Topic: Cover of "Imagine" by John Lennon

Was watching one of the news programs and one of the commentators said something like " Imagine if ..............  Made me think of this song so I came in and recorded it.  Any excuse to get in here and play around with the music, huh?  Me, just being me, thought I would share.  I always welcome any comments if you have any.  Comments help you know if you are doing things right, wrong, better or worse.  Thanks,  Big Jim

http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=11131928

Find a Path or Make One    This is a motto I have been following my entire life and one I am currently using with my music.
Big Jim from Ashville Ohio

Re: Cover of "Imagine" by John Lennon

I triedand could only hear alittle,but what I did hear was good. (I have trouble with the soundclick. I could not hear mkm when she had camping trip on there. ( It's a dino problem) Not your's.

my papy said son your going too drive me too drinking if you dont stop driving that   Hot  Rod  Lincoln!! Cmdr cody and his lost planet airman

Re: Cover of "Imagine" by John Lennon

A good take on a good song, bass Viking.  I like your low mellow voice.

You can see all my video covers on [url]http://www.youtube.com/bensonp1000[/url]
I have finally found happiness in my life.  Guitars, singing, beer and camping.  And they all intertwine wonderfully.

Re: Cover of "Imagine" by John Lennon

Thanks Pete and Dino!  It always interests me as to why sometimes when somebody posts something they get alot of feedback and at other times hardly any feedback at all.  I am not just fishing for pats on the back.  At pushing sixty years old, I am a big boy and if somebody doesn't like something, I wish they would say.  When no feedback is given, am I too take it that others didn't like it?  I truly am still just trying to learn these things and want someone, anyone who has any ideas to let me know so I can then know what corrections, improvements etc I need to work on.  Thanks you two for taking the time to comment.  It is appreciated.

Find a Path or Make One    This is a motto I have been following my entire life and one I am currently using with my music.
Big Jim from Ashville Ohio

Re: Cover of "Imagine" by John Lennon

How did you record this? I'm not sure if it's my system but I can barely hear any guitar.

You have a big voice man. Wish I had that.

Re: Cover of "Imagine" by John Lennon

I feel the same as you sometimes.  It is nice to have some kind of recognition, good or bad.  I, like you, don't mind being told I need to do this or that.  Of, course, we do like people to say nice things, but we can take the critics as well.  It does feel good when people do acknowledge our music and many on here are very good at doing that.  I could list the people I know are going to say something each time.  It'ws not a long list.  Anyway, keep up your end and I'll keep up mine and togethr we'll make it.  We are members of the mutual admiration society, after all.

You can see all my video covers on [url]http://www.youtube.com/bensonp1000[/url]
I have finally found happiness in my life.  Guitars, singing, beer and camping.  And they all intertwine wonderfully.

Re: Cover of "Imagine" by John Lennon

Bass Viking wrote:

Thanks Pete and Dino!  It always interests me as to why sometimes when somebody posts something they get alot of feedback and at other times hardly any feedback at all.  I am not just fishing for pats on the back.  At pushing sixty years old, I am a big boy and if somebody doesn't like something, I wish they would say.  When no feedback is given, am I too take it that others didn't like it?  I truly am still just trying to learn these things and want someone, anyone who has any ideas to let me know so I can then know what corrections, improvements etc I need to work on.  Thanks you two for taking the time to comment.  It is appreciated.

I don't spend much time in this forum.  What a cool forum!  Anyway, in the vein of responding as you wish to be treated, and following the Golden Rule as that's how I'd like to be treated too, here are my thoughts (for what they're worth). 

What I liked: 1. You sang on-key.  Big, big deal.  There are many recording artists right now who don't know what that means it seems.  2. Good work working the guitar and voice together.  I very much appreciated that you made your own arrangement on the guitar, sang in your natural baritone/bass, and didn't try to imitate Lennon.  I think you made the arrangement you put together for the guitar work very nicely with your voice. 

Opportunities for improvement: 1. In recording, I think the guitar was a bit soft.  If you can boost it a little, I think that would help.  2. While I liked your singing very well, I think you could use a little help with phrasing and breath control. 

I hope those are constructive for you.  I really enjoyed the song.  f

As a side note - is there information on Sound Click?  I think I'd like to be able to record some things and post them for constructive criticism.

Granted B chord amnesty by King of the Mutants (Long live the king).
If it comes from the heart and you add a few beers... it'll be awesome! - Mekidsmom
When in doubt ... hats. - B.G. Dude

Re: Cover of "Imagine" by John Lennon

@ Zurf soundcloud also has some free options. Second your comment number 1. Ability to zone on a key and stay there without screwing up is huge.

