Band and/or Solo

I was reading an interview by Richard Barbieri (Porcupine Tree Keyboardist) and he was talking a lot about this topic, about how democratic a band should be, how the band handle the collaborations, handle different opinions, insights and all that stuff. I have to say that Richard is a member of Porcupine Tree and a solo artist as well and he described both situations.

However all this reading made my mind even more clear on this and made me think more about what kind of direction I will take to make music and play it live. Being in a band? Being a solo artist and write everything and just "hire" musicians to play it live? I mean, there's a lot into this topic and can be deceiving and confusing, but I think that this is the way. Bands broke up, making decisions with other people could get very tricky and complicated, there could be lots of creative discrepancies, disagreements in what direction the band should take and not to mention the difficulty to please everyone's ambition and have them get their "space" into the band. I think is a matter of the people and the musicians really, the members all have understanding in the style of music the band have? Do they come from the same background? Do they have the same goals and motivations? Do they have all the same level of musicianship? Do they all play more than one instrument?, all this questions come to mind and I think then Why Porcupine Tree, Opeth, King Crimson are "bands" and not solo works by its leaders: Steven Wilson, Mikael and Fripp?

Steven Wilson, for example, began a solo career not so long ago, so, why he is still in this band Porcupine Tree? And the reason is that for the artist is a different thing, it is like "Ok, I want to do this that go out of the main direction of the band, so I'm going to release a solo record to do it” so this concept made clear the idea that, if you are in a band you stay in the direction of the band and if you want to play another type of music, then go ahead and do your thing. I mean, if you are in a punk rock band for example, stay to that, and if you are the bass player of that band be the best bass punk player available and ad to the band your best sounding punk-type bass lines ever, now, if you want to play death metal because you just heard an death metal band that inspired you? Go ahead write your stuff and go solo, because the band you’re in is labeled as punk rock. Your bandmates will probably kill you if you present the idea of making the next band record a death metal album!

Now, in progressive world is more complicated than that, is not that simple, progressive music is so vast, eccentric, eclectic and hard to define, that tends to change overtime even in the same progressive band or sound, take for example the same prog band “Dream Theater” their album “Images and Words” is not the same as their “Train of Thought” are they? I mean, there are both great progressive albums but with a completely different direction, that’s all. This in prog music is rather normal, but can get confusing sometimes, I mean you can have a prog band influenced in the prog music of the 70’s but it can be maybe folk oriented, or more psychedelic oriented, or more jazzy, or even symphonic, you know is difficult to define rather to be more epic, or songwriting oriented etc. It is normal that prog music tends to experimentation and the band sound changes overtime with each record, and this can be called like the “evolution” of the band sound getting better or not, it depends, this “changes” could happen because the fans, the musical context, band agreements, outside producers, management, etc etc.

If I want to create and found a band I know that I could not fall in love with the line-up, If one member swap out look for a replacement and keep going, that’s it, look band like YES and King Crimson, line-ups changing almost on every record, this helps to ad variety maybe but it lacks its initial foundation of sound really, I mean look at bands like Led Zeppelin, Page created that band and never suffered a replacement because he said that if one of those guys where out, he rather disband everything than keep it alive, you know, he felt in love with the line-up and lucky for him he never suffered from the lost member.

But I think the important thing here is to set a style, the big picture so the band gets “labeled” in some way to have a big reference on what the band musically could deliver to the listener, and to place everybody in a band in a mind set to play their instrument in the best way and add to the overall music.

So, in a band contest everything is different that the solo artist approach and for me I haven’t yet decided which way to go really, I’m still working on that, right now it’s all trial and error and see how things can work better for me musically, and I think the key is gather committed, responsible and good musicians with a great attitude, vision and vast musicality, which is very, very difficult.

Iros RR

THE COMPLICATIONS OF COOPERATIVE SONGWRITING AND HOW TO DO IT

The writing of music is something very intricate, intimate and personal that is why bands have always a leading composing force in all the formula. Now, you see, you can name any band you want and I can name you the one responsible for the style, creation and even the production of the music. Songwriting is a creative process, for me is like drawing a painting, you have a theme, an inspiration and then you draw what you see in your head, is pretty much the same with music, your brushes are your instruments, the canvas is the paper with the lyrics on, the composition is the arrangement and the colors is the notes and chords, the technique is the style. Now that you see it, it’s almost the same!

Now imagine yourself in this situation, you’re painting this picture, and then your mate or friend began to put out strokes and colors to your painting, see? Two things can happen: 1. You’re getting uncomfortable because you’re feeling that your painting is getting all a mess. 2. The guy is a great painter and he is fixing your picture in every way.

