Recording Your Own Songs

I wrote this article because this is a way to improve a lot. Ocasionally people tell us that we need to learn theory, scales and that things that it's true, helps you a lot, but other thing is the creativity, and a lot of theory and scales don't work if you don't know how to do with that. Recording gives you the chance to increase your creativity and transform all the things that you learned in music. There are many ways to record your music but this is the easiest.

Step 1:

You will need of course, a guitar, and amp unless you have a Multiefects, with a phone jack. A computer, and a cable to connect your pedal or amp with your computer, I use a cable like the Walkman phones with the "connector" (I don't know how is named that) in both sides, I plug one side on the computer and I put a switch on the other side and I plug it on the pedal (you can get all this at radioshack or that kind of stores).

Step 2: The software.

You can get the pro tools, but the cool edit pro is also a good option, semi-professional and cheapest. (unless you download it from kazza), the cool edit pro is for recording but you need another program to make the drum loops, you could get the deesampler that is easier, but I recommend you the Fruity loops, maybe is advanced but is not difficult to use, i could use it the first day. This program was made to make electronic music but works very well to do normal loops, and you can add basses.

Step 3: How to start the song.

It's difficult, what I have to do first, but in my experience sometimes I have the idea in my head before and I develop it, or for example I make the drum loops and I try to invent something with that.
Of course, listening a lot of music helps you to have more ideas to make a song.

Step 4: Recording the drum loops.

I can't tell you in this column how to use the fruity loops but Ø will tell you how you can make the basis of your song. First think that the song need order, make the loops in a way that the verse contrast with the chorus, use also bridges. Imagine how the song will be.

If you want to use the bass, remember in what tonality are, and like with the drums, the bass need to be different in the verse of chorus, Is not a rule (songs like U2's With or Without you are the same all the time) but it's help you, after that you will get experience and you will be able to experiment with other things, don't worry, i started to make songs in that way, and now i'm experimenting with electronic things. but i recommend you to make a Verse=chorus=verse song first.

Step 5: Recording the guitar.

Save your drum loops in mp3, now open the cool edit pro and open your mp3 on a track. Use your creativity. Listen songs, to know, what pattern they use to make songs, don't try to sound exactly like Tool or Soundgarden for example, it's better to experiment. For example, you like metallica and coldplay. You can record heavy riffs and record arranges with delay like coldplay, to make a new sound, or you can try making new things that you never heard. Maybe you will feel limited because you don't have experience, but with the time you will improve a lot and you laugh when you listen to your early recordings. When you feel that you lately don't improve, listen that and you realize that you are better, in the solos, technique, creativity.
Try to invent rare things, not only use power chords and that kind of things, mix theory with your creativity here.

Step 6: Sound.

- Before recording the song.

Make sure that the sound don't hear overdistorted, you could see that in the diagrams of cool edit pro, that the graffic don't touch the limits in the top and the bottom. If you can, use a pedal that eliminates interference.

- Recording the song.

Try to play as well you can, even if it's very simple,
if you hear inferference because of the monitor, turn it down when you record a track. If you want to record a solo, the volume must be a little higher than the rythm guitar.

- After recording the song.

Adjust all the volumes in a way that you can hear the song enjoyable.
I also recommend for example use the left channel for the lead guitar, the right channel for the rythm guitar and if you want to use other guitar you can use both, I learn that of Pearl Jam, is a technique called Binaural. Some bands use it. And it sounds more realistic.

Optional Things That You Can Do:

Write lyrics for the song, the lyrics must be congruent with the music, imagine a death metal music with lyrics about you are happy.
Using effects: Maybe you can experiments with flangers, delays.

Finally:

Finally save your song, and listen it some times to analize yourself, and you will be able to make better songs in a future. Recording songs will help you a lot when you have a band, you won't be very inmature to compose, and will be an advantage against other new bands. Even though is pretty different to make songs by yourself than with a band, but you will have experience. As Ø said, don't try to copy, it's different to be influenced by other bands that copy their ideas.

Also, play covers, it helps you to learn different ways of playing. Not only Nirvana covers, try to get solos and learn a Led Zeppelin songs. And listen a lot of music.

POSTED: 05/06/2004 - 09:07 am

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Comments

[Nadz]

good article.

[ultimate_punk]

hmm...ok...2 stars.

[stiff-upper-lip]

you dont always need a computer, i use a tape recorder, but then again you cant add other bits to it!!!

[OpeN WidE]

learn english and how to write. i give it a 2. didnt really go in depth on anything. you stated the obvious.

[_stalemate_]

i liked this, but it could use more information than just what he put, more about how to do things. Yes, and your english needs a bit of polish.

[Honor-Damned]

ya, a bit obvious, but not a bad attempt

[griff1987]

"learn english and how to write. i give it a 2."

What grades did u get in english?

[joyful womble]

English might be his second language, so give him a break; we can all understand what he's saying.

[calliard6]

It was pretty bare...had the basic "need-to-know" details, but it would have been nice to have a little bit more...it's also good to know how to spell...

[Emenius Sleepus]

sorry man, just two stars - work on writing mechanics and go a bit more in depth. Not a bad attempt and good luck with future writing

[boxcarblink41]

nice try man

[bigboi82]

i use a little shitty tape recorder.....its cheap but when u get a good idea, just record it. Its simple

[stiff-upper-lip]

^i do that, its well good for writing two geetar parts aswell!!!

[KashmiR]

hmmmm i have an 8 track boss recorder i think its a wholllle lot easier to record on there, then transfer to ur comp

[coolguy]

heres an option! write lyrics for your songs! it might help your song abit...but its not a big deal at all..

[UseYourBrain]

i remember this guy.... his first language isn't english give him a break.

[niccyishot]

We've all kinda guessed that english isn't his first language

[basketofplastic]

we just hooked up the computer mic and played into that and we burned the songs when completed on a cd

[MattyB]

Basic. If you need a manual tho and have never done it before im sure ppl will find this article useful.
Btw.. i wish i could write in french or german as well as that guy is at english!

[fender rocker16]

thats gay. you dont need directions to write a good song.

[Blankapeeto]

yes^

[Klown]

come on... do NOT connect your guitar directly into the computer. record it with a MICROPHONE on one of the elements in your amp, JUST LIKE IN A STUDIO.

god. why not record with a tape recorder so you can listen to it and when your redy HIRE A STUDIO and some guy to fix it all up, its the way I did it, and its the best way.

[audiorapist]

jeeez...he tries to giv sum help and ppl are jumping on his back!! very informative! cant fault that article...

[tydhurst]

Yeah. Judgemental fools!

[tydhurst]

Good article... Er, Man! Yes. that's modern enough!

[Castro]

English might be his second language, so give him a break; we can all understand what he's saying

.
Well it is my second language since I was 2 ,maybe he had some headache of something

[idontknow]

^^^ WOT!!! Some headache of something?! Don't EVER speak!

[idontknow]

Good article by the way. I've been trying to figure how to get a decent sounding recording. ta much

[Gitarista_05]

It's not bad! was just thinking of recording a song. atleast you got me some advice. good article!

[theused101]

good article, jeez i didnt even notcie that there was anything wrong with the grammer, leave him alone you guys>

[feesk8ordie]

Just wondering, I wanna record some songs, but can't afford four track and don't have a computer. what is the quality of tape recorders (dictaphones?) for guitar and vocal recording?