Time of day-night, your record, write, play?

[H165]

Up at 5AM and pretty much out of musical steam at 2PM unless there's a jam session on. Rather loose fingerstyle, infl. Doc Watson, N. Paul Stookey, Paul Simon, post-rock M. Knopfler, etc.

At 72, just now becoming more interested in playing than I am in building, repairing, modifying.

[Rudy4]

This topic might have been more lively if posted in the "Play and Write" section of the forum. Lots of similar thoughts there, such as this recent "Composing can be a lengthy process" topic.

https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=623900

Be sure to check out this section if you have interest in writing songs.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Rudy4

This topic might have been more lively if posted in the "Play and Write" section of the forum. Lots of similar thoughts there, such as this recent "Composing can be a lengthy process" topic.

https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=623900

Be sure to check out this section if you have interest in writing songs.

Perhaps but since writing --playing-- and recording are I suppose ultimately 3 different discussions ,,,, the OP seemed to be highlighting Recording in that he capitalized the (R) in his OP question (intentionally or not) ----- time of day when you feel the most productive writing, playing, Recording ?
So I think its as good here as anywhere

So for me I tend to play and or write in the evenings... BUT I tend to record and mix from about 10 AM to maybe 4 PM

[ljguitar]

Hey K&G…

Back in the day I owned/operated an acoustic recording business out of my studio which was in the basement of our home official hours were 10am-9pm.

I was likely to have people here anytime between those limits.

We often had 'bands' arrive at 5pm to setup who put in hours before shutting down for the night, and solo artists often show up ready to go at 10am. Looking back, I can't say any time-slot was THE most popular.

If it was for a small project, we had a lot of bookings from noon-supper time.

I had a number of college students who were taking song-writing courses at the community college, and they needed a recording of their song for their 'final'. They would book an hour during daytime when they were already in town attending classes.

And my personal most productive times were early afternoon, or early evening.

[FrankHudson]

It's varied over the years for me. For much of the past 5 years my Parlando Project made me pretty much a "Anytime I'm awake and don't have something external to the Project that needs to be done" writer, composer, researcher, recordist, and musician. I've tapered off in the last year from that level. As I've bragged here before, I'm up to 560 pieces on that Project,* most of them my music, many of them where I play or score all the instruments.

Currently?

Morning is almost always exercise time, a pre 9 AM 5 mile bike ride and breakfast. I will think while riding or eating though, and a lot of problem solving or inspiration can happen. I'll check in here after that and try to take care of email or other tasks next. At my age I often take a short nap rather than lunch. I often find I can do my best work after that short nap, and so that day section is when I record a good deal, but I'll also compose music, research for new texts to use for the Parlando Project, or write blog posts about my encounter with the words I use with my music in the Project. Suppertime is family time and I'll often watch something with them until 8 or 9 PM. Later night often brings me a second wind and I'll tackle things left over from the early afternoon. Alas I sometime try to finish something, and that can lead to working past Midnight, which is in several ways not a good idea.


*The Parlando Project where I mix words (usually other people's) with original music (various styles) and then write about what I encounter can be found at the modestly named frankhudson.org blog site.

[Glennwillow]

I know from my work experience as an engineer for 50 years that my best work is done first thing in the morning. We started work at 07:00. I certainly got work done in the afternoons, too, but I found that I am definitely a morning person.

When I was working a full-time job and also in the music business doing recording and song writing, then I would have to fit these tasks in wherever they would fit, usually evenings except on the weekend.

Now that I am retired, I tend to get up with an alarm at the same time I always got up (~05:30), get breakfast and get to work in my studio by about 07:00, 08:00 latest.

07:00 is a little early for singing. I might not be able to get a decent vocal recording until about 9-10:00 am, but there are plenty of technical issues and instrumental recording that can be done before that. Also, these days I am doing covers, and it takes time to analyze how a song was performed and then figure out how I want to cover this song. Early morning is a great time for that kind of analytical and creative work.

