Creative Music in Progress - Always Post Feedback, Read OP before posting!

[Bubz]

[QUOTE=killerteacup;45734015]HELLO EVERYONE

please read the thread title and give feedback to people before posting OR edit your post with feedback. If you refuse you are inconsiderate and terrible and generally low quality!!

this has been a psa by me[/QUOTE]

I have problems reading.

[LieutenantLeo]

[QUOTE=krix;45736798]I have to admit that I did not enjoy the first one much, but I do like the second song quite a lot.
It would make pretty good background music in a calmer story-driven videogame, is what I imagined.
Your songs are a bit too repetitive for me to listen to them on their own, no offence.
Maybe try throwing in some other instruments and sounds as a development in the song, change the rhythm and/or beat here and there. Generally mix things up and keep stuff dynamic!

Now to prove that I am talking out of my ass and that I don't actually know what I'm talking about:
A song I made with two of my best friends.
[media]http://soundcloud.com/debase-infra/siechenhaus-mariannengraben[/media][/QUOTE]

The second one is a hip/hop instrumental so that's probably where the repetitive-ness comes into play.

[Dead Madman]

[QUOTE=chaz13;45731363]I like this. The percussion at the start is cool, the glitchyness is nice, the break-down bit nearer the end where the melody comes in is cool too. I feel like the stereo image could use some work, though.

Here's some.. thing I threw together. I think it's garage? or deep house? I'm not good with those genres.

[media]http://soundcloud.com/awesomesaucee/garage-thing-maybe[/media][/QUOTE]

the tempo's a bit quick for this style if you ask me dude, you should take it down to like 116-121 at least, and I think the notes of the bass are too happy for this style also, garage is more often than not always melancholy, so try working the melody into something of that style!

Apart from that though dude the drums + overall mix is very clean, just gotta fix up those notes!

here's something for my latest noscoping montage on cod4 crossfire 1v1 scrubstep

[url]https://soundcloud.com/veschell/throwoff-93/s-wVDp5[/url]

i don't usually make this sort of stuff so forgive me father for i have sinned

[Number-41]

[QUOTE=LieutenantLeo;45710401]Reminds me of Odd Future but a lot less in your face, nice background music, I definitely enjoyed.

Finished 2 in one day!!

[media]http://soundcloud.com/jakecrizzle/baradero[/media]

[media]http://soundcloud.com/jakecrizzle/afterhour[/media][/QUOTE]

As for the second one:
I'd lower the release on the bass drum a bit so it doesn't last that long, maybe add a low pass filter. The snare could use some more lower frequencies, maybe add another snare sound that has more body to it? The ending of the snare sound is nice (the sizzle, or whatever).

Maybe it's my personal preference cluttering the actual critique, but that's just what I thought about the way I'd do the drums.

[MilkBagz]

[QUOTE=Bubz;45736896]I have problems reading.[/QUOTE]

Don't edit the post or anything.

[Bubz]

[QUOTE=MilkBagz;45738756]Don't edit the post or anything.[/QUOTE]

I have problems remembering as well.

Not really obligated to aid handpicked compositions, never sought this thread as the feedback thread, that use to just be a thing people did in the older threads I always thought. Guess I can't get away with just posting tracks and getting a couple people to like it and fade away anymore. Have to endure being apart of the thread community.

[LieutenantLeo]

[QUOTE=krix;45736798]
[media]http://soundcloud.com/debase-infra/siechenhaus-mariannengraben[/media][/QUOTE]

Not my style but mixing sounds pretty great to me, and some interesting sounds in there. Would be great indie game music.

[url]https://soundcloud.com/jakecrizzle/dontknow/s-eyxjD[/url] (private track)

Just started this track last night and I don't know what direction I should go with it, I don't know whether i want to lean towards more orchestral or more dance or more pop. Tell me what you guys think and what it'd be good for.

[Skeeter]

[QUOTE=Bubz;45739931]I have problems remembering as well.

Not really obligated to aid handpicked compositions, never sought this thread as the feedback thread, that use to just be a thing people did in the older threads I always thought. Guess I can't get away with just posting tracks and getting a couple people to like it and fade away anymore. Have to endure being apart of the thread community.[/QUOTE]

If you want to post just your song looking for people to listen to it then you can make a separate thread, this is the work in progress-thread after all and everybody is looking for feedback. :)

[killerteacup]

[QUOTE=Bubz;45739931]I have problems remembering as well.

