So, inspired by the fact that Allan has actually gotten a few comments on his songs, I decided to try my luck again only this time, in the glorious format you YOUTUBE! I'd love to hear what you guys think about all of these. (the song I attempted to sing got royally messed up when I tried to export it to mp3... and all data on it was lost. I'll try recording it again tonight... )
The first one is titled Atmospheric and it's one of the songs I'm most proud of. Feel free to rip it apart.
http://www.mediafire.com/?i2tdnqlmq5hhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGbAML24mFg
(photo taken from the wonderful movie La Haine)
This is just a shorty, aptly titled "interlude." It's a bit of a happy accident in that I was goofing around while recording and hit that main riff. Sadly, I've completely forgotten how I did it.
http://www.mediafire.com/?mh3thz2zkuzhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FyaQb2m2qU&feature=channel_page
(Photo from the equally wonderful Knife in the Water)
And lastly, a song I call "Something Else" because I can't come up with names for instrumental songs.
http://www.mediafire.com/?jueowtgrygz else.mp3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCYIlZ9sKSM
(Photo also from Knife in the Water)
I do have a quick question I'd like to ask...I feel like most of my songs go well for the most part but fail at the crescendo... do you guys feel the same?
(let me know if the mediafire links go to the wrong files...)
Like to write? Want to get e-published? Give us a look-see at
http://wednesdaynightwrites.com/
There's also the possibility you just can't really grow a bear like other guys.
Not even BEAR vaginas can defeat me!
And then I rub actual cake on myself.
thats why you have chest helmets
Posts
Wouldn't mind having a downloadable file to put into the ol' mp3 player while I am working if ya know what I mean!
In all of them the rhythm parts need to be dialed back a bit, they tend to overpower the lead lines. Make that signal a bit dryer. One common mistake is to add effects to a single channel to where it sounds good by itself, but then it is too much when in the mix. Also not sure if it was the youtube compression, but panning things in stereo some can help this a lot to give each part its own space.
Also look at putting more form to your songs. They all seem very.. flat.. if you were to graph out the shape. Like aside from a few parts dynamics were pretty constant, rhythm was constant etc. It sounded good but, didnt seem to go anywhere, if that makes sense. Most of the ambient type music I have heard tends to be written to an overall shape, like one huge giant crescendo, or a rising and falling, or a building to a keychange, or a continuous vamp while adding parts/instruments each time. Play with the listeners expectations a bit.
All in all, good stuff, but a few of those tips should take it to the next level.
Apart from that, it all sounded very Enoish (Brian Eno) which a huge fucking compliment and you've got a pretty reasonable tone there for a home recording.
Anyway, I'd cut the 4 minute jobs down to 2 minutes tops, try adding a bit more light and shade in there as well. You might want to try some kind of percussion to add a little bit of interest, not necessarily drums either. Get some clackers or a glockenspiel or something similar and just throw something in on the beat in every second bar just to make it a bit more interesting, without ruining the mellow vibe or doing something as drastic as a key change (personally I fucking hate key changes, it's a cheap trick). I think compressing the songs will do wonders though, if your not doing a big sweeping piece, less is always more.
Also if you fuck up a take, do it over again, or at least, cut two takes into each other, nothing worse than a bum note killing a good vibe.
All in all though man, this is a pretty good effort.
@cakemikz: I'm glad to hear you enjoyed them and I can upload the songs to mediafire if you like (in fact, I'll try to get that done before the night is over)
@Lizard: I have to agree with the quality of the mix. I really have no idea what I'm doing as far as that goes. All I did was play two tracks and try to get them at a decent level together. I'm pretty sure I still have the original project files for the first and last songs so I can go back in a re-edit them. I think I have them lightly panned in some of the songs (20% to the right for one track 20% to the left for the other, but I'll have to check to make sure)
About being flat- I'd have to agree. I tried to get a little varitey in there but... I struggled a bit with the recordings since I was doing it by myself. I need to get better at working out where and when those should be. I kind of suspected I wasn't doing enough and now that I know for sure, I'll definately try to work dynamics back into the songs. (or atleast, in to the next songs I write)
I might have to try stringing multiple tracks together to build layers. I tried to stay away from it so these songs would be something I could perform simply with just another guitarist but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try for something possible only in the studio (aka, my basement)
@shiboe: Thanks for the comments. Even if you just echo what lizard says, it helps me to know that it is an issue I should fix. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for nice background music... but that's not what I'm trying to make :P
@Mustang: I suppose long is definately subjective but I can see what you mean (especially since I don't seem to have a grasp as to how to keep the music from getting to stale yet.) As far as there being a lot of bum notes and sounding like I was improvising... well... i was improvising. I'm only working with audacity and just getting used to editing in general so I wasn't sure how much I could edit something before I sucked the life out it. I definately don't want to be over produced but, I'll agree, that isn't really an excuse for ruining the mood at times.
