Sooner or later in the life of every musician comes a very important stage - recording an album .
Someone manages to release a “ record ” in just a month , while someone stretches the process for many years .
It is highly undesirable to release one EP for a couple of years , but if you don ’ t have a manager , or a label behind you and if you record an album only on pure enthusiasm , then it very often takes a lot of time .
We will give you some practical tips that will make the recording process easier for both beginners and experienced musicians .
Don ’ t strive for perfection
Excessive striving for the ideal complicates the process , and in some cases , the result will only be worse . It ’ s one thing when you want to fix some shortcomings - this is the right approach .
Another thing is if your songs are constantly being rewritten due to your insecurity in your own parts . This is especially true of sudden ideas for rearranging during the record session .
In addition , you should carefully learn your parts . Practice every detail , every note , every pick strike . Only in this case , you will not have to rewrite riffs 10 times , and the recording process will not take so much time .
No concerts , no work , wives and kids
If you set yourself the goal of recording an album in a month , then remove the concerts from the schedule for a month . Focus only on the recording . It will be ideal if you record while on vacation when no one distracts you from working with the release . This also includes the ban on social networks .
Teamwork
Do you play in a band ? Write with the band . It ’ s not that when you record you will play better or worse , no . When recording an album in a company , one of your band members may come up with ideas in the style of “ what if you play differently here .” As a result , new interesting features , moves , and techniques can be added to your song . But again , we remind you : no global rearrangements , you need to think about them before recording .
The Hatters wrote the album “ Forte & Piano ” in a rented country house , where all members of the band lived and worked for a month . The group “ Bread ” did the same . Artist Bon Iver recorded his first hits in a forest house . The legendary band Queen also recorded and rehearsed in a country house where the song “ Bohemian Rhapsody ” was recorded . Therefore , working under one roof with the whole group is almost always a great idea and great memories .
Stick with your schedule
Set yourself a recording schedule . For example , from 8 AM to 5 PM with a lunch break . Or sessions every evening for two or three hours . Treat recording like a job that gets paid . You may indeed be paid to record in the future , but first , you need to work for yourself .
Find a studio and sound engineer
Never mix songs with a friend who works for beer or respect . Firstly , the result of cheap information “ for their own ” is likely to be deplorable . Secondly , skimping on mixing is the worst idea a band can think of .
If you are still looking for a sound engineer on the side , then we will give only two pieces of advice :
• Ask for a premix of your songs . For example , one verse and part of the chorus . Thus , you will save your time and money if you do not like the result .
• If you play metal , then mix
with someone who mixes metal . Never mix metal if the engineer has been mixing jazz all his life .!
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