by Vijith

I'm having to start from scratch with a lot of workflow issues after jumping ship from Digital Performer to Logic, and during a project I worked on last week, I was forced to re-learn an old trick that's definitely worth passing along here.

In part because I use a lot of MIDI, I generally try to adhere to a click track unless there's an artistic reason to drift -- rubato, and even rushing, have their uses, but I've always felt strongly that DAW-based composition gets much easier when you can visually see and edit the relationships between beats, bars, and whatever musical content you've input, and -- not insignificant, this part -- snap your musical phrases around in musically useful increments. Trying to slide a keyboard riff back by one bar comes much more naturally than trying to move it back by 191,387 samples, and having to calculate the latter every time you want to move something around is, in my opinion, one of the quickest ways to kill a productivity buzz.

Where I depart from a lot of people, I think, is that I think this same reasoning also extends from matters of composition and arrangement and into production. Delays and modulation effects, in particular, can be incredibly effective when anchored to the tempo of the piece, and even compressors can be made to pump in and out in musically useful ways (though you'll rarely see any sort of beat-oriented controls on those plugins). This means that I can quickly turn quite surly when I have to calculate millisecond values in order to get a basic quarter-note delay or swirl a flanger around symmetrically on every bar -- again, it always feels like I'm screeching to a standstill to address some stupid procedural hangup (not unlike doing excessive paperwork, actually).

Most people, particularly when focused exclusively on mixing, don't seem to worry about this -- in fact, I'd wager that an overwhelming majority of the Pro Tools session documents in the world have the metronome set to the default 120 BPM no matter what they actually contain. I've heard arguments that unpredictable tempo asymmetries can make the effects more interesting, and also that locking things in too tightly makes it easier to forget that such details are usually just meant to be frosting. Both are valid points, but I'm not convinced, because if you want the asymmetry, you can always flip your plugin back into millisecond mode. Properly placed beat and bar reference points give you a very powerful new way of addressing your time-oriented production effects, but there's nothing forcing you to use it.

The obvious problem here: playing to a metronome is hard! And even assuming that I've already won you over here, if any of the material is tracked without you around to play resident click stickler, chances are this line of reasoning will be dispensed with, and the project tempo will be set to that dreaded 120.00 when you see it next.

There's a really elegant solution to this with most major DAW platforms, though. No, not yelling at your drummer, although there's often a reason for that too, in which case, have at it, Cowboy.

Rather, you can retroactively move the beat and bar lines of the metronome's "grid" around to match up the musical content in the audio recordings. Thus, it's not actually a grid at all in the end, instead pulsing subtly over the course of the session to match up with the musician's natural pacing. Or even wildly, for that matter -- who cares? I just want to beat-sync my plugins, remember, so if the wildly fluctuating tempos (rubato, incompetent, whatever) are considered acceptable at this point, my cognitive flow has been restored and we can move on.

This is not beat slicing or quantization or Live Warping or time stretching or any number of other terms that might have just jumped to mind. Most of those processes are ways of conforming deviating performances to a rigid tempo grid. Here, we're conforming the grid to the performance, and through it all, the audio is absolutely untouched (for better or worse).

In order to set up your sequence for this, you'll have to do a bit of prep (which I must sheepishly admit might feel a bit like doing paperwork) but for me the payoff comes in never having to stop making music to switch to a calculator.

Platform-specific:
Logic
Digital Performer
Pro Tools
Cubase

From Kanye West to David Byrne, M.I.A., and Tom Waits, N.A.S.A.'s Spirit Of Apollo remix program is an amazing opportunity to work with some of music'c most talented artists. With such incredible and diverse material for Indaba members to work with, we thought now would be a great time to teach you some simple ways to use twitter to promote your favorite remixes. And to encourage you to participate, we've put together an exciting contest that will help bring much deserved attention to your top picks, and maybe fatten your pockets at the same time.

Anyone who tweets using the tag #IndabaNasaRmx, AND includes a link to either the contest page (http://bit.ly/3IrpuU) or a contest entry, will be eligible to win $500 and a one year Platinum membership to IndabaMusic.com (a $250 value).

But, that's not all.

For every day that #IndabaNasaRmx is a top trending topic on twitter, we’ll increase the prize by $500… All the way until the pot is worth $2500!