If I am really engaged in a recording project, I might work until 2 pm or so, but that's it. Usually I quit at about noon to 1 pm. After that I have to go do something physical, work out or do work around my place after a morning in the studio. And I need to spend time with my wife. We usually meet for coffee at noon-1 pm and spend most of the afternoon together aside from what I need to do a workout late in the afternoon.

I don't do much in the way of songwriting anymore, though I did once. But even for songwriting, my best work time is in the morning. My brain seems to work twice as fast in the morning.

- Glenn

[AcousticDreams]

Originally Posted by Rudy4

This topic might have been more lively if posted in the "Play and Write" section of the forum.

Originally Posted by KevWind

Perhaps but since writing --playing-- and recording are I suppose ultimately 3 different discussions ,,,, the OP seemed to be highlighting Recording in that he capitalized the (R) in his OP question (intentionally or not) ----- time of day when you feel the most productive writing, playing, Recording ?
So I think its as good here as anywhere

I have many reasons for posting this question in the Record area.

I wondered if your preferred time of day for Recording, writing, playing are different for each category?

Most likely if your are interested in recording, your are a writer as well. And of course Playing-Practicing is then a given.
So it seemed logical that I pose this question in the record area, as I wanted to hear from people who did both record and write.

Possibly the biggest reason why I posted this question in the Record area? Well I feel that every question I have posted in the past in the record section: I have gotten the most thought out, the most polite- considerate, the most logical answers, the most caring answers. And I am very grateful for the answers I have gotten in the past from the recording side. Sometimes in the other areas, the responses are not quite as mature or as scientific based. So I guess I just feel the most comfortable on the recording side. More confident that I will get the truest answers.

In the end, I am also wondering if my writing times...and my recording times will be the same? While Mornings is when I seem to best work creatively and or just practicing, it may be that later times might work out better for recording. Recordings while lots of fun, are a little more Work oriented. And work and play are often done at different times of the day. Well, in a few months from now when I am ready to start recording....I shall find out what works best for myself. But from your answers I already have clues as to which might work out best for myself.

As a side note, I find that in all categories of my life, ...I often find the answers to my questions can be found = in the Writing of the question itself. Often when you put your questions down on paper, the route that you need to take will become more clear. Sometimes I answer my own questions. And or, the real questions that I really should be asking, become much more obvious. And thus I get to fundamental of what I really need to know. Funny how that works.

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by Knives&Guitars

I have many reasons for posting this question in the Record area.

I wondered if your preferred time of day for Recording, writing, playing are different for each category?

Most likely if your are interested in recording, your are a writer as well. And of course Playing-Practicing is then a given.
So it seemed logical that I pose this question in the record area, as I wanted to hear from people who did both record and write.

Possibly the biggest reason why I posted this question in the Record area? Well I feel that every question I have posted in the past in the record section: I have gotten the most thought out, the most polite- considerate, the most logical answers, the most caring answers. And I am very grateful for the answers I have gotten in the past from the recording side. Sometimes in the other areas, the responses are not quite as mature or as scientific based. So I guess I just feel the most comfortable on the recording side. More confident that I will get the truest answers.

In the end, I am also wondering if my writing times...and my recording times will be the same? While Mornings is when I seem to best work creatively and or just practicing, it may be that later times might work out better for recording. Recordings while lots of fun, are a little more Work oriented. And work and play are often done at different times of the day. Well, in a few months from now when I am ready to start recording....I shall find out what works best for myself. But from your answers I already have clues as to which might work out best for myself.

As a side note, I find that in all categories of my life, ...I often find the answers to my questions can be found = in the Writing of the question itself. Often when you put your questions down on paper, the route that you need to take will become more clear. Sometimes I answer my own questions. And or, the real questions that I really should be asking, become much more obvious. And thus I get to fundamental of what I really need to know. Funny how that works.

Absolutely nothing wrong with posting your question here!

I was simply offering that there may have been more response in the other area, but evidently you've already figured out that that's not necessarily true.

The bottom line is that you're getting some excellent responses here!

[AcousticDreams]

Originally Posted by Rudy4

Absolutely nothing wrong with posting your question here!

