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Music Information |
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Getting the Best Performance From Your Artist
So now you've decided to record your songs. Good for you, except that you will need people to play the instruments for which your music calls for. If you can play all the instruments on your own, then all the better. You will have less people to argue with! Other wise, you will have to hire (read: bribe with beer/food/hockey tickets) session musicians and vocalists to play and sing for you, putting you in the producer's chair. Your songs are only as emotional as the performers who play them. It goes without saying that you should hire the best performers your budget will allow. But if $100/hour for a professional vocalist is a little steep, here are a few ways to help encourage the best from your session players. 1.) Always praise, never criticize. The is THE most important rule in my book. The only way any session musician could ever get comfortable at your studio is if YOU put them at ease. That's one of your jobs as a producer. When trying different versions of a take, tell them how you would like it to sound, instead of what they did wrong ie: "That was great, but let's try to hit the high note a little stronger" instead of "you know, you were a little off on the high note, it didn't sound that good". Always start with praise, then with a correction. Keep your vocabulary positive. The best producers make the artist feel as if they can do nothing wrong. 2) They Can Do Nothing Wrong Remember this rule while you are writing or recording. There is no "wrong way", there is only "a different way". Don't tell people that their way is wrong. Remember that music is an art, and there are no rules in art. When a performer is playing something you don't like, correct them by saying "let's try it this way too". Don't start off my saying "nope, you were wrong, do it the right way". 3) Let Them See The Light Ambiance, atmosphere, vibe: whatever you call it, they need it. I guarantee that you will get a much better performance if you have water on the table, comfortable chairs, maybe a few candles, a towel, mints, and candy. Have you ever tried recording in an office with harsh florescent lights and hard wood chairs? 4) Take Your Time If you're recording at your own studio, you have all the time in the world (which is an evil thing in my opinion). Let the artist relax, "get into the groove", talk a little and get comfortable with the other people in the control room. A tense artist's performance will always sound 'artificial' in the final song. Don't be worried if it takes another 10 minutes to finish the take. Each performer works at their own pace, and the best thing you can do as the producer is to respect that and adjust your pace to theirs. Unless you have a record company breathing down your neck. Then everyone has to work at THEIR pace! 5) Ask For Help Artists love to be listened to. It's always good to ask them for their opinion. Whether you actually listen is up to you. But once in a while, a simple question like "What do you think? Do you want to keep that take?" can do wonders for their performance. It helps keep them involved in the project and make them feel less like a "hired hand". Obviously, if it was the worse singing you've ever heard and they want to keep it, just mention that you will do "one more take as a safety". And then, when they're not looking, use the better take instead and auto-tune it to no end. This is a little producer's secret, but don't let the artists know! 6) Know The Words Make sure that you, the engineer, the assistant engineer and everyone else in the control room has lyrics to all the songs. The best way for your studio team to find their way around the songs is with the lyric sheets. Another good idea is to USE THE WHITEBOARD! That's why it's there. If you don't have one, get one. Write down the chord progressions, lyric ideas, timing marks, track listings, McDonald's lunch orders, everything. 7) It's MOSTLY About The Music I've heard people say "it's ALL about the music". Well, in my books, that's not the truth. I'd rather say "it's mostly about the music". Because you have to remember, it's also about having fun, having a good time, writing and performing the best you can and above all, sharing your talent and gift with others. Try to make it less of a job, and more of a passion and you'll find yourself doing it for the rest of your life! ©2005 Richard Dolmat (Digital Sound Magic) Richard Dolmat is owner, engineer and producer for the Vancouver based recording studio Digital Sound Magic. Visit his site at: http://www.digitalsoundmagic.com
MORE RESOURCES: Want to explore classical music? Let me be your guide. The Boston Globe Ed Sheeran’s ‘Eyes Closed’ Set to Dethrone Miley Cyrus’ ‘Flowers’ on U.K. Chart Billboard David Sulzer’s Wild World of Music The New Yorker What’s Driving a Fresh Wave of Irish Music? Tradition. The New York Times GHOST's TOBIAS FORGE teases new music for 2023 Revolver Magazine If AI Starts Making Music on Its Own, What Happens to Musicians? Scientific American Region's music celebrated at hall of fame event Wilkes Journal Patriot Marko Marcinko as Director of Music Performance at Misericordia ... Misericordia University Make Music Darke County returns this summer The Daily Advocate How Music Helps Me Face My Cancer Curetoday.com USU's Art Museum Hosts 'Museum and Music: The Art of Improvisation' Utah State University Holy Trinity brings modern music to Stations of the Cross Evening Observer Elizabethton music studio offers scholarships for lessons WJHL-TV News Channel 11 Mountain Home Music bringing the rich tradition of Black ... Watauga Democrat Vanderbilt kicks off Sesquicentennial in style with ceremony ... Vanderbilt University News Music, memories key to choir reunion, dedication at Brooke High ... The Steubenville Herald-Star Country music star Dustin Lynch plans concert at Kettering's Fraze ... Dayton Daily News Morgan Wallen, Carrie Underwood & More Among 2023 Video of the Year Finalists at CMT Music Awards Billboard South Florida Classical Review » » A mixed bag of old and new ... - South Florida Classical Review South Florida Classical Review » » A mixed bag of old and new ... South Florida Classical Review Florida Tech’s 89.5 FM WFIT to Host Sonic Waves Music Festival at ... SpaceCoastDaily.com Father, daughter raise funds for arts, music at Duluth schools Duluth News Tribune VC LIVE | 2023 Carl Nielsen International Chamber Music ... The Violin Channel Turnpike Troubadors, Whiskey Myers headline Born & Raised Music Festival 2 News Oklahoma KJRH Tulsa Best supporting players: Brahms and the Schumanns The Guardian North High adding 40 new instruments worth $57,000 for their music programs KTIV Siouxland's News Channel Lenny Kravitz Pays Tribute to Victims of Nashville School Shooting: ‘America, We Must Do Better’ Rolling Stone 4 new inductees announced for SC Entertainment & Music Hall of Fame WYFF4 Greenville City of Music: Cincinnati's renowned symphony orchestra becomes ... Soapbox Cincinnati Dreamville Music Festival 2023 Guide: Parking, shuttles, music lineup and more WXII12 Winston-Salem Why music can trigger memories, even for those with Alzheimer's The Washington Post Duolingo is working on a music app TechCrunch Madonna: Music Album Review Pitchfork Preview Music, Podcasts, and Audiobooks on Spotify Home For the Record 150 Best Music Quotes - Inspiring Quotes About Music Parade Magazine Music Therapy Florida State University Burt Bacharach, Composer Who Added a High Gloss to the ’60s, Dies at 94 The New York Times Why do we stop exploring new music as we get older? The Conversation ‘There’s endless choice, but you’re not listening’: fans quitting Spotify to save their love of music The Guardian Spotify launches ‘DJ,’ a new feature offering personalized music with AI-powered commentary TechCrunch A Proclamation on Black Music Appreciation Month, 2022 The White House YouTube announces Creator Music, a new way for creators to shop for songs for use in videos TechCrunch TikTok Parent ByteDance Sets Sights on Spotify With Music ... The Wall Street Journal 200 Best Singers of All Time Rolling Stone Who invented music? The search for stone flutes, clay whistles and the dawn of song The Conversation Sade Are Recording New Music Pitchfork Best Concept Albums Rolling Stone The music lives on Apple Karol G’s Songs Conquered the World. On a New LP, She Reveals Herself. The New York Times |
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