Listening to your 1776 cover as we speak. It's really good so far! The drums are pretty cool: how did you get them? Did a friend do them?

The only problem I would say are with the leads and solos: they seem behind the beat a bit, which is a little distracting. The gallop picking is also a little off in spots, but I can't fault you too much for that: my picking in that regard just sucks (and that's bad since I love Nightwish so much.) But otherwise, I can't for the life of me understand why you think you're such a bad guitarist: this is some highly capable stuff that you've got! :thumb:

Great job. Getting to the "medley" now.

Listening to the medley: I'm very pleased you chose "Bleak" as your Opeth tune! Awesome awesome. The lead playing continues to be slightly off in the Opeth one, however, but the rhythm stuff is solid. With practice, you'll certainly be ripping some classic stuff with no problem. I loved the last two songs in the medley most, I think: the playing is very tight in them. Great job, and great taste in music to boot. This is some awesome stuff.

And now it seems that no one's here...meh.

[QUOTE=Ripper22]Listening to your 1776 cover as we speak. It's really good so far! The drums are pretty cool: how did you get them? Did a friend do them?

The only problem I would say are with the leads and solos: they seem behind the beat a bit, which is a little distracting. The gallop picking is also a little off in spots, but I can't fault you too much for that: my picking in that regard just sucks (and that's bad since I love Nightwish so much.) But otherwise, I can't for the life of me understand why you think you're such a bad guitarist: this is some highly capable stuff that you've got! :thumb:

Great job. Getting to the "medley" now.[/QUOTE]

Thanks Lucas. Well, I can account for one of your two criticisms. The galloping? Yeah, I'm just not great at it. But as far the timing, that pissed me off too. I played through the song, and the rythem track lined up just fine on the backing track. But for some reason the the lead wouldn't line up perfectly. I know I was on time while recording, so it doesn't make sense to me. The drums and bass are just a backing track that I made from a GP4 tab.

[QUOTE=cjborton]Thanks Lucas. Well, I can account for one of your two criticisms. The galloping? Yeah, I'm just not great at it. But as far the timing, that pissed me off too. I played through the song, and the rythem track lined up just fine on the backing track. But for some reason the the lead wouldn't line up perfectly. I know I was on time while recording, so it doesn't make sense to me. The drums and bass are just a backing track that I made from a GP4 tab.[/QUOTE]

Aha. That's a lag problem that will sometimes happen with computer recording. I understand that. I mean, you have no idea how much effort and countless computer-staring hours it took to make a MIDI file that actually played my **** songs correctly: much longer than one would think. A very inconvenient program for such things, I suppose.

And the galloping wasn't that off. Better than I could have done I would say.

EDIT: Is Vince here? I hope I get to hear what he thinks of my other song before I go to bed.

Was the problem you had with the first song (empty) related to the solo as well? Suggestions?

But as you can see, I'm much more of a Rhythem guitarist than anything. I can play practically any chord in the book on command. But as far as my scales go, the Major Pentatonic is the only one I know well. This is why my solos are a bit dull. I don't follow any scale or mode, I just sort of play it, finding random notes that sound good together. Note that I don't play these solos on improv either, i have to sit there for about 20mins finding these "blendable" notes.

[QUOTE=cjborton]But as you can see, I'm much more of a Rhythem guitarist than anything. I can play practically any chord in the book on command. But as far as my scales go, the Major Pentatonic is the only one I know well. This is why my solos are a bit dull. I don't follow any scale or mode, I just sort of play it, finding random notes that sound good together. Note that I don't play these solos on improv either, i have to sit there for about 20mins finding these "blendable" notes.[/QUOTE]

Well, if you know major pentatonic then you know minor pentatonic also. It's just a relative scale. C major=A minor, for instance.

Theory is incredibly beneficial. If you play a lot of metal, this helps immensely with the actual musicality of it, and metal's dissonance will also help prevent you from falling into a habitual reliance on the "rules" inherent in theory. I recommend learning it down pat highly.

And you're an awesome rhythm player. Are you fond of insane chords, like the ones with lots of open strings or wide intervals that make it shimmer? One thing I've liked a lot, which you can hear in the verses of my "empty" song are two contrasting arpeggiated guitars harmonizing with each other. I love that: it's almost like the guitars are in a different tuning with lots of drones.

Did you see my edit?

[QUOTE=Ripper22]Aha. That's a lag problem that will sometimes happen with computer recording. I understand that. I mean, you have no idea how much effort and countless computer-staring hours it took to make a MIDI file that actually played my **** songs correctly: much longer than one would think. A very inconvenient program for such things, I suppose.

And the galloping wasn't that off. Better than I could have done I would say.