I'm not sure how my mic will pick up other instruments (or even just banging around on random shit in my house) but I'll give it a whirl. I might try out my sax and see if I can add a little bit of smooth-punchyness to the mix if you know what I mean.
Also, I haven't heard of Brian Eno but I'll check him out. Maybe I'll get some pointers on doing the solo guitar thing.
Thanks to all of you for your comments and critiques. I'll try to write up another song or two keeping your thoughts in mind before I leave on my trip.
Just recorded this. Its not perfect or anything but before I went to far with the idea, I was wondering if you guys thought this was a step in the right direction. (note, just a rhythm track, I'm planning on adding several repeating melodies that build though out it but i'll do those once the rhythm gets sorted out.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyL1lDVCFCs
Download here: http://www.mediafire.com/?zzttmyqumm3
What mic's are you using?
I'll see if I can get the more melodic this to balance better but, as that track stands, its just a single guitar track. It's the same basic rhythm cords, but I'm using my pinky to create the melody. Do you think the track would seem shorter if I added several building and interweaving parts? That's my plan right now.
Hopefully I'll get to work on this more before I leave but with 1 family Christmas today, 2 more family Christmases on Thrusday and leaving for my trip friday... I might have to wait until I get back to update this song.
Tho I probably shouldn't give too much critique on that aspect as the headphones I have right now arnt that great, and are probably exaggerating it anyway
I am always a huge fan of lots of interwoven parts, so I wouldnt say no to that :-P Its really about finding the right length, not about making it sound 'shorter'. And of course its subjective. As long as a song has motion, it can go on forever, but you always want to make the listener feel like its going somewhere. When, as a listener, you feel like the song is done going someplace, then it should end. But yeah, if you are planning on adding more parts to it, it can stand up to the longer lengths. If you were to leave it as is, I'd shorten it up a bit.
I'm pretty sure that it isn't just your headphones because I think the melody should be stronger as well.
I'm think that the interwoven parts should help a lot. I've got two semi-figured out and I'm hoping for atleast a third.
As far as distance goes, the closer you are to the source, generally the cleaner of sound you will get. The farther away the more of the 'room' you'll hear (reverb etc). This is really a preference thing and depends on what you are going for for a sound. I have heard many an argument each direction. I usually have the mic about 6 inches away from the guitar.
I haven't really worked on that last song much, but don't worry, I'll get to it. However, I reworked Atmostpheric tonight. It's shorter, more compact and has more ideas in it. The Mix is a little off still, but I just got tired of looking at it. The ending does need a little bit of work, but I hope you like it (or atleast give me some awesome feedback about it) anyway.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04pDHMS3RwI&feature=channel_page
(photo from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind)
Download link here
(also, the youtube link sounds really thin and the bass levels seem to be gone... probably because its a youtube link )
Something about the tone of the electric guitars is bothering me. I get the feeling some clearer playing on acoustic guitar or mixing the two would help. You've got a nice lonely mood going at first on the first two there, but it goes on in a way that feels almost desolate.
The acoustic one I like more. It's much more dynamic and even more subtle in places than the other two.
The rhythm on all of the first three seems over-pronounced. Benjamin Zander, I think, would call it "impulsive". Look up his talk on TED- he explains what he means by impulse better than I can.
I like this latest one the best- especially how you've got the two parts playing high and low, but when you play stronger on the lower tones, it sounds almost violent at times and disrupts the flow you've got going in it. I can see what you're trying to do with that- the swell of the music- but it's not quite there yet. Also, that base rhythm is too similar across all of these. But again, I really like this one, whatever its faults.
Caveat: I know fuck all music theory.
I think partly the harshness of the strumming comes from the mic i'm using which isn't really the best for this kind of thing. It's pretty quiet so I feel like i have to play loud into it so I get a decent recording level (I still have to bump each track up about 15 dB for it to get to a normal- song sounding level.