Not really obligated to aid handpicked compositions, never sought this thread as the feedback thread, that use to just be a thing people did in the older threads I always thought. Guess I can't get away with just posting tracks and getting a couple people to like it and fade away anymore. Have to endure being apart of the thread community.[/QUOTE]

Yeah you do, so get used to the idea of sharing or ship out :) :)

Posting shit in a feedback thread and refusing to give feedback in turn is just a selfish move anyway i dont see why people have such a hard time with it

[B_I_G__C_U_M]

[QUOTE=krix;45736798]A song I made with two of my best friends.
[media]http://soundcloud.com/debase-infra/siechenhaus-mariannengraben[/media][/QUOTE]

pretty cool track! the ambiance sounds really nice and the melodies were pretty chill too. i think maybe the percussion is a bit too punchy and that the song's a tad fast, but otherwise it was a pretty cool track.

a pretty cool riff i wrote some time ago, sort of electric wizard inspired. tuned to A tuning.

[editline]19th August 2014[/editline]

[media]http://soundcloud.com/wuzzly2014/sludgy-riff[/media]

[LieutenantLeo]

[QUOTE=DesumThePanda;45743846]pretty cool track! the ambiance sounds really nice and the melodies were pretty chill too. i think maybe the percussion is a bit too punchy and that the song's a tad fast, but otherwise it was a pretty cool track.

a pretty cool riff i wrote some time ago, sort of electric wizard inspired. tuned to A tuning.

[editline]19th August 2014[/editline]

[media]http://soundcloud.com/wuzzly2014/sludgy-riff[/media][/QUOTE]

I like the riff alot, but I'm not so big on how sludgy it is. I know that's the point but it's not really for me. If it was a different sound then maybe I'd enjoy it more.

[media]http://soundcloud.com/jakecrizzle/sevenths[/media]

[Hakita]

[QUOTE=DesumThePanda;45743846][media]http://soundcloud.com/wuzzly2014/sludgy-riff[/media][/QUOTE]
man that guitar tone is so distorted i can barely hear the riff
riff sounds okay though, surprisingly positive and upbeat for a sludge riff, but it could definitely work
get some heavy bass in there and beating drums and change the tone/production on your guitar a bit and you've got some good shit going on there

[aperoll]

[QUOTE=LieutenantLeo;45749033]
[media]http://soundcloud.com/jakecrizzle/sevenths[/media][/QUOTE]

Super chill beat, I feel like I can almost hear the rap over it (not sure if that's what you intended, but still). Nice mixing, nice sub bass you got going there etc. The only thing I would suggest (this is personal taste, really) is another instrument in the second go of the first portion. Feels a tad bit repetitive but the drums definitely take care of most of that.

[media]http://soundcloud.com/andrewglesener/fallingattemptedmix[/media]

I know I'm like.. years late to the "dubstep" scene, but honestly it's fun and easy to make. It's a work in progress, and the mix sounds pretty bad, but I never share my music so I thought why not.

be gentle.

[editline]20th August 2014[/editline]

Looks like it doesn't like my media tags, huh.

[krix_]

in the media tags, remove the 's' in http[B]s[/B]

[FelixDragon]

hey so this is my first post in here, been looking at getting into music stuff. I really don't know anything about how music works and I've tried making stuff a few times before, this is the first one i've been happy with.
[media]http://soundcloud.com/inuksuit/disconnect[/media]

[QUOTE=LieutenantLeo;45749033][media]http://soundcloud.com/jakecrizzle/sevenths[/media][/QUOTE]

really liking this, good feel to this song. at 0:45 and 1:50 I feel like the keys could change up a bit or you could play around with the drums more as it feels a bit repetitive.
also seems like a bit too much bass in some parts, for me at least. but overall, cool stuff.

[Skeeter]

Welcome to the subforum, glad to have you with us and an excellent first post here! Looking forward to hearing more of your stuff! I really dig the piano you've composed and the drum samples are beautiful, what samples are they? :)

[B_I_G__C_U_M]

[QUOTE=Hakita;45749371]man that guitar tone is so distorted i can barely hear the riff
riff sounds okay though, surprisingly positive and upbeat for a sludge riff, but it could definitely work
get some heavy bass in there and beating drums and change the tone/production on your guitar a bit and you've got some good shit going on there[/QUOTE]

I think it's probably more the mic (its just a cheap desktop mic covered in a sock) than it is the tone but I could try rerecording it while dialing back the gain a bit. I'm also trying to nail a good tone with my fuzz pedal. I can get a nice, bright but chunky tone with my distortion but when I replace it with my fuzz it just sounds too bassy. Might be my amp though.

