Hi All,

I stated a little while back that I had writers block!! Well I'm not sure it is over with this effort but we shall see. When I (used to) write it usually comes quite quickly when I have an idea but this really has been a labour (or a labor depending on which side of the pond you are on ).

I'm still not entirely happy with it. I thought of cutting the bridge out altogether and going straight to the last chorus after the second verse but thought I would post it first and see what you guys think.

I think it a little long (and durge like! ) so chopping bits may help with that. All comments really (really) appreciated.

Lastly I had real trouble singing this. I intended it to build up to a powerful ballad type end in the chorus but I have not got the voice for that. If any of you real singers wants to sing it how it should be sung I would be honoured (and delighted.) I know how it sounds in my head but I can't translate that to my voice.

Ok here it is ..... see what you think.....
A Little Time For Me

Oh and lastly (properly lastly ) I wrote it about a 'friend' of mine, who for once has given ME something in that she annoyed me enough to inspire me to write again!
Best wishes and thanks
Tony

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www.tonywmusic.co.uk

Hi, Tony, good job. Did you record it all over your keyboard or through live band (aka, real guitar, etc)?

Hi tigerfool,
Thanks for the listen,
It was recorded on the Tyros in it's entirity. (well apart from the vocal which went through the Ty and into the pc via Adobe audition, which used to be cool edit pro).

I have always thought the guitars were the best thing on the Tyros. They may not fool a demanding ear all of the time but they are among the best I have ever heard on a keyboard. (Or maybe I just don't get out enough )
Best wishes
Tony

Really?That is really Cool. Although I played my Tyros for about 2 months. I still thought it is really guitar!

Thanks for sharing Tony, again.

Nice job Tony......another classic!!

Tony,

Great job. The vocals could have been a bit more up front, wonderful lyrics and the guitar was superb.

Gary

Tony,

Good to hear your music again !! I agree with Gary - the balance could be a little more in favor of your voice. Good song and really good "articulation" on the guitars.

vc

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Vern

Hi Tony,

A breath of fresh air! I really like your voice. The music is nice and subtle, with spot-on timing. The song sounds like it should be on a record

Some (real) female background harmonies might make it even better!

Carrie

Hi Tony

Thanks for getting new inspiration

The tune and the arrangement definitely one of your best to date. This is a strong melody which stays a long time in the mind afterwards.
I would have liked to hear a stronger vocal from you, the accompaniment from the guitar is splendid but just tends to drown out your special voice. Actually, I would prefer you to raise the volume of the vocal rather than take down the accmpt., because your guitar playing is top notch.
In actual fact, before I typed this mail, I was in the middle of downloading some mp3's of Damien Rice from his album "O" and as I was listening to the track"Cannonball", I realised how close his voice was to yours at the start of the track. He does later on the track raise the volume of his voice, which gives it a real something.
I believe your special voice requires more space on your mp3.
cheers
Eddie J

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Eddie from Rotherham
www.yamahakeyboards.info

Donny,
Thanks so much my friend. Now if I could only get the power in my voice that you have in yours I would be a happy man..... I know what you are going to say... PRACTICE PRACTICE and then PRACTICE some more

Gary,
Thanks for the listen. I am fast coming to the conclusion that I really need to get some new monitors. On my mix the vocal really does sit on top of the music. I know I have always been wary of pushing my vocal too far forward (prefering my voice to be back in the mix) but I really did try to push it forward this time. That is the trouble I think unless you have vast mixing experience, you never quite know how your mix is going to sound on someone else's equipment.

Vern,
Thanks for the listen. As I said to Gary I did try to push my vocal forward in the mix. I have to say I am pleased at how well the guitar sounds. It is nice to hear that others notice it as well.

