"Touched" - Piano & Strings

"Touched"

http://schicksville.com/Music/Touched-Piano-Str.mp3

"Touched" - Edited (Piano Only):

http://schicksville.com/Music/Touched-Edited.mp3

Some of it works for me, some of it doesn't. I really don't have time to sit down with it right now (not that you would care either way!).

One thing that really stood out to me is the length of it. To me, I really feel it should be cut in half. You have piano, then the strings and french horn enter, then crescendo, then you go back to piano. I honestly feel the song needed to die off at this point and not go back to the strings, etc.

Also, one thing that really that stands out in your song is your use of Arpeggiated Chords, I feel that you play every note at the same velocity, the last note should be the loudest and the other notes should play second fiddle. They really stand out to me.

Also, there is a chord you stuck in there at around :20-22 seconds that does not work.

 

 

That's just me.

Thanks for listening and your interesting comments Devery.

 

Not sure what you meant about the arpeggiated chords; pertaining to the velocity in referring to the last notes should be the louder.

 

I imagine you

Wow, that's beautiful man. I really like it, the sounds are good, clean and realistic sounding. The playing and writing is excellent!!! A++++ ...are you going to write lyrics for it? ...It's good without them but if there was a vocal, wow. There's so much that a vocalist could do on that music bed.

 

I've always wished I could play piano like that, I'm a plunker. Thank God for midi sequencing or I couldn't do anything. Once again, very very good!

 

Wow, that's beautiful man. I really like it, the sounds are good, clean and realistic sounding. The playing and writing is excellent!!! A++++ ...are you going to write lyrics for it? ...It's good without them but if there was a vocal, wow. There's so much that a vocalist could do on that music bed. I've always wished I could play piano like that, I'm a plunker. Thank God for midi sequencing or I couldn't do anything. Once again, very very good!

 

 

Wow! Thanks Mixman!

 

This will probably remain an instrumental.

 

Best, John:cool:

 

Thanks for listening and your interesting comments Devery.   Not sure what you meant about the arpeggiated chords; pertaining to the velocity in referring to the last notes should be the louder.   I imagine you

Thanks for explaining Devery. I was thinking you were referring to the broken chords. The type of arpeggio at :05 I call an "embellishing arpeggios". Don't know what they're really called.

 

Best, John:)

I listened to it again. . .except this time I was not in a rush (to go to work). I will reiterate, I like it, but it seems like it could use a lot of work, though.

I changed my mind about the length of the song. The overall structure is not that bad. I just feel that maybe you should work on the dynamics of the song--the crescendos, the soft parts. Make it a roller coaster ride!

You are doing MIDI, right? If so, I would edit a lot of the left hand piano playing and make it softer. Remember that the melody (highest note) needs to be played the loudest. And I hate to do this to you but if possible it is nice to pan the left hand and the right hand accordingly. It makes the piano so much fuller. Also, I would alternate the strings/horn, putting the strings on the left instead of the right (like an orchestra). But that is just a personal opinion.

This song has good potential. I feel it could use some better sounds (I really don't like the piano sound--too MIDI sounding), better note/key velocities (meaning your piano playing--certain notes need to be louder than others), better control of the crescendos/decrescendos (the overall structure of the sound/song), etc.

I would spend a little more time with it. If it is not MIDI than ignore what I said!

It's not MIDI Devery.

 

I have no problem re-recording the piece; however, I'm satisfied with the piano. I may work on the strings and horn a little more. But I feel there's already enough dynamic diversity in the piano track. This track is earmarked for background music.

 

I do have some editing power using SoundForge8 - very limited though.

 

Sometimes over polishing a piece can suck the life out of it. One of the most important elements of the recording & mixing process is to know when the piece is finished and when it

It is all in the "ear of the beholder."

I wouldn't re-record the piece. Like I said, if it was MIDI, you could easily tweak some of the piano sounds (both the key velocities and the actual piano sound). The strings and the horns are fine IMO.

Look, I'm not trying to be an ass here, I just wanted to help and you posted your song here for an honest opinion.

I honestly feel that if you are going to write songs like this in the future you should set aside your playing pride and record in MIDI. It's still you, you just have the power to go back so you can make sure that you are playing "god-like!" Maybe you don't have a program/sequencer that does this??? Anyways, keep it up, grow, learn, improve. Don't listen to those you only want to, either. Ciao

Very good!

