"Do It Again" - Seeking Criticism
 

Hi, I've made a couple posts here in the past but I have to admit I'm not a regular visitor. I hope to come here more frequently in the future though because I think it's about time I started getting tips from other bassists instead of guitarists.

Currently, I've been hitting modes pretty hard in an effort to learn my fretboard a whole lot better. I hope to pick up some good exercises for doing that after I post this and figure out Which forum would be best for it.

My writing partner (who is just as Novice to his guitar as I am my bass) and I just finished another song recently and I'd like some heavy criticism.

Here's the song:

http://soundcloud.com/endureth/do-it-again

Some questions I'd like you to consider while listening:

1. At any time did you think the bass was playing too busy or 'trying to show off'?
2. Did the groove make you move?
3. Did you feel the bass was too loud or boomy in the overall mix?

Sorry for the questions, but my goal here is to learn, become better, and discover any unknowns I don't know yet about crafting lines (which I'm sure there are lots of those).

Thanks for any advice. Now to find the proper forum looking for mode exercises.

Awesome tune. If you want to make it radio friendly I'd cut about a minute out of it. The intro was too long and the lead section could be cut down. I liked it the way it was, but you should keep in mind the short attention span of the radio audience.

Keep this up and we'll be listening to you on the radio!

I like the nonchalance and sort of detached feel of the vocals. Very 90s alt-rock, which I love.

Are you using superior drummer? I feel like I've heard the drum samples many times before. I would recommend messing with EQ--even if it's just a touch--to milk a different sound out of them. Then they wouldn't sound cookie-cutter. Not that they sound bad, they are just recognizable.

The bass was perfect in terms of composition. If you wanted to get wilder with it, you totally could. :bassist:

But where it is at the moment is good for the track. Toward the end, I kind of imagined a quarter note walking bass line. That would add a bit more drama to the tune, but given the vocal style, that may not be what you want.

I think the bass could be bumped up a bit in the mix--and it's not too boomy--but it is good at its current level too.

Keep it up!

Thanks for the suggestions!

We used addictive drums, we have had comments about them so in future songs we're going to try and spend some more time making them sound a little more human. Our problem there is none of us know a real drummer so we kinda stick to the rule "drummers have two arms and two legs" and try not to craft a line a real drummer couldn't play.

I thought I was already playing too many notes, I couldn't imagine getting wilder with the line. A walking kind of thing at the end sounds kind of interesting, I can almost hear what you mean in my head.

Thanks for your comments guys, it will be a great help!

Sounded really good, I wouldn't change a thing as far as the bass playing goes. Has a sinister feel and didn't sound like over playing to me, fit the song. Mix sounded fine as well.

I loved it. Very well done and interesting. If you want more of a radio format, a shorter version, maybe with a little less intro wouldn't hurt. But for myself, I enjoyed it just as it was. Everything seemed to fit really well. Vocals were good, I liked the guitar parts, and I thought the bass was spot on.

What else ya got.:)

Thanks for the compliments/suggestions. Helps a ton.

I'm glad you guys liked the song and thrilled to get such encouraging comments from other bassists.

Oh, and SquierJazz72, the rest of the album can be heard here: http://soundcloud.com/endureth/sets/...endureth-show/

Though, I think I've posted most of them here in the past.

I realize that. :)

It was mostly a rhetorical thing. Just saying I like you guys.