Production for Songwriters
We sometimes like to use the catch phrase, ”If it goes on a CD, we do it”. We can take a lyric and/or a melody then put these to organized music, usually within a few hours. This includes at minimum, a basic beat (Drum Machine) & bass. Now you can record the vocals and work on the arrangement, adding guitars/strings/synths/backgrounds, etc. This is a good way to see if you are on the right track to the vision of what your song sounds like in your mind.
Production for Rappers
Too many rappers, like to read their lyrics. You should be trying to tell a story, a story told with great passion. Try telling the story without reading, if you can’t, then you don’t know the story well enough. Practice in front of a mirror, if you believe the story then everyone else will. Poetry is the highest creative art form, followed by Music then Painting.
Good beats are hard to come by! Does the beat you have help or take away from your vocal/lyrics? Sometimes a simple beat will work better for your story than a busy one. Your vocal is the most important part of the song. Don’t make it compete with the beat. Youtube beats are fine to get your groove right and your lyrics written, but unless you plan on paying ‘that person’ royalties, you’ll need to have your own music when it comes time to record your original lyrics. Luna Recording has several ‘in-house’ producers and an ‘in-house’ band, ‘The Just Intervals’! We can also connect you with venues to perform your songs in and promote your original music!
Production for Bands
Okay, you’ve done all the pre-production required. Now it’s time to tell the engineer/producer what you want to sound like. Sometimes it can be hard to convey what you hear in your head to somebody else. Now imagine what a four piece band goes through. I usually ask a band or artist to give me the flavors from other bands they think are close to the sound they want. For example, “I want the acoustic sound of Mumford and Sons but with a Rolling Stones drum sound and Katy Perry vocals with Keith Urban electric guitars”. Cool. Now the engineer/producer can get to work and listen to the bands you described and maybe spend some time with you in rehearsal.
Doing a good job in the studio takes time. Try and find out how long your favorite bands spent in the studio recording their last CD. Getting everything played right takes time. Getting everything played right with passion and a great performance takes a little longer. I know what you’re going to say, “we don’t have a record deal or the budget to spend that kind of time in the studio”. Budgets are always a problem, but here’s what I’ve found out. It’s better to do one song really well, make it great, than to do five songs just okay. If you have one great sounding song people will want to hear more. Five songs, just ok, not so much. Make it sound like it’s on the radio and climbing up the charts.
Take your time in the studio, get past the nerves and insecurity and go for a great performance! If you have little ‘fix-its’ to do, do them. Don’t have any doubts about your song. Look who you’re competing against, the entire corpus of musical history. Put your absolute best into your music! If a promoter or record executive says ‘no’ because of something you didn’t correct, then you didn’t do everything you could have to realize your dreams and desires. Make the sacrifices properly, invest in your entrepreneurship, practice, get your life together, be responsible, take aim at your dreams, and don’t give up!
Break a Leg.