Resourceful fingerpicking recording trick

[Brent Hahn]

Originally Posted by b1j

What are your thoughts on the production technique? Seems like cheating to me...

My first thought is, "whatever it takes." I think it's likely that they did that to make it easier to individually control the two parts, both in presence and tone. The left/low part is quite a bit brighter than the right/high part and sounds to me like a steel-string guitar. To me, the right/high part is darker and sound like it was miked closer, and could possibly be a nylon-string guitar.

[jpmist]

Originally Posted by Howard Emerson

The droning high root note coupled with the rhythmic rolling pattern is what I think you're hooked on, therefore I would try something in open D tuning, and then capo as needed for your ultimate key necessities.

Aimee Mann did this as well on “Goose Snow Cone” - likely many artists have as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhThS-PJOFE

All personal taste of course, the high drone note is a catchy choice but in Aimees song it got icepick tiresome for me after repeated listening. I considered re-editing the song to EQ that note down as far as I could . . .

[b1j]

Originally Posted by jpmist

Aimee Mann did this as well on “Goose Snow Cone” - likely many artists have as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhThS-PJOFE

All personal taste of course, the high drone note is a catchy choice but in Aimees song it got icepick tiresome for me after repeated listening. I considered re-editing the song to EQ that note down as far as I could . . .

Well, I think of Julia and Dear Prudence as two high-drone-on-the-tonic songs. I didn't think Aimee's use was as prominent as on those two Lennon songs.

[jpmist]

Originally Posted by b1j

Well, I think of Julia and Dear Prudence as two high-drone-on-the-tonic songs. I didn't think Aimee's use was as prominent as on those two Lennon songs.

Trust me, after 20 or so listenings Aimee's becomes an icepick in the old eardrum, at least it did for me.

Any progress? Hope you'll share your result, needn't be perfect. The last I took a stab at it I placed a capo far too high up on 7th fret and was able to play it in G. I may have used an audio editor to drop the entire song down two half-steps there.

The tone is of course horrible with a capo that high on my small body OO, but in G I was able to get the drone on the high E string as well as the melody notes on the lower strings and that lovely "walk-down". Still looking for a place where I can actually sing this so more experimenting needs doing.

This song has stuck in my head several times at 5 am so thanks for that . . . <grin>

[Nymuso]

Originally Posted by Howard Emerson

If you're going to cover this song you should strive to make it your own by coming up with part that has the aural gist of what you enjoy about the original.

And there it is, Howard has addressed what so many people still don’t get about covering a song. I have worked with musicians who, if they hear on the recording the sound of a toilet being flushed down the hall from the studio, will want it reproduced in our cover.

[b1j]

Originally Posted by Nymuso

And there it is, Howard has addressed what so many people still don’t get about covering a song. I have worked with musicians who, if they hear on the recording the sound of a toilet being flushed down the hall from the studio, will want it reproduced in our cover.

That’s good, Nymuso. Thanks for the laugh. I am sufficiently self-aware to realize that I trend in that direction.

[b1j]

Originally Posted by jpmist

Trust me, after 20 or so listenings Aimee's becomes an icepick in the old eardrum, at least it did for me.

Any progress? Hope you'll share your result, needn't be perfect. The last I took a stab at it I placed a capo far too high up on 7th fret and was able to play it in G. I may have used an audio editor to drop the entire song down two half-steps there.

The tone is of course horrible with a capo that high on my small body OO, but in G I was able to get the drone on the high E string as well as the melody notes on the lower strings and that lovely "walk-down". Still looking for a place where I can actually sing this so more experimenting needs doing.

This song has stuck in my head several times at 5 am so thanks for that . . . <grin>

I just returned from a week out of town, so no updates yet. My lovely bride is going on a 10-day artist retreat later this week, so I’ll have time and space to set up our common room and finally do some tracking.

I didn’t like the tone capoed up, either, but you can play the low part with no capo on the 5th, 4th, and 3rd strings. The tone is somewhat manageable with the high part on capo 7. Remember, though, I’m transposing down five frets, so I’ll only use capo 2 for the high part.

To the comment about recreating the toilet flush, I’ll be as faithful as I can to the parts, but in the lower register the song will sound quite different.

[DCCougar]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

Reminds me of this one....

Yeah. Or the intro on this one: Kottke's Embryonic Journey

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by DCCougar

Yeah. Or the intro on this one: Kottke's Embryonic Journey

That's a cool version But personally I still kinda prefer the original Kaukonen
version one guitar one shot