Carrie,
Wow! Thanks for the compliment! Was that an offer (re the female harmony ) I think once it is cleaned up a bit I may send this one out as a demo... then again I always say that and never do it! Do you find you get a positive response when you send out your work? I am a member of the Guild of International songwriters and composers and their magazine lists loads of places to send to but I always bottle out at the last minute

Eddie,
Thankyou my friend,
You are always so positive about my efforts. It is truly appreciated. I have a natural ability to see the worst in my stuff (whatever I do, but writing in particular) and the enthusiasm you always show really does spur me on to believe that my efforts may have at least a little merit.
We may never have met but you have been as important with regard to inspiring me to persevere as if you had stood over me with a ruler demanding I practice my scales.(as did my old piano teacher )
Very best wishes
Tony

Regarding the guitar sounds on the Tyros:

As some of you have mentioned the guitar sounds on the Tyros (and I assume the 1500, 3000) sound excellent to my ear. I really do think it one of the outstanding features of this keyboard and the main reason why I shall be keeping it for a while yet!

One of my favourite styles on the TY (and again I am assuming it is on the 1500 and the 3000) is UNPLUGGED. This is a simple guitar backing and is so versatile. Here is a little demo (just over 1mb) I did a little while ago of the song 'Love Hurts'.

I recorded it because someone wanted to hear a quick snatch of my vocal 'accoustic' as it were. I think it shows the accoustic guitar sound off wonderfully. What do you think?
Love Hurts

Best wishes
Tony


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www.tonywmusic.co.uk

Hi Tony,

I used to be a member of the Guild! I sent some of my stuff into their assessment service and got really good feedback.

The publishing company associated with them even rang me up, wanting me to produce an entire original CD for release through them. They loved the first tracks I sent, but didn't like the last few so I just kind of let it die there. lol. Sometimes I still kick myself for not trying harder to please them!

I tried to get some of my dance music published here in the UK for a few months.... I felt I got close a few times, like the time Arthur Baker rang me up after listening, but nothing ever happened! I ended up getting my hopes up tooooo many times and got discouraged.

Carrie

Hi Tony. I really enjoyed your rendition of "Love Hurts" and agree that the acoustic guitar UNPLUGGED style sounds simply outstanding. Regarding Gary's comment that your vocals 'could be more up front'. I don't know if you've re-mixed your vocals before my first listen today or not, but with the volume turned up to opitmal listening level, the vocal-instrumental balance sounds PERFECT to my ears. I also appreciate being able to easily understand EVERY word you sing as well. Great job ! -

PS: Tony, apologizes for the tardy response. I got home rather late last night from my birthday party, & Oscar night celebration as well.

Scott

Tony:
Gave a listen to your song and guitar playing. a little feedback to maybe in someway help.This is not criticism.!
Its a great song, and your voice is just fine, I have the same problem projecting, mines from 60 years of smoking. I have set up mikes for others for years,(never can get mine right lol) but do a pretty good job for others, after listening I suggest a couple of things, I think the reason your not getting with it is because the mic is putting out sounds from your voice thats interferring and you hear it and hold back, this can be the mic or the settings, you have a good voice, and I hear a bit of not being accoustomed to hearing your own voice so holding back, but you need to hear that voice as being terrific to your ear, and get inspired by its good sound.

Maybe a tad less reverb. back the mid range back a bit , and a bit more bass, run the treble up and down to where you hear the words pronounced clearly but low enought not to pick up hissing on the s's get rid of crackling and breath noise. You might try a windscreen, try different mikes, also you might take the song down a semitone or two, also I would slow the bpm just a tad, at least until you get comfortable with pronounciating the words, you don't won't to stumble, this throws you off.(pronounciate, pronounciate)

Just trying to help. The song is very good and the music behind it is terrific, The voice is the lead, and thats what people want to hear. If the suggestions don't work its okay by me if you say to Hell with that joker's ideas. Just keep doing what your doing and eventually you'll get there. sounds good.

The acoustic is a better sound than yamaha demo of the tyros...........Pose

"Now if I could only get the power in my voice that you have in yours I would be a happy man..... I know what you are going to say... PRACTICE PRACTICE and then PRACTICE some more "

Some proper eq, compression could help much. Doubling your vocals would work wonders as well. Also take care with the send/return levels on your reverb, not that all extra noise is out and out BAD just that some is. Plus be careful with anything reverb over "small room" as it can have stuff bouncing all over the place out of your control.