This example I gave you can be deceiving, but it leave clear one big message here, Co-op songwriting must be done with people who know well the elements and things implied with music and with songwriting, they must all have experience, doing this will proof your opinions and ideas, I mean, how in the hell you will say that this note or chord must be moved or replaced when you don’t even know what a chord actually is? Understand? The knowledge is important, it helps a lot that they are in the same style too. So, the other side of the coin is a extreme too, take for example bands like Genesis, Pink Floyd or The Beatles, they’re bands that have exceptional brains in the art of crafting songs, every single member is a master in songwriting, at the same time this can cause trouble and creative disagreements. These bands even broke up by this exact reason; however, they knew how to work together and what they did to music is now legendary.

This is how is done, and don’t even try to argue with me in this one because it is how it is. First of all, if you are a musician analyze and evaluate yourself, analyze your inner self and concrete how much you know about music, music theory, music elements, inner ear, sight reading, composition, harmony, expertise, I mean, all things related to music in general, it’s very important that even if you are considered a “master” in music, you have to know your weaknesses too, everyone have them. Now that you know where you are, say to yourself if you will be a composer or a player, then off you go! Recognize that some other musician can be better in some aspects, stick to him! There are musicians who focus on their instruments so well but doesn’t have that song crafting very polished and there are musicians that are geniuses in making music but don’t have that expertise on the instrument, so tell to yourself, where are you.

As a musician I have polished every necessary skill to make music and perform it so I can write things and be able to play what I write, but this is my case, your case could be different, just try to be prepared, train yourself in how to make songs and how to play well your instrument, it’s the best presentation card when you’re beginning to play in a band or introducing yourself to co-op songwriting or other musicians.

So, for example, you’re beginning to write a song with a musician friend, you just have to proof that you know how to do it, and have that musical knowledge that complete this task, it will be more difficult if your partner doesn’t know what you’re doing, and why.

In this case I will give you some guidelines to complete this task: First of all, you have to come with a open mind, make sure that the people that you’re sharing your music with is in the same level of knowledge and compromise, or at least try.

In bands situations:

A band is just a group of musicians who play music, jam and write together, but, what difference a band from an ensemble band its the music, the leading force in it and how cooperative the process of making the music is.

1- Members trade ideas, or record themselves jamming, and yes, a band have to have synergy in his play, that’s what makes them unique.

2- A lead member presents the music and the others just play it adding their touch with their instruments.

3- Members suitable in music harmony and overall music composition write together a song, from it arrangement to the whole instrumentation and share it to the others.

4- Members trade individual recorded demos, this one is very professional and implied lot of musical knowledge and expertise by the individual members who participate, doing this, they merge this demos and ideas in a complete song, each one have to have the proper gear for this task.

5- Have a clear sight in the member’s functions. In this case, you can assign a role or function to each member who participate in the band knowing what each member do best, for example the roles can be: Songwriter, arranger, producer, lyricist, visual artist, conceptualist, this depends a lot of the type of band and the type of musicians, obviously some roles can be merged into one person. Drummers came with the natural talent of creating rhythms, beats, and spontaneity but, it will be normal that they as drummers don’t know much about notes and music harmony, in this case they can be great arrangers, conceptualist, producers and even lyricists, take Rush’s Neil Peart for example. In other cases drummers can be exceptional and complete musicians and can play others instruments as well having the gift of composition, somebody like Dave Weckl or Gotye would be the case.

Pros

1. Economical help and cooperation.

2. Establishing different roles and divide the process of work.

3. Make it feel like a whole organization, like a business of some sort.

4. Jammings, Co-op songwriting.

5. Live performances easier.

6. Optimize process of production due to all members providing help.

Cons

1. Possible creative disagreements.

2. Defining a concept or style.

3. Establishing new ways or different paths.

4. Much more compromise.

5. Time is a factor.

6. Adapting is something mandatory.

7. Entering with a flexible and open mind.

Solo artist situation:

This is the other world in making music, going solo, many artists end up in this one, many of them start in a band and then goes off, depend a lot of their personal beliefs and life situations.

1. You write alone your own music, by inspiration, personal life events, etc.

2. As a musician you’re compromised only in yourself and assume all the roles necessary, songwriter, arranger, producer, lyricist, etc.

3. Have a clear sight in what you really love to do and write, and what your philosophies in life are.

4. You really have to enclose yourself in the process but you can if you want make somebody of trust to have the critic ear to your work.

