General Music Chat

Hey guys,

I have an opportunity to submit a song for consideration to be included in an upcoming movie. I didn't see the email on this right away, and so I am up against the clock to make a February 10th deadline.

I wrote a song for the movie yesterday, and recorded a basic version at home, just on the computer, to email to my band to practice with.

The recording is not very good, the mic was clipping, etc... and I just used a keyboard to lay out parts and give my guys a feel for the arrangement and some ideas of where lead guitar could go.

But you can get a good idea of the song itself.

The movie is about a hit man that also believes in the divine, and struggles between these two roles. There is also a love interest called "Maria" and hence the name "Maria's Song (Love Until We Die)" I am assuming that his love for Maria wins out in the end, and this is trying to capture his struggle of moving away from his past, and opening up to her. Love until we die, is a double meaning, portraying their relationship in the middle of dangerous circumstances.

I was going for a somewhat dark, but still melodic feel, that was kind of soft alternative. These elements will come out more when I have full use of the band's abilities, but for now, I'm just looking for some general feedback, on whether the song seems worthy as a soundtrack for part of the movie. They have discretion on where they use the song in the movie, whether beginning, middle, ending credits, etc...

Does it have potential, as far as melody and basic song structure and arrangement? Basically, can you see it in a movie?


------- Lyrics up to this point (working on final verses) --------


Maria's Song (Love Until We Die) © 2008 Craig Maxim


There's a road that's always set in front of me
Where all the shadows follow me
Through the night

If I lay awake and pray - Deliver me
From all the darkness blinding me
Would I see?

There are places in my mind
I am running from inside
Broken pieces of a life
But it's you and I - It's you and I
Tonight - Tonight - It's you and I, you and I

-------- CHORUS --------

Tonight
We'll live until we learn
To heal the soul inside
We'll laugh until it hurts
And Love until we die
We'll never understand
All the reasons why
For now we have tonight
We'll love until we die
We'll love until we die
-------------------------------

Mr. Maxim, it is your daily, very fast critic, GuitarAnatomy! Let's get down to business.

Listening to this song I am very fascinated with the entire flow of it, the keyboard has a great flow and the guitar sounds great. Your vocals are very strong, and there are not too many problems with the microphone, except for every so often a couple of bumpy parts, probably just from the microphone sensitivity - you know that "pop" sound you hear from a singers voice when the microphone acts up.

I love the whole entire feel of the song as well. I think the best way to say this is that it has fear, danger, and love all admixed into the equation. Beautifully done in my opinion, I cannot wait till you complete this one with the band.

As for the guitar soloing, it is perfect, I could see very little changes having to be made in that part of the song. This song fits the theme of the movie completely.

Well, I hope all of this critique helps. I rate it 5 stars all around. Good luck in your ventures!

P.S. You are very talented!

Signing off, Agent GuitarAnatomy .

Craig,

The most important advice I feel that I can submit is " cut it down !" I understand this is a rough draft ,but before you even send it off to the other band mates, you should edit it down to no more then three minutes, ( even less ) Remember, the person on the other end may have a lot of entries to listen to so KEEP IT SHORT!
I like the progression. ( just curious, G , G flat , F , E minor ?) It's simple and somewhat somber, seems to fit the mood of the movie, as you described it.
You are every bit the songwriter I am so I'll refrain from any more comments. All in all a good song. (there's an old Scottish proverb,"Wimin and fools criticize work before it's done"). I'd love to her the full blown "Southern Mischief" version when compleated. Please post it if you get a chance.

John

OK let's get to the meat. We need to critique the song as opposed to the performance or production as this is a sketch. It's big league Craig. Definitely dig the the chord progression. The leads are tasty. The melodies are good. It's moody and powerful. I think HowlinJ's suggestion to shorten it is the only thing I can suggest. Good job and GOOD LUCK! Let us know how it goes!!

Thanks guys.

Very thoughtful critiques (and not just because they were positive. LOL). I really needed a sounding board, cause as writers, I think it's possible to like something more than it deserves, simply because it is personal when you create something. You work on it, and play it over and over while writing it, and get used to it, or maybe it grows on you. I just think it is possible to be a little less objective than you would otherwise be, and I wanted to avoid that.

I felt like it was a good song, but I needed some confirmation before submitting it.

Thanks very much for those who took the time to listen and respond.

I'm feeling hopeful about it's chances.

