Recording Tips - Acoustic Guitar
Here are some basic recording tips for guitarists who plan to record their guitar tracks. As a Filipino composer and arranger, I’ve also recorded live guitar tracks from time to time. Though I’m admittedly not very technically proficient in guitar playing, I’ll share you some of my knowledge on how to make your guitar recording sound professional.
1. Tune your strings - VERY important. This alone will make or break your recording. People without a musical ear may not mind if your E string is 1/4th step lower but your co-musicians will. Keeping your instruments in tune during your recordings is one step for other musicians to respect you. If you’re not confident with manual fine tuning, use a guitar tuner gadget.
2. Practice - Have a rough run of your part before actually recording. You may discover new patterns on the spot or improve existing ones. Practice your cues.
3. Music sheet or Chords guide - Although not necessary, having your sheet music at the ready is very helpful. It’s human nature to sometimes forget things under pressure. In this case, we sometimes forget the chord pattern or the correct notes. With your sheet music at hand, you can instantly review the pattern if this happens.
4. Click Track - If you’re not confident with your tempo and timing. Utilizing a metronome or click track is the way to go. This will keep your timing in line.
5. Microphone Position - Whatever type of microphone (though a condenser type is recommended) you will use, find the position that really brings out your guitar’s natural sound. The mic doesn’t always have to be in front of the guitar hole. Experiment.
There you go. I hope my tips can help you. Maybe you can share some of your tips too. Happy recording!
additional guitar tips…
When you first put in new strings, pull the strings out gently (pref, by trying to lift the guitar holding only on one string at a time) to stretch it thoroughly… Do this until every string will resist the un-tuning no matter how many times you pull…
Being 1/4 or even 1/8 out of the normal tune sounds horrendous to people with trained ears…
Play the guitar; don’t stiff yourself in trying to remember each and every note. Try to emphasize on the word “Play”… it’s supposed to be fun, not stiff… Try it and see the difference…
I’ve been recording acoustic guitar a lot lately with a pair of microphones. Stereo-miked acoustic can sound amazing, especially with singer-songwriter music or solo guitar stuff.
Nice site!
Hi Joe, that’s great! Thanks for visiting.
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As a guitarist getting the latest guitar tips is an important thing to do, this can help you learn the latest tricks and tips on how to play the guitar better.
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