Guidelines:
1. To be eligible to win, your tweet must contain “#IndabaNasaRmx”
2. Your tweet must also contain a link to either the N.A.S.A. remix program page or an entry from the program

Prizing & Winner Selection
When the submission period for the N.A.S.A. Remix Program ends on October 27th at 5pm EST, so will this twitter promotion, and we will select one very lucky winner at random from everyone who included #IndabaNasaRmx in a tweet. The winner will receive up to $2500 and a one year Platinum membership to IndabaMusic.com (a $250 value).

Here are some specific ways to get involved:

First, head on over to twitter and setup an account. Once you've signed up, you can start tweeting:

Let people know you entered - Just entered the N.A.S.A. remix contest on @IndabaMusic. Can't wait to remix David Byrne! http://bit.ly/3IrpuU #IndabaNasaRmx

Let people know you're working on a remix - Mashing up Kanye West & Tom Waits in the N.A.S.A. Remix contest: http://bit.ly/3IrpuU #IndabaNasaRmx

Share your finished remix - Just uploaded my remix of M.I.A., Santigold and RZA to @indabamusic: "http://bit.ly/XXXX" #IndabaNasaRmx

And, of course, this promotion isn't limited to just contest entrants:

Fans can get in on the action and promote a favorite remix - Loving Matt Palmer's N.A.S.A. remix! "http://bit.ly/XXXX" #IndabaNasaRmx

Re-tweet something that we post from our twitter account - RT @IndabaMusic: Epic remix contest w NASA, Kanye West, David Byrne, MIA! Win $1K & official release! http://bit.ly/3IrpuU #IndabaNasaRmx

Simply add RT @IndabaMusic in front of something we tweet, and you will have successfully re-tweeted.

Follow @IndabaMusic

Making The Most Of Your 140 Characters:

Since you're limited to 140 characters per tweet, you'll want to use a url shortener to make the most of your 140 characters. We recommend using bit.ly. Simply go to http://bit.ly, paste in the URL you want to link to, then copy and paste the shortened bit.ly URL into your twitter post. This will give you more room to write about your remix!

Our favorite part about using bit.ly is that if you a “+” to the end or the url (i.e. http://bit.ly/3IrpuU+) you can actually see if your link has been clicked on and shared across the internet!

If you have any questions, just email us (info@indabamusic.com) and well be glad to help you out!

Happy remixing!

- The Indaba Music Team

by Ryan

When beginning your quest for the perfect lyrics, it's best to focus on a subject that is important to you.  Many songs draw inspiration from the songwriter's real-life experiences and emotions.  Maybe you just found a new love, or you may have lost somebody close to you.  Try incorporating these experiences into your writing - particularly how they make you feel.  Whether you want to shout love's praises from a mountain top or crawl into a hole and sob, writing about how you feel can certainly be cathartic.  it also, as a byproduct, provides a wealth of ideas for creating lyrics. The inverse of this technique can also help a considerable amount.  If you practice writing lyrics that have absolutely nothing to do with anything you've ever experienced you have the luxury of being detached, and word play may come easier. 

Another thing to keep in mind while you're trying to craft your song is your creative environment.  You want to be in a place where you are able to clear your mind and focus your thoughts without being distracted by others. You should also be aware of is the setting of your song - if you are writing a song about the city make sure you spend some time doing your research, walk up and down boulevards, people watch, and focus on the details.  Clear concise details often make a song special and paints a vivid picture for the listener.  While using details to pin point the relevant parts of your song, make sure not to forget the big picture.  You'll want to write about broad themes that are easily identifiable for your audience.  The more people who understand and empathize with your lyrics, the greater the odds are you can gain success from them.  You'll have to choose between writing for the pure cathartic nature of it and catering your style to be well received by the general public.  People have a multitude of reasons why they write the way they do, and some people can't help the way it all comes together.  Just keep at it and study your hereos. 

