|
Good and bad song elements
|
View this Thread in Original format
| NicklessGuy |
Im wondering what most people likes and dislikes in a song.
Which elements of the beat/bass/melody/percusion/structure/whatever do u think that makes a plus, or ruins the track? :conf:
What do u think that are the worst errors or the best things being made by the producers recently? |
|
|
| Floorfiller |
hmmm...its hard to look at a song in each of these elements separately, but i'll try.
Beat:
I think when it comes to the structure of the beat...these are the things that make a track a winner. first, as with all sounds...i find one of the things that draws me to a track is the sounds it has. especially with the beat i need full rich sound. when we are talking about the beat, are we talking about the way the percusion fits to form the beat or just the kick?
Bass:
Once again i like the sound. i think an important part of this is the steps in which the bassline progresses. i mean some of the best parts of songs is when the basslines changes to a higher note. the sequence of the notes can be pretty simple and still add a lot to the song, really it just depends on the rest of the precussion.
Melody:
i think that people spend too much time trying to come up with the great complex melodies for songs and not enough time on other aspects such as mastering and sound engineering. most of the greatest melodies and really quite simple, they just sound good because they are in the same key and are fit in well with the other aspects of the song.
Structure:
the worst thing that can happen to trance is the formulaic structure that we sometimes see. really the tunes that stick out in my mind have a few things in common. first, they have catchy melodies and sounds. and second, they mix it up a little. breakdowns are great, but i don't want to be able to always predict a big moment in a song.
i guess that's it...what does everyone else think??? |
|
|
| NicklessGuy |
| quote: | | i think that people spend too much time trying to come up with the great complex melodies for songs and not enough time on other aspects such as mastering and sound engineering. most of the greatest melodies and really quite simple, they just sound good because they are in the same key and are fit in well with the other aspects of the song. |
Very well said, i tottaly agree with that, hehe :)
I think a good layering of sounds are what makes the track shine, not a complex progression of notes.
| quote: | | are we talking about the way the percusion fits to form the beat or just the kick? |
No matter, whattever buugs or draws you in any aspect.
Im trying to spot the main things that atracts or repels people in the songs. I think it will be an extremely useful info for all of us.
Something thats bugs me is a lack of deepness/creativity/groove in the percussion and the track rhythm in general.
Melodies and/or layering tones give feeling to the track, but much people forget that its a club vibe, it got to hav some life on the beat, to give u will to shake and dance to it, and most recent trance tracks are stuck with the off-beat hat and on-beat snare thing.
There are many trance and progressive artists that make wonderful rhythms to their track by filling the song with something more than the main lead and pad, and usual beat-hat-beatwithsnare-hat-beat...
I really like that "hidden" thin sounds and synths scattered systematicaly in the track loops that give the song a full body and rhythm, u cant really spot them much, but u miss something if they are taken out and the song gets poor. |
|
|
| sifntj0r |
| quote: | Originally posted by NicklessGuy
Something thats bugs me is a lack of deepness/creativity/groove in the percussion and the track rhythm in general.
|
definately
good thread |
|
|
| Mr.Mystery |
| It's all in the percussions. Even the greatest tracks can be total failures because of lacking percs. Mesh - Purple Haze is a perfect example of this... the track is just so damn beautiful but the percs are so lame that the whole track sounds plain and boring... |
|
|
| NicklessGuy |
One thing that aways counts much on the track is the bass line and the body of the song. If it hav a solid "phisycal" body, especialy if it has some groovy, its sure to catch me (and make me getup to dance, hehe), and after that comes the "mental" elements to give melody, deepness and imerse u in the track.
All my song ideias comes first with an ideia of a rythm or bass/percussion sequence. Then, from there on, i try to catch the feeling that this loop gives me and it immediately inspires me some melody or chords that combines with that feel. I know that most people make their melody first, but i cant seem to take melodies out from the air like that :sadgreen:
Another thing that kills a song for me is when producers overuse chords and notes progression, and it sounds more ramdom than complex at all, i hav seen this in some hard-trance songs |
|
|
| Project T |
| quote: | Originally posted by Mr.Mystery
It's all in the percussions. Even the greatest tracks can be total failures because of lacking percs. Mesh - Purple Haze is a perfect example of this... the track is just so damn beautiful but the percs are so lame that the whole track sounds plain and boring... |
indeed, affinity sounds because of terrible percs imo |
|
|
| NicklessGuy |
Another thing that is aways a downside in a song for me is when the track has 2 or more big breaks in a short interval...
I dont mind a big break if it got elements that keep u interested or percussion flowin that mantains some rhythm, but it definitaly pisses me off when the track is flowing with energy and stops suddenly and keep this way for a long time when im hungry for a little more of that energy, and it comes back, than, it stops again for another break!
I like the songs that puts you in the break gradualy, and dont hav too many long breaks. |
|
|
| Mr.Mystery |
| quote: | Originally posted by NicklessGuy
Another thing that is aways a downside in a song for me is when the track has 2 or more big breaks in a short interval...
I dont mind a big break if it got elements that keep u interested or percussion flowin that mantains some rhythm, but it definitaly pisses me off when the track is flowing with energy and stops suddenly and keep this way for a long time when im hungry for a little more of that energy, and it comes back, than, it stops again for another break!
I like the songs that puts you in the break gradualy, and dont hav too many long breaks. |
Yeah, or if the first break is long the second should be shorter and more intense. |
|
|
| GelatinPufF |
| quote: | | What do u think that are the worst errors or the best things being made by the producers recently? |
1. producers not knowing how to mix down a track,
2. and not knowing how to master it,
so basically, having a good track and then f****** it up by screwing up the mixdown. This always happens....(Unless you call in a pro ;) ) |
|
|
| DJMikeyP |
| Hey then Gelatin (cute girl in the avatar) whats a good site you recommend for mastering tips? Or whats like your BEST mastering tip for us? |
|
|
| DJ Chrono |
best tip for mastering:
get yourself a pair of decent studio monitors, or if you cant afford that, some high-end headphones. or both if you can.
You will be able to mixdown and master alot more accurately with these. |
|
|
|
|