5. Hermit things apply, it will be normal that you create music aside from social activities, recording in a room, writing, focusing, experimenting, concentrating on things in the process, the music is important to you, and it will be time consuming.

6. You as a whole know what you really want and have all the concept and visualization ready, you work in the pace you want to work and you do everything yourself, many artists think in this way, people like Frank Zappa, Steven Wilson, Steve Vai, just to name a few, this people create, direct, produce and conceptualize everything associated with their music.

7. You create music that is personal and is an extension to your heart and soul, but the music have to be recorded and even played live, so you have to gather some musicians to do the job, you can either record all yourself if you have the instrument expertise, if not, pay out sessions musicians or having cool musicians who love your work and have interest in play your music.

8. This is the most personal way of creating music, and the process can be more tedious and hard but the only one that knows that is you.

Pros

1. Complete freedom. There’s nobody by your side telling to do things, neither giving opinions nor discarding musical material that they don’t like.

2. Creative Freewill. You’re solo; you create the music alone having complete freedom in doing what you like to do.

3. You create music in a pace that you are confortable with, no hesitation from others.

4. Very personal and intimate. You really can freely evoke personal concepts and themes.

5. There’s no: “arrrg this idiot came with the stupid concept of doing a song about a homosexual horse that rapes squirrels, WTF??!!”

6. You write the way you want and the notes you want, no more adapting to the expertise of some bass or guitar player to play a particular section.

Cons

1. You assume a lot of roles making it difficult to maintain.

2. You lack of economical cooperation, making a lot more difficult to sustain a musical project.

3. You still have to look or pay musicians to record and/or play your music in a live environment.

4. You lack the feeling of support.

Now that you have all that information, you just know what to decide in terms of this topic, having a band is a whole experience and you as a musician have to embrace it, you can hook up with great musicians and learn things from them in every way, analyze your case, and remember that a band is like a serious business you all have to have the same goals and motivations, so it is a real deal in terms of compromise, having a band? Dictate all this points very clear to the others, make agreements and everything could work out.

In the case of going solo, is a total new and free adventure, that you must live one day, it’s just a matter of how you view music in terms of personal beliefs, it can be very confortable to you, it all depends.

You can be both if you are serious in all this stuff, you can have a well established and serious band and having your solo project working and running in the background, its all about how to prioritize things, divide you different musical interests in different musical projects or bands, want to play metal? Embrace a metal project. Want to play jazz? Create or join another project with this viewpoint and style, or why not? Maybe mix them together? Again, you’re the one who knows. Remember that the musicians in your band can have other musical projects so bear this in mind, never stick to something and compromise your nest full of eggs! I recommend being the independent as possible in terms of musical goals and expertise, remember, its up to you.

Iros RR

These Walls

Hello there followers and friends! Thanks for hanging there for me for such a long time; I had abandoned this blog completely shit! And I don't even remember the last time I posted out something. Well anyway I’ve been caught in the “Working Man-move out to make more money-college crap-hermit with no time” thingy, maybe is not normal in some people, but I have like 3 different jobs, plus lots of shit to do and lots of responsibilities, and as you can see, I don’t have time for NOTHING! I haven’t picked my guitar in several weeks, and have been very disconnected with musical stuff, last time I tested a PRS guitar with a friend and I realized that my chops were on a pretty bad state, my pinky was like DEAD, I felt really bad, but, I know that with a little time and workout my chops will be in shape again, but hey, my acoustic skills leveled up for sure.

I’ve encountered this problems/walls and realize that for focusing really in what I love and want to do (MUSIC) I have to surpass a lot of things: first of, college, this is already taking me a LOT of my time and I’m finishing that shit up, and really I want to get out of that crap as soon as possible! Another thing will be acquiring new gear, guitars, and yes, build a whole home studio, this will cost A LOT.

I know for sure that I will get this goals one day, with time and dedication, money will come eventually and is just a matter of putting a great effort and time in projects like “Building my Home Studio”. After all this is done, and the walls are gone I WILL record songs, demos, and finance a musical project (people think that having music recorded and having a band is a game of children). As you can see, all these walls stop me from doing what I love to do, and nevertheless is a sad thing, right now I’m focusing in work, business and money, (and maybe other things) but understand THIS, I have to be prepared to start doing it, but anyways time will tell.

As you may know, I’ve been ALWAYS be frustrated with all this stuff, this isn’t new in my life, but, everything at the end will be OK, I KNOW that!

LATER!!

IROS RR

The 15 Albums that changed my life!!!