"I am fast coming to the conclusion that I really need to get some new monitors. On my mix the vocal really does sit on top of the music. I know I have always been wary of pushing my vocal too far forward (prefering my voice to be back in the mix) but I really did try to push it forward this time. That is the trouble I think unless you have vast mixing experience, you never quite know how your mix is going to sound on someone else's equipment."

Well, you have to work best with the gear you have. Ive gotten stuff broadcast mixed on 20$ need I say crap speakers :P

Have a "master" of your song with the vocals pushed out front a bit more ( on top of other things ) if you want it.

Only yeah the overall goal is to get it to sound good as it can across all sound systems, just check your mixs on a boombox, car stereo, home stereo and so on to get a better feel.

"As I said to Gary I did try to push my vocal forward in the mix. I have to say I am pleased at how well the guitar sounds. It is nice to hear that others notice it as well."

The guitars do come across well, its more with electric distorted guitars that keyboards start to show their ass.

"I am a member of the Guild of International songwriters and composers and their magazine lists loads of places to send to but I always bottle out at the last minute "

Not to be whatever...just my dealings with a local guild faction equal them being worthless. Hell in your case the fact they dint clue in a singer song writer to duel vocals, eq, compression, or at least some solid info on basic effects like reverb should speak worlds of their value.

Please note I mean no offense by that...just things you have stated you want to get across are simple to do hahaha and it gets me a bit hot if the guild failed to give you building block tools. Thats why your a member after all isnt it?

Anyhow...the "master" is 5MB, if you want direct me where to send. Im thinking you will like

Scott,
Thanks for the listen and please no apology necessary...... I only posted the song late last night (UK time) so your response was not at all tardy! As an aside I really hope you enjoyed your birthday celebrations. I thought you may have been able to blag your way in to Sir Elton's Oscar night Party! (I have just been watching it on TV and it was lavish to say the least. Scissor Sisters were playing there (my new fave band of the moment!).
With regard to 'A little time' No I did not change the mix before you got the chance to listen. That is what is so frustrating.... on some systems it sounds ok and on others it seem the vocal is lost! I am looking forward to recieving 'Alone's' remix / master to see how it sounds on my system.

Lounge,
Thanks for the advice, it is very much appreciated and you can rest assured I will not ignore it. I post my stuff hoping to get honest and constructive critiques like yours and have found it really is the only way to learn what my mistakes are. I do need to buy a new mic. My current condenser mic keeps losing volume and cutting out completely mid use.... very annoying and the only way to get it going again is to give it a whack on the side !! Not the best scenario. I have only had it about eighteen months so am a little dissapointed. Most likely it is because I smoke. Whilst I do not smoke in the same room as my board or the mic I am sure it is on my breath and all those little molecules invade my mic. (Well that is my theory anyway!)

Alone,
Thankyou also for the advice. Also many thanks for taking the trouble to tweak my song. I am looking forward to comparing it with the original on my system. You can send it to the-ant@lineone.net. I check my mail throughout the day and there is a large limit before my mailbox is full so it should not be a problem.

With regard to the Guild, to be fair they do have 'collaborator lists' and such like but it is I who have never really explored that option. What I do use the guild for is free copywrite. I can send my stuff on CD and they will register the copywrite for free. They also do a free song assessment service that I have used a few times and have had some positive responses from them. It is propbably my own fault for not fully utilising the services they do offer.
Thanks again for all the advice and I look forward to receiving the master you made.

