How to rehearse for a recording

Rehearsal... that thing we do.

There are many ways you can prepare before coming to the recording studio. But what should you focus on?

In this short blog, we are going to go through the top 5 things to pay attention to when rehearsing the months, weeks and days before your recording session.

1- Timing

2- Sync

3- Pitch

4- Emotion

5- Execution

1- TIMING ... is of the essence.

When rehearsing try to be aware of your timing. Pre record yourself a few times on your phone to see if there's any fluctuations in your tempo. If you change things up each time this is not a bad thing. Just take notice.

Some artists seek to be in control of their timing fluctuations themselves, while others want to be super tight working with a grid or click. All approaches are okay, just make sure you are choosing the right method for your style.

I've noticed that newer bands struggle with this a lot.

And I'm not suggesting to blame everything on your drummer either.

Ways to improve timing

SOLO

Practice by yourself with a metronome (old school for guitar players but really efficient for drummers). A drum loop will also do wonders for non percussive instrumentalists.

GROUP

Set a metronome through the PA at rehearsal and try to stick to it. I'd suggest trying a few BPMs, faster and slower, to find out where the song wants to live. This will make a better emotional experience for your audience.

2- Sync

What does it mean to be in sync? While good timing sticks to your tempo, syncing with your fellow band mates ensures tighter sound. For example, make sure that your kick and bass line up where you want them like in the picture below.

KICK AND BASS PROTOOL IMAGE

If there are any big hits, make sure all instruments speak together, at the same time.

For singers: it means your vocals find the pocket where they feel the best and flow.

3- Pitch

Tuners make things "interesting" but try having the whole band tune with the same tuner in the beginning of the practice and take notice.

It will make things more coherent and easier for your singer while raising the level of your bands execution.

For singers: perfect pitch is ideal, but not always where you are at. What I strive for with all the artists I work with is to build a solid understanding of how to deliver a melody and the things that are accessible to you right now to take your singing to the next level.

More on this here (write blog for singers)

4- Emotion

Music can be passionate, exciting, tragic or whatever emotion you choose to convey.

Having a clear and shared goal as to what is it you wish to communicate musically is imperative to having a cohesive sound.

Don't expect your singer to read your mind and sing the way you are thinking your guitar riff is sounding!!!

Be vocal about it. Every part can have it's own emotional name, color or whatever will help your band express just that!

For singers: Emotion can convey a lot of things, lyrics will guide your emotional tone of voice.

More on this here (write blog for singers)

5- Execution

Practice! Practice! Practice! ... with these concepts in mind. Grind until you feel like you can play the tune in your sleep so you can make the most of your time in the studio.

Because once you're there, it's very expensive to waste time making mistakes.

"I wish I had practiced more" is one of the things I always hear people say after their first time recording.

See you in the studio!

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