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CtrLZerG
United States104 Posts
I know it's not something everyone will like... But hey, I like it, so there's got to be something good about it, right? Principal indebtedness https://soundcloud.com/skylarwhitmer/principal-indebtedness Untaught Confidence https://soundcloud.com/skylarwhitmer/untaught-confidence-acoustic Reverb Nation http://www.reverbnation.com/skylarwhitmer Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/SkylarRayWhitmer  | ||
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_fool
Netherlands686 Posts
 I like the songs. The chords are well figured out, and I like how you work with open strings (is it default EADGBA or something different?). Keeps it interesting. Also, the guitar recording is really clear and crisp, which makes it a pleasure to listen to. Your singing is something I'd have to get used to. It has a tendency to get "droney" after half a song. All in all, it seems to distract from the guitar part rather than add to it. Might be the mixing though. I also checked the video that's in the Reverb Nation link. I liked the dual guitar bit. I expected it to get cheesy but in fact it stuck with me Keep playing! | ||
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Chairman Ray
United States11903 Posts
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CtrLZerG
United States104 Posts
As a point of constructive criticism, what do you mean by droney? If I know what you mean, i might be able to figure it out and work on it (especially if it's the way i'm singing) I'll be happy to work on any point of weakness in my songs! When you've heard a song so many times over and over again, it's hard to tell whether you're being objective or hard on yourself haha Thanks for letting me know Also, Principal Indebtedness is in Standard Untaught confidence is DADGbd I use a couple of weird tunings fairly often; EACFae, EBDGad, some other strange open tunings...None of which are available to be listened to at the moment | ||
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_fool
Netherlands686 Posts
On May 29 2013 04:06 CtrLZerG wrote: Thank you, guys! As a point of constructive criticism, what do you mean by droney? If I know what you mean, i might be able to figure it out and work on it (especially if it's the way i'm singing) Also, Principal Indebtedness is in Standard Untaught confidence is DADGbd As for the droney bit: I just listened to your songs again, and tried to pinpoint it. I think it has to do with the fact that you sometimes tend to start notes slightly too low, then bend towards the proper note. It's a very subtle pitch shift, not like it's off key. It makes every word/phrase come "swelling in". An example would be 1:15 and 1:28 in Principal Indebtedness. It's a good technique to use to emphasize certain bits/add emotion, but after a while I only hear the "swell", and no longer what you're really singing. I'd be curious to know how the exact same song would sound it you'd try to sing without emphasizing certain phrases, not adding emotion/interpretation. I don't think they'd sound better that way, but you need a neutral canvas before you can add emphasis, right? Just my 2 cents, much like the average internet dweller I don't have the guts to use my voice for musical purposes | ||
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CtrLZerG
United States104 Posts
I pretty much sang it as if it were a gig. That might be why i just did that naturally... I definitely wouldnt want that to be distracting from the song, though. Thanks for pointing that out! I knew I was starting low and shifting the pitch, but it just felt right for me at the time, I guess. I'm looking forward to showing you guys my actual 'Official' recording (which i've been working on for a couple days now) | ||
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hp.Shell
United States2527 Posts
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CtrLZerG
United States104 Posts
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Meow-Meow
Germany451 Posts
On May 29 2013 02:55 CtrLZerG wrote: Principal indebtedness https://soundcloud.com/skylarwhitmer/principal-indebtedness Did you have a bet with your friends who could come up with the most pretentious song title?  That being said, I love Session 20, Pre Vocal. Such a mellow tone, that drummer is tight as [inappropriate metaphor omitted]. Tricking me into expecting a sick crescendo at around 2:10 and then delivering that little solo was really neat. If you do an album, you should absolutely leave this track without vocals. Not every song is supposed to be a hit single and bands tend to neglect the dramaturgy of their albums. | ||
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CtrLZerG
United States104 Posts
