A good musician can play more than one instrument. Usually they can play their primary instrument well, and maybe a few others to a lesser degree. Learning other instruments helps expand your musical understanding, as well as your sound.

An instrument I have recently picked up is the mandolin. It is a small, five stringed instrument with the same tuning as a violin. It is primarily used in folk music, but it is not limited to that. In fact, the mandolin is one of the primary instruments in local Trinity band Jaspers Cast. I highly recommend learning various instruments. It helps keep things interesting and fresh, and it is easier to make those mistakes that turn into something great on an instrument that you are not as familiar with.

It is just as important to maintain your instruments. For example, I play everything from blues and rock to jazz on my guitar. But jazz requires crisp notes and clean strokes, and I needed to get some work done on my guitar in order for this to be possible. I took it to Krazy Kat Music Store and they did a good job. Being happier with the way my guitar plays, sounds and feels makes me prone to playing more, and therefore, becoming a better musician.

Musicians Guide to life at Trinity by Clay Ford is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Recording

The home studio

The recording process requires a few things; some sort of recording software, a quiet place, and normally a computer. Depending on the kind of quality you are looking for in a recording, you may want to use microphones, better software, sound panelling, etc. Obviously, recording in a dorm room is very limited, but I have found a few ways to make it work.

Audacity is a simple yet efficient recording program that is free to download. It is good for multi-track recording and simple editing. This is good for the songwriter or someone who layers multiple instruments. Garageband is another basic software that comes on macs. These are good alternatives dropping hundreds of dollars on Logic or ProTools.



In order to eliminate unwanted reverb that is always a giveaway of low quality recordings a closet or small room can be outfitted to dampen reverb. I have draped towels and blankets on the walls of my closet to deaden the sounds. It works well but it does tend to get hot.

Musicians Guide to Life at Trinity by Clay Ford is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.