Statesboro Blues cover

that's cool... SG sounds good in both lead and rhythm roles (of course).
U-Bass is right there, some might know it's a uke, but most would just hear that thump and
say yeah. I too have been amazed by the tones available from the U-Bass.

I might suggest you sing that one step higher, which might mean putting a capo on your SG.
I do that all the time, since my voice has limited range. I have to figure out what key the voice
needs to be in, before I work out an arrangement. Very cool, thanks for sharing. it's a classic song too.
 
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Heket said:
Here you get to listen to a bassist trying to play lead guitar lol. I'm trying out making covers without using pre-made backing tracks.

Slap top cajon, U-bass, SG rhythm and lead guitar and vocals all by me.

https://soundcloud.com/anitaranig/statesboro-blues-cover
Click to expand...
Could you make it downloadable? I'd like to try playing along with it. Very nice job. My only critique would be to bring up the vocals a little bit louder.
 
Thanks for your kind words everyone :)

Kernal - playing a 12 bar blues in F#? Who ever heard such a thing :D ! I don't own a capo but I'll keep in mind changing the key to suit vocals. I wasn't uncomfortable here and not even at the very bottom of my range, which is around C.

Here is a Dropbox link, didn't want to make the Soundcloud one downloadable: https://www.dropbox.com/s/s7fcpcjrsmxo8pq/Statesboro Blues cover.mp3?dl=0
My partner said the same thing about the vocals. Thing is, as a new singer I'm very shy about it and it wasn't the most perfect or in tune of vocals so I err towards making them softer rather than louder.

Don, your song is very good! I need to try some of that multitracking vocals thing.. in fact I have a lot to learn about mixing and music production full stop. I don't think I'll ever make professional quality stuff, I'm too busy chasing the next creative impulse, but I'd like to add a few tricks to my sleeve.
 
Heket said:
Thanks for your kind words everyone :)

Kernal - playing a 12 bar blues in F#? Who ever heard such a thing :D ! I don't own a capo but I'll keep in mind changing the key to suit vocals. I wasn't uncomfortable here and not even at the very bottom of my range, which is around C.

Here is a Dropbox link, didn't want to make the Soundcloud one downloadable: https://www.dropbox.com/s/s7fcpcjrsmxo8pq/Statesboro Blues cover.mp3?dl=0
My partner said the same thing about the vocals. Thing is, as a new singer I'm very shy about it and it wasn't the most perfect or in tune of vocals so I err towards making them softer rather than louder.

Don, your song is very good! I need to try some of that multitracking vocals thing.. in fact I have a lot to learn about mixing and music production full stop. I don't think I'll ever make professional quality stuff, I'm too busy chasing the next creative impulse, but I'd like to add a few tricks to my sleeve.
Click to expand...

If I can help you with that I'd be happy to try. What are you mixing on? I can hear that it gives you good control of track levels, and the timing is coming up great. But vocals I tend to regard as another instrument in a song, so they need to have their own counterpoint and harmony. I certainly don't have the voice to go up front.
 
I saw it in your post on Facebook, Anita, and thought it was pretty damn good! I really enjoyed it. And yes, the U-bass does sound pretty good too!
 
Heket said:
Thanks for your kind words everyone :)

Kernal - playing a 12 bar blues in F#? Who ever heard such a thing :D ! I don't own a capo but I'll keep in mind changing the key to suit vocals. I wasn't uncomfortable here and not even at the very bottom of my range, which is around C.
Click to expand...

Kernel says: "Look at some Muddy Waters video... he used a capo much of the time. Or watch some Rolling Stones video, Keef uses a capo
for many of his songs. So, you should own a capo, a good one (I recommend Shubb). Simply try out my suggestion and make up your own
mind.

Here is a preliminary track I recorded last fall... I play it a lot faster than you do, but there's a kinship and a linkage over time and
distance. That's why I responded right away... I think it's so interesting that people so far apart in time and space might find common
ground with a song from even further back in time and whatever else we measure songs by these days. I call my version the "Bullfrog Blues..."

https://soundcloud.com/michael-hough-5/bull-frog-blues-9-23-16

This track is just a preliminary work in progress... it's only one guitar and one voice.
I haven't decided what else might be added... lead guitar, harmonica, bass, drums
and harmony vocals for sure... But its so fascinating that you'd be working on something
so akin to this, and from another time and place.
 
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Col Mustard said:
Kernel says: "Look at some Muddy Waters video... he used a capo much of the time. Or watch some Rolling Stones video, Keef uses a capo
for many of his songs. So, you should own a capo, a good one (I recommend Shubb). Simply try out my suggestion and make up your own
mind.

