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My music buddies and I have always had a warning we lived be, be careful of focusing more on the technology and less on the music! I am afraid I have failed to heed my own warning and have slipped in to the dark side, spending more time on gear and gizmos then on playing and making music. For the past months I have spent my limited precious time which I have allocated to music (due primarily to the day job) on fiddling with computers and buggy music software. It started when I began working on a cover of "I'm gonna live the life I sing about in my Song" < how ironic..>. First it was the drums, which not being a drummer have long been a curse to me. Then it was the bass. One drum machine VST after another after another, one more RT\RD to audition then another and another, why don't I just write out the midi? why don't I just play the part? - heck if these aren't just right the whole groove is wrong. The real answer is cause I can't! All this misdirection and trying to do it all has resulted in my knowledge of a lot of things and my mastery of none. It may be too late for me, but I write this to warn you younger guys. Focus on the Music!! Learn your instrument!! And when you need to record and mix and master and arrange then folks who have spent their time mastering these elements will find you. Do I sound frustrated?  You Bet!
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Hey - I am in the same position, and to an extent of course you answered your own question. It's similar to the very reason when one sits at a computer to finish one thing, there are all of a sudden 10 other REALLY INTERSTING things that compete for your attention.
...And, chances are, many on the site LIKE and WORK WITH technology and gizmos, and this transfers to their music hobby. The very access to new digital music products and features brings out the tinkering child in us - hey that's new and cool, I want to play with that.
Just think about it - in previous times, there were SUBSTANTIALLY less options to buy such music production equipment within reach of the middle to lower class guy.
Something eye opening (which I intentionally haven't done) is to measure the percentage of time you spend with instrument in hand or studying music without the distraction of overcoming technical hurdles, vs. the latter.
I've rationlized my choice to "I enjoy tinkering with the technology and being able to do things the non-tinkerers can't." But I do often wish my musicianship was better, but this is the price paid.
And after - if you're bold enough to start measuring your time, you could always intentionally divide an allocated percentage (preferably bigger than your current) solely to your instrument.
PS - where does time spent on the forums belong ? lol - probably as much to the tech as to your primary instrument(s) skills.
This would make a good poll - assuming people were aware of where they actually spend their time, which I'm sure most aren't.
In fact - on the topic, I've spent way more energy scouring craigslist for music instrument deals than on perfecting my instrument mastery...shame on me : )
Last edited by Joe V; 07/20/13 08:42 AM.
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Right on, jazzman. Everything I know about computers I learned in self defense--and I've spent a LOT of time defending myself. I'd be afraid to self-audit my time that way. Really, what's the ROI on hours spent at the PC versus minutes of music actually produced?
All I can say is, I'm between two places right now so don't really have quality time to spend on computer music. But I've got a little practice amp set up where I'm moving and I'm getting in a lot of time on my new fretless bass that I know I wouldn't otherwise. Still not music production, but I feel like I'm accomplishing something.
"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
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To me the antidote for this is twofold:
1. Go on a gear purchase "fast". Do not even consider purchase of any new software or hardware until you have woodshedded out at least a new 25% of the gear you already own. For me, these fasts last 5-10 years.
2. Force yourself to play out in front of people either live or by raw recording simple voice and instrument. Do open mics, form a band or join one. Learn how to play bass. Buy one if you have to violating rule 1. Bass players that can hold down the low end and not get in the way are in high demand. You can get a very gig friendly bass at Rondo for just over a c note shipped to your house. I learned the fretboard by forcing myself to play bass and now I get asked to play in two different worship bands and I'm enjoying it. My guitar playing has ratcheted up as a result.
3., yes I know I said twofold. Write songs. Lots of them. Don't talk yourself out of it. Practice writing. Share the songs no matter how raw they are recorded. Work on this until it starts to feel natural. Work on it until you can say "I'm a songwriter" and you feel honest saying it.
All of these will distract you from the computer and hone skills that once its time to return to the technology, will only help not hinder.
That's been my journey so far.
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To me the antidote for this is twofold:
1. Go on a gear purchase "fast". At first I thought you were trying to push me deeper down the rabbit hole. But then I saw the means to your madness. I have not bought a new guitar in more years than I can imagine. Perhaps a shopping trip for that bass is the proverbial "hair of the dog" to cure me. I appreciate all input guys.
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My music buddies and I have always had a warning we lived be, be careful of focusing more on the technology and less on the music! I am afraid I have failed to heed my own warning and have slipped in to the dark side, spending more time on gear and gizmos then on playing and making music.
Me too. Gotta get better....
