Shredcow's Upcoming Ballady Ballad

S

ShredCow

New member
I had this work in progress, a wannabe ballad thingy, just had it done up like... 2 hours? Its very rough and stuff, but its a start.

Ballads are tough. I suck at them. Link is below...

http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=B85AD2620BEB40B8

Okay, this is what I plan to do. I got that rough structure up, but I wanna bring it further. I don't wanna do a typical ballad. I need more chords, the backing is stale and lifeless. I need different chords. Maybe some time signature changes. I think the theme should be fusion-ish. Yeap, I would like to go there, hopefully I can do it.

Gimme some comments! Oh, i would like this to be all guitars, makes it more challenging I think.

Right now, going to take a break from this and collaborate with RoRk on an even more ballady piece... *gasp* 8O

But in the meantime, I need some feedback where to take this piece.
 
very rock instead of ballad to me.. some what like drifting away from satch to vai.. ballads are,IMO,sweet and romantic and never technical.. yeah maybe you want it powderful lahz~ but yeah.. i feel its lacking of being able to melt someone.. its now being able to wow some1 only.. btw.. did you do something to your set up? sounds abit diff from your original tone.. is it the pitch shifter? IMO, sounds weird when you hit the higher notes.. yeah..
 
Having listened to your stuff on many occasions, this will be the first time i am commenting.

The fast and technical parts are very well executed. That is probably the saving grace for the piece you just posted. What i feel is severely lacking in your playing since the past, is your bends and vibrato. Its really weak.

You bend in only a certain way and vibrato only in one way. A knack for the un-usual is what you have. But, sometimes that doesn't translate into a good melody. Technically gifted in many areas, but u really lack the dynamics.
 
Gr3y said:
very rock instead of ballad to me.. some what like drifting away from satch to vai.. ballads are,IMO,sweet and romantic and never technical.. yeah maybe you want it powderful lahz~ but yeah.. i feel its lacking of being able to melt someone.. its now being able to wow some1 only.. btw.. did you do something to your set up? sounds abit diff from your original tone.. is it the pitch shifter? IMO, sounds weird when you hit the higher notes.. yeah..
Click to expand...

I think a problem is that this piece is really still a jam kind of thing and I do not have a focus point for this piece. I don't think I want it to be a sweet soft ballad. I dunno. Gotta figure that out, draw from personal experiences or maybe from a movie or book.

Hehehe. No pitch shifter. You talking about the middle section where I play really high notes right? My guitar is out of phase, and I do pinch harmonics there. Something you can't really do in normal humbucking mode, out of phase makes it very easy to do so, I'm going to make it a "trademark" of mine.
 
ballad my back side...that was more like being push down the stairs fella !!

Get your all stuff >> CD ...please!!
Can i be your manager ??
 
bombay_ghee said:
Having listened to your stuff on many occasions, this will be the first time i am commenting.

The fast and technical parts are very well executed. That is probably the saving grace for the piece you just posted. What i feel is severely lacking in your playing since the past, is your bends and vibrato. Its really weak.

You bend in only a certain way and vibrato only in one way. A knack for the un-usual is what you have. But, sometimes that doesn't translate into a good melody. Technically gifted in many areas, but u really lack the dynamics.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the comments. I rarely post in OM now because I seldom get what I would term "proper" critisim.

I have actually been practising my bending and vibrato a lot since the last full piece I posted here, which was Slinky Pinky Thingy, but I find some MAJOR problems here, perhaps you could advise me further?

The moment I use delay, I can't hear my vibrato. I have to do it really wide and obvious, which isn't what I want many a time.

2nd is probably the way I record. Pedalboard to Sansamp to Computer. The sound is so not hi-fi enough, I think I lose too much clarity and whatever nuances I put in get lost in the mix. Worse when I use delay.

The bends are a different thing altogether. I've been listening to Gilbert lately, on his new album, and I love how he has developed his bending technique. Very soulful. I do try to work on bending but I confess I have not been working hard enough on it. Lemme see what excuse I can think of... ah, not enough time lah. Work. Come home. Practice so many techniques. Thats besides the point thought, right? :D

About vibrato in one way, yes, I try to adhere to what I would term, IMO, a "natural" vibrato? Like when a singer sings, when he sustains a note, he doesn't just do a standard vibrato? He would sustain the note, start with a slow, wide vibrato then "accelerate" to a faster, more urgent vibrato?
Yeap... I try to do that. :lol: I know I know, its laughable.
 
gsonique said:
ballad my back side...that was more like being push down the stairs fella !!

Get your all stuff >> CD ...please!!
Can i be your manager ??
Click to expand...

Oei... cannot wannabe ballader ah? 8)
Okay okay... I'm just.. pushing the ballad envelope okay? Or maybe I'm just out there. :P

Haha, I am man. Going to choose some songs from my stash and come up with something.

I need to get an audio interface first. I think I'm losing too much with the line in tone.

Will be soon, will be soon.

Be my manager you can, please pick a queue number and prepare your management showcase presentation. You will be auditioned. :D
 
No man... No name yet. No topic. No focal point.

Unconventional eh?

Possible titles as of now:

"Ballad for the World"

"Ambigiuously Yours"

"LOVE"

"Emo Demo"

"Shredcow's Is Bored @ Work and Would Like to Get Home to Work on His Ballad"

:D How Lame can One go?
 