Here is a preliminary track I recorded last fall... I play it a lot faster than you do, but there's a kinship and a linkage over time and
distance. That's why I responded right away... I think it's so interesting that people so far apart in time and space might find common
ground with a song from even further back in time and whatever else we measure songs by these days. I call my version the "Bullfrog Blues..."

https://soundcloud.com/michael-hough-5/bull-frog-blues-9-23-16

This track is just a preliminary work in progress... it's only one guitar and one voice.
I haven't decided what else might be added... lead guitar, harmonica, bass, drums
and harmony vocals for sure... But its so fascinating that you'd be working on something
so akin to this, and from another time and place.
Click to expand...

Nice. I used to listen to Rory playing that.
 
Thank you for more kind words! I certainly did have fun and hearing the whole thing come together is a great feeling.

DonP said:
If I can help you with that I'd be happy to try. What are you mixing on? I can hear that it gives you good control of track levels, and the timing is coming up great. But vocals I tend to regard as another instrument in a song, so they need to have their own counterpoint and harmony. I certainly don't have the voice to go up front.
Click to expand...

I'm just using Audacity and playing along to a click to start off with. Recording everything through my Scarlett 2i2 interface. I can amplify (plus or minus) eacg track or even sections of track if I play a bit of a bum note that's quieter than the rest, or tame louder, boomier notes like the low notes from my 5-string bass in Kerry's chord progression thread. I EQ'd the drum track to ahve more bass and high treble to make the "kick" sound rounder (slap top cajon has quite a weak kick sound) and the snare crisper as it was a bit weak and was getting lost beforehand. I added reverb to lead guitar and vocals.

The distortion on the guitar came from recording direct through a Bad Monkey pedal, although experimenting with adding guitar effects in processing might give me more freedom. That's going down the rabbit hole of music production though, and I'm very much a "keep it simple, stupid" person when it comes to that.

I haven't the first idea how to treat vocals in the best way though, and how to sing in order to get that multitrack sound and singing harmonies is way beyond me - haven't a clue.


Col Mustard said:
Here is a preliminary track I recorded last fall... I play it a lot faster than you do, but there's a kinship and a linkage over time and
distance. That's why I responded right away... I think it's so interesting that people so far apart in time and space might find common
ground with a song from even further back in time and whatever else we measure songs by these days. I call my version the "Bullfrog Blues..."

https://soundcloud.com/michael-hough-5/bull-frog-blues-9-23-16

This track is just a preliminary work in progress... it's only one guitar and one voice.
I haven't decided what else might be added... lead guitar, harmonica, bass, drums
and harmony vocals for sure... But its so fascinating that you'd be working on something
so akin to this, and from another time and place.
Click to expand...

Nice one! I think a harmonica would sound great in there, and bass, of course ;) A root-3rd-5th-6th-flat7th line, rock n roll feel with the bluesy minor 7th in there, and a chromatic turnaround that follows the guitar somewhat.
 
Heket said:
I'm just using Audacity and playing along to a click to start off with. Recording everything through my Scarlett 2i2 interface. I can amplify (plus or minus) eacg track or even sections of track if I play a bit of a bum note that's quieter than the rest, or tame louder, boomier notes like the low notes from my 5-string bass in Kerry's chord progression thread. I EQ'd the drum track to ahve more bass and high treble to make the "kick" sound rounder (slap top cajon has quite a weak kick sound) and the snare crisper as it was a bit weak and was getting lost beforehand. I added reverb to lead guitar and vocals.

The distortion on the guitar came from recording direct through a Bad Monkey pedal, although experimenting with adding guitar effects in processing might give me more freedom. That's going down the rabbit hole of music production though, and I'm very much a "keep it simple, stupid" person when it comes to that.

I haven't the first idea how to treat vocals in the best way though, and how to sing in order to get that multitrack sound and singing harmonies is way beyond me - haven't a clue.
Click to expand...

Well, that's pretty much it. The click track is the main thing. Do you find the same as me, that multitracking against a click is totally different - and kind of harder - than being part of a band? When you play along with others you are all making micro adjustments to stay together, but that just doesn't happen alone.

I don't really know Audacity - does it give you separate tracks that you can edit and play with after you have recorded them? If so you can make a big difference with panning, and particularly EQ. That goes particularly for vocals. A lot of singers end up with almost a telephone sound to cut through the instruments without being overly loud.

Don't mess with that bass sound though, it is perfect. I'd never believe a U-bass could sound that good.
 
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