Best wishes
Tony

Sorry, late for the party...
Hey, Got the Tony signature on it... I really like the tune... I guess you like the Tyros? Like the love hurts to, again your own style which is very cool... Witer block? I just finished my CD and thought I'd take a break and before you know it I'm cranking out new ones for the next CD... Here's what I do when I'm blocked... I just start going through all the Styles and usually a bunch, then all of sudden something will strike me and I'll start to fiddle with it... Just a thought... Anyway, enjoyed your stuff as always... Keep at it, the songs have a way of find you...
DJ

Hi DJ,
Hope you are well my friend.
I tried to get round my 'block' by playing and recording a few covers .... something I don't normally do. ... Well of course I play them but I never usually record them. I thought that it better to actually do something constructive rather than sitting around wallowing and waiting for it to come back! I actually really enjoyed it and may even put a 'covers' section on my website. (I have a few stacked up here the block lasted so long ).

Anyway I am glad to have actually written something again, even if it was hard work. Hopefully it will spur me on to keep going and get some more stuff on paper.

I listen to stuff like Tori Amos and she makes it all seem so easy. (Not that I am comparing my stuff to hers at all. I WISH ) I adore the way she can just sit at a piano and create. Maybe artists like that have off periods too?
Best wishes
Tony

Hello Tony.

Nice job with superb guitar and as Gary said I would like vocals with a bit more presence.
Tks very much to share your music.
Regards from Brasil
Chico

"Alone,
Thankyou also for the advice. Also many thanks for taking the trouble to tweak my song. I am looking forward to comparing it with the original on my system. You can send it to the-ant@lineone.net. I check my mail throughout the day and there is a large limit before my mailbox is full so it should not be a problem."

No problem, and sorry if I was offensive with any of the random tips...sometimes I can be abrasive even when I mean to help.

Ill get the "master" version sent to you in just a few mins. If you like some of what was done...or have an idea for something you would like to be done with it should be able to help with that as well.

"With regard to the Guild, to be fair they do have 'collaborator lists' and such like but it is I who have never really explored that option. What I do use the guild for is free copywrite. I can send my stuff on CD and they will register the copywrite for free. They also do a free song assessment service that I have used a few times and have had some positive responses from them. It is propbably my own fault for not fully utilising the services they do offer.
Thanks again for all the advice and I look forward to receiving the master you made."

Free copywrite is nice...just most of the stuff one could take advantage of with them, I just do without them cause thats just me.

"Master" is sent...

Tony...if you want some of my random ways out of writers block read on, if not stop reading now.

Play something you already know, in a different octave or in a different key. Odds are when you do those things you will end up changing the original to something that better fits the new key or octave...then in the end perhaps have all new melodies and chords from when you started.

Past that...playing on top of other peoples music can give you ideas. Im sure you have some random songs around that you hear parts in when you listen ( that the artist ) dint do, create those parts that you want to hear. How does this help with writers block RANDOM.

Just hummm a melody/bass line whatever out before you even think of touching your keyboard. After you have a hummmmed part mapped out...then translate it to the keyboard.

Drums...record a track ( no matter how basic ) of some manual drums, then add parts on top of that. While the styles are good for many things...they cant emulate YOU PLAYING a wack rhythm that goes with something only you understand. Plus if you get into bashing keyboard drums, you might end up doing manual fills melded with the styles.

Heh lots of people will tell you " play different voices on your keyboard " and thats a good GIVEN thing to try. For you...I think if you focused on a nice electric piano ( something warm/stereo not thin/chimelike ), some tremlo/flanged guitar, acousticbass layered with a pickbass...you would write something really nice. Plus I think you could use sounds like rainstorms wind blowing to great effect. Heck I wouldn't mind hearing something like a "musicbox" written by you, I feel you could pull off something truly haunting.

really nice job Tony ! There is a very real market for this genre of music. WEll done

Hi Tony
I'm back again to inspire your confidence

I just wanted to input a theory I have about self confidence.
Although I hear what some of your audience has said about pushing your voice forward when performing,doing this, doing that, in my humble opinion I always feel that the best artists I have ever heard are those who REMAIN THEMSELVES. In other words,if you want to be comfortable for ever, be yourself and sing to your own parameters. As long as we can hear the result clearly, the individuality is important and easy to live with for the artist.
cheers

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Eddie from Rotherham
www.yamahakeyboards.info

Hi Chico,
Many thanks for taking the time to listen to my song. Glad you liked it ...and I am working on pushing the vocal out

Alone,
I did not think your comments offensive in the least. I took them as I'm sure they were intended as helpful and constructive advice.

