Subject: Re: [linux-audio-user] new song on-line
From: R Parker (rtp405_AT_yahoo.com)
Date: Sun Nov 14 2004 - 16:36:34 EET
Hi guys,
--- Dave Phillips <dlphilp_AT_bright.net> wrote:
> luke_AT_chipcity.com.au wrote:
>
> >I was impressed by your song and their are a couple
> of improvements in terms of song that I'd suggest.
> >
> >1. The very start, begin with Harmonica to
> introduce the instrument.
> >
> I agree, it sort of jumps in without introduction.
>
> Actually I was trying to recreate the situation
> where the harmonica
> player shows up late to the gig and jumps on to the
> stage just in time
> to deliver his blistering solo... well, I got the
> "late to the gig" part
> right... ;)
>
> >2. Go easy on the toms in each second bar of your
> phrase (leave them out, vary them, make them *less*
> obvious).
> >
> Agreed again. They're obviously sequenced, and I
> should have spent more
> time making variations. The drums are the part I
> like least. The
> rhythm's okay, but the part's repetitiveness annoys
> me too.
I really like Luke's suggestions. Very sensible pop
arrangement ideas. A month or so back, my studio
partner Bill Bailey, mentioned Peter Gabriel and his
drum production. I heard Sledge Hammer at a sound
check and didn't listen closely but I think if you
studied Gabriel's drum production you would find that
there isn't one cymbal hit in that song--I'm not
absolutely certain about that. So, what was he
thinking:
Part of Gabriel's success is his production and sound.
He has a loud in your face style. Cymbals are loud
announcements and Gabriel has vocals in all the spots
where cymbals belong but the vocals are more
important. Solution; no cymbals. You think?
In contrast, Dave's song is an entirely different
style of music but it has the same considerations of
every song including Sledge Hammer. So we make
decisions when arranging music; what instrument best
dictates the fell for any given part and if drums,
then everyone supports the drummer. If vocals then
everyone supports the vocal part.
In my own ignorant tractor repairman way, I like to
consider full orchestral arrangements. How many string
players and how many parts; 12 players and one part?
The most talented audio engineers in the world can't
make 12 selfish fools sound good. To book, imagine
some poor construction worker trying to hum the
melodies of 12 fools.
Anyway,
ron
> >3. Add vocal harmony in 3rd chorus (keep listener
> interested.
> >
> I thought of that moments before Ron Parker
> suggested the same thing.
> I'll probably add another voice this week, maybe get
> around to fixing
> that drum track too.
>
> Thanks for your opinions and suggestions, Luke, I
> appreciate that anyone
> takes the time to listen to it.
>
> A little more background about the recording. The
> song's been sitting in
> my head for about a year or longer, but I didn't
> have the gear to do a
> decent recording. Getting the Delta 66 and getting
> deeper into Ardour
> changed that, so now I'm all fired up to record more
> material. I like a
> "live band" kind of sound for my songs, very few of
> them would want a
> lot of arrangement, but I also use sequencer tracks
> extensively
> (sometimes it's just easier for me to write the
> parts via MIDI). I'll
> post more material to the page, hopefully my
> production values will show
> some progress as I move along.
>
> Next song: "Maria Elena", a guitar piece. Two
> acoustic guitars, acoustic
> bass, I play all parts (no MIDI). Should be on-line
> in a day or two.
>
> Btw, I followed some suggestions from other
> Ardouristas and tried some
> LADSPA plugins I hadn't ever used. SC4, Gverb, and
> the TAP plugins are
> *sweet*...
>
> Best regards,
>
> dp
>
>
>
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