Mellow Bluesy Rock n Roll

[JD01]

Gasp... there's even an acoustic guitar on this - generally fairly happy with the mix as it stands, will probably have to do a fair bit of work on the lead in the choruses when the vocal is added.

[miroslav]

Overall...sounds good.
I think you can roll off a bit of the low mids on the lead guitar...because you have plenty of that low mid already from the acoustic and the rest of the backing tracks.

Also...maybe it's me...but your lead guitar seems tuned a bit sharp throughout.

[rammer24]

Dude, slow down. We're going to have to give you your own page.

[Lt. Bob]

nice .... a bit more dirt on the lead than I would use but a nice tone nonetheless.

You're really turning out some nice stuff mang!

[JD01]

Dude, slow down. We're going to have to give you your own page.

haha, you're churning them out even quicker, but yours are also more complicated and more complete!

[rammer24]

I will give all your latest tunes a listen. I can't now.

[JD01]

Overall...sounds good.
I think you can roll off a bit of the low mids on the lead guitar...because you have plenty of that low mid already from the acoustic and the rest of the backing tracks.

Also...maybe it's me...but your lead guitar seems tuned a bit sharp throughout.

Cheers, its not tuned sharp I'm just playing very agressively, picking really hard and being agressive with my fretting hand too - I was actually checking the tuning in between takes for that reason! I'll check on that EQ cut you suggest - particularly if I don't bother to re-track it.

nice .... a bit more dirt on the lead than I would use but a nice tone nonetheless.

You're really turning out some nice stuff mang!

Cheers Bob, its pretty fun tracking this style of lead anyway 'cos I get to play quite hard so I'll enjoy retracking it. I'm using the OCD for gain and already more than I'd normally use if I was just nooding away on this sort of thing in the room... suggesting that I might get away with more gain is like offering me another glass of wine thouogh.

[Lt. Bob]

actually I would use a lot less gain for this style .... but I'm not much for the idea of anyone else suggesting what you should use for your lead tones.
That's a personal taste sorta thing.

[JD01]

actually I would use a lot less gain for this style .... but I'm not much for the idea of anyone else suggesting what you should use for your lead tones.
That's a personal taste sorta thing.

haha, yeah. I just re-read what you wrote and you said exactly the opposite of what I initially read it as.

Being jamming with this backing track this evening - its pretty good practice for me actually, as its pretty basic and sounds shit if you stray outsite of pentatonics too often. Like a lot of people I often just mindlessly noodle, without listening to hard to what I'm playing (a bad habit) with this I do actually have to listen and make sure I'm not sticking 6ths and 9ths everywhere or it sounds awful

[JD01]

Oh, Miro. I tried that little EQ cut you suggest - worked well. I'm gradually starting to develop an ear for shit frequencies that don't sound right

[miroslav]

Cheers, its not tuned sharp I'm just playing very agressively, picking really hard and being agressive with my fretting hand too -

I play hard too. I keep trying to ease up, but when I get into it, I just like to go hard with the guitar.

Over the years I subconsciously developed/added a fast bit of vibrato on the ends of some note...mostly the higher notes...because the hard left hand attack can bend the string a bit out/sharp...so the vibrato covers that up. You just use it when needed.

The other thing...I stopped tuning to open strings and only tune to pressed strings, because that's what I play 99% of the time, and it can be a significant tuning difference open VS pressed, especially if you really "dig into" the strings.

I also sometimes will tune a few cents flat when I'm going to do the leads...all depending on the lead part(s) and how it's fitting the rest of the mix when I know the playing will be a bit more aggressive.

[JD01]

thats some serious attention to detail, mate!

[miroslav]

No...that's called mental illness.

I'm cursed with the whole tuning thing...I mean, I can hear it when it's even a tiny bit out because I'm pushing on a string kinda sideways instead of dead on...or riding the frets too much off center...and you get that slight flat or sharp thing...and then I gotta stop and dick around with the tuning...sometimes over and over until it's dead on.
That said...when you play aggressively, you just have to learn to work them strings...because it's never *perfect*.

I envy the acoustic guitar guys who only get to play easy open chords in the first position, no leads...and never bother to move down the neck.

[Lt. Bob]

The other thing...I stopped tuning to open strings and only tune to pressed strings, because that's what I play 99% of the time, and it can be a significant tuning difference open VS pressed, especially if you really "dig into" the strings.

me too ..... I tune everything where it's correct at the 5th fret.
Guitars vary inherently all over the neck.
I guess the reason I don't stress about it is that I'm also a sax player and saxes are all over the place.
In fact .... if you play all the time on one sax and pick up another of the exact same model you'll play out of tune for a while as you figure out which notes are flat and which ones are sharp so you know where to lip up or down.

Many guitarists seem to feel that when you press at one fret it should be right in tune but actually that would be a keyboard!

[rammer24]

This is cool. Has a bit of a country rock feel to it, almost Allman Brothers-ish. I'll let these guys give you the technical guitar advice. I think the lead can come up. It is the main theme of the song, I think. Sounds good. Be careful on some of the bends, they don't quite reach the note to my years. I'm not a great bender either. Something to work on.

Good tuff.

[JD01]

Here's the first "finished" mix of this, needs a little more work but nearly there.

Must less gain on the lead as Bob suggested - way too gainy before.

Stranger Mix 3.mp3

[Lt. Bob]

nice .... like the tune ..... vocals are quite nice.

Guitar sounds a LOT better to my ears .... cuts thru better ..... better note definition .... I like how the bass is sitting in the mix .... guitar too ..... this is much improved.

I like where the git doubles the vocal line .... that's way nice.

[JD01]

nice .... like the tune ..... vocals are quite nice.

Guitar sounds a LOT better to my ears .... cuts thru better ..... better note definition .... I like how the bass is sitting in the mix .... guitar too ..... this is much improved.

I like where the git doubles the vocal line .... that's way nice.

Cheers, Bob. There was some stuff from my original version that I liked and kept as the start of the solo, but when I had the vocal version with no need on it, I just played to the vocal instead - was fun.

[rayc]

Ah, mix 3 sounds like Mellow Blues Rock lead playing...is this your Aussie singer?
Your drum programming is much improved.

[JD01]

Ah, mix 3 sounds like Mellow Blues Rock lead playing...is this your Aussie singer?
Your drum programming is much improved.

Yeah, this is the Aussie singer I work with sometimes.