Studio Work Tips
Here you will find some useful tips for working in any kind of music Studio. Some tips relate more to working in commercial studio and some to working in a homestudio. If you have a tip that could help other musicians, don’t hesitate to share it with us – just use the form below! Thanks!
Last updated: 30. January 2021
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This goes for two different situations:
– Of course you should always listen to what are other musicians playing so you don’t “step” on their lines. If the musicians are in the studio at the same time, you can talk to them and you can go through the arrangement. But if you are alone in the studio or even at home in your own studio, you still have to listen what other instruments are playing to find your own little spot where you can contribute to the song the best way.
– If you’re in the studio with other musicians, mixers and producers try not to be the loudest person in the room. Especially if your colleagues are much more experienced than you. Try to listen what they have to say and learn from that. It’s the best kind of education you can get…
Yes, you should be fun to work with but don’t overdo it! A small joke (one, not hundred!) in between is ok, a small chat with your colleagues, the producer and/or the engineer is fine, too. But in general is always better to talk or even give your opinion only when asked. Remember: it’s not your music so you’re only there to support the artist the best way you can. You do your job well and let others do theirs, too. At the end of the session don’t forget to thank that person who hired you for the job and let him know that you’ve really enjoyed working with him/her. Keep it simple!
If you’re booked for the session where there is an existing demo or even individual tracks and they just want you to do the clean recordings then you should learn the parts well and even find a sound or two that in your opinion would be a good fit for the part. There’s always a chance that you’ll have to do some stuff “on the fly” but more often than not the artist falls in love with the demo and wants to have the exact same parts on the final product.
If you’re going to do a session in some other studio always call and ask them what gear do they have that you can use and what they expect you to bring with you. You don’t want to show up, let’s say, with your Strat and Les Paul just to hear that they need you to play a Tele and an acoustic guitar on the session. A simple call in advance can save a lot of time and nerves…
Some studios provide snacks, hot and cold beverages, maybe even lunch and some don’t. If you have a session and you don’t know the studio you better bring your own “survival kit” with you: a snack or two, maybe a chocolate bar, something to drink like water, tea or coffee and depending on a time of the year maybe a sweater or a small towel and a spare T-shirt. You can thank me later…
To be on time often means you’re late. Always ask if the agreed session time means the time when musicians start coming in or when the red light already goes on. You have stuff to do, setup your gear, warm up, get in the zone so it’s always a good idea to be at least half an hour or even an hour early. But always ask the producer or studio engineer first when can you come in and do the preparations so you can be ready to go when the session starts.