I'll try to see if there's something I can do- a different attack or pick that gets rid of the that sound.
edit: About the seeming almost violent at times... that's sort of what I was going for. I wanted the song to start out quiet and then get almost overwhelming, but not all at once. As if it was trying to break off the shackles of soft-smoothness but struggling to do so. That's what i was striving for in my head, I don't really know if that came across.
edit 2: I'd love to add extra instruments (I really think most of these songs need drums or a cello or something) but I've just got my 3 guitars, amp, and mic. Hopefully one day I can get some more elaborate stuff going on in my music like that.
@JohnTWM: Don't worry, I haven't thrown key changes away. I do need to get better at making them though.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsfL6ATX1i4&feature=related
Thanks for the encouragement
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_APw1rUesg
I wrote this intending to get some lyrics in it... we'll see how that goes.
Another WIP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5ro4Becmc4
Hopefully it works in an hour or so... I'm off to bed and if it/s broken or needs changes, i'll fix it in the morning. Good night to anyone who reads this thread!
I like this one quite a bit. It goes somewhere, I like the kind of explode in the middle. Musically speaking its good. The mix is still off. I'll try and take another listen tonight thru my studio monitors and try to give better crit as to why. The only thing i can sort of say (and its vague i know) is it feels like the sounds need more space to breathe.
Anyway keep going. Each time you post its oodles better than the last. Keep up the good work!
edit:
I just listened to this. The mix in this one is a lot better. It also reminded my of King Crimsons - cadence and cascade at the beginning
I have a feeling that the mix sounds better because I kept it much simpler. While the other one had 7 or so tracks going on at the same time, this one stops at 3 (or maybe four, I'll have to double check)
Now that you mention it, I hear the Cadence and Cascade influence in the song- but I'll definately take that as a compliment as I love the first few Crimson albums [especially because of Greg Lake]
Shimmery (another WIP)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5ro4Becmc4
Again, the direct dl is here http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=4f24cca74d369e7491b20cc0d07ba4d2c0902011251626e8
The words on this page
rambling musings of an otherwise uninterested man.
Speak for another
but never give them words other than their own
It’s shame
that one can not come from the other
when all it takes
is a message wrapped and bow-tied
like a gift.
An unworldly, ineloquent shifting gift.
A surprise
to anyone who cannot see through the dwindling façade
of calculated caring
clown paint worn for the truly happy to watch and be bemused by
and the truly sad
to feel worse having glimpsed their self through the eye holes of another cover.
Left
with the dreamy sun glowing warmth and brightness at us from untouchable distances
A longing wish
To scoop the liquid fire from its vast sea and pocket it in my heart
A lasting reminder
Of wanting wishes and seemingly haunted hollows they bring
A rubber plug
To keep what’s outside out and inside out as well.
Travel the course
Clamor for meaning or insight or interpretation while the answer
Is so simple
Care not, love not, wish not, want not, all lead only to live not.
Is that what this is?
A memo answering the answer with an answer to a question with no answer at all
Like the sun
Separated by the millions of miles of spaced out nothing; heart finds itself reaching
From you to me
To your mother, father, grocery bagger, priest or pastor, waitress, airhostess.
Finding all
Impacting all, feeling all.
Spent in the time
I parted with you and listened to the rhythm of my oddly offbeat beating
Time enough
To know life is life and the cover on my face is nothing more than
A stamp
Made to be peeled off and collected in a filing cabinet
No longer
useful but so very important for memory’s sake, a historical document.
Not really truth
but truthfully real in the way that their shadows have left tan lines on my skin
and gone
in time and trials they'll be gone- like paint drifting down the drain.
I re-recorded the rhythm track and I'll probably re-record all the seperate melodies because, well... there are some problems with them.
Let me know what you think, and if you have any ideas on how to improve it let me know
Grey Socks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icvh8HZ-lM0
(also, i'm pretty sure I need a producer, or something... I can't mix tracks for anything.)
I slightly remixed the direct dl version of it and I think its much better... if you guys agree, I'll gladly change the youtube vid to have the new mix instead.
Oh yeah, the remixed version is much better.
HAHAHA im listening to it while typing, and i was JUST about to say "ok the slide part is getting a bit... redundant, i'd like to hear the distorted guitar come up to the front a bit and play some lead bits" and then it happened. I feel like i have magic powers or something. good work. This one feels like the most complete idea and best mix so far.
You might just be psychic, or perhaps mind-controlling. Only time may tell
I'll try upload the remix soon.
Any thing I should think about when I re-record the different melodies?
Right now, I've just got the song up on mediafire, but the youtube should be along anytime
http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=cefc23dfd8f154190de4fc1039a01674e04e75f6e8ebb871
Youtube video is now live
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GA3lERzhHw
youtube is making weird noises for some reason... I guess if like the song, but can't stand the weird scratches, dl the mediafire clip (i'm going to re-up the song, hopefully that fixes problems, but until then...)
