How to mix piano and lead guitar?

[Chris lawton]

Hey guys.

I'm quite competent on guitar and piano. Been playing both for 17 years and 29 years old. Not boasting at all just saying so you know my skill level roughly. I'm really enjoying piano at the moment but want to do a song with both. Here is a track on YouTube of my latest little piano song ( not after hits just so you know what sound I like)

Sad Piano Song (Original "Show Me Love") - YouTube

I have the piano centerd as it has its own panning naturally. Then I have strings to about 10% one side. Now when I record guitar songs only obviously I have 2 rhyt guitars panned left and right and bass in centre and then lead in centre too. And works great ( if you wanna check out my YouTube channel and listen to my rock instrumental). But I feel that with piano centred and guitar centred too and strings only 10% won't it be too much in middle?

Any help would be great!

Thanks guys

 

[Robus]

I've been doing this a fair amount lately. An electric piano patch that I've been using a lot has a smooth synth pad that pans center right, while the EP is spread across the center but weighted just a little to the left. I could go into the EP panels (it's an old Korg Triton) and modify the patch, but it sounds pretty good as is so I just work with it. The guitar parts that need to stand out get hard panned, usually right to stay clear of the piano. I've got a track up on the MP3 Clinic right now, listen from about 2:45 to hear the piano and guitar solo.

https://homerecording.com/bbs/general-discussions/mp3-mixing-clinic/cadillac-express-383550/

Not saying this is the best way, just how I've been doing it.

 

[Chris lawton]

I actually quite like your song and the guitar does stand out. How hard panned do you go with the guitar? I've always just used the lease guitar in the centre for all my recordings in the last 10 years but now I want piano to take main stage but still be able to put in a guitar solo.

 

[Robus]

Thanks! The lead guitar is 100% right. In fact, all the guitars on this song are hard panned left or right. I've had a bit of an epiphany just recently when it comes to mixing. Formerly, I was of the school of thought that said the more important parts like solos should be panned toward the center and louder in the mix. Lately I've been hard panning them right or left instead, and then clearing space for them by moving or EQing the supporting instruments. I'm finding that the more I do that, the less loud they need to be while still being heard. The result is that my mixes seem to feel more open, with more air between and around the parts, which is what I am going for.