[FelixDragon]

[QUOTE=Skeeter;45750351]Welcome to the subforum, glad to have you with us and an excellent first post here! Looking forward to hearing more of your stuff! I really dig the piano you've composed and the drum samples are beautiful, what samples are they? :)[/QUOTE]

thanks! I'll definitely keep trying
the drums are just a funk drum-loop that came with ableton live, chopped it up and mixed it around to be more glitchy/dynamic.
the little noises in the background were just a very distorted and stretched sample of an empty can spinning around on my desk :v:

[Bobie]

[QUOTE=FelixDragon;45750146]hey so this is my first post in here, been looking at getting into music stuff. I really don't know anything about how music works and I've tried making stuff a few times before, this is the first one i've been happy with.
[media]http://soundcloud.com/inuksuit/disconnect[/media]

really liking this, good feel to this song. at 0:45 and 1:50 I feel like the keys could change up a bit or you could play around with the drums more as it feels a bit repetitive.
also seems like a bit too much bass in some parts, for me at least. but overall, cool stuff.[/QUOTE]

i like the glitchiness in the drums. and the pianos seem to work really great to give it this weird kind of IDM/ambient feel. maybe throw some pads in the background, and bring the drums up in volume. they're a little too quiet right now; but for being new at this it's great. way better than what i made when i started out lol

[media]http://soundcloud.com/partyhat/please-put-it-on[/media]

[media]http://soundcloud.com/partyhat/holla[/media]

[Hakita]

[QUOTE=DesumThePanda;45750598]I think it's probably more the mic (its just a cheap desktop mic covered in a sock) than it is the tone but I could try rerecording it while dialing back the gain a bit. I'm also trying to nail a good tone with my fuzz pedal. I can get a nice, bright but chunky tone with my distortion but when I replace it with my fuzz it just sounds too bassy. Might be my amp though.[/QUOTE]
it's probably just your mic, yeah
hope you get a better way of recording soon

[B_I_G__C_U_M]

seeing as I have no income, I'd have to wait until Christmas for my parents to get me something. They've also been hampering on me to save up for a car. I really need a job

[PrivRyan]

What kind of genres are you guys into?
I've been in a bit of a fiddle trying to choose which genre of music to go into. I really prefer softer sounding music I suppose, so probably something smooth and jazzy. Would you guys mind mind critiquing stuff like that?

[SDC_Zuratul]

[QUOTE=krix;45736798]
Now to prove that I am talking out of my ass and that I don't actually know what I'm talking about:
A song I made with two of my best friends.
[Media]http://soundcloud.com/debase-infra/siechenhaus-mariannengraben[/Media]

[/QUOTE]

It reminded me of Myst before the percussion comes in, kind of gave it a nice otherworldly kind of feel. The transitions are great, and I like that vowel sounding lead and string sounding chords. Nice Pike-sounding synth at ~3.33 to the end. Overall it's got a nice composition with nicely strange ambient type synths.
I quite like it,

[QUOTE=LieutenantLeo;45740364]
[Media]http://soundcloud.com/jakecrizzle/dontknow/s-eyxjD[/Media]
Just started this track last night and I don't know what direction I should go with it, I don't know whether i want to lean towards more orchestral or more dance or more pop. Tell me what you guys think and what it'd be good for.
[/QUOTE]

If you're stuck betwixt dance and pop I'd take a look at OneRepublic. Your track has some similar qualities, with the piano in there especially. Put a violin or similar stringed instrument doing counterpoint and I think you'd enjoy the results. The track has a great flow and feeling to it, though it doesn't seem to change much (though it [I]is[/I] a WIP).

[QUOTE=DesumThePanda;45743846]pretty cool track! the ambiance sounds really nice and the melodies were pretty chill too. i think maybe the percussion is a bit too punchy and that the song's a tad fast, but otherwise it was a pretty cool track.
a pretty cool riff i wrote some time ago, sort of electric wizard inspired. tuned to A tuning.
[Media]http://soundcloud.com/wuzzly2014/sludgy-riff[/Media]
[/QUOTE]

It's quite monotonous, but it does sound like a good backup bit of instrumentation. Though it did seem to be a little refined sounding on my speakers. You could make another melody that does a hardcore style'd arpeggio lead riff and see where that takes you, also some percussion to go with the rhythm would add some depth with this type of riff.

