General Music Chat

or a reasonable facsimile anyway...

Just uploaded a basic track of "Last Train", a song I wrote last summer. It's unfinished, but far enough along to throw it out there and see what you guys think. Some refinements are already planned, comments here may result in more.

I didn't have a lot of time so I left a couple of glitches instead of scrapping an entire track and doing it over, those will be redone later, and this is the practice track to begin with, to get some idea how to go about getting a decent recording and how the thing will sound overall. Lead vocal will probably be redone, lead guitar definitely will, it's not smooth enough and I'm not satisfied with the guitar sound. Bass and drums will be added as well as a piano part and maybe flute if I can learn to play the thing. Right now my ability on flute is not quite suitable for human consumption...I can play the part I want, but it sounds like crap.

I'll also have to wait till later on bass and drums, that has to be worked around a friend's schedule, and it's almost 30 mlies away so we'll have to plan for it. That may take a few of weeks.

Used the Takamine for the acoustic, of course, Squier strat for rhythm electric, Cort CL 1500 for lead, both through the Fender Champ and Ibanez SD 9 distortion pedal. Champ was plugged into the Kustom 2x12 for a fuller sound than its internal 8 incher can give me. Shure PE35L mic was used for vocals and instruments.

See what you think, I already know about some glitches but let's see how noticable they are. Any suggestions on getting a better recording will be certainly appreciated, I'm just starting out with this computerized rig and it's not the same as a tape deck...

Like the song. The lead seemed a bit jarring to me when it came in, & I wasn't crazy about the strum on the acoustic as it took off. Perhaps the drums coming in there would help, but that strum just hit me wrong, somehow.

This of course is just my 1st impression. You could use a light little lick here & there during the vocal part, so the lead isn't quite so different from the rest. A larger production throughout may be the way to go, like you said about keys & flute & such.

I could be wrong, I'll admit, as I'm listening to it at a very low volume, but that's what hit me about it.

Overall, I'd say it's a very good beginning to a good song. Have fun & let me know when you get it done cuz I'd like to hear it finished like you have it in your head.

Pretty good 'rough track'. I think the lead and dirty rythm tones are too contrasting with the rest of the song, but I like the lead playing.
Try just the champ without the pedal maybe?

Philby...I thought the same thing, maybe the pick scrape was too much. Whatever the cause, the lead is a rough ride when it comes in. The contrast between verses and lead is supposed tpo be there, but I didn't want such a harsh start. Thought about adding more to hte verses, but so far I like it just one acoustic.

Zip...As mentioned, the contrast is intentional. I thought about running the Champ wide open with no effects, didn't have time to give it a try. Might try that later, but not sure if it will be dirty enough. I'll try it though, it gets a great sound through the Kustom. Have to try something, I'm just not happy with the lead sound, too choppy (out of practice and didn't warm up long enough) and too thin and trebly.

Thanks guys, so far you're both hearing this about like I am. I've been running the same things and more through my head ever since I shut the Tascam down. I also made a CD so I could listen on different systems. Except for the remnants of the click track it sounds pretty good in my Jeep driving around too. That's a plus, I want it to sound decent in a low end car stereo too.

Hey Pete,

Ive always like that contrast so put me down for 2 thumbs up ...Yeah , having the drum track to drive it and create more dynamic differences through out would help..Yeah , I think your gettin a great sound for what your using..Its all clean, distinguishable.I hear a killer bass scale walk runnin thru the Em -C-G-D loop...Yeah , with some good oldfashioned concert reverb and compressed a bit (fattened up) it would sound great..

john

Thanks John, I like the contrast too but I think it might be too harsh when it hits. When I redo it I'll probably leave the pick scrape out and see if that makes a difference. That just sounds harsh to me, before recording it I thought it would be a great way to bring the heavier instrumental in. I'll probably also try the Champ dimed instead of a distortion pedal for the rhythm, that might make a difference and it will still get a dirty sound and won't get as muddy. Might try it that way for the lead too, might work pretty well.

