A couple of new recordings from me - may I ask feedback please? Now with added Cornell content

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thecolourboxthecolourbox Frets: 9654
edited May 2017 in Making Music
I've recorded a couple of songs on my new bedroom/recording set up and I'd like a bit of feedback if you'd be so kind as to have a listen? The first one is an original song still very much in the demo phase, i've only a verse and a chorus as yet so please bear that in mind, and also some of the lyrics aren't quite tidied up yet, but more after feedback on the song itself on this one please. It was done in two takes, first was just the rhythm guitar, second was overdubbing the vocals and the noodling solo at the beginning:


The second song is a cover of Ryan Adams' Gimme Something Good, which is my first attempt at recording myself singing in a higher register. I've been listening a lot to his stuff recently and noticed his range is not all that dissimilar to mine although I do struggle at the higher end... I'm after more feedback on the singing and playing on this one please! This was just the one take, recorded both the guitar and vocals at the same time. Here it is:




If folks are interested in the set up I can also post some details of that?

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

Cheers all
Please note my communication is not very good, so please be patient with me
soundcloud.com/thecolourbox-1
youtube.com/@TheColourboxMusic
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Comments

  • Winny_PoohWinny_Pooh Frets: 7730
    edited February 2017
    The first one is a pretty stock song, a nice start, nothing remarkable but it has a good Kings of Convenience vibe. I would try recording the guitar to a click next time and see if that improves the feel. Keep writing more songs as much as possible, every inch os forwards movement.  The recordings themselves are good and I would keep working on singing practice which will pay off in also doing simple stuff confidently. This is overall positive feedback from me and encouragement to keep improving.
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  • thecolourboxthecolourbox Frets: 9654
    edited February 2017
    Thanks @Winny_Pooh that's very helpful - I would agree with your views so that does give me something to work on. I'm not a confident singer it has to be said, I'm working on it but I'm naturally quite shy at my voice making noises (singing or talking) so I have kind of tried to build that slightly-held-back element into my singing. I think doing that with confidence rather than trepidation should be the aim.

    Timing has never been my strength Haha I'm a pianist really (classical) where metronomic playing is very much frowned on but even then my timing was often all over the place. I used to protest then it was in fact my rubato and that they should embrace that on my behalf Haha if I ever get to recording it properly as opposed to this fairly crude demo it would probably have a click or percussion yeah.

    Ps, never even heard of Kings of Convenience (I thought it was an off licence in Walsall) but I'll give them a listen
    Please note my communication is not very good, so please be patient with me
    soundcloud.com/thecolourbox-1
    youtube.com/@TheColourboxMusic
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  • CirrusCirrus Frets: 8481
    Your voice has a lovely tone to it, keep it up!
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  • Cirrus said:
    Your voice has a lovely tone to it, keep it up!
    Lol that'll be the TC Voicelive effects I used! Cheers though
    Please note my communication is not very good, so please be patient with me
    soundcloud.com/thecolourbox-1
    youtube.com/@TheColourboxMusic
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  • The original song suits your voice much better. Learn from my mistakes. I used to sing too high and re-learned to sing much lower. I was so much more comfortable to listen to, and I enjoyed it more. I then pushed in a new direction and, without really realising, ended up staying back up to a range which isn't my natural home. I now really dislike my voice on the majority of the album I recorded, it explains the voice problems I had, and also makes me realise why I stopped playing solo stuff. You can have a listen here: https://soundcloud.com/stevemccormick-1

    My only criticism of the song is singing 'kee-eeep', etc.  Try punctuating it without the drop to the second note. I think it'll have more punch.
    Trading feedback info here

