TAXI.com

Hi Everyone. Hope you all had a nice Holiday Season. I was wondering if some folks could help me understand this critique a little more clearly and/or possibly make some suggestions on how to make the improvements. Here is the track:

https://www.taxi.com/members/RvZfAQiQSI ... py-hayride

And here is the critique:

https://www.taxi.com/members/RvZfAQiQSI ... xIO2q_QoHA

Thanks so much!
Kent

Hi Kent,

This is interesting because even though the screener has a point - the melody is odd-ish - it's a good cue that fits well within the playlist of the references.

I think the screener though is right about the melody - that your melody "feels" happenstance. It doesn't sound bad,it just doesn't have continuity. I think this stems from the changing of lead instrument and a melody that would be awkward to sing. When I listen to forwarded cues, the melody instrument pretty much stays the same and counter-melodies are introduced with other instruments. Melody-wise, if you were to sing your melody, would it feel natural and flow?

That being said, I'm surprised it wasn't forwarded. This is a well produced cue with a perfectly matching vibe for the listing. And after all, it will be background music where the melody would barely be heard.

Listened on my phone but the cue has a somewhat fake feel to me, like the guitars are not real, so in some parts when they change chord it sounds odd... unlike what a guitarist would do. Either that or it's been spliced together in a choppy fashion.

I didn't find the melody very engaging either, it felt quite square and too simplistic.

I have a couple of similar cues in libraries if you want to hear what was accepted.

Mark

Hi PaulyB and Mark,

Thanks so much for checking out my track!

Pauly:

Yeah, actually the melody was sort of "tacked on" last. I'm guessing in wanders around a bit too much for production music? Thanks for the input on keeping the melody with the same instrument and using different ones for the counter melodies. I was actually worried I wasn't changing the melody instrument enough -- sort of like with orchestral music passing the theme off to different sections. Do you think that's what the screener meant by "tonal changes"?

Mark:

Actually, all the stringed instruments (guitars, uke, mandolin) were real. Tuned percussion and drums were in the box. I did do some punch-ins with the live instrument. Maybe you picked up on that as you said. I listened again but couldn't hear it. But my ears probably aren't that refined yet

I totally agree about the melody after I listened back to it. Could've spent more time on that.

I'd LOVE to check out some of your similar cues as you mentioned. Thanks a million!! I think that would be invaluable. How could I go about checking those out? Should I private message you?

Again, thanks, guys!
Kent

Hey Kent - in addition to the cues Mark shares with you, if you haven't already you can listen to the cues that were forwarded for that listing. In case you haven't already: go to your Profile Page > scroll down to "Community" > click on "See Forwards Blog." then select "Taxi Forwards 1/03/2022. Have fun!

Oh yeah! I forgot about that.

Thanks Pauly!

KentB wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 06, 2023 4:33 pm

I'd LOVE to check out some of your similar cues as you mentioned. Thanks a million!! I think that would be invaluable. How could I go about checking those out? Should I private message you?

This is probably the most similar, although I've not seen the listing you submitted to so not 100% sure what they wanted.

https://on.soundcloud.com/9iGMp

Hi Mark,

Thanks so much! That's really helpful. If I'm hearing things correctly, it seems that your melody is much simpler than mine. Mine's kind of all over the place. And it seems to be in line with what Pauly was saying. The melody basically stays with the same instrument with maybe one hand off to another about 3/4 of the way through. At least that's what I gathered

To me, yours matches the listing too according to my green ears. BTW, I realize I probably should have included the listing. That might have been helpful

So, I pasted it below. Thanks again!!!

Kent

FEEL-GOOD ACOUSTIC INSTRUMENTALS are needed by a great Music Library with lots of success in Film and TV placements for a variety of TV, Film, Promotional, and Advertising opportunities.

This Library is searching for Mid-to-Up-Tempo Instrumentals in the general ballpark of the following examples:

Queer Eye (from 1:00 - 1:26)

Chewy Commercial

Queer Eye NERDS Makeover (from 2:28 - 3:06)

"Catalonia" by Vance Joy

Although one of the references has vocals, please submit Instrumentals only for this request.

Please submit well-composed Acoustic Instrumentals with an overall feel-good, emotionally upbeat, and easy-going vibe and sound. Your submissions should have engaging motifs, inviting grooves, and solid arrangements in the general wheelhouse of the references. Acoustic-based instrumentation like acoustic guitar, ukulele, and organic drums/percussion will work best for this request. Your production should be polished and any virtual sounds or samples you use should be high-quality and not dated-sounding. Craft your pieces around a central motif and layer instrumentation in and out as they progress to create a sense of forward motion, dynamics, and interest.

All submissions should be about 2 to 4 minutes long (give or take) with non-faded, buttoned/stinger endings. Do NOT copy the references in any way, shape, or form. Use them only as a general guide for tempo, tone, texture, and overall vibe. Do NOT submit any material with unauthorized samples of any other artists’ music, sounds, or any other form of media. Broadcast Quality is needed.

KentB wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 07, 2023 1:06 pm

Hi Mark,

Thanks so much! That's really helpful. If I'm hearing things correctly, it seems that your melody is much simpler than mine. Mine's kind of all over the place. And it seems to be in line with what Pauly was saying. The melody basically stays with the same instrument with maybe one hand off to another about 3/4 of the way through. At least that's what I gathered

It's been a couple of years since I did that cue but basically it's a 8 bar melody.

First time around it's on the Xlyo

2nd time it's doubled with something lower ( I forget what exactly ) and it has a call response thing going on with the pizzi strings and also the final phrase has different timing to the first time we heard it leading into the B section.

3rd time we hear it , it's on the Uke but this time it has a little run down added to it as well

4 time we hear it, the Xylos also play the littlel run down now and also has a more fully formed version of the pizzi strings response...plus the tag at the end

So on the surface it may sound simple but if you look deeper, it changes every iteration to keep things interesting and moving along but without hitting you over the head by being too different.

Wow! Thanks for the breakdown of your track! I'll give it another listen(s) with your notes handy. This is just great!

Thanks again, Mark