EDIT: Is Vince here? I hope I get to hear what he thinks of my other song before I go to bed.

Was the problem you had with the first song (empty) related to the solo as well? Suggestions?[/QUOTE]
I liked it pretty well,. I only gave each a casual listen as I am writing a lab :-/

I wonder why you want my opinion though? I'm a bad songwriter heh.

[QUOTE=zeppelinfan2k3]I liked it pretty well,. I only gave each a casual listen as I am writing a lab :-/

I wonder why you want my opinion though? I'm a bad songwriter heh.[/QUOTE]

You're not a bad songwriter! The one you uploaded for me was really good. You're too hard on yourself, Vince. You obviously have a lot of talent or at the very least high standards of songwriting based on your criticisms of my work.. And more than that, you're my friend (though "just" an internet-based one: personally that makes little difference to me) and I value your opinion for that reason as well.

Yes, I'm a big fan of utilizing open strings as much as I can. I also use a lot of sort of "self-made" chords that harmonize themselves, rather than the standard arpeggiating. Chord construction is abou the only element in guitar theory that I know a bit about. But you are nothing but correct, learning theory is the best thing you can do for yourself as a musician. I just need to take the time to do it, also more practice time. I spend too much time playing songs and noodling around, rather than actually practicing scales, speed drills, etc.

[QUOTE=Ripper22]You're not a bad songwriter! The one you uploaded for me was really good. You're too hard on yourself, Vince. You obviously have a lot of talent or at the very least high standards of songwriting based on your criticisms of my work.. And more than that, you're my friend (though "just" an internet-based one) and I value your opinion for that reason as well.[/QUOTE]
Eh, I'm a perfectionist...thus I'm bad at writing haha...

Music is mood and emotion for me, so that's what matters most to me in a song, though the one I uploaded is the one I have spent the most hours writing. I wouldn't put up anything that wasn't at least decent heh. Internet friends is a good enough reason in itself though I suppose :p

[QUOTE=cjborton]Yes, I'm a big fan of utilizing open strings as much as I can. I also use a lot of sort of "self-made" chords that harmonize themselves, rather than the standard arpeggiating. Chord construction is abou the only element in guitar theory that I know a bit about. But you are nothing but correct, learning theory is the best thing you can do for yourself as a musician. I just need to take the time to do it, also more practice time. I spend too much time playing songs and noodling around, rather than actually practicing scales, speed drills, etc.[/QUOTE]

Well, songs are really important, and as far as speed drills and stuff like that go...to me that's really dangerous. That is probably the biggest thing that makes "shredders" suck at melodic soloing. I think it's just better to learn solos and licks note-for-note to start, move them to different keys for your own songs, and then memorize the basic scale shape in Western music (which is really only one shape for all eight modes from Major to minor to Phrygian etc.) and then just move it around for your needs. That's more or less what I did. You'll build speed and dexterity as time goes on, and becoming proficient as a legato soloist ala Joe Satriani seems to be a good way to keep in touch with melodic things. Ramsey's brand of ultra-picking shred is impressive but limiting in terms of actual melodic possibility (not that I'm bashing him: he seems quite capable of both). I'm just saying that running scales and physically practicing them a lot doesn't do very much good: it's far better to spend a lot of time understanding the theoretical relationships between them and applying them in real melodic passages. I mean it's called "theory" for a reason: drills will only help your technique while encouraging little understanding of how the music actually works.

I'm still here.

[QUOTE=zeppelinfan2k3]Eh, I'm a perfectionist...thus I'm bad at writing haha...

Music is mood and emotion for me, so that's what matters most to me in a song, though the one I uploaded is the one I have spent the most hours writing. I wouldn't put up anything that wasn't at least decent heh. Internet friends is a good enough reason in itself though I suppose :p[/QUOTE]

It [I]is [/I] a good reason. Surely you would consider some of the people on this site to be friends despite never having seen them face to face?

Or am I just a nerd? That's quite a possibility. :p

[QUOTE=ArrestThisMan]I'm still here.[/QUOTE]

Hi there. I've been the CoD a lot lately.

Check out my songs. :D They're on the other page.

/doesn't have to if he doesn't want.

[QUOTE=Ripper22]Hi there. I've been the CoD a lot lately.

Check out my songs. :D They're on the other page.

/doesn't have to if he doesn't want.[/QUOTE]

I was just playing CoD but I was getting annoyed with people on there.

What they would do is through a grenade right where all of your allies spawn, then quickly switch teams so that the grenade actually kills everyone.

[QUOTE=Ripper22]It [I]is [/I] a good reason. Surely you would consider some of the people on this site to be friends despite never having seen them face to face?

