Post by Jarcodes on Apr 19, 2013 13:22:03 GMT -5
Alright then. Lets do some good today. I want to begin by saying that while I listen to a lot of music, even creating my own. I am not the end all and be all of music critics. I am lucky enough to be supported by some amazing and experienced people, and it is they that I turn to for actual evaluations. That being said I still have an opinion. I know good from bad. Even if I do not see the grey.
So first of all we begin listening to every song as a fan. No instant opinions for this judge. Although I can usually tell in the first 30 seconds of a track if I'm going to like it or not. I know that no musician creates something that they believe is crap so I never assume that it is. A lot of time and effort goes into each and every song that is put out there for the world to hear, and so I listen as if it's great.
Point #1. Production of the music. When listening I first notice the music. Is it overly distorted? Are the sound levels to high? Can I hear every instrument? These are important factors to consider. As my cohost Tony has mentioned it's good to test your tune in a variety of ways. Clock radios, high end receivers, and with earphones as well as without. If it sounds good on a majority of them you're doing something right. Remember that a song is never finished it is only abandoned so it's no insult to anybody if you have to tinker with the final product until you're satisfied.
Point #2. Vocals. To me this is an incredibly important aspect of each and every song that has them. There are so many great songs that are killed by the singer, sound levels of the singer, and unknown limitations of that singer. Know your range! While it's always good to stretch your limitations, and experiment, Don't put that shit into your final product. The band picked you for a reason and it's good to be able to trust them for honest advise. equally if not more important is the level of the vocal track in relation to the other tracks. We know you are the front man that gets the chicks, and lives for that spotlight, but come on. There is no reason for your voice to over shadow the work of the rest of the group. The voice should be thought of as another instrument. Not as a weapon. Also if I can not here parts of the vocals because the music is turned up to high the song is over for me.
Point #3. Track length. This is disputed by my partners so I will simply clarify my personal preference on the matter. This being my final point I would like to add that there are many other reasons that a song sounds good or not, but like I said, I'm no expert in the finer points of the creative process. So song length is a tricky thing to get right. You don't want to bore the listener with unneeded repetition. I believe that it's better to leave the listener wanting more. On the other hand it depends to me on the type of song it is. If your goal is to blast beat the fuck out of the fans with driving drums, Vicious guitars, Pounding bass, and deadly vocals then a shorter length is more appropriate. If an epic feel is your goal then a longer time is fine. Tell your story, don't repeat it. Finally a point of personal aggravation is the fifteen minute instrumental. Impress your self on your own time. I've got other shit to do!
Thanks for taking the time to read this. We always offer free advise on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/jarcodes, and we love to wake up and find another song waiting there for us. Don't be discouraged by any of this please. Every song has the potential of being better, and every musician has their own style. Thats the greatest thing about music to me. So many interpretations, and so many styles means that there will always be a fan out there for your sound. We would love to help them discover you.
So first of all we begin listening to every song as a fan. No instant opinions for this judge. Although I can usually tell in the first 30 seconds of a track if I'm going to like it or not. I know that no musician creates something that they believe is crap so I never assume that it is. A lot of time and effort goes into each and every song that is put out there for the world to hear, and so I listen as if it's great.
Point #1. Production of the music. When listening I first notice the music. Is it overly distorted? Are the sound levels to high? Can I hear every instrument? These are important factors to consider. As my cohost Tony has mentioned it's good to test your tune in a variety of ways. Clock radios, high end receivers, and with earphones as well as without. If it sounds good on a majority of them you're doing something right. Remember that a song is never finished it is only abandoned so it's no insult to anybody if you have to tinker with the final product until you're satisfied.
Point #2. Vocals. To me this is an incredibly important aspect of each and every song that has them. There are so many great songs that are killed by the singer, sound levels of the singer, and unknown limitations of that singer. Know your range! While it's always good to stretch your limitations, and experiment, Don't put that shit into your final product. The band picked you for a reason and it's good to be able to trust them for honest advise. equally if not more important is the level of the vocal track in relation to the other tracks. We know you are the front man that gets the chicks, and lives for that spotlight, but come on. There is no reason for your voice to over shadow the work of the rest of the group. The voice should be thought of as another instrument. Not as a weapon. Also if I can not here parts of the vocals because the music is turned up to high the song is over for me.
Point #3. Track length. This is disputed by my partners so I will simply clarify my personal preference on the matter. This being my final point I would like to add that there are many other reasons that a song sounds good or not, but like I said, I'm no expert in the finer points of the creative process. So song length is a tricky thing to get right. You don't want to bore the listener with unneeded repetition. I believe that it's better to leave the listener wanting more. On the other hand it depends to me on the type of song it is. If your goal is to blast beat the fuck out of the fans with driving drums, Vicious guitars, Pounding bass, and deadly vocals then a shorter length is more appropriate. If an epic feel is your goal then a longer time is fine. Tell your story, don't repeat it. Finally a point of personal aggravation is the fifteen minute instrumental. Impress your self on your own time. I've got other shit to do!
Thanks for taking the time to read this. We always offer free advise on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/jarcodes, and we love to wake up and find another song waiting there for us. Don't be discouraged by any of this please. Every song has the potential of being better, and every musician has their own style. Thats the greatest thing about music to me. So many interpretations, and so many styles means that there will always be a fan out there for your sound. We would love to help them discover you.