Session Tips

The goal is to maximize your time a money, and the entire recording experience! Besides, great songs rarely happen by accident! There is nothing worse then going into the studio unprepared and wasting time because, “time is money”.

And, nothing stifles the passion and creative spirit more than realizing that you are out of time and got little accomplished. I want your experience to be positive, memorable, comfortable and productive.

Here are some tips that will help you:

HAVE A PLAN AND KNOW YOUR GOALS: This may sound obvious, however, I believe that it is important to write down your plan and goals so that you don’t miss any details.

Want to really get ahead of the game? Ask me for the password to the “The Green Room” where you can send your planning sheet electronically as well as upload chord sheets and reference tracks and more. Enter The Green Room

GENERAL THOUGHTS AND TIPS:  Download “General Thoughts and Tips PDF

1. What are your goals and what is the aim of your session?

  • To record a demo for a songwriting contest?
  • To record a demo to get live gigs?Download “General Thoughts and Tips PDF
  • To record a song for an EP or album?

2. Is your song well thought out and planned for the recording?

  1. Do you have an accurate chord sheet?
  2. Do you know where you will adlib in the song?
  3. Do you have a plan for the beginning and ending of the song?
  4. Do you know where instrumental’s/solo’s will be and are they included in your chord sheet?
  5. Have you thought about background vocals and what will be sung where?
  6. Do you know the tempo and time signature of your song (i.e., 90 bpm, 4/4)?
  7. Do you have an MP3 recording of your song for reference? (not required, but it helps)
  8. Do you have an MP3 reference recording of a song that has a similar tone and feel to your song? (again, not required, but helpful. At the very least, do you have a YouTube link to a reference song?)

3. Are vocalist and instrumentalist ready to record? (maybe you are both)

  • Do you know the lyrics?
  • Have you practiced your parts?
  • Do you know the tone/tones you will used throughout the song?
  • Vocalist, do you have throat spray should you need it?
  • Do you know the chord modulations (if any)?
  • Do you have new strings on your instruments, are your instruments tuned and ready to go?
  • Have you rehearsed and do you know the changes?
  • It’s worth repeating: have you thought about the beginning and ending of your song?

4. Are you prepared for a comfortable session?

  • I would note that if you have addressed all the tips above, your confidence should be high and your anxiety (if any) low.
  • Do you have realistic expectation of the time needed to demo your song? (I try to be flexible)
  • Do you have any snacks or drinks that you might want during your session at The Jamminstation?