Or am I just a nerd? That's quite a possibility. :p[/QUOTE]
Meh, I'd like to meet some of them face to face...so I'm uber nerdy.

[QUOTE=Ripper22]It [I]is [/I] a good reason. Surely you would consider some of the people on this site to be friends despite never having seen them face to face?

Or am I just a nerd? That's quite a possibility. :p[/QUOTE]

Nah, I also consider all you guys I talk to a lot friends. eFriends :) , but seriously when somebody asks me something like "Hey, where'd you here about that band?" or "Where did you learn that?" I always say my [B]friend[/B] on MX told me, or something like that.

[QUOTE=cjborton]Nah, I also consider all you guys I talk to a lot friends. eFriends :) , but seriously when somebody asks me something like "Hey, where'd you here about that band?" or "Where did you learn that?" I always say my [B]friend[/B] on MX told me, or something like that.[/QUOTE]

Yea I say that too.

Ripper, this first song is pretty cool. I like the noises in the background. Some of the effects sound a little cheesy tho.

[QUOTE=ArrestThisMan]I was just playing CoD but I was getting annoyed with people on there.

What they would do is through a grenade right where all of your allies spawn, then quickly switch teams so that the grenade actually kills everyone.[/QUOTE]

That's ****ing retarded. I hate cheaters like that. They should build in a device that makes you select a team permanently at the beginning of each match, and then the server auto-balances as required. It's totally dumb to cheat like that for kills.

There was some cheater a while ago that had those arrows pointing out your position on kill-cam as a standard feature, and instead of one arrow they were there for the entire opposite team. We all started cursing him out by kill 145, and he made threats at all of us along the lines of "I see you...you're entering the building."
"I'll get you"

"soon"

It made the game a lot more fun, like a manhunt. I sniped him in the head a couple of times and cheered every time. He got pissed--it's what prompted his threats--but then he got booted for cheating.

[QUOTE=ArrestThisMan]Yea I say that too.

Ripper, this first song is pretty cool. I like the noises in the background. Some of the effects sound a little cheesy tho.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, it's MIDI. I'm gonna try and record it with real instruments, so that it serves its actual purpose.

It takes the fun out if it when people cheat.

[QUOTE=zeppelinfan2k3]Meh, I'd like to meet some of them face to face...so I'm uber nerdy.[/QUOTE]

I'd like to meet a lot of you guys too. Unfortunetely no one lives close. I think you two, Lucas and Chris2, are the closest to me. Vince, I have no idea where you're from.

[QUOTE=Ripper22]Yeah, it's MIDI. I'm gonna try and record it with real instruments, so that it serves its actual purpose.[/QUOTE]

They would sound cool with real instruments, but in MIDI format they aren't that great. They definantly have potential tho.

[QUOTE=cjborton]Nah, I also consider all you guys I talk to a lot friends. eFriends :) , but seriously when somebody asks me something like "Hey, where'd you here about that band?" or "Where did you learn that?" I always say my [B]friend[/B] on MX told me, or something like that.[/QUOTE]

:) Yeah, me too. After a while, as I got into regular conversations, it became clear to me that I liked some and disliked others, and all that stuff. That's one of the reasons why we post, right? Because we value each other's opinions? Because we flat out want people to like us? It's one thing to have a sexual relationship over the internet: that's obviously bull**** and everyone knows it. But you can certainly have friends. It's like pen-pals except at a much faster, conversation-speed pace.

I know that if Vince or Chris or either of the Jasons totally trashed a post I made, I'd have my feelings at least a little hurt. Probably a lot: I'd want to rectify it.

[QUOTE=cjborton]I'd like to meet a lot of you guys too. Unfortunetely no one lives close. I think you two, Lucas and Chris2, are the closest to me. Vince, I have no idea where you're from.[/QUOTE]

Vince is from Arizona. At least, that's where he goes to college. I think he's actually from there too, since it's a public school.

Where are you from again, Chris? I'm in New York/Connecticut.

[QUOTE=ArrestThisMan]They would sound cool with real instruments, but in MIDI format they aren't that great. They definantly have potential tho.[/QUOTE]

Thanks. :)

I'm in Maryland.

[QUOTE=Ripper22]Vince is from Arizona. At least, that's where he goes to college. I think he's actually from there too, since it's a public school.

Where are you from again, Chris? I'm in New York/Connecticut.[/QUOTE]

I'm in NC ('tis in profile for future reference :) ). Not sure how long it is to CT, but its about 5 hours to MD where ATM is.

Cool. It would be cool to meet some of you face to face. You sound like you'd be a fun person to jam with, too, cj. It sounds like we have certain musical affinities that would be cool. How old are you again?