[QUOTE=LieutenantLeo;45749033]
[Media]http://soundcloud.com/jakecrizzle/sevenths[/Media]
[/QUOTE]

It's a little piercing, but quite pretty. I really like it. The deep bass is sure to cause a few craniums to oscillate. I really like those drums, getting more and more complex as it goes. I'd love to hear that lead be a little more substantial, it sounded good I just couldn't discern it too well. The composition is nicely paced and segmented. It has a nice flow, never really changing that much, but changing it up enough to keep it sounding nice. There's a specific place in my heart for a fade out chorus. It's like the only thing I used in my first few songs way back when.

[QUOTE=FelixDragon;45750146]hey so this is my first post in here, been looking at getting into music stuff. I really don't know anything about how music works and I've tried making stuff a few times before, this is the first one i've been happy with.
[Media]http://soundcloud.com/inuksuit/disconnect[/Media]
[/QUOTE]

That's a very beautiful melencholy piano bit, the glitch drums sound pretty alright over it. I think if you added a little randomization to the velocities of the samples you'd get a little more pleasant glitch.

[QUOTE=Bobie;45753470]
[Media]http://soundcloud.com/partyhat/holla[/Media]
[/QUOTE]

The second one,
Mate that just has a groove to it you can't ignore, quite fun sounding.

[editline]21st August 2014[/editline]

Now for what I've brought with me today. Straight from the oft' unexplored areas of my creativity, that of improvisation. I'd quite enjoy anyone's thoughts on it.

[Media]http://soundcloud.com/sir-zachary-church/a-walk-through-the-woods[/Media]

[Skeeter]

[QUOTE=PrivRyan;45755360]What kind of genres are you guys into?
I've been in a bit of a fiddle trying to choose which genre of music to go into. I really prefer softer sounding music I suppose, so probably something smooth and jazzy. Would you guys mind mind critiquing stuff like that?[/QUOTE]

Not at all! Just remember to critique others music as well :) I'm into a lot of genres and I really need to find the genre I like the most so I can start making coherent music, I don't think I'll ever get noticed by a label if I never do more than 2-3 songs in a genre before making something completely different.

[chaz13]

[QUOTE=SDC_Zuratul;45755474]
[Media]http://soundcloud.com/sir-zachary-church/a-walk-through-the-woods[/Media][/QUOTE]

This is very nice, quite soothing! The melody is fantastic, the guitar tone is nice and the background riff is good too (although it sounds like it ducks out occasionally which is odd). The noise is rather distracting to me though, which is a shame.

Just a thing I made quickly for no real reason:

[media]http://soundcloud.com/awesomesaucee/0jtpx74yhdoi[/media]

Trying to go for a melancholy jazz thing.

[Number-41]

Is the midi recorded from a keyboard or did you "write" it (piano roll) ? If it's with a midi keyboard, then there's a lot more you can do. Doing the stuff below with just a mouse & piano roll will be a bit harder...

The drums are very nice, the sound, the variation, etc. I'm jealous, whenever I try jazz drums I just have a single measure on loop with the occasional open HH and bass drum. I find it a bitch to make in a DAW. When I make jazz in Ableton I'm usually very sloppy myself, I like playing it live but refining it afterwards sucks and it's hard to get an authentic sound.

The bass and piano could use some variation though, now the chords all fall on the first beat, but you'll see very few jazz pianists do that for an entire chorus. Classically, there's often a conversation between the piano comping and the snare drum. So you might want to re-record the piano with more rhythmic variation, and then record just the snare, listening to the piano and letting it interact/react accordingly.

The double bass should employ its full range a bit more, it's okay if it's simple and just plays the tonic each time, but between the first beat (that is occupied by the tonic) and the next measure, there's all kinds of stuff you can do, maybe switch to walking bass for a couple of beats, ...

Don't overdo it though, if the piano's doing stuff, let the bass chill and vice versa, otherwise it'll get too messy.

I'd also darken the tone of the piano a bit, to get rid of the "VSTI" sound, maybe a slight high pass filter. Maybe adjust the balance of the instruments to simulate them standing in a different spot.

As for the chord voicings, I hear mainly seventh chords that are outlined, but there's a different way that's just as easy and that gives a nice result.

