Need some ideas!

[Ford Van]

So, I wrote this song MANY years ago, and tried recording it again about 7 months ago, then just sort of dropped it after not being able to find a good drummer to do something cool with it.

So, forget about the recording quality (ick!!!) and the canned drums.

Give me some ideas how to make this a better song. Add something? Take something away? Scrap a certain part? Re-write something? Give it all up?

Whatever, just share what you think. Remember though, I am NOT looking for any feedback concerning the recording quality or production in any, unless it pertains to a certain idea for the song itself.

Oh yeah, I did everything on this.

 

[rayc]

Ford Van,
1st off - Excellent playing!
Is it possible to pan the toms?
There's a prob with the languid melody versus the bossanova beat.
You need a rhythm guitar playing a matching rhythm.
The appegios, lead line & bass lne are all cool but all work across the beat.
You need something that works with it.
So throw in a choppy rhythm guitar or, rad option, change the beat.
Sounds very nice & the tension created by the lines & rhythm is interesting but looks for some resolution which doesn't come.

 

[sikter]

Nice piece! Beautiful playing.
It sounds like guitar is talking to me!
What to do with it? Hm.
You need a good drum track (not one based on your machine track).
When drum track is in the place all you need is mixing part.
I'm sure many of drummers from this site would be happy to collaborate on this one.

Did you DI-record your guitar?
What guitar? What pedal?
sikter

 

[Bulls Hit]

Hey I remember this one. I actually tried some drums on it, but they had too much room noise on them or something...I had to learn the bossanova and everything!

Suggestions? Get some real drums on it. Everything else is good.

 

[NYMorningstar]

Adding some singing to follow the guitar melody would be nice, maybe with a few sweet spanish words? A tamborine, maracas or other percussion fill would excite things here and there. Obviously it needs more cowbell

 

[Dogman]

Guitar lines are all cool, and so are the tones...they fit together well...pretty cool stuff Ed. I don't even mind it with these drums.....turn the drums down, so the guitars and bass sit on top more, or get some new drums. The sound quality of the canned drums is not bad at all though.

Playing is extremely nice man....has sort of a Satriani vibe. Nice.

 

[CoolCat]

that sounds really good imo?
geez...

the mix spread is really intriguing. nice reverbs.
I agree with the other posts too, the drums sound fine.
The bass was done really well too.

I had years of hearing crap 4-track cassttes, and a lot of the things I hear these days are amazing sonically.

Sorry...I can't offer anything different to do on the arrangment?
great tune.

I guess you could drop the drums, you don't seem to like them, and send it to RAMI or someone to add the drums. I agree its intersting sometimes and adds a freshness to the writer to have other peoples "touches" on their tune.

one of my favorite songs was one I didn't play on, and this group perfomed it changing many things, it was well done, better than my version for sure.

 

[scrubs]

Nice, dude. Sort of a "Flying in a Blue Dream" era Satriani vibe. You really start wanking at the end. Maybe move that to earlier in the song. It needs a climax point with some wild shredding about 2/3 of the way through. Oh, and I'd ditch that tapping part at 2:23, or move that to the end during the fade out. It doesn't really add anything, melodywise.

Of course, every song could use more of the following:

Wah wah
Cowbell

 

[TeyshaBlue]

I'm a sucker for a bossa.

First off, the tune has some legs. I kinda kept looking for a developed B section to break up the sorta relentlessness of the i,iv,i,iv,v prog. I might've taken the bossa up a notch in intensity and added a snare as a B section developed.
I'm at work, so I'm not sure of the key center since I have absolutely perfect imperfect pitch (my centers are wrong 100% ), so I can't suggest a key center for a B section. But I think some variation in key centers or structure might be something to look at since the tune just cooks along basically at the same level for 5 minutes.

I found the synth pad to be pretty opressive and fudges up the bass line. Do you want the bass to be a percussive element as well? If so, maybe shorten some of the sustains a bit? You've done a nice job of this already, but you might want to overdo this somewhat and see what it sounds like. Especially on the vi-v turn at the end of each verse. If not that, then maybe a little eq work that highlights the 400-500 hz range of the bas would make it a little more percussive. Just a thought.

Very nice performance....excellent solo developement throughout. I just think the arrangement could be a bit more dynamic.

 

[RAMI]

I can't help you.

That guitar is so sweet that you could have had someone playing on a cardboard box behind it and I wouldn't have minded. Awesome.

 

[Nakatira]

This reminds of Santana.
I would probbably try to get the bass to be more round sounding, and use some more typical latin percussion.

As a song I feel its more a jam piece, there`s, a whole lot happening, is the backing a loop?
Dont get me wrong, it sounds good.
But I think it would do better as song if you had a part were you went into a major part and brithgten the vibe a bit, sorta like Mike Oldfield does in a lot of his pieces.

Anyways a very neat idea

 

[CIRO]

Nice playing, Ford!

Some suggestions:

Your song has too many stick snare notes,on places that (my opinion)are "fighting" with the pizzicato guitars and as a result you have a song that is "over" on percussive details and without a solid bass/drum work (which results on a "something is working against the song" effect).

Some ways to improve the "bass and drums", which I think is the song needs for (and obvously, still with the excellent guitars):

1) a "rock/pop" simple groove,that you probably will find on many Satriani or Rush tunes, only to talk about similar artists that came in my mind. (this way,forgeting any bossa or latin style).

2)A more "latin" approach...that you can find on albuns like Santana´s SUPERNATURAL.
And, If you can "take a look": here´s an instrumental song called "CARIBE", a composition mine (altough with a faster tempo than your song).Pay attention on Bass Drum/Bass "job". You´ll note that it´s a simple groove , but works in this case and gives a "solid ground" to the song.

www.soundclick.com/openstation
("Caribe" is the third song)

... only "simple" suggestions, ok?

Ciro

 

[XLR]

Very expressive playing.

The gtr arpeggio is a great way start and keeps a sense of unity throughout. The pizzicato tone sounds very good. Using the low synth as a quasi pedal point to thicken the arrangement is very effective. The track is kind of long, so for variety I think the lead line could sound good starting with a clean and rich tone and then moving to a bit of thick distortion after it builds in intensity.

I agree with Scrubs about the tapping technique... it's fast and clean but it's not moving in the setting here in comparison to the lyrical lines. But it could be a good exit phrase.

Tim

 

[Ford Van]

Thanks for the listen guys.

Considering some of the ideas!

 

[killthepixelnow]

Sorry, Im not an expert on mix... but... you...


JUST ROCKS!


What a beauty solo man! I love jazz and this tune is emotional and touching at the same time. A simple but effective structure (considering most jazz fussion acts today) You got talent. If you're not happy with your mix maybe you should try to record this song at a pro studio, and then compare and learn how the pors did it. It's all I can say. Good luck and if you got something else to listen, just writeme some lines.

 

[Ford Van]

If you're not happy with your mix maybe you should try to record this song at a pro studio, and then compare and learn how the pors did it. It's all I can say.

LOL....I used to record bands for a living. I think I have an ok idea about how the "pro's do it". But when I work on ideas of my own, I just pull up sounds quickly and go to it.

Thanks for the nice words and the listen.

 

[Nakatira]

You should try to record this song at a pro studio, and then compare and learn how the pros did it.

You heard him Ed, now pack your bags, and toddle your ass over here, to Vikingland.
And I`ll teach you a thing or two.

 

[Ford Van]

You heard him Ed, now pack your bags, and toddle your ass over here, to Vikingland.
And I`ll teach you a thing or two.

Yes sir! On my way!!!