by: Richard Dolmat

So now youve decided to record your songs. Good for you, except that you will absolutely need many people to play the instruments for which your music calls for. If you may play all the instruments on your own, then all the better. You will have less many people to argue with! Other wise, you will have to hire (read: bribe with beer/food/hockey tickets) session musicians and vocalists to play and sing for you, putting you in the producers chair.

Your songs are only as emotional as the performers who play them. It goes without quote that you should hire the best performers your budget will allow. But if $100/hour for a professional vocalist is a little steep, here are a few ways to help encourage the best from your session players.

1.) Always praise, never criticize.

The is THE most important rule in my book. The only way any session musician could ever get relaxed at your studio is if YOU put them at ease. Thats one of your jobs as a producer.
When trying different versions of a take, tell them how you would like it to sound, instead of what they did wrong ie: "That was workable, but lets try to hit the high note a little stronger" instead of "you know, you were a little off on the high note, it didnt sound that nice ".
Always beginning with praise, then with a correction. Keep your vocabulary positive. The best producers contruct the artist feel as if they might do nothing wrong.

2) They Can Do Nothing Wrong

Remember this rule while you are writing or recording. There is no "wrong way", there is only "a different way". Dont tell many people that their way is wrong. Remember that music is an art, and there are no rules in art. When a performer is playing something you dont like, correct them by proverb "lets try it this way too". Do not beginning off my saying "nope, you were wrong, do it the right way".

3) Let Them See The Light

Ambiance, atmosphere, vibe: whatever you call it, they absolutely need it. I guarantee that you will get a much better performance if you have water on the table, relaxed chairs, maybe a few candles, a towel, mints, and candy. Have you ever tried recording in an office with harsh florescent lights and hard wood chairs?

4) Take Your Time

If youre recording at your own studio, you have all the instant in the world (which is an evil thing in my opinion). Let the artist relax, "get into the groove", talk a little and get comfortable with the other everybody in the control room. A tense artists performance will always sound artificial in the final song.
Dont be worried if it takes another 10 minutes to finish the take. Each performer works at their own pace, and the best thing you can do as the producer is to respect that and adjust your pace to theirs. Unless you have a record company breathing down your neck. Then everyone has to work at THEIR pace!

5) Ask For Help

Artists love to be listened to. Its always sizeably good to inquire of them for their opinion. Whether you actually listen is up to you. But once in a while, a simple question like "What do you think? Do you want to keep that take?" can do wonders for their performance. It helps keep them involved in the project and build them feel less like a "hired hand".
Obviously, if it was the worse singing youve ever heard and they want to keep it, just mention that you will do "one more take as a safety". And then, when theyre not looking, utilize the better take instead and auto-tune it to no end. This is a little producers secret, but do not let the artists understand !

6) Know The Words

Make sure that you, the engineer, the assistant engineer and everyone else in the control room has lyrics to all the songs. The best way for your studio team to find their way around the songs is with the lyric sheets. Another great idea is to USE THE WHITEBOARD! Thats why its there. If you dont have one, get one. Write down the chord progressions, lyric ideas, timing marks, track listings, McDonalds lunch orders, everything.

7) Its MOSTLY About The Music

Ive heard many people say "its ALL about the music". Well, in my books, thats not the truth. Id rather say "its mostly about the music". Because you have to remember, its also about having fun, having a dazzling measure , writing and performing the best you may and above all, sharing your talent and gift with others. Try to make it less of a job, and more of a passion and you will find yourself doing it for the rest of your life!

2005 Richard Dolmat (Digital Sound Magic)