    My band, Red For Dissent
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  • thecolourboxthecolourbox Frets: 9654
    edited February 2017
    Thank you @imalrightjack for your comments, again very helpful and very much appreciated. I will definitely give your stuff a listen (and a follow) on Soundcloud as I quite enjoy hearing other forumite's stuff. My vocal range in general is a strange thing, I've not really ever had any singing lessons and have only relatively recently starting singing other than in the shower so I think I'm still discovering what my range is. I know I was a tenor in Chamber choir at 6th form but anything more than that is still a mystery at present. Also I think what I'd like to learn more about for my voice is not necessarily what notes or ranges I can reach, but which sound best. I can get pretty high (not falsetto, urgh) but that does not necessarily mean I should do - interestingly the original song above actually felt too low at the end of each phrase for my voice but I couldn't transpose it as the guitar part uses a lot of open strings  :)

    I think though why voice maybe suits the lower pitch (at present) though that I'm more confident and certain sounding on the control as I have not practised the higher singing much for quite a while, I can control the breathing better I think for lower noises at present but I did used to be able to do it when i was in chamber choir at 6th form (a long time ago now though...). I'll bear it in mind though that I should also keep practising the lower pitched stuff if it sounds better, though I find when I sing at that pitch it feels more monotonous and samey with little interest in the songs then.

    One other potential excuse I have for both songs is the recording environment! Basically I was sat on my bed with a boom mic stand leaning towards me, so I wasn't perhaps in the most ideal position for unleshing such a vocal onslaught - I know the breathing is very different stood up! I also did both songs in the time it took me to suck a Werthers Original so maybe some of my pronunciation is a bit off because of the presence of said sweet in my mouth. The Ryan Adams song (the higher one) I was also doing both guitar and singing at the same time so being hunched over the guitar into a mic sat down maybe isn't my best set up...

    For those that care, the signal path was:
    Guitar Part:
    Variax 600 guitar, on Tele neck pickup model
    Straight into 68 Custom Princeton Reverb amp, bass and treble up full, volume about half way, shed loads of reverb.
    The amp dummy loaded by a Jet City Jettenuator, line out into an AMT Pangaea with a Deluxe Reverb 1x12 speaker impulse loaded, fed into my vocal FX thing
    Vocal part:
    I sang into a TC Helicon mic into a TC helicon Voicelive, on the "Led Zep Kashmir" preset (ie another shed load of big reverb)
    I ran the xlr output to the audio interface which recorded then both the vocal and guitar parts simultaneously in mono, in that wonderful piece of software Audacity. I exported straight from there, no further effects or processes were applied
    Please note my communication is not very good, so please be patient with me
    soundcloud.com/thecolourbox-1
    youtube.com/@TheColourboxMusic
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  • Haha, you recorded while eating a Werther's Original? Hats off to you. 

    Don't fall into the trap I did of letting the guitar part dictate the vocal pitch. Use a capo if need be and adjust accordingly (you can always use a capo high up and drop the vocal pitch). That is 100% why I ended up with recordings I was frustrated by. Regardless, that was a long time ago, so I've learned to accept it :) 
    Trading feedback info here

    My band, Red For Dissent
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  • Haha, you recorded while eating a Werther's Original? Hats off to you. 

    Don't fall into the trap I did of letting the guitar part dictate the vocal pitch. Use a capo if need be and adjust accordingly (you can always use a capo high up and drop the vocal pitch). That is 100% why I ended up with recordings I was frustrated by. Regardless, that was a long time ago, so I've learned to accept it :) 
    I think the Werthers Original does result in some strange vowell sounds though, so perhaps not the best idea haha I'm sure I recall at least one instance of the word "broken" being somewaht more Black Country than I'd have liked  :)

    I would tend to agree that the guitar part shouldn't dictate everything else but I wrote the guitar bit first quite some time before words were added (out of interest, the verse words are actually a reworking of the White Stripes "I'm finding it harder", I took the rhythm of the words, changed the words and put a tune to them. I think the chorus was based on "Under cover of Darkness" by the Strokes). My guitar playing is better than my singing too haha but I suppose I should fight that temptation to hide behind it.
    Please note my communication is not very good, so please be patient with me
    soundcloud.com/thecolourbox-1
    youtube.com/@TheColourboxMusic
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  • sev112sev112 Frets: 2739
    Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
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  • sev112 said:
    Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
    You know you make me want to shout?
    Please note my communication is not very good, so please be patient with me
    soundcloud.com/thecolourbox-1
    youtube.com/@TheColourboxMusic
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  • BridgehouseBridgehouse Frets: 24578
    sev112 said:
    Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
    You need to get that sticky keyboard fixed chap...
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  • kinkin Frets: 1015
    i think your own song had a nice mellow vibe, catchy melody on the chorus, defo worth working on some more.
    I'd like to hear it with a minimal drum track and an upright bass underneath it
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  • spark240spark240 Frets: 2073
    edited February 2017
    Well...firstly...good news ! ...you wrote your own song . played it and sang on it and....recorded it....most people would love to get that far !

