That Guy
Platinum Member
. Keep the recordings, and in a year or two or ten, listen again and see how much you cringe... and smile.
Bermuda
Yes, a very humbling strategy.. and worth it if meekness is an attitude you hold dear.
. Keep the recordings, and in a year or two or ten, listen again and see how much you cringe... and smile.
Bermuda
RECORD YOURSELF, but I come at it from another perspective. Some don't want to hear how bad we suck on a particular day.
But.. One day you may not be doing this anymore. One day your 'day in the sun' with that special group of guys you called "a band" may be over. Or maybe that time you first started playing with a buddy from up the road and neither of you could play, but after 2 hours you finally knocked out "For Whom the Bell tolls". Then 2 years later you and he are playing "Eye of the Beholder" perfectly, with said buddy even taking the solo and you yourself knocking down the double-bass like a breeze.
Whouldn't it be nice to hear your progression as skin pounding hack to an actual musician? And despite the limited ability you may have had when you first started recording, don't forget the passion that put you behind the kit...in those crappy recordings is your heart, your soul, your drive and dedication.
I listen to some old practice sessions me and my first band had back in the 1990s and I cringe at the clear inteptitude of the 'musicians' (to include me)...it was BAD, horribly played music, out of tune everything, too fast here, too slow here, random chord out of nowhere...I hate hearing it, but then...the songs stop and you hear us talking, laughing, and carrying on like we didn't give a crap. We knew we were not Rush, but that wasn't what it was about.
Those early recordings always remind me ... what it's all about. Now that I am better, I listen to 'take notes' on what I am doing...however, I never smile, no laughter. Even if I do well, while taking pride in a quality played piece, something is still lost from when you first started. You're more serious now, missing a fill is not acceptable and you scold yourself for sloppy playing. If the bass player says you were rushing the chorus it's 'back to the drawing board'...but BACK THEN, none of that...just you, your friends and music. Yes, it was a time of innocence. Heh Heh
About 20 years ago, I had just left a band, and figuring I was moving on, I recorded over the tapes I had made with them. Now I wish I had those tapes. It would be great to have them for comparison or just nostalgia sake.
Yes, a very humbling strategy.. and worth it if meekness is an attitude you hold dear.
Not sure what 'meekness' has to do with reviewing past efforts in order to gauge progress in terms of strengths and weaknesses. For me, analyzing recordings - new as well as old - has always been an important tool for determining where I need to work on my playing.
Bermuda
Others might find much progress and let it go to thier heads.