Trouble in the mix

[Boggard Jon]

So, James. We're having a bit of a problem in the band I'm in. The bouzouki, guitar and accordion all tend to blend into each other and it's hard to discern one from the other. Did you ever have this problem? Any suggestions on how to fix it?

thanks

[JamesFearnley]

Save getting rid of the accordion and the bouzouki? (Or the bouzouki and the guitar.)

You know what? That's what makes a lot of music sound brilliant, that you can't tell who's doing what. I suppose it happened to us (I always thought the accordion wasn't ever prominent enough in the mix, but then, if I'd been playing the Andean nose flute, I would have thought the same thing). It happens a bit with Cranky George, how the fiddle and the accordion get indistinguishable, but one or other of us, Kieran or myself, are going to inflect or something and that's all that's needed, maybe.

Other than that? Get Steve Lillywhite to produce.

[Mick Molloy]

Other than that? Get Steve Lillywhite to produce.

He'll probably cost John a few quid

[Boggard Jon]

I always thought the accordion wasn't ever prominent enough in the mix, but then, if I'd been playing the Andean nose flute, I would have thought the same thing.

I have this problem, too. Fortunately, I understand that it's a "me" thing and our mixer tries to balance us anyway.

Thanks for the advice. It's true. There is a lot of music out there where you can't really distinguish who's doing what.

What I really thing I need to do is concentrate on doing more than just hitting chords on the offbeats. I'm still less than 2 years into playing but I'm becoming something of a whiz on the keyboard... But it's pretty much playing some sort of lead line (maybe) on the intro, then chords on the offbeats.

Is there anything you can suggest as the next step? I hear the stuff you play and other people play --- the great melodic lines that happen behind the vocals and I want to figure out how to do that stuff. Thoughts?