the guitar and drums was also pretty simple.

So about 1 hour of work actually doing music, and then 4 days of showing them so their feelings are not hurt. It was interesting but kinda annoying when you feel like just doing it for them because they just learn so damn slow but of course you can't do that because that isn't rock and roll and shit. But ya, learned about patience.

___________________
"This is why Superman works alone." GC
old stuff from days gone by (2001-2004)
Mad For Brad's gay little contest

Last edited by Looney4Clooney on Feb-24-2012 at 04:28

since i 'm talking about rock bands, i was also asked to help with an album and wrote / produced one of the tracks which was a single and had a video. The track was actually something i had done before and the producer happened to hear it and said he wanted that so i took the really really tough draft and made it more cool.

For rock, things aren't too complicated for the composition because certain things are universal. One thing the band wanted which most do now is electronic stuff so i first got a palette of sounds and worked on the track simultaneously.

http://www.divshare.com/download/16865489-127

that was an early scratch minus vocals and guitars as that would give it away. As i menioned, the words and track had already beeen done so i just made more in their style.But ya, basically have a draft of how things should go, then work on the sounds which is kinda a hit and miss thing because you can't use presets obviously so you are basically thinking in your of sounds it might need. The rest well you can't hear the guitar and my voice which sounds awful and the bridge is not in this version but basically from that, they can made a polished pop track.

The worst part is that although they recorded the drummer, they used my drum track with some of the stuff he did so that he felt it was his. Fuck drummers are dumb. For that i just used a roland v drum and just played the part. Alhough i don't think it was this take as this was like beta 0.2

For that , i got a production fee, a hour fee, and a back end as well. I was going to start a rock band but when I was offered money, alot of money at the time, i said fuck it you can have it.

___________________
"This is why Superman works alone." GC
old stuff from days gone by (2001-2004)
Mad For Brad's gay little contest