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Well said . . . I usually play at least one gig a week. The night before I spend a couple of hours going over my playlist for the upcoming gigs, song selection volume checks and song placing for the gigs. Of course with guitar in hand just be to sure I know not only what I am going to sing but also get some idea of what and where my solos will come in.
Dan I guess what I am saying is that I am the opposite of the example you stated, while I really dig playing I always find myself behind on writing and recording projects.
Maybe we can team up :>!
Later,
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My music buddies and I have always had a warning we lived be, be careful of focusing more on the technology and less on the music! I am afraid I have failed to heed my own warning and have slipped in to the dark side, spending more time on gear and gizmos then on playing and making music. For the past months I have spent my limited precious time which I have allocated to music (due primarily to the day job) on fiddling with computers and buggy music software. It started when I began working on a cover of "I'm gonna live the life I sing about in my Song" < how ironic..>. First it was the drums, which not being a drummer have long been a curse to me. Then it was the bass. One drum machine VST after another after another, one more RT\RD to audition then another and another, why don't I just write out the midi? why don't I just play the part? - heck if these aren't just right the whole groove is wrong. The real answer is cause I can't! All this misdirection and trying to do it all has resulted in my knowledge of a lot of things and my mastery of none. It may be too late for me, but I write this to warn you younger guys. Focus on the Music!! Learn your instrument!! And when you need to record and mix and master and arrange then folks who have spent their time mastering these elements will find you. Do I sound frustrated? You Bet! I am tickled that this advice is for us folks who are here primarily because we use software to generate music for us! 
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Hi, Dan ! I have been following the discussion on this topic with great interest ! I may be wrong, but hold the impression that it is never too late to improve on your playing skills ? I learned to play rhytm guitar at a reasonably young age (I guess most boys do) but when I got married I left all playing. Then came the kids one, two, three and the time just floated away ! I did sing sporadically, though,during this period. Came the year 1991 (my kids were old enough for me to think a little of getting some of that music stuffed deep inside me out, so I bought an ovation (rhytm guitar) and started to compose music I wrote 16 tunes in a row and then I made a record with some old school mates. I give you an example from that 1992 record " Northward Bound" http://app.box.com/s/14a19f29e88be5b68895After that record we soon quit playing and started to sing barbershop instead. Now in older days after the death of my dear wife Beni, I picked up my dusty old ovation again and joined the Shadows Club Perth, where I found a lot of good friends that helped me get over the worst time of my life ! I had never really played lead guitar in my whole life, but I started to rehearse and after having performed lead to such gems like The Shadows "Shindig", "Dance On" and "Foot Tapper" Here is my rendition of Dance On played with the acoustic ovation(took me a month to rehearse) http://app.box.com/s/syil905xup5raaywf500I have continued to play lead to a lot of other tunes also. I know I will never be a master on that instrument, but I can always get better ! And that is precisely what I wanted to convey to you Dan !  It is really never too late as long as you are alive and kickin´? Cheers Dani
Last edited by dani48; 07/21/13 05:46 AM.
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"All things in moderation."
--Mac
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Thanks for the encouragement guys. Today, the sun rose and the lights came on again. And with that also a flash of insight in which I saw the root to my problem. My ear was not transcribing the song as well as it should, so with the chords a tad off, it just seemed like all hell was breaking loose. So this morning, in the light of a new day, I went to: http://www.onlinesheetmusic.com/And with this excellent resource I was able to get the actual sheet music - what a help it was. In past two hours I have made more progress in laying out this song then the past 2 days. My RT bass player is now all of sudden sounding much better (hehe).
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Dani,
Nice work on the two pieces. Both rhythm and lead work is something you should indeed take pride in. And the vocals are stellar. Thanks for the insights and the music.
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My good friend !:)
Thank you for your kind words but my real
intention was to get you off the dark side as
soon as possible ! You have to take the sunny
side of the street instead !!
Cheers
Dani
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I am tickled that this advice is for us folks who are here primarily because we use software to generate music for us! Advice still relavent. I have been using software to generate music (including using BIAB) for the better part of 20 years. So heed my warning, there comes a time when nothing can substiture for the real thing. In the case of BIAB no one will disagree, the more you know the better it gets. There was a movie recently where a guy took a pill to make himself smart. The best pharse in the movie was " it works better if you are smart to begin with".
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You have to take the sunny side of the street instead !!
Cheers
Dani yes, understood and appreciated.
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This could be a long discussion but my lack of typing ability will make it sort of short. This is only a general comment and not at anybody at all.OK?
We have all of these wonderful tools available to us for recording, writing,one man bands on and on. Mixing, mastering, burning & more.Editing, cut, paste, fiddle. get what I'm saying? The issues come when a person can't use all these tools to create some masterpiece. Well the bottom line is that some folks just are not meant to do this. They don't have the skills, talent etc. to create this master piece. My advice to anyone is to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses and focus on the strengths and accept that things you just can't do.
