Members gismo recording Posted February 15, 2010 Members Share Posted February 15, 2010 Here's a new song of mine. This is the first time I've attempted to play drums on a recording and I need to know how bad it is. So please complete the poll to tell me what needs the most work. The song is here: http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songInfo.cfm?bandID=4600&songID=8408797Or go here and select the song "Explain":http://www.myspace.com/gismo1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rockinrobby Posted February 16, 2010 Members Share Posted February 16, 2010 :-( The timing is a bit aummm UNIQUE! And the vocals are um... IN A CLASS BY THEMSELVES! And the lyrics are um... Well hang in there, we all get better with time. Why try to play the drums live? Vs. midi? Where you have the power to edit the hell out of them and get them perfect? Then you can go back and play to that locked down track? I tried to vote, but it would only let me choose one? I was going to choose, drums, singing, and songwriting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gismo recording Posted February 16, 2010 Author Members Share Posted February 16, 2010 Thanks for the comments Robby. The songwriting one stung a bit. I know I'm not a good vocalist and I'm nota drummer by any stretch of the imagination, but I did fancy myself a decent songwriter. Anyway thanks and I'll work on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted February 17, 2010 Members Share Posted February 17, 2010 Hi, Ken! You've obviously put a lot of work into this song. And there are some pretty good elements here: the structure shows solid familiarity with the form, the chords have a good flow, lyrical structure and form follow satisfying conventions, there's some word play and a playful rhyme structure that help unify the song, and the melody has a pleasing lilt to it. There are some problems with the performance, but you seem to suggest that you consider yourself a songwriter, first, so that shouldn't be too troubling -- it's hard to get a really good set of performances when you're doing everything yourself. It's not really the purview of this forum to go much into performance or production issues, but, if I were you I think I'd consider working with on-the-grid rhythms (quantized, as with a typical drum machine or third party MIDI arrangement/loop). Working with really solid rhythms can really help you get into the rhythmic swing of things. Whereas, if one isn't really on top of their rhythmic game, doing the rhythmic foundation in free time can really make it hard to get the flow right. And if you start with, say, guitar, and then add in the drums, it can be a very similar situation unless you're really solid in your timing. I've been playing almost four decades (though it probably sounds more like about 5 or 6 years ) and I almost always start out with a quantized rhythm if I know there's going to be a drum part. With regard to singing, most important right now, I think, is finding a comfortable pitch range for your vocals -- that's really key to getting a relaxed sound (your vocals on this sound a bit awkward, in part, I think, because of the range you're singing in) and it's also important in helping yourself develop more pitch control. I think there's much effort in this you can be proud of, but there are also areas you need to work on, too. But we all have those. The important thing is really where you are in relation to where you're coming from and making sure that you keep up your good efforts in order to get ever closer to where you want to go! PS... I didn't 'vote' in the poll. In fact, when I saw it (it took me a while to get back around here), I was a little concerned that a poll looking for the worst part might invite quick or flippant answers. So much for trying to be creative and fun, huh? Anyhow, welcome to the forum, I sure hope you'll stick around and offer up your own insights into others' work as well as getting feedback on your own future works. I can tell you have a lot to offer and hopefully we can reciprocate. PPS... I think that drill sergeant in Robby's avatar is taking over his personality! But, one thing I've found, it's easy to get people to give you a few quick compliments -- but sometimes it can be pretty hard to get people to tell you what they really think is wrong. The first might boost one's ego for a few moments. But the latter can help push us into pushing ourself to make improvements in our craft that will last a lifetime and keep giving back. Sometimes, as Shakespeare said, 'tis kinder to be 'cruel.' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members grantsabbath Posted February 17, 2010 Members Share Posted February 17, 2010 The performance isn't perfect but, Ken, I have to say, "Explain" really has a certain charm to me. I really like the changes. I don't even know what it is...there is a melancholy that runs through the whole song that I can really hold onto. Keep at it; there is a certain charm to this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rockinrobby Posted February 17, 2010 Members Share Posted February 17, 2010 Yeah I didn't mean disrespect, we're all on the journey to perfection, we all start and end at different points along the way. How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tbry Posted February 17, 2010 Members Share Posted February 17, 2010 Hi gismo...The actual overall recorded pieces are not that far off...that is a lot of stuff to play and program...this had one area to me that stood out as needing work...the melody didn't seem to fit the music...it appeared to be written at different times and not well fitted together. Like the lyrics already exisisted and you filled in the music part...maybe...IDK... but for me the pieces didn't fit together. It is done all the time like that (seprate or together) but these seemed a bit unmarried. The other stuff comes with doing it a lot of times. I can't program or play drums. Anyway this is a good one to build on. Your close... Good Job!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rockinrobby Posted February 17, 2010 Members Share Posted February 17, 2010 Bingo, back to the drawing board... It's not the size of the dog in the fight? It's the size of the fight in the dawg... Winston Chruchill said, never give up, never give in... