Some people like to let the ideas flow during recording. Maybe you would do this in a jam band to catch some brilliance of spontaneity. Perfecting your songs and arrangements beforehand, however, can save you a lot of time in the “studio.” Making a good recording always takes longer than one would like, especially if you plan to go on the road soon. Have a good idea of what sound you’re looking for before you record. If you don’t like a section of lyrics, change it. Chances are you will like it less later.

9.) Be creative, but don’t overproduce.

Demos should leave a little to the imagination. If you’re sending a demo to a label, you want to give them your “sound,” while giving them room for new ideas. You definitely don’t want to produce in such a way that your recordings sound nothing like your live show. The recording should “demonstrate” how you sound live, only more perfected.

Harmony is a good idea to spice up vocals. Double- (or even triple-) track your vocals to add fullness. Panning instruments gives a nice stereo sound, but some frown upon panning demos as A&R execs may be listening to your demo with one broken speaker (doesn’t seem likely, but you never know…).

8.) Listen to professional recordings.

While it is a good idea to listen to other local bands, matching your recordings to pro recordings gets you closer to the industry standard. While it is difficult to achieve this sound, aiming high will get you closer. Listen to your own tracks relative to pro recordings rather than other home demos.

7.) Minimize extraneous noise.

This is probably the most obvious tip. Record in a room that doesn’t echo (unless you want it to) that lets in as little noise as possible. There’s nothing worse than hearing children screaming in your mix (unless that’s what you’re going for).

6.) Get your sound right before recording.

Perfecting your overall sound before recording minimizes the need for post-recording editing. Use a pair of good headphones and listen carefully to the input stream coming from the mics. You may need to use a mixer to adjust the frequencies. If you have a warm blues amp and you’re looking for a more modern rock sound, you may need to reduce the mid frequencies and increase the presence. Watch the amount of reverb you use, you don’t want your input to sound muffled.

5.) Get it all mastered.

Either do it yourself or send it to a pro. When mastered, a set of songs are sonically maximized, the volume will be that of industry standards and equal across tracks, and the songs will be equalized to maximum potential.

4.) Be comfortable.

If it’s hot, turn on the A/C between takes. If you’re tired, take a break. Playing when you’re tired can result in poor performance. Get plenty of sleep the night before. Keep hydrated (especially if you’re the vocalist). Warm-up for everything, no matter what you do.

3.) Use the right mics.

Notice that I said “right” mics rather than “expensive” mics? Often times a well-considered, lower range mic can do a better job than an expensive mic that doesn’t suit your need. (Disclaimer: stupid story ahead!) When I first started recording many years ago, I purchased the Shure SM58 to record with, thinking it was a better choice than the SM57 since it cost more. What resulted was a muffled mess of noise. I ended up purchasing the SM57 anyway. The moral: just because a mic costs more doesn’t mean that it’s better. Do your research and purchase the mic that suits your needs.

This is harder for vocalists. I’ve tried many mics ranging up and down the price spectrum. While I tend to stay away from the super low end (and can’t afford the super high end), I have found that price does not equal sound quality. Determine what type of voice you have, and then do some research as to what mic suits you best. The best mic I ever used was a handmade mid-price tube condenser mic from a local company. I preferred it over mics twice its price because it suited my needs.

Finally, choosing the correct mic to your needs eliminates the need to mess around with EQ settings. This saves both time and the quality of your sound.

2.) Know your gear!

Learn to use your recording system properly. If you use software, learn how to edit tracks effectively. It’s best to have an idea of what every button and knob does, even if you never use it. The quality of recordings increases exponentially as you learn to use your gear.

Similarly, you should have some idea of how to mix and apply effects. The recording process is difficult, but the mixing and editing process is twice and grueling and time-consuming (but very rewarding).

1.) Practice.

This applies to every aspect of music. You should be able to play in your sleep! Doing so will not only improve your performance, but will vastly increase the time spent recording. You will notice that your abilities will increase dramatically over time. Try new techniques (especially if you’re a budding vocalist) and you won’t be disappointed with your growth.

Keane Li is the songwriter/guitarist for the band Festizio. He is also the winner of the 2003 Online Rock Festival’s “Original Song” award. Visit: www.festizio.net for more information.

About the Author

Keane Li is the songwriter/guitarist for the band Festizio. He is also the winner of the 2003 Online Rock Festival’s “Original Song” award. Visit: www.festizio.net for more information. Also check out… Top 10 Tips: Writing a “Hit” Song

Many songwriters keep a journal to write down ideas and emotions that they can later use as a reference to write songs. While I have never really used this method, it is clearly a good tool to expand your thinking. Every time you have an idea for a new song or a catchy line, write it down. It’s best to keep it organized so you can easily refer back to it later.

An extension to this tip is to keep all your old songs. Keep the music and lyrics every time you decide not to use a song. You may often find a use for it later when your skill has improved. Recently I began reviewing all the songs I wrote and tossed aside. I used a few riffs and reconstructed entirely new songs that were much better than their predecessors.

9.) Take chances.

Originality is key to getting your sound known. In many cases, an original sound may be more important than technical talent. It sticks in the audiences’ head so they can later more readily recall you. Think about all the copycat bands you hear on the radio. Do you really remember their names? A few days ago I was listening to internet radio, where they label all the songs with their respective band names. There were songs I listened to billions of times but thought the band was another band that happened to sound the same. Influences should be a source of inspiration rather than a mold.

8.) Produce the song in your head.

