CMT Blog: Archive

When I was asked to jot some things down for this blog, they were daring enough to give me a blank slate on choosing a topic -- brave souls. But man, the choices of things I have opinions on and could ramble about are really many and varied. Of course, the choices of the things you may want to read, on the other hand, might be a shorter list.So where to start? Well, in the last six months, I've tackled recording my first solo album in a whopping eight years, so some meandering thoughts on recording might be fun. Maybe I've managed to get a little sharable wisdom over the years.

I've had the good fortune to sit in on all kinds of sessions: big & small; on pro-equipment & on duct-taped gear; with vets & rookies, AS a vet & a rookie; in multi-million dollar studios where you're afraid to touch the furniture & in friends' living rooms or basements.

And in all of those situations with all of those variables, there are a few things that I've come to learn are pretty important to the process -- that are pretty important to the music we create.

To start with, there's choosing the song. Doesn't really matter if you have written it or somebody else has. What is important is whether the song is believable through the voice singing it. I mean, a 12-year-old singing about drinking might not be the best match. Find songs that are appropriate for you and your style of singing.

Also, before you record a song, make sure that the key is right for you -- not just in a soft studio setting, but in a live setting as well. You should be able to take the song and reproduce the song in that key. I mean, this is bluegrass -- we like to play out. So it's best not to have songs in keys that are gonna make you strain something.

Remember that certain songs don't work for everybody. I might find some songs that sound great. I like ‘em, but I just don't sound great singing ‘em. Or I'll find songs that maybe I don't really like all that well, but they just suit my voice & style of singing.

So, yeah, you've picked out the perfect song. Now you've gotta record it. Personally, I probably have about five or so hot button rules for recording.

#1 ... Listen to what the people around you are playing. If you have a really strong vision of what a song should look like, or if you're stuck on the demo of it you already heard, you might be overlooking what the other members of your group can add. That's one of my favorite things about playing with both the current Dan Tyminski Band and with Alison & Union Station. There's a lot of listening going on with both those groups, and it just adds so much.

#2 ... Make sure you have new strings. Change ‘em often. It's really of the utmost importance that if you tend to deaden your strings quickly, change them before going on to the next song. And if you're not sure? Change ‘em anyway. In the course of one day, the instrument can end up sounding vastly different at the end of the day then it did at the start. And if you're working on a full album? That could make a big difference when all is said and done in how consistent your project is.

#3 ... Let's see -- number three has gotta be the one that sounds a little obvious, but is oh so important. Make sure everyone is in tune. That each instrument is truly in tune with the others. A lot of people aren't really sticklers for it, but even the smallest differences are noticeable.

#4 ... Experiment with your studio gear. If you have access to different microphones, take the time to try all the mics that are within your means to try. Some mics suit some instruments better -- and when you find that magic, it's always worth the time spent. And sometimes it can just be mic placement, so experiment! This is really important with bluegrass recordings. Bands that record with mostly electric instruments don't necessarily have the same battles that we do. They have a more consistent sound coming out of the instruments. Acoustic instruments need a little more love, a little more trial & error.

Oh, and then there's headphones. When you're recording, the levels that you listen to in your headphones drastically affect how you play. I think you should always run your headphones as low as you can get away with, so you're forced to put out some volume with your voice or your instrument. The tendency is to turn your headphone volume up so much that you simply don't play loud enough and you don't get the tone that you could be getting with a lower headphone. Singers particularly, a lot of singers have it so loud that they just aren't singing loud enough to get a good tone. A common mistake -- in and out of bluegrass -- so experiment in that area, too.

Basically, just make sure you know you're getting the best sound that you can get. Once it goes to tape, equalization can only do so much.

Which brings us to #5 on my recording hit parade. ... Have fun when you record! Be in a good frame of mind. If there's some tension or some underlying grudge or difference between the musicians, that stuff should be resolved, and everyone should feel good about what they're about to do. It absolutely makes a difference. When you're having fun, you make better music!

OK, so you've got a song, you've got a recording, you're in the home stretch, but then there's the review & the mix.

For me? The key is to take your recordings away from the studio and play ‘em on different stereos. Don't put all your eggs in that one basket of listening through one set of speakers in one room. Multiple sets of speakers are necessary to hear the full range of your recording. For my album, I actually went into Guitar Center here in Nashville and played it on multiple sets of speakers right there. I tried to listen on every set they had -- to get the best idea of where the center was.

I also really like to let my kids hear the recordings. Gauging their reaction is great, because children are so painfully honest that if you find a child enjoys it, you can be sure the rest of the world will probably fall in line.

And when all is said & done, the things that sound good we keep, the things that sound bad we nix, and then, what do you know, we have song!

Have fun, make lots of music.

-- Dan