If you're having a day where you feel like you can barely get a sentence together, it is vitally important that you get out of the room and go for a run (or grab a beer).  Knowing when to take a break is really important to preserving your state of mind.  It's better to clear your head and come back to it than to frustrate yourself and get nowhere.  Another way around that road block is by simply listening to some tunes.  Listening to music is a hugely helpful way to find ideas.  Try to focus in on how the songs flow lyrically and rhythmically.  You'll find that most songs have a pattern to them.  For example, in blues, it is customary to repeat the first line of a verse twice before rhyming it with another line.  Jimi Hendrix's "Red House" is a good example of this:

"There's a red house over yonder, that's where my baby stays

There's a red house over yonder, that's where my baby stays

I ain't been home to see my baby, in ninety-nine and one half days"

Try taking your favorite songs and hand copying them word for word.  This will give you a feel for how they originally penned the material. Intimately knowing how the type of music you want to write works structurally can help you set the foundation of your song and give you a framework to build the lyrics.  Once you have an idea and framework - try opening up a rhyming dictionary.  A lot of poets and songwriters use these handy tool when in a bind.  Keep in mind that there are no real rules when it comes to writing lyrics.  Like poetry, song lyrics come in a variety of forms, some simple some extremely elaborate.  Follow your heart and let your ideas flow without worrying too much about the finished product.  Songwriters seldom write a song perfectly the first time; it takes editing and sharing the idea with others to turn those first drafts into classics. 

Guest Author: Brian Casel is a music producer and web designer.  He writes at Serve The Song, a blog about song craft, music production, and online music promotion.  Follow him on Twitter @CasJam.

Great bands rely on a single key ingredient to produce great music: Collaboration.  While it may seem like an obvious answer, a truly successful collaboration in music can be hard to come by.  But when that golden musical partnership exists, your band is destined for great things. Indaba Music is the perfect medium to exercise your skills as a collaborating musician.  After all, the essence of Indaba Music revolves around collaboration!  But what does it mean to be an effective collaborator in songwriting? It's all about the "give and take".  You're giving your unique style, your musical skill set, and your personality to the project.  You're taking the different but equally unique set of skills, styles and personality from your co-writers or bandmates.  Together, you're producing music that finds a creative sweet spot that none of you could have achieved on your own.

Here are eight tips for successful collaboration with your bandmates:

1) Know your personal strengths and weaknesses

Nobody is great at everything.  We all excel in specific areas of our craft - whether its soloing, constructing chord progressions, lyric writing, formulating beats, audio production, or something else.  Know which things you bring to the table.  Be even more aware of the things that you look to your co-writers to fill in the gaps.

2) Show up empty handed

That's right, don't prepare your material before entering a jam session or writing session.  Come up with musical ideas during your session by drawing on the creative energy between you and your co-writers.  Allow yourself to be influenced by what the others are doing.  Craft your chords, riffs, lyrics, and rhythms as a response to what you're hearing from your bandmates.

3) Make your bandmates better

In sports, they say the Most Valuable Player is one who makes his teammates perform better.  The same principal applies to playing in a band.  Always play your best, and encourage your bandmates to do the same.  Verbal encouragement is always good, but it's even more effective to communicate through the music.  Play and adjust your musical part in response to what your bandmates are playing.  Which brings us to...

4) Listen, Listen, Listen

Never stop Listening.  You want to take in even more than you put out.  Hear, digest, and process everything that's going on in the room.  The physicality of playing your instrument should become second nature.  Develop the ability to focus on what others are doing while you play your instrument.  Throughout the session, remain focused on what you hear coming from your bandmates, not on what your hear coming from you.

The importance of listening isn’t only true for rehearsals, writing, and recording sessions.  It’s a key element of live performance, where listening to your bandmates is essential to putting on a great live show.  Not only on-stage, but back stage as well.  Read more about preparing your live set here.

5) Find inspiration through collaboration

As you listen to what your bandmates are doing, let their creativity spark your own.  Just as you get inspired when you listen to your favorite records, find your inspiration in-session and apply it in real-time as you create music together with your bandmates.  This road will lead you to a final product that is truly original.

6) Work together non-music duties for your band

As we all know, a lot more work goes into playing in a band than just "playing".  Split the promotional duties evenly and fairly with your bandmates.  If one of you is a graphic designer, that person should be in charge of band artwork and design (logo, posters, album art, etc.).  If someone else has strong communication skills, they should be in charge of securing gigs, or managing your band's email list.  Maybe one of you is interested in all web-related things.  That person can be in charge of promoting your band's web presence through Twitter.

