Frustrated And Just Ranting...probably Disregard, Trials and Tribulations of Recording for the REC Program Options

[NoSkill]

So, I'm practicing a level 3 piece. It's not hard. It sounds nice. It has some dynamics in it that make it quite nice. I've been practicing it and using Garage Band to record it. I'm pretty happy with it. I've got many of the dynamics down, the parts that I was struggling with transitions between have worked themselves out, so it's ready for the REC program.

I have my video setup ready to go at all times. I have my guitars around me like King Arthur had his Knights. Everything is in front of me. It's a beautiful evening with a nice view from my window. I'm relaxed. I've had a great day with my wife and kids. All are settled into their own routines for the evening. I think, now is my time. I wash my hands, get a drink of juice (just juice) and settle in. I warm up a bit...not enough, but enough to say I warmed up a bit without lightning striking me. I get my setup right. I get my lighting as I like it. The sound is good, the mood is good, it's all quiet and I'm ready to go.

Take 1 - sounds like I'm wearing oven mits.
Take 2 - sounds like I strung my guitar with barbed wire
Take 3 - sounds like I'm playing that barbed wire guitar with oven mits
Take 4 - sounds like take 1
Take 5 - sounds like my guitar is out of tune. Nope, it's just me.
Take 6 - I mess up the start. Honest mistake
Take 7 - I mess up the start again. Maybe not so honest a mistake.
Take 8 - I play a completely different song than the one I'm recording
Take 9 - Back to oven mitts
Take 10 - Perfect! I forgot to start the camera recording.
Take 11 - My daughter needs me...I feel her behind me. I look, she's not there.
Take 12 - My son needs me...I'm not falling for that again. He hits me in the back. I scream!
Take 13 - Back to oven mits.
Take 14 - I get to the end and then don't play the last note. Just fanned it with my pick...so close!
Take 15 - See take 4
Take 16 - This is just getting silly. I finished it, but it sounded desperate, like I had a gun to my head.
Take 17 - I'm ready to put a gun to my head.
Take 18 - The take that starts the steady decline.
Take 19 - 34 - Combinations and repeats of above.
Take 35 - I take a break
Take 36 - Here we go again.
Take 37 - I like it. Whew. It felt good. I didn't hit record...just play. No problem, next take is going to nail it.
Take 38 - 51 - I mess up the same bend, bending it flat. I stop right at it and obsess for awhile.
Take 52 - a graceful vibrato ends in a pull off sounding like my finger was stuck to the string with glue. That's new.
Take 53 - 59 - I repeat take 52's new found error with perfection and precision
Take 60 - I turn off the camera, thinking I'll play it perfectly. Wrong
Take 61 - 72 - I go back to oven mits.
Take 72 -80 - I'm just mad now and pulling at the guitar like I'm trying to get out of a submerged automobile.
Take 81 - I'm going to get it, if it kills me
Take 82 - 91 - I'm a broken man.

There wasn't a take 92, nor was there an upload to the REC program. What did I learn? Not a %**$&*&%( thing.

Just so you know, I deal with an extremely high stress workplace with significant consequence for mediocre performance or failure. I do so because I have, between training and experience, 20 years in my profession. None of it is worth a piece of rotten fish when it comes to doing this!

Cheers!

Tom in Canada

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