recording your vocals... how much should it cost?

I have had a lot of fun in the studio lately- I did some vocal production with new artists Catherine Hagen, Memphis Cole & Darby Haas at Ronny Light's little house studio. They were just doing piano or guitar demos, not full track productions, but they all were happy they hired a vocal producer. (And that made ME happy!) The studio can be a strange, disconnected and uncomfortable place to sing, even for people very confident in live performance. They each actually gained a lot of knowledge about studio singing, and gained new vocal ability...as opposed to trial and error without any guidance. They also ended up with recordings of their voices that they'll feel confident letting people hear.

When you're considering how much money you want to spend on your studio project, ask yourself:

• Are you really vocally ready for a master ready-to-sell project?

If not, consider saving your big bucks till later and do your own "artist development" homework...

• Get some vocal training
• Buy some cheap gear and experiment recording yourself. When you feel pretty good about your level of ability...
• Get a simple guitar or piano track made (or get ready-made tracks if you can find what you want).
• Schedule recording your vocals with a professional who can help jump-start your learning process. Your engineer may be able to help, but make sure he does knows how to direct you.

Another way I recommend highly for getting your project done is this:

• Pick your producer
• Write and/or find your songs (your producer should help a lot with this process)
• Do some pre-production to find your best keys and tempos for each song
• Get the tracks recorded while doing "scratch vocals" so you're SURE of the tempos and keys.
• IMPORTANT... don't immediately go sing your master vocals. Wait at least three weeks and work with your tracks (preferably with a good vocal coach). Even though you know your songs, they will feel differently when you sing with your new tracks. Your voice needs to learn the "dance".
• When you're confident, schedule your master vocal recording dates (preferably with a good vocal producer)

And note that your vocal producer CAN be different from your track producer. Many producers use specialists such as vocal producers as part of the team.

Final note... I know recording can be expensive but how much would you spend on a college education? If you have the right team with you, there will be no regrets. Don't waste your money. My advice is to know what you expect the end results to be and get the size production, and the right team, to make that happen.

I'm happy to answer your questions about recording. Just click on "comments" below or email me: judyrodman@comcast.net

Recording "Studio Hands"

I just got back from 3ABN studio in West Frankfort, Illinois. I had the pleasure of working with the awesome husband and wife team Reggie and Ladye Love Smith. During the sessions, I shared a quick vocal technique with them that really made a difference in our singing- and we all needed it- me as well. I call it "studio hands". If this was helpful to such great seasoned singers as Reggie and Ladye, it can work for ANYONE.

What is the technique I call "studio hands"? (I was hoping you'd ask :)

It is simply using your hands in a way that causes the bottom of your ribcage to stay flexibly expanded. This gives your diaphragm the ability to stay taut and to control your air pressure. You see it in great singing of all genres- classical to hip hop. There are many ways to do it, and I recommend trying them all to see what works best for you.

For vocal control, for high or low notes, for sustains (holding notes out), for more volume, for subtle licks, etc... (For just about any vocal chore you'd like to accomplish):

• Clasp your hands together, classical style, at the bottom of your ribcage. Press your hands into each other for vocal power and control.
• Alternately, Lace your fingers together in front of your ribcage. As you "go for" a difficult note, press your fingers into each other. If you're doing this correctly, you'll notice your ribcage just got wider, your butt & abs tightened.
• Or, try touching your fingertips together, again in front of your ribcage. Press your fingertips into each other as you sing.
• Another way: Squeeze your fists to expand your ribcage. Caution: don't squeeze your ribcage when you squeeze your fists. Keep the squeeze only in your hands. Your ribs should go OUT, not IN!
• Or, try "talking" actively with your hands. Sometimes this is all you need.

What to avoid:

• Don't hand your hands and arms stiffly at your sides. Your arms can easily become "rib anchors", causing your ribs to tighten. This will truly screw up your vocal control. If you leave your hands and arms at your sides, be sure there is "life" in the muscles, making them feel weightless.
• Don't press your hands into each other at hip level. This can cause the opposite of what you want... it can make your ribcage tighten. Make sure they are at chest level.

We talk with our hands. Why on earth do we make ourselves sing without them??????? Next time you record something... try using some "studio hands"! Let me know how it comes out... and by the way, Reggie and Ladye have an incredible new Christian music project. I will let you know where to find them when their new website gets up and running.

The Voice of Hank Williams Sr

I had an interesting gig last Thursday. I booked veteran studio vocalist friends Margie Cates and Michael Black to drive out to Hartford, Tn with me and sing on Jet Williams' new album. She is the daughter of Hank Williams, senior. This was contested for quite a while by her brother Hank, but it was adjudicated that she is indeed his half-sister. It was a blast. Bobby Bradley was the engineer who hired us. Bobby is the nephew of the great Owen Bradley, who produced among others Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Buddy Holly.

I was raised listening to my father play Hank Williams songs at our kitchen table to relax after his job as an air traffic controller. It gave me a rush to watch Jet pull out her father 's old acoustic guitar upon which he recorded "Your Cheating Heart". She smiled as I touched the strings. When I turned it over, I could see the worn wood where Hank had held it against him, and there was a scratched place on the front near the bridge where many pick strokes had scraped wood.

She also played us a part of an old radio show that her father sang and did a comedy bit on. This audio ended up in a dumpster at one time. It and many other audio shows were rescued, remastered and will be included in an upcoming Hank Williams Sr. release you will be hearing about in a few months.

This chance meeting with the past reminded me of the first time I ever played the Grand Ole Opry and stood on that worn wood circle they kept at the mic, saved from the original floor. Also the first time I played the Tonight Show and stood behind the curtain waiting to go on, in a spot where so many had waited their own turn in the past.