7) Be flexible and fair

This should be obvious, but too often overlooked.  Be flexible and fair when it comes to the logistics of a working band.  If you rehearse in several places, offer to travel to your bandmates place for rehearsal half the time.  If you pay for a rehearsal space, split the cost evenly.  Offer to drive to the gig half the time.  You get the idea.

8) Nurture your friendship

Keeping the relationships with your bandmates in a healthy place is vital to the success of your band.  Be cool and respectful with your bandmates, just as you would with members of your family.  You share a different kind of bond with your bandmates than you do with other friends.  A solid friendship will go a long way towards producing great music as a band.

Being in a band is a lot more than just showing up and playing the gig.  It's more than practicing and drilling through your songs.  You have to practice the art of creative collaboration.

Creating Sessions on Indaba by Matt P.

Hi everybody!  Before we started exploring the wonders of creating session, I wanted to introduce myself.  My name is Matt Palmer, and I’m the newest member of the customer service team here at Indaba.  If you’ve visited any of the contests or forums lately, I’m sure you’ve seen me around, but just know that if you ever have any questions and you see I’m online, you guys can start a chat with me and I’ll try to help as best I can!

Alright, now on to the fun stuff: the ability to create sessions is what makes Indaba stand out from the pack.  Since Indaba is all about collaboration, creating and joining sessions is the obvious cornerstone of the site.  So start by clicking the ‘Start a New Session’ link at the top of the homepage (it’s to the right of the ‘Community’ & ‘My Studio’ tabs). 

Here you should find the Basics page.  Type in the title of your session in the Session Name box, and the description of your session in the Description box (which is pretty logical, I hope!).  If you want your session to come up when anyone on Indaba searches through sessions, click public.  If you want your session to only be viewable to you and the users you invite to your session, click private.

On the Details page, you should fill as much of the information you can!  You’ll get users that are a much better fit for what you need that way.  In the Session Needs blank, type in what instruments your looking for, or if you’re looking for a mixer, a producer, a vocalist, etc.  In the Influences blank, that’s where you type in the artists that you feel your session most closely resembles in genre or feeling.  Influences are important because that’s how Indaba can recommend users for your session, and vice versa, so you should definitely fill this in!  Influences, Genre, and Session Needs are all searchable in the Advanced Search section, so fill all those out as best you can!

The next few details are all assuming you have an initial idea for your song, so if you’re starting from scratch, you could probably click ‘Next Step’ right about now!  Genre, Key, Tonality, Time Signature, and Tempo should all be fairly self-explanatory (hint: tonality is only major or minor ☺), and if anything is unclear get your most musical friend to help you out (or e-mail us here at info@indabamusic.com)!  For Tempo, click the Recorded with a click track option if you recorded what you have of your song to a metronome that is strictly followed through out the whole song.

Describe the structure of your song in the Song Form area, select the preferred bit depth for the files your collaborators upload in the Bit Depth area, and upload a picture and you’re done with the deets!  Click on Next Step when you’re ready to move on.

You’ve now reached the Upload File page!  If you don’t have a track ready for your collaborators to work off of, you should select the ‘Skip this Step’ button at the bottom of the screen.  For those you who do have a killer track ready to go, fill out the Track Name blank and specify which Instrument your track is in the Instrument blank.  Select Yes next to ‘Is this a reference track?’ if you want this track to be the basis for all additions by your collaborators.  If you check ‘Yes’, it will be downloadable by any Indaban who finds your session, assuming its public.

If you select choose… next to the License (optional), you should get a pop-up that gives you a very in-depth look at how you want to protect your work from a legal standpoint.  It’s really well explained there, so I won’t waste your time with a shotty explanation of it, but if you have any questions, feel free to contact us here at info@indabamusic.com!

Now all that’s left is to select and upload your file!
 

On the Session Members page, you can begin inviting people to your session!  If you already have a contact on Indaba that you think would fit, begin typing their name in the Your Contacts box, and select their picture when it loads.  You can look through the profiles in the Indaba Recommends box to see if you find someone you’d want for your session!

I’d also suggest you do an advanced search and look for people on your own!  If you find someone you think would be good for your session, just select the Invite to a Session to the right of the user’s profile picture to invite them to your session.

So that’s basically it!  Creating sessions can seem daunting at first, but it really is the best way to meet and collaborate with the incredible musicians on Indaba.  So don’t be shy -- start up a session today!