I hear a killer bass scale walk runnin thru the Em -C-G-D loop

Only partially correct. It's those chords, but with a capo on the 3rd fret so it's actually in G. Electric guitar was in G with no capo.

I'm thinking the bass should not be busy at all, a lot of other things will be going on and it might get too cluttered with a walking bass line. The vocal section will probably stay just as it is, one acoustic and vocals, for the instrumental section I'll have a piano, maybe flute, rhythm guitar, I'd love to be able to get my hands on a banjo for this, the part I have in mind would sound way cool I think, plus bass and drums and I might add xylophone but not sure if it would fit. I'm not sure if I can get a keyboard, but an organ might be good too. Then again, it might be too much, and I definitely don't want it overdone.

Also, I'm wondering if I should change the very last chords. On the intro to the instrumental, I held each chord two times through the progression, before starting the rhythm pattern. At the ending I only did it once, and I've been thinking ever since I should have done it twice. Opinions? One time through or two just holding the chords? That'll have some drum fills too, that's the main place the drummer gets to show off a little, the rest of the time he just keeps a beat. I think twice would be better...

I like it Billy. Even the scrape into the lead. It did seem a bit odd at first. Seems the tempo shift @ 1:58 then back up around 2:08 may have thrown me a bit. I really expected the tempo to continue and build thru the lead. Not that anything is wrong dynamicly, just caught me off guard. I enjoyed the lyrics as well.
Thanks for the music.

Thanks Sans

Tempo shift??? The whole thing was done with a click track running, no tempo shift. That's probably me getting outta time. I've been working n it, but still can't keep time as well as I'd like to and can't stay with the click track real steady either.

Perhaps tempo was inappropriate terminology. But I think you got my point just the same. Less music , less saturation I dont know. I understand even silence can be in the same "tempo" but if you listen to the change around 1:58 - 2:10 you will see what I refered to.
Anyway, a good tune just the same Paleopete.

I think I know without listening, most of the time I did ok but there was one place I thought I was really off and it was too noticable. You just confirmed it. When it gets into the instrumental part I tend to rush a bit, you just told me I need to work on it some more.

That's the kind of thing I wanted to know. If it's enough someone else can spot it, I need to work on it some more.

I thought it was good, you sound like Willie Nelson.

Gee thanks...it's bad enough people asking me all the time if anybody ever told me I look like Willie Nelson...now you tell me I sound like him too...oh well, that's my voice and I'm keeping it. So there...

Sans I listened again, that's right in the changeover between verses and lead, and that's where it was the worst. My timing was terrible in that section, that's the main reason I wanted to redo the lead, I had a hard time keeping with the tempo. But yeah you're right, my timing really sucks in that spot.

"Willie" is not my genre, but I do think he is soothing to the savage beast.
And hell, who doesn't need soothed once and a while. I can think of much worse and criticisms are obvious and concise when i drop them on target.

In short, it wasn't a criticism, nor a crack. Your voice reminds me of "Willie", it's neither good or bad, it is what it is.

Sounds good to me ol' buddy.
True the lead comes at ya a little "hard & fast" , but its a good tune none the less. I like your voice.
Rock on!,
Howlin'

Howlin.. Thanks bud, glad you enjoyed it. Soon as I can get some new strings I'm planning to completely redo it, this was a rough track just to get some ideas where I want to go with it. Broke the high E on my acoustic last night, no bucks to replace them right now and have a hurricane about to blow through here, so it might be a few days before I can get a new set. (plus it's 30 miles to the nearest music store, not a drive I can afford with gas shooting up like crazy right now) Trying to think up a way to get the changeover a bit less harsh and abrupt, and have a couple other things to sort out, but I'm getting some good feedback here and will be taking that into account too.

Capt. Scott... I didn't take offense to your comment, and criticism is why I posted it here. As long as it's constructive, you won't ruffle my feathers. Hell, I even dropped a smilie behind my reply so you wouldn't think I was upset about it. It just struck me as ironic, you have no idea how many people have told me I look like Willie Nelson and I hate country...then you tell me I sound like him too. Nothing bothers me about it, just one of those "that figures" situations. And I'm glad you thought it was good, thanks.