What I play sounds too fast?

[iceshaft07]

I will do just about anything for my guitarist, but I am stumped as a far as this one goes.

He says that when I play, I make the song sound too fast.

There is a 4 chord progression in 2/4 and I play root notes for each measure and nothing else.

The chords are, Em, CM, GM, F#m, so I don't think I could play an E note and let it stay into the GM chord as I don't thing the harmony would comply.

Any suggestions as to what I can do? Like a slide or something?

[DocBop]

His probably talking about your time that you're rushing the beat. I would say time to get a metronome and work on your time. Is this a band or just a you and the guitar player. If a band ask the drummer to just tap out simple time and listen to you and the guitar player and see to rushing or dragging the beat. If just you and the guitar play try playing with the metronome or drum machine. Record it if possible, doesn't need to be a good recording just hear the beat and yourselves playing. Then you can argue who time stinks.

[iceshaft07]

That was my first thought too, but when I asked him that question he said that the timing was fine, but it sounded fast..meaning it wasn't my timing, it was the...speed of the song, if that makes any sense. Almost as if it was too busy, but I can't think of a way to simplify whole notes.

[JimmyM]

Without hearing the song, it's tough to think of what would work. Experiment around, look for common notes in maybe pairs of chords instead the entire progression, and don't necessarily rule out pounding an E. Strictly speaking the E doesn't go with G and F#, but it's not entirely out of place, either. If you play a drone on E, it's very possible that the chords would work with it.

[Martin Bormann]

Originally Posted by iceshaft07

I will do just about anything for my guitarist, but I am stumped as a far as this one goes.

He says that when I play, I make the song sound too fast.

There is a 4 chord progression in 2/4 and I play root notes for each measure and nothing else.

The chords are, Em, CM, GM, F#m, so I don't think I could play an E note and let it stay into the GM chord as I don't thing the harmony would comply.

Any suggestions as to what I can do? Like a slide or something?

Make the song sound too fast? What does he mean by that? If it's your tempo and you're rushing, subdivide and practice with a metronome. If he means overall it sounds "too fast." as he put it, just have everyone slow the tempo down.

[Sahm]

Droning an E would be fine. During the GM, you'd be hitting the 6th (or 13th) of the chord. During the F#m, you're hitting the minor 7th.

Assuming the song is in the key of E minor (which it sounds like it is, based on your chord choices), I would ask the guitarist to try playing F#dim , instead of just F#minor, so you'd have C in the chord, instead of C#.

At that point, you're free to play anything in E minor, and it would fit any of the chords he's playing:

e f# g a b c d e

Then you can really stretch the feel of the bassline, so it's not just hitting the roots on every chord.

[David1234]

Try E, Eb, D, Db ?

It's a bit kooky but each note is part of a triad that you're aiming for, and chromatic descent tends to often give a 'soothed' sound which might help?

Without hearing the other parts it's hard to give good advice though. Especially - what feel are you after, and what is the next chord that sequence leads to - and where does it finally rest?

[D.Don]

Originally Posted by iceshaft07

I will do just about anything for my guitarist, but I am stumped as a far as this one goes.

He says that when I play, I make the song sound too fast.

There is a 4 chord progression in 2/4 and I play root notes for each measure and nothing else.

The chords are, Em, CM, GM, F#m, so I don't think I could play an E note and let it stay into the GM chord as I don't thing the harmony would comply.

Any suggestions as to what I can do? Like a slide or something?

You "on" the beat? You've tried to "sack" a lil and hang on the bars and such?

Just brainstorming, no offends m8!

D.Don

[MarkTAW]

Originally Posted by iceshaft07

That was my first thought too, but when I asked him that question he said that the timing was fine, but it sounded fast..meaning it wasn't my timing, it was the...speed of the song, if that makes any sense. Almost as if it was too busy, but I can't think of a way to simplify whole notes.

Just because he says your playing makes the song sound fast doesn't mean you should find a way to make play slower. Sometimes the description of the problem isn't the actual problem. Or, a least, the best fix isn't to directly do what everyone else is telling you to do.

Maybe the problem is because you're playing so FEW notes everyone else is losing the beat and if you played roots, but in a nice quarter or eighth note pulse things would come together.

Originally Posted by David1234

Try E, Eb, D, Db ?

It's a bit kooky but each note is part of a triad that you're aiming for, and chromatic descent tends to often give a 'soothed' sound which might help?

Without hearing the other parts it's hard to give good advice though. Especially - what feel are you after, and what is the next chord that sequence leads to - and where does it finally rest?

That could work. But I still think he needs to hit quarter or eighth notes.

[Sean S]

OP, do you mean Emin, Cmaj, Gmaj, F#min?
The only reason I ask is because I know when I was in school sometimes the teachers would prefer capital and lowercase to denote Major and Minor chords, and I noticed that in your post.

If you're playing every note on every beat (or half beat), try extending each note to double it's length, essentially playing half the notes you were before.

Conversely, it might not even be a problem with the bass; something may be tricking your guitarist into thinking it's you. Have everyone play there parts solo, so you can get an idea of what everyone is doing and how things interact. I know in my band sometimes someone may hear something, but it's someone else entirely different from what they *think* they hear.

[namraj]

you could try adjusting your timing of playing the notes, rather than hitting the note on the beat every chord, be a bit more fluid, let the change on bass wait till the guitar has struck sometimes and other time hit with the guitar, but don't go earlier because that will feel to be pushing the song faster, but hanging on it will pull the song along with out feeling too fast.

good luck x

[iceshaft07]

Okay cool, I will definately try these things. I am interested in the E -> Db progression, I am definately going to gice that a try.

[MrBorisSpider]

He's probably hearing you crowding his playing. Play less notes.

[nsmar4211]

+1 to the fewer notes....... a 16th note line is going to sound faster than a 1/4 note line......

At least your guitarist didn't tell you he wanted you to play "bouncy".......Bouncy? Bouncy is a shuffle.... he meant staccato. Still scratching my head there.

I would assume fast means your doing a eighth note line (straight 8ths) and he wants to hear a quarter note line type thing...?

[Sahm]

Originally Posted by nsmar4211

I would assume fast means your doing a eighth note line (straight 8ths) and he wants to hear a quarter note line type thing...?

He said he was playing whole notes (half notes actually, since it's 2/4), just the root per measure.

I think it's the whole 2/4 feel that makes it feel rushed to the guitarist. That's why I was suggesting composing a line in E minor. You can create a phrase that stretches across a couple of chords, giving the illusion of slowing down.

[nsmar4211]

Ah. I missed that
Maybe playing a quarter note triplet line over two bars would help?
Either that or your guitars is.......errrrrrr........ a guitarist