Blogging on Indaba by Ryan

In this "How to Indaba", we're going to revisit the basics, and talk a bit about the way you can use Indaba's blog tools to express your musical persona.

Blogging is one of the more descriptive features on the site: I won't bore you to death with different details regarding writing.  Its' a blog, do with it what you will!  Try to keep in mind that we are a community of musicians serious about music - so even if your tunes aren't so serious - at least take it seriously. We have some tools here on Indaba that can enable you to take your blogging to a whole new level. For instance:  Linking pictures to your blog.  This a very simple way to make your blog more colorful and exciting for people to view. 

To link a photo into your blog all you have to do is click on the picture of the tree icon (when you mouse over it you will see the text "insert/edit photo") Location: the tree button is located to the right of the anchor (insert/edit anchor) icon and the left of the paintbrush (clean-up messy code) icon.  Once you have clicked the "insert/edit photo" button you are given three different options: the 'General' tab - which contains 4 more options: Image URL/Image Description/Title/Browse.  The Browse option is all the way over on the end of the same row as Image URL. Both Image URL and Browse are really the most important buttons in regards to inputting pictures onto your page.  The other primary option is Appearance.

 The Appearance tab contains all aspects of shaping and placement of the actual image.  Appearance controls height, width and how much of a buffer you want between your text, the margins, and your photograph.  You could think of the buffer as an invisible shield that separates your text from your images.  This is really an essential tool in crafting your words and images so they combine to have more of a theme instead of just text and photos. Once you are done adding text and images, post your blog!

That's all for now...There are a bunch of other cool things you can do with your blog, but this should get you started for now! We'll talk about more advanced features next week!

by ryan

Touring can be tough, playing every night regardless of your health while keeping a level head with your band-mates is a difficult task. Tempers come and go, hangovers happen, and all and all its really different than how I imagined it would be when I was growing up.  I remember envisioning lavish tour buses, dinner checks that pay themselves, and an abundance of any conceivable delight. In reality, every tour is different and varied, but I believe how you conduct yourself while in those extreme situations proves to make an important difference.  Showing respect to your fellows has a huge impact on the quality of life on the road.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Respect is a very important aspect of maintaining a working band.  If you have to play together in any capacity - be it at practice or on a stage - being considerate of your mates is of the utmost importance.  Playing well with others is a much different challenge than just focusing on your own role.  You have to be careful of making mistakes like hogging the spotlight to show-boat or completely ignoring your companions.  Whether you think your riff is 'way more awesome' than the other ax-wielder - its good to keep a level head and remember the fact that the music itself needs to be a working balance between all the members.  

At Practice:

I've noticed some behavioural consistencies amongst different bands at practice, and not all of them are good.  Band practice can be a very interesting and sometimes tricky place.  When working with a wide variety of personalities on something like crafting the perfect song you have to be aware of how sensitive people can be.  Its good to remember that when you are trying your best its easy to feel vulnerable.  If one of your cronies starts ribbing you about the fact that you keep missing the B7 suspended, keep it together and remember that you both want the song to sound the very best it can.  Level headed respectful music partners are worth their weight in gold because being happy and appreciated while playing music makes a major difference.  To sum it up - its about playing your role and remembering that your buddies are trying to do the same.  Take care of yourself and your friends.  We want to hear you play - and play well.

Touring: My Glorious Albatross by ryan

Touring is one of the most important and potentially trying aspects of playing music professionally. While being on the road has its trials and tribulations, that moment of wonderfully thrilling connectedness with your audience makes it all worth wile. The sleepless nights, the screaming hordes of fans (or lack of) the bad food, the worse coffee and the lonliness of the road seem to be, in my mind, some of the best days of my life.

So how do we get on this 'road' exactly? Just quit your jobs, leave the dog with your mom and hop in the car with a credit card and fingers crossed? Head across the border and sip tequila under a palm tree with your best pal believing there is nothing to lose? While these are impossibly romantic notions, the reality is hardly as glamorous, or easy.  My personal experience was wildly varied and included 10-for-a-buck ramen, a skillet, my trusty old pen and paper and my bass guitar, amongst other items.  Its a good idea to surround yourself with a variety of things to occupy your time.  The skillet for cooking the delicious noodles when there wasn't a microwave available, and the pen and paper for notations and postulations.  A hopeful attitude never hurts either. 