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members grace_slick Posted February 17, 2010 Members Share Posted February 17, 2010 I REALLY like this song a LOT! It reminds me of the 60s or 70s somehow...yeah, the vocal...it's just not polished. It sounds as if some known singer/musician was just doing a really rough studio out-take, you know? It's not bad though at all. You're in tune...it just doesn't have polish and ZING or a professional quality (yet). I LOVE the chord changes...I love it...just the style...the mood. The timing of things seems messy, but this is fixed fairly easily I THINK. (I have this problem too, and also do everything myself. It's hard) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rockinrobby Posted February 17, 2010 Members Share Posted February 17, 2010 Gracie... I could fix your timing hun. But you'd have to spend some time here at Smiladon Studios... We guarentee satisfaction or your money back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mcfontio Posted February 17, 2010 Members Share Posted February 17, 2010 Not to beat the dead horse, but the timing right off the bat. Nothing's worse than starting a head bob and finding the bobbing to not match the music. The chorus is a lot easier to listen to than the verses IMO. A better performance would certainly help that. What were you using (instrument/recording equip.) for the 'theme' phrase? Gracie... I could fix your timing hun. But you'd have to spend some time here at Smiladon Studios... We guarentee satisfaction or your money back. hey buddy, this isn't the forum for pick up lines Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted February 17, 2010 Members Share Posted February 17, 2010 Gracie... I could fix your timing hun. But you'd have to spend some time here at Smiladon Studios... We guarentee satisfaction or your money back. No fraternizing, Sarge! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rockinrobby Posted February 17, 2010 Members Share Posted February 17, 2010 I put the ATE in fraterinizing... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tbry Posted February 17, 2010 Members Share Posted February 17, 2010 Well now if a guy try online where is is he gonna go:D...I mean at least here if he bombs everybody sees it. But if it works, its worth the effort:) Besides I thought it was pretty innocent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Thrustin Posted February 17, 2010 Members Share Posted February 17, 2010 I actually really enjoyed the title of this thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rockinrobby Posted February 17, 2010 Members Share Posted February 17, 2010 You guys misunderstand me.. I hold Ms. Slick in the highest regard, really I do. It may not seem so, but I would take her out to dinner and a movie, and give her a "polite" kiss on the cheek... I talk a big game, but underneath? I Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members grantsabbath Posted February 17, 2010 Members Share Posted February 17, 2010 You guys misunderstand me.. I hold Ms. Slick in the highest regard, really I do. It may not seem so, but I would take her out to dinner and a movie, and give her a "polite" kiss on the cheek... I talk a big game, but underneath? I Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted February 17, 2010 Members Share Posted February 17, 2010 Where's the animated smilie of the little guy digging a hole deeper and deeper until he disappears... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members grace_slick Posted February 17, 2010 Members Share Posted February 17, 2010 LOL I am flattered, but I don't see what the interest is about, Robbo! lol. What if I were a librarian-style total nerd? lol What if I were bald? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tbry Posted February 17, 2010 Members Share Posted February 17, 2010 Where's the animated smilie of the little guy digging a hole deeper and deeper until he disappears... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members grace_slick Posted February 17, 2010 Members Share Posted February 17, 2010 LOL little doggy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members hogger Posted February 17, 2010 Members Share Posted February 17, 2010 What blue2blue said makes good sense. In what order did you record the tracks? The drums don't sound bad, and they're in time most of the time. I'm wondering if you recorded them after the other tracks. I've found (as b2b said) that when recording real drums, unless you're a very tight drummer, it helps to listen to a metronome while recording the drums, and make the drums the first track. Usually I would record to the metronome that's built into the multitrack recorder so that you can listen to it whilst recording the subsequent tracks too. Also, this allows you to re-record some drum parts later if needed, or even copy/paste over mistakes. When you record the next tracks, crank that metronome up loud in your headphones if you can. About the vocals, it sounds like it's pretty high in your range, not that there's anything wrong with that. Neil Young gets by just fine singing out of his range. Have you tried the song in a lower key? It can make a huge difference in the vocals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gismo recording Posted February 17, 2010 Author Members Share Posted February 17, 2010 Thanks for all the very helpful info. Here's how I did it. I did use a click track and recorded the bass first with the click, then the piano, then the drums. I suppose I should have recorded the drums first, but I was afraid I'd lose track of where I was in the song if I didn't record either the bass or piano first. But when I recorded the drums, the click was probably too far in the background. I think I'll try it again in a lower key which should hopefully improve the vocals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Heckxx Posted February 17, 2010 Members Share Posted February 17, 2010 The drums sound extremely shaky to me. I haven't played drums in awhile, but when I was doing recording work for other bands, we would always record drums first to a click track; or to a rough guitar track that was played to a click track. If you had other instruments you recorded first, and you didn't record them to a metronome, and then you recorded drums, that will never work, imo, no matter how good of a drummer you are. Hope this helps! -Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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