Shred, nice piece, well i think u need to break the pasages of the song to make it stand out...
i think this time round ur dinamics are much better, but i do hear lots of mids(i might be wrong) i dunno how to explain ..its the intro the raking part (is that it?) haha..
u just need to balance the mix down then i believe should be fine.i think the solo part too much boost..

have a listen to piano or violin pieces for rhythm ideas..does not mean u need to play chords...just stack some triads...introduce some bass pattern would be nice too.

and end it with an acoustic guitar piece should be nice ..:)
 
penguin said:
Shred, nice piece, well i think u need to break the pasages of the song to make it stand out...
i think this time round ur dinamics are much better, but i do hear lots of mids(i might be wrong) i dunno how to explain ..its the intro the raking part (is that it?) haha..
u just need to balance the mix down then i believe should be fine.i think the solo part too much boost..

have a listen to piano or violin pieces for rhythm ideas..does not mean u need to play chords...just stack some triads...introduce some bass pattern would be nice too.

and end it with an acoustic guitar piece should be nice ..:)
Click to expand...

Thank you for the kind comments Penguin. Appreciate it.

Yeah, there is an AWFUL lot of mids in that intro. Its my neck humbucker in series. Its too much, I agree, makes it all too compressed. I'll be re-recording this after I am done with the collaboration with RoRK, this time round, I'll prob run the neck hum in parallel for clarity and increased dynamics.
And I over raked. :D

Violins... Piano... triads... I hear you on this... I'll look into it. Thanks!

Ending with an acoustic piece. Hehe. Oh yes. That IS something new for me... hmmm... great idea!
 
I heard it briefly, nice modern vibe, I like the way you are developing your own signature style, with the bends and all, sounds unconventional(to me) but original in a way...

Maybe you could try to just improve on the execution of your chops(the timing) and then all will be well!

9 BOMBAY STARS! :D
 
snuffleupagus said:
I heard it briefly, nice modern vibe, I like the way you are developing your own signature style, with the bends and all, sounds unconventional(to me) but original in a way...

Maybe you could try to just improve on the execution of your chops(the timing) and then all will be well!

9 BOMBAY STARS! :D
Click to expand...

Hey man... no more pedals for you ah? :D I found some nice stuff online, say hi to me on MSN for more GAS nightmares. 8)

Haha... I really do hope I am developing some sort of "signature" style there. Its something I really really try hard to do...

Yes, I need to brush up the whole thing... I'm going to give an excuse now, it hard to do so @ 12mn! :twisted:
 
I feel that alot of it has to do with ur touch. Ur touch is great for the speedy lines and fast stuff. Nice and light with enough note definition. But the weakness shows when ur play more single note stuff, stuff that fills in the spaces with dynamics. Like ur bends, vibrato, slides..etc.

Perhaps vary ur attack. The gilbert exercise where he does muted and non-muted picked noted exercises is just one of the few. U can simply do difrerent groupings of all by using just one note and accent them differently. Can use various ways to accentuate it, diggin harder, harmonics etc. Once one note can..then just add in two note per string groups, three and etc

Alot of the really great bends and vibrato comes from alot of bluesy back grounds. Alot of our heros and hero's heros learn in someway or are influenced by aspect of playing. Its basic....but if you can't make 5 notes sound good, how to make 7 notes sound good.
 
i think too that its more rock , although sometimes you will be able to hear the balleds element.

i guess also maybe you have to think of the concept first, that way ur song will have a direction a meaning, instead of doing the song first. well many people got different ways of writing songs, but if you put in ur concept first the inspiration will flow the music will suit bcos you have the concept in mind.

bombay is also right, the foundation excerise are crucial even for seasoned players like most people here, its what maintain our fingering strenght the touch and the smoothness during playing.

thats my thought :D
 
bombay_ghee said:
I feel that alot of it has to do with ur touch. Ur touch is great for the speedy lines and fast stuff. Nice and light with enough note definition. But the weakness shows when ur play more single note stuff, stuff that fills in the spaces with dynamics. Like ur bends, vibrato, slides..etc. .
Click to expand...

Haha.. I am of the opinion my "shred" is not smooth enough. And its very very boring, atypical speediness. :?

But I hear you on the dynamics thing. Squeeeezzzing out eveyr bit from the guitar.


bombay_ghee said:
Perhaps vary ur attack. The gilbert exercise where he does muted and non-muted picked noted exercises is just one of the few. U can simply do difrerent groupings of all by using just one note and accent them differently. Can use various ways to accentuate it, diggin harder, harmonics etc. Once one note can..then just add in two note per string groups, three and etc.
Click to expand...

Actually, I do vary my attack, at least I think I do, and I think I hear it thru my Goblin amp. I have problems getting it out when recording though.

Ironically, this play-one-note-squeeze-as-much-as-possible-out-of-it technique is one of the frist things I teach my students. I even "demo" it to them. :lol:

And I can't do it in my songs. ARGGGG. Going to work on that.
 
Hey Daniel,

The tone is captivating as usual. A bit too fat for my liking though and it somehow muddles up the fast passages, but stick to it if it floats your boat! :D

Not sure though if it can be classified under a ballad, and if what we heard is from 0:00 itself - it sounds like the bridging part of an entire song. Think we need to hear the entire composition to get the full picture of what you're trying to achieve.

Otherwise, it's good technically, and the diminished progressions and harmony add a bit to that unconventional blend to the works.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

R
Forming gigging alternative rock band
Replies
0
Views
1K
ROCKINBOYZ
R
W
Band Looking for Bassist and Vocalist
Replies
0
Views
170
whatever
W
W
Metal/Rock Progressive Band Looking for Bassist and Vocalist
Replies
0
Views
223
whatever
W
M
self-directed/edited music video. BALLAD on disenchantment of love. DRIVE MY CAR
Replies
0
Views
4K
mune
M
L
Keyboardist and vocalist wanted
Replies
6
Views
849
linkinmind
L

Latest posts

Share this page

Back
Top