Ear punnishment time!

krissovo · #1 January 8th, 2007

Hey lads how is everyone?

Ok its time to punish your ears and take a listen to a piece that came to me this evening. Its work in progress and I have the following applogies to make, 1, Excuse the drums they are playing through my effects so sound odd 2, Excuse the recording I am using my blues junior and a mic and it is not the best sounding 3, Excuse my playing i am still early days into this guitar lark.

So my band are looking for something original from me (we all need to have at least one for our next session) and this to me is my best effort so far but i am now stuck. I need some advice on where to take this.

The first 40 seconds or so is me playing into the looper so any comments on the progression would be welcomed. That is followed by a bit of lead over what would be the verses (i do have lyrics). That is followed by what would be the solo over the chorus progression, each part on the way through is slightly different. I think the best bit is from about 1 min 35 seconds.

I would like some help with what to do as a intro and outro and any comments like would you use more crunch on the progression or have it clean and any other comments are also welcomed.

Its played through my strat and a blues junior amp, I am using a blues driver pedal with the gain up for the lead.

Its all the pentatonic scale so sorry Kirk, I am not quite there yet with my PT skills for anything faster than 60 bpm.

Stratrat · #2 January 8th, 2007

Sounds pretty good, Krissovo. As far as using more crunch on the rhythm guitar, that depends on what sound fits your band - the tone you used there has kind of a "Counting Crows" feel to me. If that's your band's kind of sound, it works. The leads fit well and the tone is nice, but it sounded to me like you were tuned a bit flat or something - just a wee bit out of tune with the rhythm guitar....nothing at all to complain about as far as the playing goes, though!

Definitely a good start - I like the chord progression and the overall sound!

krissovo · #3 January 8th, 2007

I am having a few issues with the tremolo as soon as even put a slight bend on the strings it drops it all flat, also my "G" string (finar, finar) is a pain to stay in tune.

Thanks for the feedback

allthumbs · #4 January 8th, 2007

Hmm. The first part is in the key of Am. The second part is in the key of G. One part is a mix of both and the rest you go back and forth between the two keys. Your lead seems to be in a major pent. Might be easier on the band to play it in one key or define the two parts more.. The lead is definitely saying major key. Course that is just my ears.

fly135 · #5 January 8th, 2007

Sounds like you've got a good start for your song. I like it.

__tsidewinder__ · #6 January 8th, 2007

Hey Krissovo.

Good song, looking forward to hearing the vocals for it.

The drum track and lead guitar are a bit quiet I think. An easy fix. The lead work was very good, fit the song well. I liked the tone too.

coldethyl · #7 January 8th, 2007

It's sounds okay to me Krissovo! Actually it has a kind of 60's slant to it. That's my take on it anyway.
The Strat sounds nice too!

krissovo · #8 January 8th, 2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by __tsidewinder__

Hey Krissovo.

Good song, looking forward to hearing the vocals for it.

The drum track and lead guitar are a bit quiet I think. An easy fix. The lead work was very good, fit the song well. I liked the tone too.

Its only a rough thing I put together with my drum machine and I was hitting pedals to change the beat etc plus the effects really damped out the a lot of the volume, we will have a jam with the band this week and see how we get on. The vocalist will have a heart attack when I give them to him, its very boy meets girl and he is a gay as its gets, I have a feeling he might ad lib some gay references.

CanuckTodd · #9 January 8th, 2007

Hey Krissovo,
Sounded good. Had a Doors kind of feel for me. Sounded a tad like "Don't you love her madly" at the beginning. It amazes me that allthumbs can pick out all the chords and progressions from your tune (and others). Guess I have to work on training my ears too!

krissovo · #10 January 8th, 2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by coldethyl

It's sounds okay to me Krissovo! Actually it has a kind of 60's slant to it. That's my take on it anyway.
The Strat sounds nice too!

Thanks, the strat is a dream! I do need to lock the trem though as its really annoying getting the flats I am getting.

60's rock at the end of the day, a lot of the feeling I want to capture is a slightly sad/depressing almost feel with a big perk up at meeting my soul mate.....Hope it comes through

737blues · #11 January 8th, 2007

A good start Krissovo, but it did sound like some notes were a little off key there or maybe just a tuning problem. Your playing is nice and tight though and I reckon once you get the small points sorted it will be a winner.

krissovo · #12 January 8th, 2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by allthumbs

Hmm. The first part is in the key of Am. The second part is in the key of G. One part is a mix of both and the rest you go back and forth between the two keys. Your lead seems to be in a major pent. Might be easier on the band to play it in one key or define the two parts more.. The lead is definitely saying major key. Course that is just my ears.

That is some ear you have, my god us noobs cannot get away with murder!

As I wrote in my last post, I guess what I am trying to capture is my transition from before I met this special person to the joy of meeting and connecting with them. At the end of the day all I want is a up beat love song (I am a positive person who does not do mushy), a display of some my inner emotions but done through the medium of a up tempo song using my limited experience on guitar.

I have little or no knowledge of the theory this was just me expressing myself. I regard as you as a bit of a guitar demi god and really value your opinion, do you have a suggestion of a more suitable progression that I could use? What I have done so far as you already know I bet is a AM EM AM EM for the "Depressed" verse and followed up with a E A D G for the "happy" chorus. The lead is purely as you have stated a pentatonic on 12th fret first position and a bit of the 5th position, only done as that is what I am most comfortable with at that tempo.

krissovo · #13 January 8th, 2007

I just read my last post and I hope I do not come through as snotty Allthumbs?

I really do value your knowledge

allthumbs · #14 January 8th, 2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by krissovo

I just read my last post and I hope I do not come through as snotty Allthumbs?

I really do value your knowledge

Not at all Kriss. Actually, thinking more about it. The A minor Key is really just the minor chords in the Key of C. The G is the V chord so you have jumped up by a 5th more or less to the Key of G which is why it all works together. You just need to work on a stronger melody and put the lead more in the pocket. It will probably help once your singer has a go over it to get some more ideas for shaping it.
Don't go putting me on a pedestal Kriss. I will make a heck of a mess when I fall off. I'm just a duffer like you. I've just been at it longer.

GT · #15 January 8th, 2007

I think the rythm guitar should be lowered on the mix bro. Try another shapes for the solo, at the begining start with freets 0-7, then the mid 8-12 and finish the climax with 12-24!!! Add more rows to the solo section instead 2 bars

Sounds like your having fun and thats all what it counts