General Music Chat

I just added some tracks to a fast jazz song I did last year. It's called "Teach Me That Bass."
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Is this song too short?
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It's 2:40, but someone told me it left them wanting to hear more.
So I was thinking about extending it one more verse.
Should I?
I've heard it so many times, now, that I really can't tell.
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My bass player picked the name when I was showing him how to play it; but I play all the instruments in the recording.
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"Teach Me That Bass."
Is this song too short?
Thanks, in advance . . .

I may have been a little preset in my thoughts by the name. I got the idea in my head at the intro of like a new basssest following an instructors lead. With that in mind. I "got it" in the first bar or so, and felt the intro a little long. once ya'll break into the soul of the tune she was quite snappy, I liked it a lot, once again though being pre programed mentally by the name (my fault really) I expexted for the bass line to really come out of the mix at any moment, granted with the limits of my puter speakers no surprise.
As to the real question you asked, It was a tad short overall. I was diggin it (and waiting for that bass to pop out and slap me) right up to the end.

Hey Alan,

I think the time is just right...Your sayin what you wanna say without repetitive...I like the movements,HOWEVER, I have to ask, why is the tamborine playin straight 8ths, and the guitars are playing a shuffled(swing) (dotted 8th w/16th) rhythm..Not criticising, just curious?..Is that the "feel" you wanted?Seems the 2 top ends of the beat are competing..

John

For years I just used the bass pattern as a warm-up, and thought - ah what the hell; why not record it . . . .
The first bar was the outline, so one knows where the framework of the song lies. Then I played with the rhythms . . .
The bass pattern isn't very hard; - it just keeps changing key . . .
The rhythm guitar is fairly simple. Acoustic guitar . . .
The solo guitars are simple.
The drums aren't so complicated, either . . .
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No one part of this song is difficult . . . it's only when you put it all together that the song gets interesting; each instrument has the same tempo, but adds it's own rhythm . . .
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So, yeah, I like unusual rhythms . . .
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. . . just wasn't sure about the overall length . . .

i have been known to write me some minute fifty songs lol
so i would say no its not too short and when the doors do a ten minute song you dont even notice its ten minutes your just jamming

checkout my band
CHAOS THEORY
heavy guitars/funky beats
singer that sounds alot
like everlast

http://www.myspace.com/fudgingcompost

I don't think it's too short. Leaving ppl wanting more is GOOD.

I'm often way too wordy, which makes many of my songs too long. I've only written a few instrumentals, & I find that it's easier to keep myself in a shorter time frame when I let the music do the talking. Simple is better.

I did find that some of the rhythms seemed to be at odds with each other, though. Perhaps it's the voicings of the two guitars, or the picked bass line. Maybe if you panned the guitars to the far left/right?

It's all about what you're looking for, in the final analysis. I found it to be quite listenable, in spite of how it seemed to be a little "busy."

After reading all these comments, I remembered why I'm here in the first place . . . astute insights . . . brain food . . .
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I just now re-opened the file, and separated 2 guitars farther apart: - 75% left, and 75% right.
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I usually separate channels by no more than 15% to 50% (maximum),
because too much separation can hurt . . .
But in this song (with all the instruments), the extra distance apparently works to allow one to better hear how the acoustic guitars are working off each other.
Think 'playful.'

A song should be just long enough to get the point across, no more, no less. That said, I try to target the three to four minute range, which seems to be the length most people are willing to listen to before getting bored.

I like it much better, now, RM. Yep, "playful" is the word, & it comes across with the separation.

Tnx for the post.