I am never frustrated writing songs.Why? Because I realised many, many years ago that I was not a writer and just was not adept at that. Unfortunately there are also a lot of people that are not writers either and you hear, subjectively, some pretty bad material.
To say it another way I bet there are a bunch of folks that would LOVE to build their dream home with their own hands. You can buy all the tools, all the material etc. but I'd be willing to bet that even though all the stuff is available to build a house most would never consider it.My $.02
Last edited by silvertones; 07/21/13 02:51 PM.
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This could be a long discussion but my lack of typing ability will make it sort of short. This is only a general comment and not at anybody at all.OK?
We have all of these wonderful tools available to us for recording, writing,one man bands on and on. Mixing, mastering, burning & more.Editing, cut, paste, fiddle. get what I'm saying? The issues come when a person can't use all these tools to create some masterpiece. Well the bottom line is that some folks just are not meant to do this. They don't have the skills, talent etc. to create this master piece. My advice to anyone is to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses and focus on the strengths and accept that things you just can't do.
I am never frustrated writing songs.Why? Because I realised many, many years ago that I was not a writer and just was not adept at that. Unfortunately there are also a lot of people that are not writers either and you hear, subjectively, some pretty bad material.
To say it another way I bet there are a bunch of folks that would LOVE to build their dream home with their own hands. You can buy all the tools, all the material etc. but I'd be willing to bet that even though all the stuff is available to build a house most would never consider it.My $.02 I'd agree mostly but I'd say if it pleases you, regardless of whether you have any talent (or whether someone else deems you have talent), then do it! The vast majority of singer-songwriters will never earn their keep with this. So IMHO they should focus on having fun! And if having fun means learning to play twice as good as Al Di Meola then so be it. Or if you never learn to play anything except a radio (and maybe a little BIAB) that is just as valid! Like PG always says...
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This could be a long discussion but my lack of typing ability will make it sort of short. This is only a general comment and not at anybody at all.OK?
We have all of these wonderful tools available to us for recording, writing,one man bands on and on. Mixing, mastering, burning & more.Editing, cut, paste, fiddle. get what I'm saying? The issues come when a person can't use all these tools to create some masterpiece. Well the bottom line is that some folks just are not meant to do this. They don't have the skills, talent etc. to create this master piece. My advice to anyone is to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses and focus on the strengths and accept that things you just can't do.
I am never frustrated writing songs.Why? Because I realised many, many years ago that I was not a writer and just was not adept at that. Unfortunately there are also a lot of people that are not writers either and you hear, subjectively, some pretty bad material.
To say it another way I bet there are a bunch of folks that would LOVE to build their dream home with their own hands. You can buy all the tools, all the material etc. but I'd be willing to bet that even though all the stuff is available to build a house most would never consider it.My $.02 I'd agree mostly but I'd say if it pleases you, regardless of whether you have any talent (or whether someone else deems you have talent), then do it! The vast majority of singer-songwriters will never earn their keep with this. So IMHO they should focus on having fun! And if having fun means learning to play twice as good as Al Di Meola then so be it. Or if you never learn to play anything except a radio (and maybe a little BIAB) that is just as valid! Like PG always says... I agree but when it stops being fun and you become frustrated & stressed it's time to give in and give it up or try and get back to a place were you are having fun again.
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I agree but when it stops being fun and you become frustrated & stressed it's time to give in and give it up or try and get back to a place were you are having fun again. Exactly. In this case I found all my effort in covering this tune was dependent me being able to transcribe by ear the entire piece. Reality Check time! This was far more than I could actually do. Problem was solved when I simply purchased the sheet music. It was a painful learning lesson, but all is fine now. Did I mention I was doing this for a friend who was getting impatient waiting for me to finish the job? i sent the file late last night.
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Sometimes all that is necessary to meat a deadline is to stop, take a break, rest, do something else, do nothing at all, then be sure to schedule the time when you come back to the thing -- with fresh brain cells, eyes and ears.
I don't like telling someone that they cannot do something and therefore should not make the attempt.
We all are at different locations along the same path, IMO.
--Mac
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Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
Check out all the 202 new RealTracks (in sets 468-488)!
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
The 2026 49-PAK is loaded with other great new add-ons as well. Learn more about the 2026 49-PAK!
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
With your version 2026 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
This Free Bonus PAK includes:
- The 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 12 new RealStyles.
- MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
- Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
- Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
- Playable RealTracks Set 5
- RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
- SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
- iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
- 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
- FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
- MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
- Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
- Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
- RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
- SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
Learn more about the Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
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