On May 29 2013 07:09 Meow-Meow wrote: Did you have a bet with your friends who could come up with the most pretentious song title? That being said, I love Session 20, Pre Vocal. Such a mellow tone, that drummer is tight as [inappropriate metaphor omitted]. Tricking me into expecting a sick crescendo at around 2:10 and then delivering that little solo was really neat. If you do an album, you should absolutely leave this track without vocals. Not every song is supposed to be a hit single and bands tend to neglect the dramaturgy of their albums. I've actually done everything myself. Everything recorded on there is all me. That's what I do, I write and record all parts of my music myself... Sorry about it sounding pretentious xD I've actually thought that before, and I'm trying to come up with a different name for it haha Funny you said that. It stabbed me at first, but now I kind of think it's funny Session 20 (which is principal indebtedness *scoffing myself* ) was always meant to have lyrics. I have lots of material though. I'll work with the album as a whole, that's actually what I prefer doing. I like seeing the big picture; listening to how the album flows, I guess... So there's lots of room for writing instrumentals that are meant to be instrumentals that (I personally think) will fit better... I appreciate your opinion though. Lots of different perspectives I wouldn't have thought of before :D | ||
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Meow-Meow
Germany451 Posts
I do hope you update this blog whenever you have something new to share. As a musician who only reproduces what other musicians have done (have done better), I'm fascinated seeing how an album comes into existence. How'd you take the step from simply playing into writing music yourself, if you don't mind my asking? | ||
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CtrLZerG
United States104 Posts
It's a pretentious title xD You're totally right. I've thought this before. I need to change the name.Well.... that's actually a pretty tough question... I started playing in a friends band, and all the people in that band really encouraged me to write songs.. of course, when I first started writing them, I thought they were trash... I thought I was just a bad writer, and should just focus on being a good player... But as I got closer to my friends, I started sharing ideas, and they really liked them! I really think it's important to give yourself some confidence and not get bogged down with what you think everyone else wants to hear... If you like it, there has to be something good about it, because you liked it! Just keep working at it. You're actually using a different part of your brain when you write songs, as opposed to replaying what you hear other people do... so if you keep working at it, your making new connections in your brain that werent there before, so you are actually training yourself to write as you do it. It's hard work, but I feel like it's worth it... It was for me, anyway. It wasn't something I was good at immediately, i had to work really hard... But I think the most important thing is to give yourself some confidence to start writing. | ||
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hoby2000
United States918 Posts
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hoby2000
United States918 Posts
On May 29 2013 07:31 Meow-Meow wrote: I'm looking forward to that. Sorry for the stab at the title, I just couldn't figure out why anyone outside of commerce would say "indebtedness" instead of "debt", but then again, I'm not a native speaker so I might be missing intricacies here. I do hope you update this blog whenever you have something new to share. As a musician who only reproduces what other musicians have done (have done better), I'm fascinated seeing how an album comes into existence. How'd you take the step from simply playing into writing music yourself, if you don't mind my asking? I know this is Ctrl's blog, but I thought I would share my insight on this subject as well.... Honestly, it's just a matter of shedding the shell that is "I can't write, I can only play." I started writing stupid shitty songs just like Ctrl said, years ago. Eventually, it starts evolving into something you're good at. It's really just time, practice, and patience. All of my older songs are really crappy, and I'll probably think of my current songs as less than great later on. Every artist does. So to answer your question, it's just a matter of putting yourself out there for yourself. A lot of the reason to write though usually stems from all this shit stuck in your head, and you just want to write it down or get it out, but nothing else works. That's when music comes into play, because sometimes it expresses your thoughts better than any selection of words could. | ||
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CtrLZerG
United States104 Posts
On May 29 2013 08:02 hoby2000 wrote: I'm pretty picky when it comes to a lot of independent artists because I'm a musician, so I only like shit that I know sounds better than what I'm doing... but fuck dude, you're good. You need a bit more tone control on your voice, but your songwriting and technical playing skill are fantastic. I even like your lyrics! Which is a big rarity for me. I am a lyric nazi, but I'm a fan of yours. :D ♥ | ||
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