1- Jethro Tull - Aqualung

"This album is really my first introduction to progressive music I think, my father played this album everyday in the car in a cassette every morning in the way to the primary school".

2- Peter Gabriel - Secret World Live

"Despite this is a live album, it was another cassette my father had, the music made a HUGE impact on me...musically and emotionally".

3- Dream Theater - Images and Words

"Without a doubt an album that made me realize that I was going to be a musician AND a guitar player, those Petrucci lines were totally inspiring to me, I remember that after discovering this album by a friend at school, we played it from top to bottom in repeat doing homework!"

4- Joe Satriani - The Extremist

"I started to play guitar at the age of 12, I learned my first chords on an acoustic obviously but hearing at this music and discovering G3 (that one with Eric Johnson) by other guitarists pals, I was totally inclined by the electric guitar, rock and metal music!! but, I entered this realm of instrumental electric guitar extravaganza, and of course Joe Satriani and Steve Vai came into play here, this particular album, changed the way I saw the guitar, and the things you can do with it!!!"

5- Rush - Exit...Stage Left

"Another live album, and my first introduction to this great band, I've became fan after that, I remember hearing it for the first time in my headphones in a crappy CD player, those that you carried like ipods now, LOL the discovery of this band and this music was made by an older brother of a friend at high school, he was a drummer, and he was a BIG Rush fan, despite is NOT a music of my generation really I became totally hooked and found a LOT of similarities in Dream Theater's music as well. With tracks like YYZ, La Villa Strangiato, and Tom Sawyer, my musical life changed!"

6- Tool - Lateralus

"This album, was one of those albums that impacted me in so many ways, I remember the packaging, really amazing, it became a trademark in the way I saw a band, rock music, the presentation, lyrics, everything... suck a great album"

7- Jordan Rudess - Feeding the Wheel

"Back to the prog world, I discovered this album surfing the web, and so Magna Carta (label) artists as well, this album was TOTALLY shocking for me, it was like "music like this exist in this world??" I discovered lots of things with this albums, time signatures, rhythms, sounds, I mean something totally new to my ears!, it changed my musical life, and was my first introduction in discovering old progressive music like Genesis, Gentle Giant, Yes etc."

8- Leonardo - The Absolute Man

"One of my favorite albums of ALL time!!, this album is a very special one for me, it grew so much in me, it was a very fine discovery and redefine the way I saw music. It was a music so amazing and well produced, and something I've NEVER encountered before, those layered voices, orchestration, the concept, the story-line, the characters, it is a various artist album, just looking at the sleeves I discovered new artist and music. My first introduction to concept albums was with Dream Theater's Scene from a Memory album, and Rush's 2112 after that, but, this one, was like a WHOLE Opera!!!"

9- Spock's Beard - Snow

"This particular album was also so new to my ears, lots of counterpoints, fine arrangements, eccentric songwriting, and lots of musicianship, my first introduction to Spock's Beard and neo-prog stuff and to Neal Morse, one of my favorite songwriters and composers of ALL time, this was SO new to my ears, and shocked me in every sense of the word, and let's face it, I was born in 1987, so MY generation of progressive music is: Dream Theater, Spock's Beard, The Flower Kings, Fates Warning, for this guys it's obviously the 60's and 70's so everything is like a timeline!"

10- King Crimson - The Power to Believe

"This was my first introduction to what it is my FAVORITE prog band ever! and it is its latest work, but this Crimson line-up was the one I've drowned to, of course I dig more its classic albums!, this was another album that changed the way I saw progressive rock and music in particular"

11- Frameshift - Unweaving the Rainbow

"A fantastic, cool and under-grounded progressive rock album, I discovered it through research in LaBrie (Dream Theater's vocalist), it made think more in production and in writing more progressive music, it changed lots of things in my musicianship too!"

12- Planet X - Moonbabies

"Another "this album is gonna blow your mind" album, this opened up lots of different senses of what was music for me, so eccentric, and out of the box, Donati's musicianship and drumming totally was a huge evolution of what i thought of rhythms, syncopation, ostinatos etc.

13- Mattias "Ia" Eklundh - The Road Less Traveled

"This is a guitar oriented album, but this album was special for me, it opened up so new boundaries for me, both on the music and in the instrument, this guy later will be one of my guitar heroes."

14- Magellan - Impending Ascention

"I bought this album after digging almost all Trent Gardner discography, but this one in particular is old, and was one of the proggy things that I dig the most, such a great album and songs, it is truly a prog masterpiece"

15- Tribal Tech - Illicit

"Later on I was interested in jazz music specially in fusion (rock with jazz) and this album was the one that made me enter in that complex world, it changed me in every sense of the word and made me a better musician after digging it!"

