I get nervous

[antispatula]

when I record. I haven't done any serious recordings for nearly 10 months, so perhaps I'm just not used to it?? I do plenty of demos in my room, and those are super fun. But when I try doing a serious recording, I get nervous and mess up no matter what.

I think I've discovered why and what to do though.
It's ALWAYS the base instrument that messes me up, as in the first one I lay down. It's either guitar or piano. Piano is the hardest to put down first, I think because I'm not playing to anything. Does that make sense?

BUT. I've discovered I don't mess up at all if I sing along with the piano part. I don't want to record vox and piano at the same time, but when I do I get "into it," stress melts and I get a great piano recording.

Would it make sense to record a rough piano and vocals base track, then layer everything else on, then go back to the piano at the end, to record it better? I think if I could play along with the whole song when doing the piano part I'd be able to do it no problem. Does that sound like a smart idea?

[legionserial]

I have the same problem. It seems sometimes that I capture a way better performance when I'm recording rough tracks because I'm not worried about the odd flaw.

I find it a lot easier when I have scratch tracks of the entire arrangement to play along to when I'm recording for keeps. Kinda makes it easier to rock out or whatever. Especially with bass guitar for me. I have real trouble with that unless I'm really really into it. It makes perfect sense that you would want the whole tune to play to.

[ssscientist]

Hey antispatula -

Did you ever see my answer to your 'I suck at midi' thread?

Or have you given that up again?


.

[VomitHatSteve]

Yeah, it works quite fine to record a scratch track, build off of it, and rerecord that instrument later. You've got to build off of something, but who says you have to keep that around?