i'm new to recording music

[topham]

but heres the first track i've ever recorded on my shiny new 8 track. ok it doesnt have a drum track, i'm working on that, i'm going to buy some decent headphones tomorrow. but here's some of my criticisms/problems/facts so far with recording:

 

 

 

at about 4.25 i accidentally pushed record on track one, the rhythm guitar cutting a bit out... oops.

 

 

 

at the end of the first section of the song the bass stops then picks up, i recorded it in 2 different parts.

 

 

 

the second solo was done with out backing, and harmonies were purely coincidental.

 

 

 

the track can be found on my music myspace. its called topham music. search for it if you will.

 

 

 

its named my 8 track, i was drinking vodka throughout and playing music to my 8 track that i got on the 13th.

 

 

 

its the first track i've ever recorded. and it was the second time i tried to record it to cd.

 

 

 

the solos are purely improvisation.

 

 

 

i want to be in a band but i only have myself and a bass player.

 

 

 

the recording volume is not loud because i was playing it through one of my amps that is rather loud and one of my sisters was asleep.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

feed back is welcomed. i'm moderately pleased with it, and yes that picture is of me...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

peace all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

edit: i've added the drum track, i stopped playing when i thought i was off the beat so i picked it back upafter a few bars. recording is harder than it seems at first.

[kelem_ryu]

Okay, just listened to it. I can't help, have to say this:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-Firstly the obvious: That's a song without vocals :?

 

 

 

-Drums sound weak

 

 

 

-Bass is better then the drums, still weak though (With weak i mean a bit clumsy)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-Guitar is basically okay, although:

 

 

 

-Solos.. You really need to practice them beforehand, instead of just improvising them. They have good beginnings and some parts sound cool, but inbetween there are just too many wierd passages. (btw learning scales can really help your improvisations later on. (i neglected to learn scales for much too long. now i regret it.) For now just figure out the exact solo beforehand)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-Harmony and guitar riffs :thumbsup:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hope that didn't sound overly harsh. I'm aware how hard and time consuming it can be to put a song together, especially in the beginning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For now you really need to find a singer. Without one you can't even really record a demo. Your record is all nice and dandy, but it hardly gives an idea, how the finished song would sound like, since vocals are so very defining imo. There is a reason why the singer is called frontman. I suggest: Just sing yourself (i know that isn't everyones thing, but usually the people who play around with all the involved instruments and spent their time recording stuff are those who end up as singers anyway).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You also need to find a drummer (bassman you already have it you write.) In the end you can't play all the instruments at the same time anyway. So i suggest just practice guitar and figure out some cool riffs and maybe write lyrics and experiment with your voice. Any drummer and bassist, who isn't a complete musical inept won't have any trouble to find into a given guitar riff. (On the other hand it would be nice if the guitarist is able to fiure out fitting riffs to bass and drum parts to, because the other instrumentalist sometimes have ideas to.... just speaking out of experience with a band as bass player.)

[topham]

thanks for the feedback, i knwo not very positive, i've only been learning guitar for 2 years... and thats the longest i've been playing any of the instruments, i'm actually trying to think of some lyrics, i need to get a new memory card cos i only have the one, and its only 128mb. and i've never had a lesson on the drums, so i dont expect it to sound good. i'm trying to learn the scales, and all the positions and the variations, but having not had a music lesson at school for 5 years doesnt help either, wasnt allowed to do it because i didnt play an instrument, well i had learned keyboards so i can read music, but i cant transfer it to other instruments.

 

 

 

i'm saving some of my better ideas for a while. i'm gonna tighten up on the track i've already recorded tho.

 

 

 

i've put a tap solo that just sounds wrong up... i need to get some decent chord progs from my bass player.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

edit: i'm writing some lyrics, its actually changing the song completely. for the better i hope

[kelem_ryu]

 

 

 

edit: i'm writing some lyrics, its actually changing the song completely. for the better i hope

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's exactly why i said, that you can't get an impression on how the song will sound like from this demo. Lyrics usually just chance the whole concept.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Usually you got some lyrics plus a main riff as the base from wich you develop the song. The rest is just arrangement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About scales and things. It's of course not a necessity. It's just very helpful to know them. The most important thing is, that you have fun playing your guitar. Technique can't substitute passion (although that's true in the opposite diretion to.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also you don't have to learn drums. If you really enjoy it, then by all means do it, but if you just have the feeling you need to learn that to, so that you are able on all three, then i'd stick to guitar.