Say you have a chord, e.g. 1 3 5 Maj7 (so C E G B for example), then you can take the inner two notes (3 and 5) and play those in the right hand, while the left hand plays 1 and Maj7 one octave lower. They're called "shell voicings" because the analogy goes that you play the insides of the shell with the RH and the shells with the left hand. Whatever, here's an example for the most basic progression that encompasses most of the chord qualities you played (I think).
[URL="http://www.noteflight.com/scores/view/24823a21cbf63e091fac583227eeb63f312e8999"][IMG]http://i.imgur.com/vSk4HGN.png[/IMG][/URL]
Clickity for sound btw (it's fuckin nice, Notescore)

This is not optimal, because you could have nice resolutions actually, but these voicings are on their own nice to play around with. Once you get those down, you can expand it with fancier stuff, add colour notes, melody notes, smoother progressions, rootless voicing (because the bass plays the root usually).

[LieutenantLeo]

[QUOTE=SDC_Zuratul;45755474]
[Media]http://soundcloud.com/sir-zachary-church/a-walk-through-the-woods[/Media][/QUOTE]

I definitely enjoyed that. Felt almost like it should be in a movie. I like how the lead guitar progressed from lower notes in the majority of the song and then nearer the end it went on to some higher notes. Overall great job but I did find it a little repetitive, if the backing had some more chord changes or some different chords I think it would've turned out to be really special.

I need advice on my WIP Hip/Hop beat.

[url]https://soundcloud.com/jakecrizzle/bangerbeat/s-1yxcV[/url]

At around 1:13 when the chorus comes in should I use that bassy soft synth that comes in then or the sound at 1:23? Also I don't know if I like the kick drum, if I keep it i feel i should just have it on the choruses.

[mezzokoko]

[QUOTE=chaz13;45757891][media]http://soundcloud.com/awesomesaucee/0jtpx74yhdoi[/media]

Trying to go for a melancholy jazz thing.[/QUOTE]

Very nice work, I think the piano can be played slightly harder. The way it is right now makes it a little too fady for a piano.

[QUOTE=SDC_Zuratul;45755474]Now for what I've brought with me today. Straight from the oft' unexplored areas of my creativity, that of improvisation. I'd quite enjoy anyone's thoughts on it.

[Media]http://soundcloud.com/sir-zachary-church/a-walk-through-the-woods[/Media][/QUOTE]

Very nice improvisation you got there. Kinda reminds me of early works from Mike Oldfield. Maybe this would be better if ye play some higher notes here and there and return back to the chilled slow style. Kind of as an attention thingy.

Here is something I worked on in the last three days. Title is WIP aswell, I suck at titles.
edit: Recording is shitty, because I was too lazy to record each track individually for a WIP. Final result will sound better in general.

[media]http://soundcloud.com/mezzokoko-wip/awakening[/media]

[krix_]

[QUOTE=SDC_Zuratul;45755474][editline]21st August 2014[/editline]

Now for what I've brought with me today. Straight from the oft' unexplored areas of my creativity, that of improvisation. I'd quite enjoy anyone's thoughts on it.

[Media]http://soundcloud.com/sir-zachary-church/a-walk-through-the-woods[/Media][/QUOTE]

Love it! Absolutely my jam. It's soothing, has a beautiful melody and nice "layering" if that makes sense, with your improvised riff playing together nicely with the rest of the song.
I think you did a good job and could easily make something fantastic out of an improvisational piece of yours.
If there was more of a development throughout the song and maybe some changes in the melody I would have nothing to even suggest to you.
I already really really like it as it is.

[fartparty]

[QUOTE=SDC_Zuratul;45755474]
Now for what I've brought with me today. Straight from the oft' unexplored areas of my creativity, that of improvisation. I'd quite enjoy anyone's thoughts on it.

[Media]http://soundcloud.com/sir-zachary-church/a-walk-through-the-woods[/Media][/QUOTE]

I really liked this, it was very calming, but it sounded very familiar to a bunch of other stuff i've heard. it also didn't really go anywhere which isn't really bad, but i got a little bored

[QUOTE=chaz13;45757891]This is very nice, quite soothing! The melody is fantastic, the guitar tone is nice and the background riff is good too (although it sounds like it ducks out occasionally which is odd). The noise is rather distracting to me though, which is a shame.

Just a thing I made quickly for no real reason:

[media]http://soundcloud.com/awesomesaucee/0jtpx74yhdoi[/media]

Trying to go for a melancholy jazz thing.[/QUOTE]

pretty cool, though with the drums i got more of a hip hop feel than a jazz one

AND FOR MINE

I'm still working on this, I want to perform it at my local open mic night but i need lyrics first, which i can't write to save my life

[media]http://soundcloud.com/sharkalarm/night-owl[/media]

at the performance it'd be me playing guitar and singing, and my buddy on drums, maybe another person on like violin or something

i'd like to do a full version though with other parts than those