 

I like this American type chord progressions. The attached picture doesn't fit the feeling I perceive. A few week ago I saw a movie, plot synopsis some where in north California: the father has cancer and is living in an old wood house above a cliff. His 18 year old son, a drug addict, is living in the garage. The mother is married to another guy in the village. Together they renovate the house which was inhereted from the grandfather who years ago injured a young girl in a car accident while being drunk. The grandmother was killed at the spot. At the end, the father dies in the hospital and the son sells the renovated house and gives the money to the injured girl

 

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Look, I'm not trying to be an ass here, I just wanted to help and you posted your song here for an honest opinion. - Devery

 

Of course, all feedback (good & bad) is always welcome; however I only post my finished products. I am interested in how my tracks are received though (appealing-wise). It helps me set precedence as far as submitting to publishers. I hope in return a few listeners actually enjoy listening to my work (I know some do).

 

Anyways, keep it up, grow, learn, improve. - Devery

 

None of us are ever done learning as long as we have the will to improve. However, I'm pretty well enlightened composition-wise (kind of set in my ways), and doubt there will be any colossal innovations in my work, style, talent, etc.

 

I'm more interested in building my library with useable tracks for film and TV.

 

"power to go back so you can make sure that you are playing "god-like!" - Devery

 

I'd rather my finish products be "human-like".

 

Thanks for starting some interesting conversation Devery - really, I enjoyed it.

 

Best, John:cool:

Thanks Angelo! You may be right about the picture. I had a listener on another website forum ask me if that was my wife - funny.

 

Best, John:cool:

None of us are ever done learning as long as we have the will to improve. However, I'm pretty well enlightened composition-wise (kind of set in my ways) , and doubt there will be any colossal innovations in my work, style, talent, etc.

 

One can never learn enough on how to write a song, play a song, record a song, edit that recording in a way that the production is exceptional (especially when you do it yourself). As far as writing is concerned, it is one thing to be able to string a few chords together, scales, arpeggios, but to create a song with structure is a gift that eludes many. I would never say that I doubt "there will be any colossal innovations in my work, style, talent, etc." Don't ever pat yourself on the back man! Dig in and make the next one better! Always!

 

I'd rather my finish products be "human-like".

 

There's nothing wrong with being

but one also has to have the capacity to play in a manner that is becoming of perfection. If one doesn't have that, it is good to first admit it, then do something about it (e.g., MIDI)! Personally, your playing is not bad, but it is also not excellent. You are heavy on your chords when your melody needs to stand out. You tend to roll your chords (a style that should be done in moderation). I know this is nit picky, but to me it stands out. Of course to a guitar/drum player they would not notice it. It does seem that the further into your song you got the more "into it" you were. Just the beginning part really stands out for me and literally loses the feeling I think you are trying to portray (or maybe it is the feeling that I want portrayed:blah:). I see what you are getting at, I just don't hear the execution. But then again, maybe this is your style and your sticking to it! I'm just not a chord "rolling" person, it sounds too music box/church like to me when instead I am looking for a simple yet effective melody. I also listen to each and every note played and I feel they should all have their own loudness, according to what the song dictates.

All in all it is a good song. One that can grow on you. I give it a 7 out of 10;)

No more nit picking on my part!

I'd like to hear more of your stuff. I tried using that link you gave to roll it back to the root directory (schicksville.com) but it just says "this domain name has just been registered."

I guess we just hear music differently.

 

Sometimes one becomes so addicted to MIDI (and all the new musical toys), they lose track of the real heartfelt essence of playing in real time.

 

If you prefer over edited, quantized, and so called "perfection"; it's your choice. I'd much rather prefer a more human approach (which is a more musical approach) - even with a few flaws. It's those flaws you mention that gives music character.

 

Moderation in rolling chords is only an opinion. It's a style you don't prefer, but it's a style I embrace.

 

Interesting conversation, but I don

I tried!

The pianforte has the right dynamic width, resp. is just right for the mode of this composition. The rolling of some chords is good and suits. The strings arrangement or better what you play with the string patch is fine too. No need to think about changes, this composition is finished.

 

The balance and the following of the strings to the over-all piano dynamic curve can be done in the mix. To get any movie director right away into the right mode you may add a tiny bit of large romanticizing reverb, however I like the piano at the 3-D relative upfront position as is, but then the strings sound a tiny little to distant. There is one thing which disturbs me, that the jumping of the piano notes in the stereo image, but almost all artifical piano patches are like that, you may try to narrow the stereo image of the direct sound of the piano but not the reverberation of it.

