Re: [Harp-L] Going into the studio for the first time

[pdxharpdog@xxxxxxxxxxx]

Not that I'm an expert on studio work, and I'm certainly no studio harmonica artist like some on the list here, but I have been in the studio about 10 times - 7 of them for my band's albums and the others were single tracks for compilation projects. 

In my humble opinion, the studio session dynamic depends heavily on the producer and the relative power that he/she might have on that particular project. For example - I have done 4 of our records with all of the harp parts created and worked out by me before going in to the studio, and I have done projects where I had worked on the songs and had ideas for parts but those were completely thrown out in favor of what the producer wanted to hear on the track. If the artist/songwriter or lead band member has a heavy hand in the production, then your relationship with that person matters more. First of all he/she probably knows what you sound like and prefers certain things regarding your harmonica part that also translate to live performances where you play together. After all, It's all about getting to play the songs live in my opinion. 

If the Producer is in majority "creative control" position, then it really depends on what he/she wants to hear from the harp. You might offer up ideas, but in the end, the Producer will tell you what to play and then cut/paste and piece it together from those takes to get the sound that they hear in their heads. Not always a bad thing - in fact, every time I have had to defer to the producer for the harp creative ideas, I have grown as an harmonica musician, and other than maybe the quantity of harp notes that remain on the released version, it is usually much better than what I came up with. The one exception is if the Producer doesn't "know" harmonica well you can have issues playing what's in his head. 

I will say that if you go into the studio with heavily prepared parts ready, that can be a bad thing - as you might have them so burned into muscle memory that it can be hard to be creative on the spot with new parts. I did that one time, and it was quite frankly a horrific and embarrassing session for me. Best to talk to the Producer up front and ask for ideas (play like Taj Mahal on Who caught the Katy, or like Led Zeppelin on When the Levee Breaks) - that way you have an idea of what the feel of the harp part is needed. Good Producers respect your opinion on the harp parts and usually will encourage a take or two of what you think, or even a take or two of something off the wall that might work) Some of the best stuff I ever did was from a "let's try something crazy" take. Also, ask them about effects - from your gigging rig, or studio gear, or just digitally added plugin effects which are usually the easiest for the Producer. Personally, I can't tell the difference between added digital effects and gear effects. You should offer your opinion on the harp effects too. 

I love the studio, because it's where you really and truly learn the song. If you record it, you'll never forget the part, ever! Band practice aside, the studio is the holy grail for actually hearing a song and all it's component parts. If you're in a band, try to attend all of the other part sessions - for moral support for your band mates, and to learn more about how a song comes together. Be happy in the studio - be humble in the studio - makes for a much better experience. The one really bad session I had was when I had memorized all the harp parts and got to the studio where they were all summarily tossed in favor of specific riffs and notes from the Producer's head. In that session, I must have apologized to the Producer a million times from the booth - "%^&*()_, Sorry Chet" - so much so that he looped my apologies and under the guise of listening to the take made me listen to my apology played over and over while he went out for a smoke. They all thought that was hilarious - me, not so much. But I learned a lesson. 

Be prepared for everything. One time I had all the harp parts for 10 songs rehearsed to perfection and as soon as I got into the studio the Producer wanted them all played on an octave lower harp - not that easy depending on how intricate the parts were on the higher octave harps. But in the end, I totally agreed with that decision. 

Lastly, when you listen to the mixed version of your harp part in the mix before mastering, AND you hear something that you don't like, speak up. Give them a logical reason as to why you don't like it - they might be able to fix it easily in Pro Tools digitally or, it might require an overdub. But do speak up. I didn't one time and it ruined my opinion of a tune that was almost perfect to my ear but for the one little thing that I hated. Another time the Producer digitally spliced a part and i could tell that no harmonica player would ever play that way live, but I let it slide. In that case the Producer's idea made sense, but I should have spoken up on why you can't play it that way. Recording is your legacy too and it's important that you like the body of work that get's mastered and produced for sale. 

Good luck - and have fun. I love the studio. 

Ross Macdonald 
www.sassparilla.info 


----- Original Message -----

From: "Richard Hunter" <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> 
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx 
Sent: Friday, January 2, 2015 2:55:31 PM 
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Going into the studio for the first time 

David McCurry wrote: 
<Some on this list are far more qualified to answer, but I would say the 
<first thing to get out of the way is being nervous. The one really great 
<thing about studio work (vs. live band performance) is that if you mess up 
<or didn't give your part the best shot, you can just do another "take". 
<Actually, I find live performance more stress producing than recording. You 
<have the "do over" factor to get the best take you can. That said, in 
<studios, time is money, so the people paying for the recording will want 
<you to nail it down as quickly as you can. Practice your part and be ready 
<BEFORE you walk into the recording studio with some idea of what you want 
<to play. Studios are no place to noodle around or to learn a new part. Make 
<notes and cheat sheets for yourself to place on a stand. 
< 
<Remember to keep extraneous noise (from hands, breathing, shirt, whatever) 
<to absolute minimum. The mics are sensitive and pick up everything. If you 
<are playing a part, don't make any sound immediately before you start or 
<after you finish. Give it a few moments until the engineer signals all 
<clear. That gives him or her some room to work on the track. 
< 
<And... remember to have fun! We all need more of that. 

All good advice. The only thing I'll add is to make sure you know what instruments you're going to need, and make sure that your gear is working before you go in: harps tuned and playable, cables in decent condition, amp (if any) working without crackles, buzzes, etc. You don't want to have to worry about your gear when you're on the studio clock, with 4-5 other musicians standing around wondering when you're going to be ready. And you don't need to--just have your kit in good working order when you go in. 

Regards, Richard Hunter