Are you ready? Tips for preparing your song for the studio.
- Does everyone in the band know the song inside and out? Is their a part someone is unsure of?
- Is everyone performing their part the same each time? Of course there is room for some movement in jazz, blues and other forms of musical expression. However, variations can cause sections to not be tight or to groove.
- Is the band playing dynamically? Is the music breathing? Does it get louder in the bridges and chorus’s and come down during the verses? Is there extension and release through the song as parts change?
- Does the intensity or drive of the song decrease as the volume goes down? Are attacks and releases less accurate or defined when playing softer?
- Are the stops and start together? Is everyone playing the same thing or are parts varying?
- Does the song sound tight? Is the band operating as a cohesive unit or ensemble? Is everyone paying attention to the rest of the band? Is everyone playing dynamically together?
- Is the band checking tuning? Are all tuners checked against each other just to make sure they are all exactly the same?
- Does the song groove? Does it make you want to tap your toe and move? Is the rhythm section in the pocket?
- Is everyone locked in or does the tempo seem to waver? Is the tempo right for the song? Take it up or down 1 to 3 BPM and see what it feels like.
- Is the song in the right key for the vocalists? Is the sound of the vocal right for the song? Is everyone comfortable hitting the notes?