 

This piece of music will fit dozens of pensive, contemplative movies! To bad it has a distinctive American feeling, otherwise I would have asked you that I use it in the film I underscore at the moment.

 

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The pianforte has the right dynamic width, resp. is just right for the mode of this composition. The rolling of some chords is good and suits. The strings arrangement or better what you play with the string patch is fine too. No need to think about changes, this composition is finished. The balance and the following of the strings to the over-all piano dynamic curve can be done in the mix. To get any movie director right away into the right mode you may add a tiny bit of large romanticizing reverb, however I like the piano at the 3-D relative upfront position as is, but then the strings sound a tiny little to distant. There is one thing which disturbs me, that the jumping of the piano notes in the stereo image, but almost all artifical piano patches are like that, you may try to narrow the stereo image of the direct sound of the piano but not the reverberation of it. This piece of music will fit dozens of pensive, contemplative movies! To bad it has a distinctive American feeling, otherwise I would have asked you that I use it in the film I underscore at the moment. .

 

 

Interesting about the stereo image Angelo! I can change the stereo field to mono in my SoundForge program - then add reverb afterwards. I'll give the experiment a try tomorrow.

 

Not sure what you're looking for in your film, but I have many piano tracks. Much of my music is composed as "background" music. Hese's a short clip of one of my tracks as background to video:

http://schicksville.com/Music/111washington-park-dawn.wmv

 

Best, John:cool:

"Touched" - Edited

http://schicksville.com/Music/Touched-Edited.mp3

 

Okay, once I got past my foolish pride (geez, give a man TV credits and he thinks he's beyond criticism); I took Devery's and Angelo's advice (to a degree).

 

Anyway, I did some major editing and surgery on the piano. First off, I think this track is better without the strings (there will be different opinions on this of course).

 

I used the same piano track, but I did several punch-ins - mainly to soften up the rolling chords (and eliminated a few of them).

 

I then took Angelo's advice and narrowed the stereo field. I also softened up the EQ.

 

Then I did some other fine tuning editing in SoundForge8.

 

I think the piano is much better.

 

At this time I'd like to apologize for my bullheadedness. I ask the wife to kick me in the ass - in which she was more than willing. She said there would be crow on my supper plate.

 

Thanks Devery & Angelo!

 

Best, John

 

P.S. I may re-record the strings and horn at a later time.

John, very well done - excellent in fact. I love it and great title for the feeling!

( I only listened to the final version btw ).

 

KAC

I can hear the melody now! I like it! My favorite part is about 6/10 into it where you "roll" your way (backwards) into a chord.

I wouldn't say you were bullheaded. Again, my opinion is just one opinion. It is not right, nor is it wrong, it is just an opinion. My opinion now is that it is a much improved recording/piece. It seems more profound. I am curious as to why you took out the strings/horns? The piano melody can stand by itself, though.

 

I remember when I first started writing music again I had so many people tell me that my songs were too long. Well, of course, I wrote them like "they should be and I am not catering to your wims!" :poke:

Well, the more I thought about it the shorter my songs got! Now I try to keep them under 5 minutes! It is difficult for me to do, but I am glad for their recommendations, even though I didn't readily accept it.

 

The only thing I say your song could use is a little reverb. But, that's just a personal thing, too!

Thanks Kenny, glad you like it.

 

Devery, glad you like the edits (and punch-ins). I may add strings later, but for now I think the piano only version works. Maybe very subtle strings is the way to go.

 

Best, John:cool:

 

Thanks Kenny, glad you like it. Devery, glad you like the edits (and punch-ins). I may add strings later, but for now I think the piano only version works. Maybe very subtle strings is the way to go. Best, John:cool:

 

 

It is what it is. . .just leave it! It can stand on its own two legs.

I had listened (but not commented) on your "first try" with the strings and I did not notice the things DH mentioned... I just thought the piece was beautiful (and it is) and enjoyed it completely.

 

The piano only version is now in my Playlist @ work too!

 

Thanks.

Glad it made your playlist Eagle! Thanks for sharing.

 

Devery, yes, I like the piano only version (most the time I do). Usually the clients that listen to my music want the piano/string versions though. It seems everyone wants strings today.

 

Time to move on...

 

Best, John