New year, old song
January 4, 2012
Derek H – What I Choose to Pay
This song is fairly old, and the lyrics have been sitting in my notebook for quite awhile. Problem being, I had forgotten how the accompanying music went. Well, I accidentally remembered it. And so I’ve been practicing and memorizing this song over the past few days.
The recording has a buzz in it, but it’s the best I can do at the moment. Thankfully, the song isn’t about the sound, it’s about the lyrics and the soul. Enjoy!
~D
Merry Christmas
December 25, 2011
Especially to those who call the mountains home! And especially my sister, Robin.
As seen on youtube:
Derek H – Heart of the Mountain
An upbeat song for an upbeat time of year. Lets dance! Minor flaws aside, I really like this song, from music to lyrics. I hope we all find that thing that makes us heart feel at home! Merry Christmas to you all.
~D
Something for Atheists
November 30, 2011
This is one of the reasons I struggle. This song could be performed as any number of genres, from jazz to hardcore metal. But when it’s just me and a guitar, it falls flat unless I’m performing it live and you can SEE the emotion.
That and the fact that it, you know, pisses off anyone that’s a theist.
The song quality is okay, the recording quality is meh. This is one of the songs that requires backing tracks, and things happening at almost all times on a variety of instruments. Still, I think the song is more of a frustration release than it is an artistic marvel to behold – and I’m okay with that.
~D
Perfect Place?
November 13, 2011
Recording quality better than last time, that’s for sure.
A very calm, quiet, almost mournful song. Not a lot of substance – mostly for passive listening. Very simple melody, very simple chords. As a bonus, there’s a guitar solo! I always enjoy doing those, improvising them is a lot of fun.
Voice recording is sounding better – turns out I need to crank up EVERY khz dial for that to happen. I’m not sure why, but that’s what I did this time, and my voice sounds half-normal (as opposed to not like me at all).
Should be another song along in a couple weeks, after I recover from getting my wisdom teeth out on wednesday.
~D
Maybe not so much
November 9, 2011
Sound quality -> downhill.
It’s kinda sad, but my pedal died rather spectacularly. Until I buy a PROPER recording interface, the quality is gonna be pretty bad – one of the main reasons I haven’t been recording lately. My voice is particularly bad in this, but the guitar is crackly as well. Although that may be the pickup’s fault.
As for the song – I was inspired by someone at work who got a chance to start their life anew, and thus “tabula rasa”. The rest of the song wrote itself, pretty much. It’s thoughtful, but I find it repetitive and uninteresting. Maybe there’s a way to spice it up I haven’t thought of yet.
~D
Try Less Hard
August 13, 2011
A new song.
This one is a little wierd – not in structure or genre, but rather in how I went about it. I forgo trying to sing well entirely for the duration of the recording. This gives it the “indie basement recording” feel that most of my recordings kind of lack. It bothers me a little bit, but on the flipside, the song is much more “listenable” as a result, which I’m very happy about.
I also threw in a spanish-style guitar solo for effect. That was probably the most fun part, fiddling and improvising until I got something that fit kind of well.
Overall, I think this is my best *recording* so far, but it’s a middle-of-the-pack quality actual song.
~D
Cover the Audition
June 28, 2011
And now for something completely different.
Recently I noticed all the ads flying around about “Cover me Canada”, a competition/canadian Idol clone that CBC is running. Link here. The song choices were… Well, terrible. Still, I thought it would a fun challenge to try and convert one. So here’s the VIDEO of me playing it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLCiuiXe1SE
I think it turned out well. It’s definitely a change from the song you would hear on the radio, and without changing a whole lot about it. I doubt it will be winning any awards, but it was a fun exercise.
Maybe I should start doing more videos… I used to do them, but I stopped when I got my new computer, since it was made harder. Now that I have the set up to do it again though, I have no excuse.
~D
Good things come in threes
May 25, 2011
As always, I tend to have a whole bunch of songs in various states of disrepair. After getting my mic back for a few days I sat down to record the ones that came out okay. In the future I expect to post songs in clumps like this, as it works out quite nicely.
The first is a song about disasters and the lack of response to them. Note the complete lack of a mention of money. This is my newest concept, and creation. It came together rather fast.
The second is a nice waltz with no real chorus. It flows quite nicely, from beginning to end, and has some funky chords in it, which make it sound really nice. I rather like this one.
The third and last is a song for my guitar. Because she’s my baby and I love her <3. This one kinda finished itself outta nowhere today, after sitting by the wayside for quite awhile.
~D
Time’s a-wastin’
February 11, 2011
Was at a wonderful gathering the other day at Nitawgi farm. Lots of great people, and people who respect my music! It was a lot of fun. It reminded me to update this blog more often, too, so here’s a new song.
Derek H – It will come in time
This song has a bit of an odd beat, I’ll admit. It’s kind of catchy in its own little way, and it’s sweet. I rather like it. Truth be told, I was inspired by Mumford & Sons, in that they play the guitar so differently than I do – so much strumming! – so I figured I could try and do something more similar to that. I haven’t been working on this song long, in fact the ending riff was a spontaneous addition in the last recording I did, but I kept it. Happy accidents?
~D
Different Themes
November 9, 2010
There are a few things about this recording I don’t like, specifically the amount of palm muting I used. This song is far from finished, but it is recorded, so there you have it. I really like how happy this song is – I also like how it doesn’t really have a chorus, more of a repeated music interlude. All in all it’s a pretty fun little song.
~D
SONG LYRICS
When I tell them what I want to do
They tell me it can’t be done
But I won’t give up so easily
Not with so much at stake
If you choose not to follow me
That’s your choice, and your loss
But I’ll press forward with or without you
So make up your mind
I believe in the future I have
A brilliant shining white
Cause I have seen what becomes of the people
Who reach for the stars at night
I won’t follow the path that you set
Or the road less traveled by
No-one’s been where I want to be
So I’ll find my place myself
When did I say it was easy
When did I say it was fast
When did I say that every moment
Would be happiness and bliss
I’ll be working my whole life for this
For better or worse
I’ll do it with no hesitation
And no complaint
When I told them what I wanted to do
They told me not to try
But I wouldn’t give up on it
And look where I am now
You chose not to follow me
That was your choice and your loss
Somehow I moved forward without you
To live another life
