Preparing For A Session
Getting The Most Out Of Every Dollar You Spend On Your Recording
So, you've written a song. Rewritten to completion. And now you are ready to record. Right? Wrong. It all starts with the preparation you put in before you ever put on the headphones!
There are several things you should consider before you spend your hard earned money on a recording session. Eastern Sky Recording is a very economical recording facility, however, money is still money. So, with that in mind, let's look at what you should be thinking about before scheduling a session. Consider these questions:
1. What am I wanting to accomplish by recording my song?
a. a recording for my personal use
b. a demo or copyright deposit
c. record an album of my best songs
2. Have I correctly critiqued my song?
a. are lyrical forms solid
b. are rhyming schemes effectively used
c. have weak lyrics been replaced in rewrite
3. What about instruments?
a. do I play an instrument - if not, do I know someone who does and will play in my recording
b. do I want a simple production (1 instrument, 1 vocal)
c. do I want more instruments, more vocals
4. What about vocals?
a. am I the best singer for the song or do I need to find a vocalist who can do a better representation of my song
5. What about arrangement?
a. have I considered different ideas on song arrangement, special effects and other ideas that will give my song punch
6. Do I have song sheets?
a. have I prepared a song sheet with lyrics and chords and even arrangement ideas for each song I want to record and made multiple copies so that all musicians and singers involved can have a copy
7. Have I scheduled multiple practices?
a. has everyone involved had ample time to practice my song so that they are prepared when they go into the studio
b. if time is money in the studio, have I impressed on all who are involved to know their part and have it practiced so that when they are in the studio, their job is done in only a couple of takes
These are only a few questions you should consider about your song before going into the studio. Can you think of any others? You see, if you have your act together, considered all the angles, made all the improvements, took a management style of production to your song, your experience in the studio will be at the very least - cost effective. With lyrics that have been polished, vocalists and musicians practiced up, your recording project goes through the recording process efficiently, effectively and keeps your studio costs to a minimum.
