I like this better. I like your harmonies and voice. I like the alternating/
bouncing "Became one" between main and harmony vox, very cute. Nice
guitar playing too. There's some background hiss on the vocal track,
which just cuts off at the end, but that's hard to get rid of without good
mics and preamps... but you may want to slowly ramp down the
Garageband audio level on that track right after your last words (or turn
on some "Gate") to get rid of the hiss at the end. Cool bouncy song, nice
improvements.
ttfn,
Drakonis

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I just listened to a bunch of your songs. Very much fun. So inventive and original. Especially the dramatic readings which I have always found especially interesting. And of course, the ragtime songs are wonderful, feel good numbers.
I would love to hear more details on how you wrote the songs with the Harmony Assistant software. Do you play the piano at all? Midi Keyboard? And have you just figured out how to translate that knowledge into simple clicks of the mouse? Excuse me for being so clueless, but I am just so blown away by some of you macjammers out there. How the hell? is what I keep saying to myself. I would so appreciate any tips, clues, advice, demos, whatever, help!!! At this point I'm just figuring out how to get a good sound with the mic and the guitar, no easy feat. Making software instruments sound real is quite another story, but I am becoming convinced I need to buy some Jampacks fast.



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Hi Beth, you'll find a huge array of different people with different talents and
different answers here, each one a fun long story in itself! As for me
answering some of those questions quickly here: I can't really play any
musical instrument, I have no real musical theory training, so I mostly drag
and drop notes one at a time onto a score on the computer with Harmony
Assistant, then when I'm happy with the music/chords, move the file to
GarageBand for final recording. I have a wide variety of musical tastes (as you
saw). Most of what I know, I learned by experimenting, reading, dissecting
other people's music, reading scores, downloading software & trying it, and
asking lots of questions of my SmartFriends(tm)... just like you're doing. It
has taken a couple of years for me to get this far after being "awakened" to
really wanting to create my own music, and having the hardware/software to
do it now. It is sooo much fun, I love the creative outlet writing music
provides me, even if I'm not all that good at it, it is fun to create and share
and learn and make friends along the way... sappy? Yup, that's me.
ttfn,
Drakonis

---
deja vu, it's the next best thing to being there<br>
### Today's song: <a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/19437">Caroline's Bear Rag-Calliope</a>

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Very good singing and writing, the guitar playing is immediate and just
the right quality for this sort of folk music, which is to say, not too
complicated, bouncy and loose. It's still not too polished, but I think that's
a good thing. The whole concept of this song is really great, and if I was
to pick out one more thing to pick on, it might be the drum loop, which
could be easily replaced by a shaker or a tambourine played by a real
person and the song would be almost a perfect little folk song. Very
enjoyable as it is.

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This is better, Beth, no question about it. I have little to add. So I'll just say thanks, and skip away happy.

Cheers.

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Do you know that it's impossible to be sad while skipping? try it!
Thanks so much for your comments.
Being very new to this website, I was wondering if the proper thing would be to post this new song in the Forum. Is that how you get more people to listen and comment? or is the forum strictly for questions and issues?


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I know what you mean about skipping. Most people think that children skip becuase they are naturally happy. That's probably true. But I believe in skipping when one feels down. It sure turns things around quick.

I'm new to this site, too. Two months to be more exact. I've seen how some people get criticized for starting forum threads asking people to listen to their songs. Some call it "pimping" the song. I think one strategy would be to post a forum thread asking about a particular technical or music related question that arose from the creation of yoru song. That way, you can direct people to the song without seeming too needy. But those who are quick to judge will do it anyway. So go with your instincts.

Back to the skipping.

---
Check out my latest: <a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/19895">here</a>.

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miles better a lot clearer lovely. cheery

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This is such a sweet little song. A very 60s folk feel.

I also really like the arrangement. The drums are very simply but they
only need to accentuate the rhythm, so that's fine.

Good two-part singing too. Almost like there's only one voice. The
second guitar on the other hand is mixed too low. It doesn't contribute
much to the track, and only makes the listener wonder "am I really
hearing something there", so it's only distracting.

Now what is that annoying tone in the right channel? It sounds a bit
like a piano or organ, but it could be an artifact. You also seem to have
some problem with hum.

Ok, after listening to the track about 4 times I've found it: there is an
almost inaudible electric guitar. Somehow only one tone of it is ever
audible. That's my best guess.


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Hi Vic, thanks for taking the time to figure out what's going on in this song. I
used a pre set shimmery guitar effect that I toned way down and even cut out in
some parts after the 1st version, but obviously you can still hear it enough to be
bothered by it. What I need is a more solid and pronounced electric guitar lead
throughout. The second guitar is my attempt at a bass line. Close, but no cigar.
The buzz is, well, just the buzz. I'm fiddling with dials and settings all the time,
so one sweet day, I will have figured out how to make a proper recording.
Maybe not this year, or even next, but someday, just you wait.
thanks again for listening.

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You have some good stuff here but some things could be corrected
even in GB. I don't know which track of yours has the hum in it, but it is
kind of distracting at the beginning and at the end. The music during
the song masks the hum (loud sounds always mask softer ones) so the
use of a gate or simply fading into and out of that track especially at
the beginning and end would clean it up. Nice tune. Good singing.

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soothin song ...wonderfull mood ... I m wonderin why
the percussion ? ..the guitar and the vocals carryin it
all ... I realy enjoyed it ...thank you !!

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This is a delightful tune. In my ears, the rhythm track doesn't quite fit.
You Have a "boom-boom-chick" rhythm set up, and I think a simple
"boom-chick" or single up beat hit would be more effective; also, I hear
brushes instead of ticking sticks and bass drum, everything on a snare, to
match the lightness of the vocals. Very nice tune.

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