GUITAR WORKSHOP
[ THE IMPORTANCE OF RECORDING YOUR MUSIC ]
John Standefer
You might be surprised how important this really
OVERDUBBING TO HONE THE ABILITY TO PLAY
is. I began home recording back in 1965 with a
RHYTHM, BASS, PERCUSSION PARTS, AND SINGING:
In the 2 staff, you’ll see that bar 3 is essentially
little 3” reel-to-reel recorder. Soon I graduated to
Most of us play either lead, rhythm, bass, or
the same as the “untweaked” version of bar 1
a 10” 15ips recorder that would do ‘sound with
solo guitar. It’s nearly impossible to play lead
directly above it, except the ghost note on the
sound’ and ‘sound on sound’, which meant
well without first playing rhythm guitar, learning
16 note immediately before beat 3 (implying a
I could overdub multiple parts. So I’ve been
the chords, phrasing and feel. Recording the
16 note subdivision) and the staccato 8 note
recording myself for over 50 years! I’ve made
accompaniment part then gives you a backdrop
on beat 3. Those two simple adjustments can
many discoveries along the way that were made
to lay your melodic single-note soloing over.
have a dramatic effect on the feel of the line.
possible specifically by the recording process.
Overdubbing all the parts to produce a one-man
Bar 4 is the same as bar 3 except for a quick
Here’s what recording has done for me:
band gives you a deeper understanding and
them out a bit!
nd
th
th
th
appreciation of how all the parts go together.
hammer on the “and” of beat 4 (with that b7 th
HEARING WHAT I REALLY SOUND LIKE: We always
to-octave funk idiom, right?).
think we sound pretty darned good – until we
MAKING DEMOS: If you are trying to get gigs or a
The Groove #2 untweaked line is perhaps the
hear a recording of the performance! It’s a shock
record deal, one thing you need right away is a
most ubiquitous groove in music; very simple
to hear all the mistakes and problems with pitch,
good demo recording of what you do and who
but über useful in a bazillion different contexts.
timing, tempo, technique, extraneous squeaks,
you are.
buzzes and thumps, overall smoothness of
The tweaked version in the 4th staff implies a
playing, etc. The reason you don’t notice all of this
MAKING CDS - THE FINAL REHEARSAL TOOL FOR
slapped line, but could certainly be played
while you’re performing is that your mind is on all
PLAYING CONCERTS: When I go in to record a
th
fingerstyle. The staccato octave G on the 16
the mechanical stuff - along with remembering
new CD, I always think I am well rehearsed and
note before beat 2 of bar 7 punctuates the rest
the lyrics and the sequence of the arrangement.
prepared for the studio. When I get there though,
we’ve injected into the groove ahead of the low
You don’t really hear yourself until you play back
I find out that I wasn’t quite as polished as I
G on the “and” of beat 2. Those b7’s definitely
a recording with nothing on your mind other than
thought. When I find myself having to rethink an
pull the musical statement toward funk. The
critical listening.
arrangement or punch in several times to fix a
playing error, or to get rid of a noise I’m making,
hammered lick on the “and” of beat 4 is the
6th-to-b7th whi