I did a re-up of Grey Socks again- it too has the strange noises, but overall sounds better than the last version. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGqV_K0rLGU
I think i'll have to try uploading again tomorrow since its giving me issues tonight...
(no youtube but if you ask, you shall recieve- I just didn't want to spend the time editing and uploading video for some very unfinished "sketches")
http://www.mediafire.com/?qnd0gwelkj4
http://www.mediafire.com/?mou31tyutnw
I'll try to keep this thread alive for the next couple of weeks- I'm hoping to get enough good stuff for a quazi album before the summer's up (and yes, i might actually give singing a shot )
The second one is also cool, though not as great as the first and still suffering from too much distortion- this one I think would work much much better if the notes were way clearer like towards the end (2:30-57).
I'm glad you like them though
Do you feel like they need an extra part or two to the main rhythm track to keep them more varied or are they working just fine as they are? I think my main problem is always wanting to add more instead of just sitting back and letting it be.
And here are two more I just recorded.
http://www.mediafire.com/?k5nzvjdmnzn
http://www.mediafire.com/?jjzln0nntzy
edit: oh I competely for got about this one, thank God it's Audacity window was still open... Its from a day or two ago
http://www.mediafire.com/?m2rmtyzvnkj
You hit exactly the right tempo, melody and rhythm for me again in rock test 3.
I really can't say if you need more parts for the rhythm- if I made music I probably could.
Again, just going to say that the distortion isn't working for me- across the board. It's just way too harsh.
On song test for, I'm pretty sure that's the Em chord you're talking about- and I think i'm compensating for not having the rest of a band to help add the punch to the song. I'll keep that in mind, see if i can make it subtle.
@more rhthm parts: well... if the song gets boring because its too repetitious, or feels like its over way too soon, then I would need to add some more bits to the song (or take away some bits depending on the case) For me, music is like art, it takes an artist to create it, but anyone can critque it to shreds.
@distortion again: yeah, I agree- I'll be working on it. It might just be the amp i'm using (its a crate with a digital circuit- as the years have gone on I've really wished I got a tube amp intead)
Oh, also http://www.mediafire.com/?ntduvm1nnzi
the last one is about 1/2 improv- I just had the first two chord changes and wanted to record it before i forgot... so if its a bit sloppy, that's why.
edit 2: another http://www.mediafire.com/file/owmydotj2ia/song test 6.mp3
edit 3: and another - http://www.mediafire.com/?jrznvmhyu4n I think I'll try working out some lyrics for this one as I already have a semi-solid melody in my head for it.
Also, I used a much softer pick for that last song so hopefully that fixes some of the problems.
Also one good thing, I can tell it's you playing. Your songs seem familiar but different so it seems you are coming closer to discovering your 'style'.
Anyways I don't want to critique too much because I think these are tests to figure out your style. Keeping working on it, the songs are played very well.
[Edit] Btw have you thought of actually videotaping yourself playing these songs for youtube?
http://www.mediafire.com/?jmwzzdzvlzk
I haven't had the time or the instruments to go back and re-do my other sketches yet, but I hope you enjoy this one and can give me some advice on where to go from here or with it.
@Jimpy: Thanks! Its good to know I have a style that's not too damning of my creative side (i think)
and I've thought about videotaping me playing the songs but... I don't have a camera and I really just want to focus on getting good music out there.
Maybe sometime in the future i'll tape myself playing
I don't come in here as much as I should.
I also love the slide guitar sounding 'meditation' top. When I used to record my guitar songs I ended up using the same sort of relaxing style. its great to just chill out with and while your recording the song playing the melody part you normally lose yourself in it yeah? just sort of go into a zone. I really love the slides and vibrato
Few things for you to work on.
Your sound is coming across muddy- might be some of the compression but mostly it is to do with the chords resonance going on for to long. I dont know what sort of mic set up you are using or an in-built pickup but a few adjustments either on that or through your recording software wouldn't go astray. Try just reducing that resonance in the chords and maybe upping it in certain parts of your melody.
Sometimes your timing in chords/melody groupings clash. Remember you can always repeat something in a song. Most improvisers repeat a second if they like it as it drills it into the audience and helps make sense of it. ALso- Pay attention to strumming speed on the chords and try to make them as close as you can to the same speed. (unless you want them to change).
maybe try a slightly slower song with your style?