I recieved your master copy thanks and am about to give it a blast.... actually I recieved it at around 3.30am my time but thought I had better not wake the house Will let you know what I think.

Thanks for your advice on getting over writers block. I will give each of them a try. I particularly like the idea of humming a line to myself BEFORE going near a keyboard. I used this method out of neccessity once (in that I was driving home and had no radio in the car. I started of with a melody line and before I got home had a complete song in my head.) Strangely to date (and for various reasons) the song that came from that is probably my favourite.
Thanks again Alone, I do appreciate your advice and help.

Spalding,
Thanks for listening and for your very kind comments. I have always considered that I was born a good few years too late in that my style of writing is a little out of date now. I like songs that 'tell a tale' and love to use tight rhyme and such to that end. I love Gershwin and Cole Porter (they do it effortlessly... and again I am not drawing comparisons with myself). My point is that I have always considered myself 'behind the times' with regard to the 'saleability' of my songs.

Eddie,
Thanks again
I do think you are right in that the 'singer' has to be comfortable within his/her own peramiters. I have never considered myself a singer at all as you know and only do it (under extreme sufference I might add) in order to get my songs heard. People like you have given me the confidence to believe that my voice is adequate enough to do this and I am forever grateful for that.

It is still my dream though to write that one good song that a real artist will pick up and do justice to. I want to write songs that other people like singing and that (hopefully) even more people like to listen to. I never wanted the limelight..... just my name on the sheet music
Very best wishes
Tony

Good music. Both tunes. And I like your voice. It's very unique, in a good way.
You do need to find a better way of recording your vocal though. There is quite a bit of hiss in the vocal track. Granted, you have noise gated it pretty well in the moments where you are not singing, but when you are singing, the hiss is quite evident, especially when listening with earphones.

Hi Tony,

Thanks for explaining your stance on vocals.

I must admit that I wrongly assumed you wanted to be recognised as a singer/composer.

I now fully understand that your passion is for creating music and lyrics rather than performing.
Well, there's no question that you ARE a talented composer and lyricist with a sizeable following on this Forum and therefore for you to realise your dream of having your creations performed by recognised soloist singers, you need some help from your Guild (You wrote earlier "I am a member of the Guild of International songwriters and composers and their magazine lists loads of places to send to but I always bottle out at the last minute").
Well, It seems to me that you have surely received enough praise and encouragement from this Forum to show that WE ARE WITH YOU.
So, go ahead and submit your work and trust that whoever appraises it is mindful of the public and not just his/her subjective reaction.

cheers


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Eddie from Rotherham
www.yamahakeyboards.info

Hi and thanks for the listen,
Yes I had noticed the hiss and (thought) I had hidden it

I put my mic through a behringer Ultra Voice Pro (for phantom power) before feeding it back to the Tyros to use the onboard reverb and noise gate. I have a feeling that the behringer is causing the problem as I dropped it recently and I never noticed it before that. Maybe I will try feeding the mic to the ty straight from the mixer and use the phantom power from there. At least I will know if it is the behringer at fault.
Thanks for the advice
Best wishes
Tony

Eddie,
I will do just that, and should in the future any of my submissions ever get recorded I will make sure you get a cut

Best wishes
Tony

Tony,
Just got around to listening. It's another fine song, showing your talent for expressing your ideas musically.
I must agree that the vocal needs to be stronger, at least on my system. Let it out, my friend!
DonM

I have never been surer in my life than that your songs will be recorded.
Thanks for the offer of a cut, but when you make it,that will be my reward
cheers


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Eddie from Rotherham
www.yamahakeyboards.info