Why I've become a multi-instrumentalist musician

People that know me well know that the guitar is my instrument of choice, why? I simple love the instrument, some musicians friends have asked me several times what would be my instrument of choice instead of guitar?...my answers vary from "I think saxophone" "maybe drums?" but, over the years I've grown musically in every aspect of it: knowledge, experience, highs, lows, facts, etc.

In my early years entering to music and learning to play guitar I just couldn't have enough, for some fellow guitar players friends and musicians this was very egocentric and ambitious, I remember clearly some people telling me: "sooo now you want to be like a Mozart or something right? tsk tsk, ridiculous" I remember those days, but, I'm always searching for evolution, and doing things in the way I like it, that is why I learn others instruments. It's not something in thinking to be just a "one-man band" is more deep than that, for me, it's more musical knowledge, to know the different sonic possibilities that an instrument could add to your music, however, now I see that almost every composer should have a certain piano skills, for example, piano (the instrument) is in EVERY song that I write, could it be a tender ballad or a crazy avant-garde heavy thing! just saying!

All this come to my mind because of my musical heroes, they all can write music, and use other instruments as well, , people like Steven Wilson, Neil Morse, Frank Zappa etc. and is not just "learning to play well others instruments" is knowing how to use it and what its functions are! so, a person like me, could not just stand there and play guitar only all his life!! don't get me wrong, I LOVE the guitar and playing it, but music is more than that you know...learning other instruments give you more musical freedom, be able to write a cool harmonium part, or a groovy bass line, without depending on others to do it, it's so great! be able to write a whole song playing and experimenting with instrumentation and arrangement is a part of music that is so damn exciting to me, simply as that!

Later!

Master Ires Video Series!

Hello fans, followers and friends:

I´m here posting this to inform you some of my new parody and funny videos I´m creating and producing with my good friend Angel Ramos!! it´s funny because this whole idea of making a character named ¨Master Ires¨ in a very humorous way, right now, there´s a youtube channel created named ¨MasterIres¨and even a Facebook fan page! LOL!, I suggest checking that out!!

The first video is up! and it talks more about the Portnoy Drama, presenting some news about the progressive world and some other stuff.

In the future we are thinking in producing a series of 4 videos called ¨Why Master Ires haven't established a band yet!?¨ describing real band situations in form of parody, portraying why it´s so difficult and inconvenient to form a band in here, stay tuned for that!!

Right now, the creative progress is only focused on parody and humorous stuff, but you will be expecting others things like, interviews, documentaries, and of course, videos of me, playing, singing, covering both, covers and own material!

In case you had missed it, there´s our first video:

The Hermit

Hi all again!

Today I'm finishing up a new song that I wrote, I'd simply called it "The Hermit", I'm working in lyrics right now, and I have to marry the words with the music, because this song, was inspired on a concept first rather than making the music, still...I knew the direction I wanted for this song though. Talking a little bit more of it, muse came fast on this one, picked up my guitar, I was alone in my room, and began with a few chords, this song is special to me in a way, it talks about me, I mean, the lyrics portrait something about ME in some way, I'm experiment using a Capo, I used it in the 3rd fret, and it was pretty cool!!

The song is in Gm, (because of the capo) but I wasn't focusing in keys at that moment, just in chords and rhythm, the song came out in 6/8 feel, (I'm using it a lot in my songs now) is a great feel for songwriting and rhythm, rather that the fancy 4/4, the song is melancholy in some way, I'm still humming some melodies, its ending up like a Cerati meets Steven Wilson type of melody, but, the 6/8 feel give it a more of like, let's say...dramatic touch I think... Musically the song came out to be very unique in terms of harmony, I experimented a lot in some bridges, using minor chord substitutions, (sounding very Mikael Akerfeldt) I recorded the whole idea, intro, verses, chorus, bridges, outro, all in a straight line, now, I'm working on arrangements and structures, and I am very undecided in all this things! specially the arrangement!, well...but this is the fun part right?

I will try to buy some equipment for Christmas to see if I can record songs and stuff, so you will be able to hear it as I post some update, I will work that out, so don't worry! I will post the final cut of lyrics later on, and maybe give it the meaning if it if its not coming too metaphorical (which I don't think so), right now, I'm going for a very direct, lush and simple lyrics...but, who knows...

I will say goodbye for now...

More updates later!

Stay tuned!

Iros RR