Big Jim: For my part, I sincerely apologize for taking so long to reply. I've been getting a lot of good feedback from the forum and I should've reciprocated more promptly. FWIW I don't normally give folks suggestions unless they explicitly ask for 'em, so here we go:

Listen to your song from :18 to :21 and then again from 2:04 to 2:06. Tempo changed, right? You accelerated a bit throughout the tune. This isn't something that most listeners would notice, but hey you asked areas for correction so I'll give you one. smile

I think what happened is this: Your strumming pattern was kind of swing feel...your upstrokes were on the "uh" of the beat instead of the "and" of the beat. That sounds very cool and relaxed (kind of "Moon River," which BTW is a sound I love) but lots of times players will anticipate the next down beat (your bass notes) and that pulls the song forward in tempo.  The other possibility is that you are concentrating on the vocal phrasing, which is throwing your strumming pattern for a loop. (This is happening to me right now on a song and it's driving me frickin' crazy.)

Like I said above, this is pretty nitpicky. Very few listeners will be aware of an accelerando in a piece, so long as it's gradual (which yours was).

Solution is to plug in ye old metronome and work the song through with that. 

I hope you found this useful - keep up the good work!

-Joe

Re: Cover of "Imagine" by John Lennon

Hey guys; thanks for the feedback!  It helps when someone points out things and then I know better what to work on.  I really do want to get better and when by yourself, I can't always see the forest for the trees.  BGD, no apologies are ever necessary, especially when you point out something I have to work on!  I went back and listened to a few things and you are right.  It seems I  have a tendency to speed up and slow down, especially during some parts of some songs and it might be the phrasing as you suggest.  Strumming patterns are a real challenge for me.  Sometimes I feel like I am trying to play every note instead of just chord strumming along.  I probably need to learn a little more about alot of things and then I could better understand how to improve.  Zurf - I probably am hiding the guitar a little as I am still sooooo new with it that I fear the mistakes I make get "amplified" if I put the guitar sound out more prevalent.  I do try to mimick the original but with my own take on it, thanks for noticing.  After reading your comment, I went and started reading some other stuff about singing, where the sounds come from i.e. nasal, diaphram etc and realized it is just another area where I have very little knowledge and need to get better educated.  As far as Soundclick, I went there some time ago after seeing where some folks had posted their audio files.  MKM Amy talked of her Zoom H2 and I did get one of those and it converts to MP3s for posting.  Soundclick is free and allows you to set up and account and put your songs on their and even charge if you want.  It just gave me a place to put recordings so that I could share.  Check it out!   And yes Pete we will continue doing what we are doing and striving to get better and enjoying what we are doing.  Thanks to all!

Find a Path or Make One    This is a motto I have been following my entire life and one I am currently using with my music.
Big Jim from Ashville Ohio

Re: Cover of "Imagine" by John Lennon

You picked a particularly tough strumming pattern bro - rhythms that are on top of the beat tend to push and behind the beat they tend to drag. smile

Re: Cover of "Imagine" by John Lennon

I do the same, Bass Viking.  I tend to speed up and slow down at different times, both with strumming and with singing.  I just really have fun when I'm doing it.

You can see all my video covers on [url]http://www.youtube.com/bensonp1000[/url]
I have finally found happiness in my life.  Guitars, singing, beer and camping.  And they all intertwine wonderfully.

Re: Cover of "Imagine" by John Lennon

You're being a bit hard on yourself Jim.  I liked the guitar work quite nicely.  BGD must have a metronome for ears, because I didn't pick up on the speed thing.  After being a bassman responsible (in part) for keeping tempo for as long as I was and not picking up on a tempo change, well let me say I wasn't at all put off by your performance and am very impressed by BGD's ear!  Metronome is the key.  I hate mine with a visceral passion, but would hate to be without it.

Granted B chord amnesty by King of the Mutants (Long live the king).
If it comes from the heart and you add a few beers... it'll be awesome! - Mekidsmom
When in doubt ... hats. - B.G. Dude

Re: Cover of "Imagine" by John Lennon

Thanks Zurf, but BGD's ears may just be that good.  I recognize that I do that sometimes.  I struggle with understanding strumming and have never used a metronome.  I guess I probably should check out the ones to utilize online and allow it to help me get better.  It's just that using one sounds to me alot like "practice", which to me almost has a connotation of work and I do this strictly for fun.  I know, I know, to get better one must put in the effort.  I just wish I had someone around who could actually sit down and show me what to do, where to go and how to improve.  I know practically NO music theory, just picked up a guitar, learned some chords, found songs I like or have liked and started to make sounds.  It has really been fun, but I am in need of some type lesson or assistance to improve!  Thanks for the feedback!

Find a Path or Make One    This is a motto I have been following my entire life and one I am currently using with my music.
Big Jim from Ashville Ohio