Instrumental Composition

  • Thread starter Thread starter Trichter
  • Start date Start date
Trichter

Trichter

Member
Hi,
as a result of (by now more than one year) of home-office I started playing on the guitar again.
Here is an instrumental track I've composed in the G phrygian mode.
I'd be happy to receive some feedback.



Bass and drums come out of a Digitech band creator.
Guitar is an Ibanez RGA32 mol, connected to a Line6 Pod Go.
Recording and mixing was done on a Tascam DP24-SD.

EDIT 03.09.2021:
Another small composition. This time in E minor and with more tapping and sweep picking. 8-)
Also, I used a different tool called "matchering" for mastering.


Best regards
Trichter
 
Last edited:
Yeah it's a gallop alright. Nice chops. I like your guitar tones but the low end is cloudy and indistinct. The drums aren't doing you any favours
 
Thanks for the reply. (y)
With cloudy and indistinct you mean the low end of the guitars or the whole mix?
I already reduced everything below 100 Hz for the guitars, but might go a bit further.
If it is due to drums/bass, I do not really know what to do. The tracks are generated by the band creator automatically and despite some basic EQing or maybe a compressor there is not much I could change. Suggestions are welcome!
 
I thought it sounded pretty good guitar wise - it's pretty busy but the drums sat OK with me. I was interested in it being G Phrygian mode? Did I miss the Ab? It sounds like Gm to me - and the A seems to fit better than Ab?
 
Well, the first riff neither contains A nor Ab. The first prominent appearance of the Ab comes later (after about 34 seconds).
The lead parts are essentially arpeggios of the diatonic chords of G phrygian and some runs through the scale.
It kind of started as an exercise when I worked on that galloping rhythm and in parallel read a book about jazz improvisation (and all that harmony music theory).
 
So not really Phrygian really. That mode always sticks in my head because it feels kind of mystic and haunting with the semi-tone up on the second note of the scale. It doesn't matter a jot really - but it wasn't what I expected. Interesting though.
 
Some Comments - the lead guitar is too loud - The Bass is almost non existent - The drums are mixed under - the Rhythm guitar gets progressively out of time as the song progresses. Cool idea for a song -
 
Trichter said:
(and all that harmony music theory).
Click to expand...
Yeah, have you figured out how to play it 'happy' or 'sad' ?

Play happy solos with happy chords
Play sad solos with sad chords
play happy solos with sad chords
play sad solos with happy chords
etc.. the possibilities are endless..

I play happy or sad.
 
Last edited:
Papanate said:
Some Comments - the lead guitar is too loud - The Bass is almost non existent - The drums are mixed under - the Rhythm guitar gets progressively out of time as the song progresses. Cool idea for a song -
Click to expand...
Thanks for the suggestions. I think the bass is a bit going down as you can only hear it at the very low end of the frequency spectrum. Not sure how to bring it out a bit more. Have to check if I find some frequency range that makes it stick out next to the distorted guitars. Also (as a guitar player) I indeed tend to make the guitar a bit louder than necessary. :LOL:
I am working on another piece where I try to keep your suggestions in mind.
 
Trichter said:
Thanks for the suggestions. I think the bass is a bit going down as you can only hear it at the very low end of the frequency spectrum. Not sure how to bring it out a bit more. Have to check if I find some frequency range that makes it stick out next to the distorted guitars. Also (as a guitar player) I indeed tend to make the guitar a bit louder than necessary. :LOL:
I am working on another piece where I try to keep your suggestions in mind.
Click to expand...

Want to send the Tracks my way?
 
I agree with many of the above comments, but would like to add that I enjoyed it. Really good start if you keep working it, it will get much better. Well done !
 
Trichter said:
Hi,
as a result of (by now more than one year) of home-office I started playing on the guitar again.
Here is an instrumental track I've composed in the G phrygian mode.
I'd be happy to receive some feedback.



Bass and drums come out of a Digitech band creator.
Guitar is an Ibanez RGA32 mol, connected to a Line6 Pod Go.
Recording and mixing was done on a Tascam DP24-SD.

Best regards
Trichter
Click to expand...

Man if you had someone to kick a live beat, you certainly could riff it up!
 
I guess a real drum and bass track would indeed be much better, but due to time limitations (working full time and this is just a hobby) and Covid restrictions this will most likely never happen.
Papanate said:
Want to send the Tracks my way?
Click to expand...
Yeah, why not, here you go:

PhrygianGallopTracks - Google Drive

drive.google.com drive.google.com
It's 5 tracks (drum, bass, 2x rhythm and lead guitar). Count in starts after about 10 seconds.
Whoever wants to give it a try with mixing/mastering, feel free to play around with the uploaded tracks and please show me your results!
 
Trichter said:
I guess a real drum and bass track would indeed be much better, but due to time limitations (working full time and this is just a hobby) and Covid restrictions this will most likely never happen.

Yeah, why not, here you go:

PhrygianGallopTracks - Google Drive

drive.google.com drive.google.com
It's 5 tracks (drum, bass, 2x rhythm and lead guitar). Count in starts after about 10 seconds.
Whoever wants to give it a try with mixing/mastering, feel free to play around with the uploaded tracks and please show me your results!
Click to expand...
What do you think about this?
 

Attachments

Thanks for your efforts. The bass is much more prominent in your mix. Can you comment on your working procedure and the hard- and software you used?
For me, the lead guitar is now a bit too quiet. Especially when listening to it on bad speakers (my smartphone) the sound is dominated by the rhythm guitar.
 
Trichter said:
Thanks for your efforts. The bass is much more prominent in your mix. Can you comment on your working procedure and the hard- and software you used?
For me, the lead guitar is now a bit too quiet. Especially when listening to it on bad speakers (my smartphone) the sound is dominated by the rhythm guitar.
Click to expand...
Here is a Cell Phone Mix. I boosted the bass 5 db - then put a compressor (LA2A BlackFace) on it. I EQ'd the drums bringing out some Resonate Harmonics. I ran the Rhythm guitars through Helix using a modern Plexi setting - a different amp for each - to bring out the crunch and give them an identity. I used Flextime (Logic timing Program) and the Rhythm, Bass and Lead Guitar. I EQ'd the lead guitar to smooth it out. I put an Adaptive Limiter on the Stereo Bus - and cut it to -1 db. Then I just ran the thing through Ozone 9 adjusting the EQ and bring a max level up. Took me about 5 or ten minutes.
 

Attachments

That is some quite professional workflow and equipment that you have there.
I like this second mix much more. (y)
 
Here is another small composition. This time in E minor and with more tapping and sweep picking. 8-)
Also, I used a different tool called "matchering" for mastering.


For anyone who wants to give it a try with an own mix. Here you go:

NeoclassicTracks - Google Drive

drive.google.com drive.google.com
 
What I like, is the way the scales are for the most part descending all the time. When the melody of the riff does turn upwards, it never climbs quite as high as it fell. Like it is chasing that first high through out the song.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top