    Not so good ....the original song was a bit wishy washy for me, nothing really hooked me and reeled me in to want more, it also sounds like your not committing to the guitar or the vocal, maybe your concentrating on both together?

    Do I understand that you are recording the guitar and vocals at the same time?.....Try doing the vocal track again on its own, also try some guitar  / vocal overdubs, maybe the odd harmony to add character..?

    Im working on a song now with a pal of mine,. which is essentially a single Acoustic guitar line ( doubled) and a vocal line with some added harmony to add some life...this is unfinished by the way !.....just to give you an idea of what a guitar and vocal can become...



    Feel  free to critique !...Thats what were all here for ;-) 


    keep at it  and post more songs....

      


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  • Thanks @spark240 I've had similar comments from my dad (well he actually said "didn't like your original one as it was a bit samey and dull") though that said these are not meant to be anything more than sketches of the final thing. In my mind he original song has drums to give a bit of bounce.

    My music is generally wishy washy as I myself also am - nobody would benefit from hearing me singing with punch I can assure you Haha will listen to yours later (not sure the link is working on my phone) though while I'll take on a lot of advice, using harmony is not something I will ever do ;)
    Please note my communication is not very good, so please be patient with me
    soundcloud.com/thecolourbox-1
    youtube.com/@TheColourboxMusic
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  • spark240spark240 Frets: 2073
    Well....if you like what you do, then thats fine, and you should go forward with that, the guy Im working with at the moment would never dream of double tracking, harmonies, overdubs etc...thats why he asks me to guide him and Im no expert for sure, but what I will do is experiment, learn, and try things.

    Limiting yourself to never trying harmonies is a bit heavy, your vocals are ok, you will be able to do it trust me ! 

    And yes....the soundcloud link won't paste at the moment ....


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  • spark240 said:
    Well....if you like what you do, then thats fine, and you should go forward with that, the guy Im working with at the moment would never dream of double tracking, harmonies, overdubs etc...thats why he asks me to guide him and Im no expert for sure, but what I will do is experiment, learn, and try things.

    Limiting yourself to never trying harmonies is a bit heavy, your vocals are ok, you will be able to do it trust me ! 

    And yes....the soundcloud link won't paste at the moment ....
    I've done enough harmony singing and arranging to know it's not for me, nothing against those who do it and do it well just find it's not a sound i want. On the other points though it is something I'd like try try, for once I'd like to write something that is not depressing, but I can't write happy or up beat music. Well, songs anyway, classical music I can do it but it sounds corny if I try that for songs.
    Please note my communication is not very good, so please be patient with me
    soundcloud.com/thecolourbox-1
    youtube.com/@TheColourboxMusic
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  • spark240spark240 Frets: 2073
    Your local to me....we do some open mic covers in walsall if you want to have ago !


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  • Might well take you up on that :) cheers
    Please note my communication is not very good, so please be patient with me
    soundcloud.com/thecolourbox-1
    youtube.com/@TheColourboxMusic
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  • Covering ryan. Now you have taste for sure

    Instagram is Rocknrollismyescape -

    FOR SALE - Catalinbread Echorec, Sonic Blue classic player strat and a Digitech bad monkey

     

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  • Covering ryan. Now you have taste for sure
    Lol would be more tasteful if I'd nailed it ;)
    Please note my communication is not very good, so please be patient with me
    soundcloud.com/thecolourbox-1
    youtube.com/@TheColourboxMusic
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