Create an overview of the song. While this may not be permanent, having a guideline will give you the “big picture” of your song. Make transitions between sections seamless and smooth. Use silence to build tension. Does your song build continuously, or does the energy level drop and rise sporadically?

Try and keep the song relatively structured. Disorganization causes confusion to the listener. They should be able to feel when a verse is going to end and when the chorus comes in. Transitional segments may be needed to alleviate any abrupt jumps from verse to chorus.

Here is what many wish not to hear. A commercial, “hit” song is about 3:30 min. to 4:30 min. in length. It goes from verse to choruses rather quickly. Another verse and chorus, a bridge, a solo, and finally another chorus or two follows it. This stenciled approach to writing leaves little to the imagination. However, there is a reason why this structure is so effective. The chorus is usually what sticks in the heads of listeners. Having simple verses and many choruses makes the song slightly more memorable, at least in the marketing sense. If you don’t want to follow this outline, use some of the ideas to your advantage. We learned that the chorus is the center of the song. Write soaring and emotive choruses that rile up the emotions. Make it easy to sing along so the listener can feel attached to the song.

7.) Listen to “well written” songs in your genre.

Find some hit songs that fit your style and examine what it is that makes them a “hit.” What is the rhyme scheme (or does it even rhyme)? How are the choruses different from the verses? As you write more songs, you will start to listen to other songs more critically. You will be able to examine every instrument and its role in the song. You will even be able to foretell song lyrics before you hear them, because certain words and so commonly used. As a songwriter, you want the lyrics to be flowing and fitting, but not too predictable.

Similarly, you may want to listen to songs generally regarded as unsuccessful. What makes these songs less of a “hit” than the popular songs?

6.) Build your world and stick to it.

It’s easy to get carried away in the songwriting process and ultimately forget what the song was originally about. When you write, try and envision a scene or moment that you are trying to capture. Think about the emotions you want to portray. Use several themes rather than one. For example, “bittersweet” or “calm and happy” are both better than just “happy.” Once you have a scene in mind, write specifically to build that scene. Don’t go off on tangents and write about other emotions that may be contradicting to the ones you’ve chosen. For example, if you’re writing an upbeat song about love, it may be unwise to toss in a sad verse that contradicts the overall mood and flow of the song.

5.) Add pizzazz to chord progressions.

You can easily pick out the number of chords in much of today’s music. So many chord progressions are reused. Some are more apt to be more of a hit song than others, as they are relatively more catchy and pleasant sounding. U2’s “With or Without You” has a chord progression reused in The Callings’ “Wherever You Will Go” and The All-American Rejects’ “Swing, Swing.” Analyze the chord progressions that make hits and add your own flavor to it.

Have you ever noticed that many of the more elaborate songs use more than just four chords? It’s often a good idea to use a simple chord progression for the verses, and a slightly more elaborate one for the chorus. This gives the chorus a greater feeling of grandeur. Songs that use the same chord progression throughout are ultimately repetitive if not produced well.

Chords are the musically vocabulary in which we use to create. For this reason, every songwriter should have some understanding of all the various chords and when/how to use them. Using more unique chords (diminished, augmented, 7th, etc.) adds flavor to an otherwise plain progression.

4.) Let the words write themselves.

Play the chord progression and allow words to flow from your imagination. When you allow the words to write themselves, you ensure that all the words fit rhythmically and emotionally within the song. The opposite would be to write the words and cram them into the melody. This may be a more popular method with some folk singers that need to portray a message rather than write a “hit” song. Letting the words write themselves creates an ease and flow within the song that the listener can easily digest.

Use simple words. Avoid large and clumsy words unless it has some inherent purpose. Listeners relate better to simple words, and they tend to fit into melodies more readily. Large and complex words with more than two syllables can sometimes feel awkward in a song.

3.) Listen to your songs as an audience member for the first time.

It’s difficult to be unbiased to your own songs. You spent so much time writing and revising it that you can’t imagine it to be bad. It’s a good idea to pretend you’re an audience member listening to your song for the first time. Keep in mind that they may or may not know a thing about you. In fact, they may not care about you at all. You want the song to sell itself, and to give the audience a reason to pay attention. An easier method would be to have unbiased friends listen to them. Keep in mind the genres they prefer and how musically trained they are. Regardless, you are marketing your music to the average listener who probably does not have as much musical training and may not appreciate some of the subtleties involved.

2.) Be inspired.

Writing a song without inspiration is like shoving toothpaste back into the tube: it is tiring, time consuming, and ultimately pointless. There are those that believe you should write whenever and wherever, however this may be true for those who easily find inspiration. Personally, I find it hard to write a song when I have no real emotion to draw from. My ideal writing situation is when I have a strong emotion, or can easily draw from some previous strong emotion, that allows me to write my feelings. The result is a much more emotional and passionate song. It also takes much less time and allows one to capture their emotional energy into words.

1.) Practice.

I think that all of my top ten lists will end with “practice.” It is so fundamentally important to practice when one creates music. Practice in songwriting gives you the skill to write effective songs more efficiently. You learn all the best ways for you to personally write a song. You avoid all the pitfalls that lead to writers’ block. I put away over 30 songs before writing a set I was happy with, only to dump them for much better songs a year later. Ultimately, everyone has his or her own way to write, and it is important to find your own path.

About the Author

Keane Li is the songwriter/guitarist for the band Festizio. He is also the winner of the 2003 Online Rock Festival’s “Original Song” award. Visit: www.festizio.net for more information. Also check out… Top 10 Tips: Recording a Home Demo