Home Recording for Dummies: Part I

One of my private students came over recently to do some recording in my home studio. Aside from being loads of fun to work with her, it helped me remember what it's like to be new at it, because she is. So I decided to create a series about recording yourself. This series is for you if:

• You'd like to create a recording of yourself singing and playing a song, just for the heck of it.

• You'd like to record a song to give someone as a present.

• You'd like to record a collection of songs to share with friends and family, or to release to the public.

• You'd like to learn how to use Garageband on your smartphone.

Photo by Abdulrahman Alhaidari for Unsplash

Part 1: Preparing To Record

There’s no substitute for a well rehearsed band. Also, there are many things to navigate when you record in a studio that are unique to that experience. Here are a few things I do to prepare to record.

Pick the tempo (speed) that feels best for the song.

I use a metronome to do this before I record. It's best not to wait until you're in the recording process and likely a bit nervous, because that usually leads to playing songs too fast.

Practice with the metronome

Practicing with a metronome can really drive you crazy when you're not used to it because it feels like it's speeding up and slowing down. But it's not the metronome doing that, it's us. Giving yourself the chance to get used to it - it nurtures the natural sense of rhythm we all have (hey, the first rhythm we hear is our mother's heartbeat). Staying on beat is a challenge for all of us if we haven't practiced doing it.

Also, it's helpful for a bunch of reasons to record the first track (generally your instrument, like the guitar) with a beat playing through your headphones - in the studio, it's called a 'click track'. More about this when I discuss using Garageband.

Practice until it feels comfortable

Practice the song singing and playing it with the metronome until it stops driving you crazy, and it actually feels good, like the beat is supporting you vs. working against you. It might trigger some F-bombs, but you'll get there.

Practice the song with the metronome, while only playing your instrument with the lyric sheet in front of you. Read the lyrics as you play so you can keep track of where you are in the song. This is how you'll record your instrument, so it's helpful to get used to doing it this way.

Do some practice runs using the voice memo feature on your smartphone. If you're not used to hearing yourself play and sing, it can be a bit startling. When you listen back, talk to yourself the way you would to your most favorite person in the world if they were doing this. When you record in Garageband, you'll be able to re-record, edit, etc. until you get the sound you want. Expect tons of train wrecks along the way.

I've saved myself time and money in the studio by preparing in this way. Most importantly, you're more likely to have an enjoyable experience — if you're having fun, the end result will sound better.

Is that helpful? Let me know in the comments.

Peace, Janet