PERCUSSION
RECORDING TO THE RESCUE | Mark Shelton
• It provides feedback without getting emotional .
• It remembers your ideas even when your memory fails .
• It is a catalyst for creativity and musical growth .
• It is a truth-teller . It is a recording device .
Without question , recording devices have made me a better musician . Using a recorder during practice sessions has often delivered a dose of truth in time for me to correct flaws before sharing my music with an audience . The ability to document my ideas with audio and video has been a huge asset in composing and arranging .
Are you making use of recording technology in your practice time ? Have you enlisted the aid of audio or video recording devices for creating grooves and writing songs ?
INTENTION OR REALITY ? You know in your head that your hand is playing an accent with the shaker , but it might not really be as loud as you think it is . The sounds we intend to produce are not always what we actually play or what the listener hears . Intention does not always become reality . After recording myself , I have often discovered that certain details were not sounding as I intended . A bit of practice time with a recorder will help ensure your musical aims are actually perceived by the listener .
IDEA STORAGE Have you ever created a cool groove , an epic melody , or a catchy lyric and told yourself that you would remember it later ? A couple of days down the road when you eventually found a moment to develop your flash of brilliance , you realized that half of your idea had evaporated from your brain . In times past , songwriters and composers have resorted to quickly scribbling rhythms on napkins or calling home to sing a new melody onto their answering machine .
With a smartphone and a recording app , you can easily capture those musical ideas that strike while you are waiting for an oil change . You do not need anything fancy ; a basic single-track audio recording app will usually be sufficient to document your creation until you can find time for a development session . Just discipline yourself to actually make the recording before the flash of brilliance fades into oblivion .
REVEALING YOUR RHYTHM Recording with Digital Audio Workstation ( DAW ) software that produces a visual display of waveforms on a grid can deliver a jolt of reality upon playback . You can think that you are burying the click with your drumming , but the image on the grid lines might tell a different story . The graphic will provide accurate feedback on whether your playing tends toward being ahead or behind the click- or dead on . Recording onto a grid will also reveal subtle discrepancies in rhythmic subdivisions that can be difficult to critique as you are playing .
LEARN WITH A LOOP Wouldn ' t it be convenient to have a 32-bar chord progression repeat while you practice your improv solo ? How about working out a timbale part as you listen to the rest of the groove rhythms replay continually ? Tracks can be easily produced and looped for practicing using looping apps , looping pedals , or the looping feature on Digital Audio Workstation software .
TAKE A CLOSER LOOK Musicians have long known the benefits of using a mirror to view and scrutinize the physical aspects of their playing . However , when using a mirror , the player ' s focus is divided between trying to play while simultaneously observing and critiquing . Using video recording solves the challenge of split attention as it allows the
performer to concentrate on performing in the moment and analyzing the video later . If your device has a slow-motion setting , you can observe and evaluate your playing at a level that is unattainable with a mirror .
With advances in digital recording gear and smartphone technology , audio and video recording is more easily incorporated as a tool for music practice and composition . Gear up and take advantage of recording devices as tools to improve your musicianship and creativity .
© Mark Shelton Productions / Percussion For Worship
Mark Shelton A freelance musician and educational consultant based in Dallas / Fort Worth . Performance credits include North Carolina Symphony , Gateway Worship , Daystar Singers & Band , TALEA , Wichita Falls Orchestra , Tin Roof Tango , and Dallas Wind Symphony . www . marksheltonmusic . com percussionforworship . blogspot . com