I was simply offering that there may have been more response in the other area, but evidently you've already figured out that that's not necessarily true.

The bottom line is that you're getting some excellent responses here!

I am actually glad you asked the question so I could explain my reasoning of wanting those who both record & write, to tell me their preferences.

Oddly, I am breaking my own biorhythms today and writing into the hours of the early evening. I think this is mostly because my energy level was low this morning, so I took the day off from the work I have been doing around the yard. But also because I have been trying to complete a very Long song intro, that I have been working on for at least four years. Crazy. I keep changing little things here and there. Introducing new things. Easy to get confused, burned out from all the different directions this intro has taken me.

However, all the knowledge The forum brings, gives me a nice little break from creating. Allowing me to come back sometimes with fresh eyes & enhanced enthusiasm.

You can not force writing, I sometimes try...but often it just takes many days with many breaks. And you can not record if you don't get the set up right to begin with. Otherwise you are just going in circles.

[Gdjjr]

I seem to do my best, singing and playing, between 9 and 11 in the morning- I've always been a morning person- as far as writing, I do it when the inspiration comes to me- I've noticed too, that playing in the evening, after having played off and on all day that my fingers don't work as well fretting-

[raysachs]

I don't write music, but I play a ton and record a fair amount. Not because my recordings have any intrinsic value - they're never heard by more than a handful of people and most of them by nobody but me - but because they allow me to do everything I do even half decently in the service of a song. I can play and sing it, add a second vocal track to it, add possibly another rhythm track (usually electric as the first that I sing with is almost always acoustic), add a lead guitar track. The only other time I play electric lead anymore is on the rare occasion I just plug in, lay a rhythm down on my looper, and jam to it. But I don't do that nearly as much as I used to. The only other thing I do is a bit of blues fingerpicking, but I'm not very good and lack the motivation and discipline to get very much better, so recording brings 90% of my game into play.

But I'm a daytime guy about 99% of the time, often in the morning but reasonably often in the afternoon too. Evenings and nights are for hanging with my wife, reading, watching TV, just generally being together after usually doing our own stuff for most of the day. The exception is the rare time she's out of town for a long weekend, usually visiting her Mom several hours away. When I have the place to myself, I can sometimes get a real groove going in the evening and stay up way too late playing and recording. But she's not gone very often or for more than 2-3 days nearly ever, so those productive nights are a rare thing.

-Ray

[Gordon Currie]

For creativity and writing, I am definitely a night person. I've never produced anything of 'note' in the morning, unless it was in response to some mystery where I dreamt the solution after pondering while asleep.

I have noticed that 'early' ideas tend to be more linear, while the later ones tend to be more out of the box. I like the later ones more!

For recording, I find late afternoon to midnight to be perfect. I find it easier to be warmed up and limber if I've had at least one substantial meal, moved around enough to ensure good circulation, and had some time to consider what I'm trying to accomplish.

Before I have had coffee and breakfast, I am frankly a sleepy caveman who shouldn't be anywhere near a guitar.

[Daniel Grenier]

I was at work before 7am too many years so even in retirement I'm still a very early morning kind of guy. I am typically in my "studio" (if I can call it that) by 6am and hitting the record button soon after usually re-surfacing around 10-11am. Night time after 10PM is no good to me for nothin except sleep.

[j3ffr0]

For a working man recording fingerstyle here in the burbs with a family in the house, it has to be when things are relatively quiet. Early - mid AM or late night. I've had success with both. If I'm doing a fuller arrangement with bass, vox, elec guitars, some keyboards... I can record that stuff at any time of day, but I don't do very much of that.

For playing/writing, I can do that any time of day. I'm a former night owl, who is probably actually better in morning these days (with a good night of sleep). But if I get a nap, I can get a lot of stuff done late at night too.

[SteveA]

I work from home as a 1099 employee, live in a one room guest house. If business is there I work, if not I'm recording and writing.

However, during the summer to RECORD means I gotta shut off the AC when tracking Guitars & VOX...

It's been scorching the last few weeks so...Staying up till 4 am most nights