[Amateur] Progress of a song i'm writing.

WildWayz

It's kinda a backing track at the moment.

2nd take of the start of a song I am writing called Distance.

Recorded using a PRS SE 35th Anniversary Custom 24 which goes into a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2v3. Reaper 6.0 DAW with Line 6 Helix Native and ezDrummer 2.0.

I'm waiting on the bass to be done by a guy from Fiverr (I have a bass but not good at using it).

I have no idea about mixing etc and don't really create songs, mainly play to other's backing tracks... 

WildWayz

Now with a bass-line and a bit of lead.

https://soundcloud.com/james-kapherr/distance

Can upload without the lead, if people want to mess about?

Funkfingers

WildWayz said:

It's kinda a backing track at the moment. I have no idea about mixing etc and don't really create songs

Do you seek helpful hints for composition, arrangement or recording/mixing?

You probably do not need telling that, so far, "Distance" is just one progression ad nauseam. It needs to change periodically to something else. Different arpeggio picking order, Major to relative Minor, different rhythmic feel and/or tempo, something, anything.

The EZ Drummer kick drum is overplaying something rotten. (Too many hits to a bar. Largely unrelated to the guitar or bass parts.) Hopefully, there is a function in the editing controls to have the kick and snare drums adapt themselves to what one of the audio tracks is playing. Try this. It is reversible/non-destructive. (If in doubt, save your multitrack Project first.)

WildWayz said:

Can upload without the lead, if people want to mess about?

That really needs to be individual "stems". That way, users of any DAW can import your recordings and manipulate them any which way.

WildWayz

Thanks Funk - appreciate any comments; we are all here to learn

This one was mainly created so I can understand how to write different parts. It started out as a way for me to doodle some lead over something i've written, hence no 'song structure' - like verse, chorus etc

Think I need to watch some videos on how to do it all  

LastMantra

Sounds good so far.

spark240

Dude...you made a good start...but....some issues here that will make it sound tons better if you correct..

 The timing is way out somewhere between the guitar rhythm parts and the drums, ..plus if you can play even basic guitar...dont waste money on Fiverr Bass players !...just do the basic yourself, even use an Octaver and do it go guitar for demos.

Did you record to the drum track or click?....

The part you have shown is maybe ok for a verse...you need to step it up a notch for chorus.

Any how...you did it....its here for us to listen !....so Good work.

Vibetronic

Sounds good. Would agree with other comments. For that sort of chord progression I'd choose a slightly simpler loop in EZDrummer - I use it for all my writing myself. The progression you've got sounds like a verse to me, so I'd just have a simple loop for that - kick, snare, kick snare etc - no double kicks etc, then have a fill on the 4th or 8th bar. It just makes it sound a bit too busy with the pattern you've selected. With the one you've used, I'd try and play to the drums (kick & snare) a bit more to make it more riffy, but with your nice chords I think just something nice and simple would make it flow better. If you're thinking of writing a new section - say a chorus - just change up the chord progression; so at the moment it's roughly Em, D, C (descending)...so you could do a new section going from open Em, F#/G, G, C ascending. And alter the dynamics a bit to make it heavier or lighter. It's all a lot of fun