Silenced Fred Posted November 28, 2010 Share Posted November 28, 2010 So I started playing around with the harmonica, this is just one take playing guitar and harmonica. Have some vocals I will be throwing in later today. And I have to clean up the harmonica a little bit I'm thinking. Seriously guys, let me know what you think. I have just started, and if you say its bad, just let me know, but don't just say I suck and leave it at that. What can I work on to make it better. My link New song is called Hard to Beat btw Oh, and I'm having baked oatmeal today, damn stuff is delicious Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChanMan Posted November 28, 2010 Share Posted November 28, 2010 Preface: I know squat about harmonicas. Sounds good to me. The real question is did it capture the feeling you were trying to invoke? Oh... and I second Duane's comment on your vocals. YOU, sir, can sing. Do you use a metronome? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silenced Fred Posted November 28, 2010 Author Share Posted November 28, 2010 Yeah I like the sound, some parts need to be cleaned up for my breaths and sloppy parts. Thanks man, it means a lot to me. I try to sing and no, I don't use a metronome. I probably should though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted November 28, 2010 Share Posted November 28, 2010 Sounds pretty good to me - a bit like Heart of Gold. Really good, considering you just picked up the harmonica. I occasionally give the harp a whirl myself, so I know it's not easy. I can clear a room pretty quick with one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrNylon Posted November 28, 2010 Share Posted November 28, 2010 I think you got some oatmeal in the harmonica. JUST KIDDING. I like it. It sounds good, stick with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChanMan Posted November 28, 2010 Share Posted November 28, 2010 S'ok man! A metronome will help you iron out your timing issues, but having heard you sing and play, I'd bet practice will, too :D I've tried singing all my life and always got the "what'd ya do with the money?" jokes, or whatever. It made me very self concious about my voice. Imagine my surprise when our lead guitarist in the last band I was in, as we were auditioning vocalists, asked me why I wasn't the singer... Well.... Uh.... :wacko: Keep at it man. I have some suggestions to help your song writing, but won't derail the thread further :) Well done man! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duane v Posted November 28, 2010 Share Posted November 28, 2010 That went very well with my first cup...... No breakfast today.... We had "Burritos De Mt Everest" last night, and I'm still full Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silenced Fred Posted November 28, 2010 Author Share Posted November 28, 2010 S'ok man! A metronome will help you iron out your timing issues, but having heard you sing and play, I'd bet practice will, too :D I've tried singing all my life and always got the "what'd ya do with the money?" jokes, or whatever. It made me very self concious about my voice. Imagine my surprise when our lead guitarist in the last band I was in, as we were auditioning vocalists, asked me why I wasn't the singer... Well.... Uh.... :wacko: Keep at it man. I have some suggestions to help your song writing, but won't derail the thread further :) Well done man! Derail away! I just wanna make it better. I know, my song writing style is very similar on a lot of the songs, and I need to break out from that. I never wanted to sing at all, but I got sick of dealing with prima donnas. I guess I'm able to break away from that BS because I don't think of myself as a singer if that makes sense Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted November 28, 2010 Share Posted November 28, 2010 Okay. I'm liking this breakfast thing. Sounds good. Keep goin' with it. Thanks Fred. B) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChanMan Posted November 28, 2010 Share Posted November 28, 2010 Perfect sense, actually :) Ok. Well... a song is a story. All good stories follow a certain pattern.... you build excitement as you go. I'd preach the music industry's mantra of the verse, pre-chorus-bridge-chorus-verse format, but I don't believe in it so I can't really sell it. What I hear in your tunes is more of a verse-chorus-verse-chorus-verse-chorus... and as you've noticed, all your stuff starts sounding very similar after awhile. Listen to some of your favorite songs... see if they don't change things up a little. It can be as easy as finger picking the first verse, strumming the second, and picking the third, and range all the way to a "Bohemian Rhapsody" style slow-fast -slow format. Not that I am anything remotely like a successful songwriter, but these are observations I've made. Rush often uses a Verse Chorus Verse Chorus <BIG BREAK> back to Verse Chorus format. Lot of songs these days use a pre-chorus like the song "Toes" by the Zach Brown Band. Lyrically, I got nothing for ya. I like what you're doing now... so make the canvas your using as a backdrop for your words as aesthetically pleasing as the lyrics you paint over the top. Clear as mud? Oh... and please by all means tell me to get stuffed if none of this fits what you're trying to do. I could be completely off the mark. Look up John Lee Hooker's "Tupelo" to see an excellent example of how far off the above advice can be.... :) Regardless.... please keep writing and doing what you're doing. You have fans now and you owe it to them. Us. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silenced Fred Posted November 28, 2010 Author Share Posted November 28, 2010 Perfect sense, actually :) Ok. Well... a song is a story. All good stories follow a certain pattern.... you build excitement as you go. I'd preach the music industry's mantra of the verse, pre-chorus-bridge-chorus-verse format, but I don't believe in it so I can't really sell it. What I hear in your tunes is more of a verse-chorus-verse-chorus-verse-chorus... and as you've noticed, all your stuff starts sounding very similar after awhile. Listen to some of your favorite songs... see if they don't change things up a little. It can be as easy as finger picking the first verse, strumming the second, and picking the third, and range all the way to a "Bohemian Rhapsody" style slow-fast -slow format. Not that I am anything remotely like a successful songwriter, but these are observations I've made. Rush often uses a Verse Chorus Verse Chorus <BIG BREAK> back to Verse Chorus format. Lot of songs these days use a pre-chorus like the song "Toes" by the Zach Brown Band. Lyrically, I got nothing for ya. I like what you're doing now... so make the canvas your using as a backdrop for your words as aesthetically pleasing as the lyrics you paint over the top. Clear as mud? Oh... and please by all means tell me to get stuffed if none of this fits what you're trying to do. I could be completely off the mark. Look up John Lee Hooker's "Tupelo" to see an excellent example of how far off the above advice can be.... :) Regardless.... please keep writing and doing what you're doing. You have fans now and you owe it to them. Us. :D Yeah, that's one of the things I'm trying to do is break away from the verse chorus thing. I like my songs to go intro-verse-bridge like thing- verse- chorus its weird. That's what is holding up my song style, I need to work on bridges, and work a little bit more on theory to see what stuff fits. I have one song I'm working on that I really like that starts out finger picking, then gets heavier, then goes all out, then back down. Seriously, thanks for the advice, I just want to improve my music, and hope that people respect me enough to "tear apart" my music if they don't like it. I know I can't appeal to everyone, but to be able to take little elements from each and combine it. I always get asked what my genre is and I tell them its "music". I follow no genre and my songs range from folksy stuff, to blues, to heavy rock, to prog rock, to trip rock and everythign in between. My drummer listens to stuff like August Burns Red, Eyes Set to Kill, etc. and some of the stuff I like, so our music is pretty eclectic because it infuses my tastes which is predominantly folksy blues stuff with the heavier stuff my drummer likes. I have fans? :blink: There's some pressure for ya Thanks guys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChanMan Posted November 28, 2010 Share Posted November 28, 2010 If you want to break big, at some point you have to choose. People need to be able to identify you as an "X" artist. Once you've developed a solid fan base, as demonstrated by record sales, you can branch out and do anything you want. The real trick is to do what everyone else is doing in a uniquely recognizable way. Yeah... fans = pressure to keep going :) A lot of folks don't "get it". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silenced Fred Posted November 28, 2010 Author Share Posted November 28, 2010 If you want to break big, at some point you have to choose. People need to be able to identify you as an "X" artist. Once you've developed a solid fan base, as demonstrated by record sales, you can branch out and do anything you want. The real trick is to do what everyone else is doing in a uniquely recognizable way. Yeah... fans = pressure to keep going :) A lot of folks don't "get it". Well, other than my acoustic stuff, it's all pretty much blues trip rock. Like Black Keys meets Dead Weather meets Them Crooked Vultures I love me some fuzz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparky scott 29 Posted November 28, 2010 Share Posted November 28, 2010 I think it's in the making.. I'll call you Dylan.. Lord knows, I can't walk and talk at the same time here.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silenced Fred Posted November 28, 2010 Author Share Posted November 28, 2010 Working on cleaning it up, changing the song style (per suggestions) and then will record lyrics once my parents leave. I don't like recording my singing with other people around. I'm really self concious about that, but I will break out into poker face in the middle of Target... go figure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrNylon Posted November 28, 2010 Share Posted November 28, 2010 Fred; Do it the way it's comfortable you. I think you have a sound there man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silenced Fred Posted November 29, 2010 Author Share Posted November 29, 2010 Fred; Do it the way it's comfortable you. I think you have a sound there man. Yeah, I started going over my songs, and I am changing them. Not too much, just adding little subtleties. This last song I posted is getting a major overhaul the only thing staying the same are the chords and the pattern of the harmonica fills. Thanks for the feedback guys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimbabig Posted November 29, 2010 Share Posted November 29, 2010 Fred, you have a beautiful voice and don't be afraid to sing in front of others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silenced Fred Posted November 29, 2010 Author Share Posted November 29, 2010 Fred, you have a beautiful voice and don't be afraid to sing in front of others. I keep telling myself to stop posting, but I really want to thank you for the kind words. I'm using every bit of advice you guys are giving and I'm gonna try and actually stretch out the vocal chords and change it up a little bit. I will have time in the big studio at my college in a week, and that will be a blast. Getting the drums and everything recorded will be huge for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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