Riff feedback puleese

ThomasN

I was messing around recently testing the new pups I had fitted to my guitar and came up with this riff, which kinda stuck.
IMHO you get good riffs and sucky ones. Im not sure about this one, so yesterday I did a quick recording with a rudimentary lead over it (and a bonus duff up in the center somewhere :-[). This would be the anchor point for the song, and the rest (chorus etc) would be built around it, should I pursue it.

I was hoping someone here would be kind enough to just give me their opinions on it.
As I said its very rudimentary, I am just kind of hoping for either a no / yes reply.

Thanks ?

http://narciscustudio.com/mixdown.mp3

V8

Jam it with some drums, imho it could do with some groove...

Reminds me a lit of Black Joe Lewis?

ThomasN

V8 wrote: Jam it with some drums, imho it could do with some groove...

Reminds me a lit of Black Joe Lewis?

+1

Its like you read my mind!
I think thats almost the exact sound Im trying to push for, and I havent even heard of those guys before. You are right about the drums too. Im going to try beat mapping it, because I tried the stock drum lines I have, but none of them seem to fit properly.
Thank you!

21Fretter

Just a bit difficult to tell what is going on for me. I am a fan of the octaver sound though, i was also playing around with one the other day.

V8

ThomasN wrote: +1

Its like you read my mind!
I think thats almost the exact sound Im trying to push for, and I havent even heard of those guys before. You are right about the drums too. Im going to try beat mapping it, because I tried the stock drum lines I have, but none of them seem to fit properly.
Thank you!

Not mind reading ? - I'm listening through this thread http://www.guitarforum.co.za/general-music/your-albums-of-the-year/msg243577/.

I started with your tune then listened to the first album Jack Flash Jr posted, the similarities were too close not to mention. (I hadn't heard of them either till about 30mins ago) - thank him for that one!

What you using for drums?

ThomasN

21Fretter wrote: Just a bit difficult to tell what is going on for me. I am a fan of the octaver sound though, i was also playing around with one the other day.

Do you think perhaps the levels are a bit whack?
Perhaps the Octaver may be overpowering the riff itself? I actually didnt even think of that :-[ I know what it sounds like so Im assuming everyone else can too, but I listened again, and it may actually be being drowned out a bit.

Its a very cool effect, but its a little difficult to control, as it lends itself to crazy sustain, especially on slower leads. That and its pretty powerful.

V8 wrote:
ThomasN wrote: +1

Its like you read my mind!
I think thats almost the exact sound Im trying to push for, and I havent even heard of those guys before. You are right about the drums too. Im going to try beat mapping it, because I tried the stock drum lines I have, but none of them seem to fit properly.
Thank you!
Not mind reading ? - I'm listening through this thread http://www.guitarforum.co.za/general-music/your-albums-of-the-year/msg243577/.

I started with your tune then listened to the first album Jack Flash Jr posted, the similarities were too close not to mention. (I hadn't heard of them either till about 30mins ago) - thank him for that one!

What you using for drums?

Aaah okay ?
I havent been on the site for quite a while, so havent been keeping up with all the new thread topics.
Thanks for the link though, their sound is exactly up my alley.
Kinda like a mixture of early Nazareth and The Black Crowes.

Both tracks (rhythm & lead) were recorded through VoxJam, and I tried the apps drum lines, but they are so out of whack with what Im doing, that it makes my teeth hurt trying the match it up.
Im going to have to resort to something like a Logic Pro, and manually map the track I guess.

giventofly

Cool

V8

ThomasN wrote: Both tracks (rhythm & lead) were recorded through VoxJam, and I tried the apps drum lines, but they are so out of whack with what Im doing, that it makes my teeth hurt trying the match it up.
Im going to have to resort to something like a Logic Pro, and manually map the track I guess.

Heish, mapping it out sounds like hard work ?...I was just thinking of running some drums loops at the BPM of your original riff and jamming the riff over it until you found something you liked, then re-record/re-track the guitars.

Sure the riff might change a bit (it usually does when I do it), but I find that it helps me groove with the drums.

Just a thought on the Octaver effect - when I was using a POD X3, I had the ability to run two separate set's of amps + FX. I liked having one amp setup with drive + cabinet (guitar sound) and the other amp with the octaver (octaver sound) then I'd blend in the output of the two amp's with the footpedal until I thought I could feel the octaver yet still hear the guitar.

Dunno if your tools can do the same? I replaced the X3 with Guitar Rig which can do something very similar, and get even more intricate.

AlanRatcliffe

If you want to know if a riff works, strip it down to one guitar and play it over a rhythm section. If it still sounds good, it's a good riff.

Timing is everything with a riff, So tighten up that timing, lay down drums first and then guitar.

BTW - different key, but reminiscent of Wish You Were Here.

ThomasN

Alan Ratcliffe wrote: If you want to know if a riff works, strip it down to one guitar and play it over a rhythm section. If it still sounds good, it's a good riff.

Timing is everything with a riff, So tighten up that timing, lay down drums first and then guitar.

BTW - different key, but reminiscent of Wish You Were Here.

I think I may have actually had that song playing in my head when I stumbled onto this :-[ Although to me it sounds a lot different for some reason now.

Ive tried to compose the way youve described above, but Ive never been able to work that way around. It kinda feels like Im working back to front for some reason. I know its the correct way to do it, but it frustrates me to no end, and I end up losing interest and lumping the idea.

Ive installed Logic Pro (which I havent used in quite some time) but I forgot it then downloads two gigs of extra's before it completes >☹ So I guess Ill only be able to start working on this again sometime this week.

ThomasN

V8 wrote: Heish, mapping it out sounds like hard work ?...I was just thinking of running some drums loops at the BPM of your original riff and jamming the riff over it until you found something you liked, then re-record/re-track the guitars.

Sure the riff might change a bit (it usually does when I do it), but I find that it helps me groove with the drums.

Just a thought on the Octaver effect - when I was using a POD X3, I had the ability to run two separate set's of amps + FX. I liked having one amp setup with drive + cabinet (guitar sound) and the other amp with the octaver (octaver sound) then I'd blend in the output of the two amp's with the footpedal until I thought I could feel the octaver yet still hear the guitar.

Dunno if your tools can do the same? I replaced the X3 with Guitar Rig which can do something very similar, and get even more intricate.

I work in almost a similar fashion, except I would map the track, and retime the riff, and then redo the mapping until Im satified with how both sound. It is probably a much longer way around, but it feels like I have more control over how the melodic portions of the track plays out.

I havent worked with VoxJam for very long, so Im not sure if its capable of doing that, although it sounds like a brilliant idea.