Preparing for a Recording Session
by Alex Cosper, December 12, 2014
If you are planning on a musical project at a recording studio you should come as musically prepared
as possible. Learning a song means practicing it over and over again until the performance has no
glitches. Precious time can be wasted in the studio on recutting vocals when more rehearsal could
have led to better performance. The following are tips to help you save time and money by preparing
properly for the recording session.
1. Make sure the songs are complete. It's best to decide on recording after each song for the project
is completely finished in terms of lyrics, melody and arrangement. While there is room for experimentation,
the most of the musical ideas should be worked out prior to recording. Trying to write music in the
studio can be frustrating and expensive. Using complete songs not only speeds up the recording
process, it allows you to focus on the performance, which is closer to the finished product.
2. Practice the songs as much as possible. The structure of every song should be intimately familiar.
There should be nothing awkward or confusing about the rhythm of any of the music. Every song should
be easy to sing with an understanding of how the melody works with the chord progression. It helps to
learn the song with a lyric sheet until it becomes a casual reference. The most important part of
any song with vocals is vocals. One of the keys to keeping recording cost effective is to make sure
the vocals are well rehearsed. If the singer hasn't practiced, the song can take several extra hours
to record.
3. Memorize the lyrics. It's important to not forget lyrics while you are recording because it can
lead to several takes, which can unnecessarily run up your recording bill. Memorization helps speed
up your project and adds more confidence to the overall sound. The more that you can make lyrics
second nature, the more you can focus on the vibe from telling the story. Practice singing the song
a lot using headphones so that it doesn't seem like a foreign experience when it comes time to record.
You may find that writing out all the lyrics on paper and singing along helps you memorize lyrics.
4. Arrange the songs before giving them to musicians. It's always better to have an idea how the
finished product is going to sound, although experimenting can lead to interesting results.
By planning an arrangement for each song, you will be reducing the chances of the recording sounding
completely different than you expected. You should meet with musicians before committing to recording
to make sure everyone is on the same page for the recording. The background harmonies should be
worked out before entering the recording studio. They need to be recorded with precision,
especially with regard to phrasing. Another consideration is knowing the quality of all the
instruments that will be used for recording.
5. Be confident when it's time to record. Try not to rush the project. It's better to put in quality
time so that the recording sounds as good as possible. It's also smart to be as productive with time
as possible. Make sure that instruments are tuned prior to bringing them to the recording studio so
that they will be easier to tune before recording. One of the first things you should decide before
recording begins is the amount of production the music needs. Whenever budget is a top concern, you
should plan on minimalist production. When the budget allows, you should take full advantage of
creative opportunities as much as possible.
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