While having copious amounts of downtime has its rich appeal, the only way to stay sharp is to constantly keep busy. Traveling for days on end, waiting to play, unloading, loading again, then traveling more can make a soul search for consistency. I found that reading, writing, and taking advantage of true alone time was the only way I survived, and I am better for it.  Don't get me wrong, some of the fondest memories I have are of times where it was my crew vs the world.  There is a sound solidarity in that.  Its good to remember that the people you have involved in your life just may have the power to enable you to achieve your goals.  And you may be able to reciprocate the same.  I guess in a way that's what the road is all about and I find it comforting to know that it is always there.  To quote Antontio Machado "Traveler, there is no path, Paths are made by walking".  Whether you continue blazing the trail or if stay in your nest warming your egg, know that opportunity is right around the corner - be it writing your grand opus or playing it in front of others.  

The musicians guide to getting prepped (for stage) by Ryan

Last week I brought up the green room, the week before that it was patience, this week I'm going to continue on in the vein of preparation (or) if your already ready already: click or.

We all have to constantly prepare, its a commonality that we all experience, consistent preparation for the next gig/event/show (call it what you will).  Everyone has their own quirks when it comes to getting ready to 'go on'.  I like tea, water, and beer, after carbohydrates, pictures of trees and copious amounts of brownies (two bites will suffice), but consumption is really just one way to ready your steadied self.

Think about the different aspects of what you have to warm up before you get down.  Mind, body, and .... your instrument, well you and your instrument together now that is a beautiful thing. Be it crashing a house party with your improv accoustic set or practicing the hexatonics for The House of Blues, preparedness is a measure with which you should reckon.  Getting into the right head space to lay down the very thing thats bangin around in your mind is a serious business, and blunt force trauma will only get you so far, however if you keep it cool and stay true (to yourself) you very well may find that you have less to prepare for than you thought.  Take Seattle-sired Hendrix for example:  The poor fellow had a laundry list of negatives consistently working against him, and a reputation that preceded him so much so that he ended up in excess, yet he still managed in his short 27 years to drastically improve the quality of music being crafted.  Now THAT is a success story.... if it had only ended different.  My point is: the greater your personal adversity towards making music the better.  If you have the sustain to maintain your path - despite the cultural climate - you may get more than just applause.  You may get esteem - and that ladies and gentlemen is something worth striving for.  So remember:  lay it down, let the music breathe, and to quote Antwan Andre Patton - aka Big Boi, keep it "cooler than a polar bears toe nails".  Until next week... peace.

 The Musicians Guide:  What do you want in your rider?

The industry standard contract rider, commonly known as a 'tour rider' (or just a rider), includes all the specifics of what you and/or your band require to perform.  Your rider can serve an amazing purpose!  It lets the venue know how to prepare for the arrival of your band, while giving a heads up to the staff so they can make the proper accommodations for you and your crew - in their fair city - at their fine establishment. Typically the rider will contain specifics on everything from stage design, sound systems, and lighting rigs to transportation, billing, and green room necessities .  Now, you are probably thinking "What would I wish for"?

Some artists severely abuse the request process by demanding all sorts of outrageous junk - just to always have it around them.  I understand bands wanting to be confortable while constantly traveling the world - but to what extent does it have to go - before the requests become absurd?  A prime example of a well-noted ridiculous rider request came about on Van Halens' 1982 tour where they notoriously demanded that there be "M & M's (WARNING:  ABSOLUTELY NO BROWN ONES)"!  This was later explained as a measure to ensure that the promoter was actually reading the rider, but regardless of whether you are into pomp and circumstance, or if you are literally looking to prepare yourself for the stage - I'd like to know what you want in your rider? Especially your green room.  Be it M&Ms and Skittles or loaves of bread and water from the purest farthest reaches of the earth - there is utterly no foreseeable end to the absurdities that people request!  So lets all put on our best 'rock-star' and 'diva hats, and bring out your best lists!  The more absurd the better!  To be fair I'll give you the basic version of mine when I toured: chips and salsa, a bunch of beer, and bottled water, that's not what I'd ask for now, but we're not talking about me.