Musician Forum - Band Discussion Board - BandMix

Hey guys, wanted to share with you my latest demo- a rock ballad I was working on for a while. Recorded all instruments for it except for the drums that I wrote in guitar pro.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnsiSnG5imk

Will really appreciate your feedback!

Good job, it's a little monotonous, needs more and better defined parts. Guitars sound good, the bass solo part at the beginning is a little hokey but works.

Sounds pretty good. Im with Jimmy it needs some more, whats the word, tension in the delivery.

The intro seems a bit long, I was expecting vocals.

An instrumental ballad is a tough sell in my opinion.

The chord changes are nice, when it kicks up in the rythym dept, it kinda sounds bit jumbled to me, like there is just too much going on. If I were putting the guitar parts down for the rythym parts I would think that just some sustained crunch chords would work better than the chugga chugga treatment.

Thanks for sharing!

Good Luck

Good one. Since others have taken out their red pens to offer constuctive criticism, I'll unsheath mine.

I think you can clean up some of your rhythms and phrasing. To my ears your time is a bit "unsettled" in spots. And too many of your phrases begin squarely on the first beat of the measure. You might try breaking that up a little more.

Too loose. Dislike most of the guitar effects tones. Mix needs work. You're a decent musician. You would be fine in a band.

I will add something that Paul was leaning toward.

I think the initial guitar lead lines sound fine, delay wise, but when you pick up the tempo on your notes you should shorten the delay on the guitar, what I would do is, I use a ducking delay when I do a song like this. Its a setting I use live and the delay parts lower themselves in volume until there is space for them to "swell".

I hope what Im saying makes sense, you could cut the repeats down and the volume of the delay when you go into the faster phrasing parts on the lead lines. Or just drop the delay all together.

at one point the lead guitar completely overwhelmed the entire background. I agree with NP that the tones and effects need work. Mixing volumes need adjusting- it sounds like you used a limiter/compressor to bring the individual tracks up and down as the music got louder and softer, lending it to swell uncontrollably, but I'm not sure on that. Just know I'm hearing problems, but don't know enough to say how the problems are being created.

I'm just trying to figure out how you can classify it as a ballad. Doesn't seem to be a typical song pattern for a ballad - verses, chorus, etc.
Comments about the lead totally drowning out the other instruments at times are valid.
Don't be discouraged by the comments here, just keep on practicing and playing. We're a tough bunch of old coots.

I would say... try a Re-mix V!
Start with your drums they're almost unheard at times like they're in another room and someone closed the door on em.
That lead at 1:38 or so... Too loud.
Get a good balance of your drums and the over-all rhythms first.
Save the leads for last. The sound is too processed to me ears I'd pull back on the effects... but it sounds like a decent idea.
Keep at it and good luck to ya!
Oh.......... and thanks for posting "SOME MUSIC" on a music site!

Well, I will definately go back to this page when I will be mixing my next demo\song. Thanks for the comments everyone.

Hey, you're getting there. It just takes time to sort this stuff out. I heard good instincts but I would have had a better emotional connection if the piece was kept simpler.

If you just play for yourself then never mind. If you want to connect with the listener then theme is important. Verse, chorus, bridge, rinse and repeat. End with an interesting outro and you're gold.

Bob McLeod wrote:Hey, you're getting there. It just takes time to sort this stuff out. I heard good instincts but I would have had a better emotional connection if the piece was kept simpler.

If you just play for yourself then never mind. If you want to connect with the listener then theme is important. Verse, chorus, bridge, rinse and repeat. End with an interesting outro and you're gold.

Its an instrumental demo and not a full song (yet) but I see what you mean.

Pretty good, needs just a little more fill. I would like to put some words to it if you would like. I am a drummer looking for musicians.

Hey wanted to aslo say I agree with Peg. Peg you play nice bass.