No problem, man. I know what you mean, when it is yours you do not always critique it right, and sometimes you do not want to change certain things that have to be changed. I like certain sounds I can get on my guitar at times (Yep, even though it is crap), but I know I would have to change them if plugged into a good amp with a better guitar, and going into a mixing board.

Keep using that talent, Craig Maxim. You should have a good shot in that competition.

But hey, do not get your hopes too high, because if you do not win it will crush you. Just a bit of advice, I have been there and done this before with essay contests.

Peace out and good luck, GuitarAnatomy.

I like the progression. ( just curious, G , G flat , F , E minor ?) It's simple and somewhat somber, seems to fit the mood of the movie, as you described it.

The opening progression?

That's a good question. LOL

Clearly it descends in half steps, and it sounds a little like the progression below, but with some 7ths thrown in there:

F#m
Fm
Em
E flat m

But, holding the E flat as a bass note throughout the entire progression to root it, changes things, and according to my keyboard, comes up with these chords:

E flat m7
F7
Em7
E flat m

I play with inversions all the time, so I'm not very adept at deciding what to call the chord. Hell, it seems there is often argument in the music community itself when naming chords, which notes are truly the essential ones. Based on the key of the song, someone else may give the chords a different name.


The actual notes:

Left = E flat - Right = G flat / D flat / G flat
Left = E flat - Right = F / C / F
Left = E flat - Right = E / B / E
Left = E flat - Right = E flat / B flat / E flat

Theory was never my strong suit. My mother forced me to learn alot of it when I was a kid, but I've forgotten half of it by now. Whether fortunately or unfortunatelty, I preferred creating to "defining" the music for charting or scoring purposes.

The best time to learn stuff like that is as a kid, and often I wish I had taken it more seriously, because when communicating with musicians who have theory behind them, it certainly makes things easier.

On the other hand, I have had skilled studio musicians have a different view of it's merits, and also a guy who was in a former band of mine, and graduated from one of the best music schools in the U.S. , told me he was glad that I didn't get a "proper" musical education, because he felt I wouldn't write the way I do if I had. He felt music schools can kill creativity, because you begin to develop an idea of what is right or wrong, in musical structure, when in fact there is no real right or wrong, when it comes to creating music.

I remember one practice, that same guy told me "That's what I love about your music Craig. The chords you play in that part of the song with that progression, should be "wrong". Musical training tells me, that chord shouldn't fit there, but clearly it does, and it sounds so damn good!"

So, I don't know.

I know what I hear in my head (besides the voices. LOL) and I know what sounds good to me, and I know what emotion I am trying to bring out of the music.

Great song Craig. I really like it but then I like all your music. I'm biased so I really like the guitar work also. I'm looking forward to hearing it with the bands finishing touches.

Craig Maxim, I am learning this music theory and it is driving me up a wall. I grasp things fairly well, but I am fairly slow (Depending on the subject, and this is one of those subjects), so this is annoying me at times. I must say that I like that I can get a better idea with music theory of how the guitar works and help when making certain types of sounds, but it really feels like it cramps my writing capacity sometimes.

My goal is to just write from the soul, write from the ear and head. If I hear something in my head I want to be able to put it down on the guitar just like that. Which I must say I am getting better at, it is not as hard for me. I am going to learn music theory anyhow, but I hate it, lol.

I could care less whether something follows the proper music rules, just as long as it sounds right.

I think I barely ever examine the theoretical structure of my music, I just never feel like it. I should though, I know that, but you know, its laziness at times. I have a new piece that I love and with this new guitar, and a new amp later, I should be able to perfect it.

Your music sounds great, so I would not worry about your not knowing music theory completely.

Good luck, man!

Peace out, GuitarAnatomy.

I haven't a clue on music theory. And I don't care to.

I haven't a clue on music theory. And I don't care to.

If you did, you think you still would have written "I'm Gonna Get You?" In fact, can you go back in time and try it out, maybe we will get rid of that song... *Still traumatized.*

Peace out *Whispers as he hides from that song*, GuitarAnatomy.

I think its gona be a great tune , hate to see good music hid behind a dang movie, Best of luck.

Where do I go to hear it?

Where do I go to hear it?

Our Profile page here on Bandmix.

It's the bottom song.

Thanks, it's sounds good. For some reason to me it sounds like a blend of an 80s southern rock sound with a more modern sound. I like it and i'm sure it'll sound better when you complete it with the rest of the band.