Hank Williams died way too young, a victim of his substance abuse. But he left a legacy of music that lives on. May we always honor the ones who came before (in every genre), and may we seek to make the kind of music that is good enough to live on, blessing people way beyond our time. If my son remembered his mother's song, I'd say this would be the ultimate in vocal success.

Fyi... www.music-and-technology.com is a cool site I've found exploring the web for info you might need. According to their blurb, this site has "Resources for the Recording Musician", including Message Board, How To Guides, Required Reading Book List, Links/Directory, and more. Let me know if you find any good spots!

Recording Studio Vocal Producer...Do You Need One?

What is a vocal producer?
Do I need one?

These are questions which should be asked by everyone needing to record a voice. Period. Why? Because it can make SO MUCH DIFFERENCE to the final outcome.

Ok, I know this may be a bit self-serving, because I am one (a vocal producer). But sometimes you truly do NOT need one. Here's how you can tell:

1. Does your vocal quality really matter that much in this recording? If you are just putting a quick song down that won't be heard by the music industry outside your inner circle, maybe it doesn't matter. Included in under this heading would be: songwriter worktapes (rough recordings to put the song down), pre-production recording (to experiment with vocal style, find the best key for your voice, see if the song really fits you, etc.) , casual or non professional recordings where you don't need to sound your best.
2. Is the producer of your recording project really a good vocal producer as well as an instrumental track producer? Sometimes they are both instrumental and vocal producer rolled into one. Quite frankly, this is rare. There is a difference between KNOWING WHAT TO TELL SOMEONE TO DO when they sing and KNOWING HOW TO HELP THEM DO IT! For example, Tom Paden www.padenplacemusic.com is a great producer and artist developer who is wise enough and caring enough of his clients to suggest they hire me for vocal production. They are not always quite sure why they need this, but after they record, they are amazed and very happy with the results they can get with a vocal producer. They also gain vocal instruction which helps them improve their voices immediately.
3. Are you a veteran of the recording studio? Hey, sometimes even YOU need objective feedback from someone with a qualified ear who knows how you sing at your best. This is especially true with "master" vocals, which are "final vocals" you intend to sell, or with which you intend to pitch yourself or your song to the music industry. Assessing your own vocals while singing is never a good idea anyway. It scatters your focus. It IS best for you to make the final decision on whether to keep the vocal or to re-record it, but get another team member to help pull out your best as you record.
4. Can you afford it? If you can't, try to at least find a recording engineer who knows some things about the voice. If you just get a great "techie" who is not a singer or musician at the board, you're on your own :) I love working with these techies because I can trust them to record the vocals right; when paired with a good vocal producer it can make for a great recording team. I have an engineer I've worked with who has decided to take vocal lessons from me to understand how to better serve his clients who can't afford another recording team member. How cool is that?

Have you had experience with or without a vocal producer? If so, click on the comment link below this post and share your thoughts!

More thoughts on vocal pitch problems

I want to add some thoughts to my previous post:
Slowwww Dowsnnnn when you try the target practice exercise. Take plenty of time to:

1. Hear the music- the note(s) you play
2. Intend to hit that pitch dead center (focus your mind in a purposeful aim)
3. Support your aim (use your breath support centered in the pelvic floor to lift your voice into the right placement)

You can go a bit faster only when you are consistantly accurate in hitting pitch at the slower speed. This slowing down is vitally important... don't shortcut training the automatic nervous system. If you are used to being inaccurate with pitch it may take some time to re-train yourself and to trust yourself to sing in tune.

Before long your singing won't be like a game of vocal pin-the-tail-on-the-pitch. Your ears will be wide open and you will have begun habitually AIMING your voice at the right pitch!!

Another suggestion having to do with studio singing... don't think the recording engineer can make your vocal all it should be with vocal tuning. This technology is used, in my humble opinion, FAR TOO MUCH in today's recordings. The human voice sounds and communicates to the heart better with natural variences not usually allowed by those who over-tune vocals. Flying the same chorus everywhere can backfire and sound BORING!

Not to say vocal tuning and flying should not be done. On the contrary, sometimes it's wonderful to keep a vocal that has just the right magic but needs a slight pitch tweaking. And sometimes the chorus really is the same. It depends on the genre you're going for. Ask yourself (or someone whose opinion you trust) if you sound like a machine. If so, swallow your pride, get out your checkbook for studio time and sing a couple more passes of that song !!

Vocal Training: Pitch Issues and Target Practice

If you have pitch problems, it can usually be chalked up to:

1. The acoustic instruments (piano, ac. guitar) aren't loud enough
2. You aren't really listening to the music
3. The bass is too loud (overtones can fool you)
4. The electric guitar is too loud, or you're swimming in violin, steel, harmonica or organ
5. You don't want to listen to the music!
6. Your earphones are all the way flush against your ears instead of one side partially off (ok, so some people do well this way... go figure!)
7. You can't hear yourself acoustically and get aurally disoriented
8. You aren't connecting to your voice to the music
9. There is too little or too much reverb on your voice
10. You aren't really listening to the music
11. Your shoulder/back/neck/spine/big toe or some other part hurts and you aren't supporting your voice well enough for accuracy
12. You aren't really listening to the music

There are a lot of suggestions in the list above, but did you notice a certain redundancy? YOU AREN'T REALLY LISTENING TO THE MUSIC... You think you are, but you're not aiming at the center of the pitch in the music. And it's hard to hit something when you aren't aiming. Many times this is what is going on.

Here is a great way to fix it. Target practice!! Every day, make time to practice your aim. Hit a piano key or a note on guitar. Sing a short syllable like "la" or ya" and try to hit the pitch dead on. IMPORTANT: make sure you know when you're right- if you're not sure, enlist the help of a friend who CAN hear whether you're on pitch or not. Check yourself one note at time, then picking more random notes ( a short phrase) and see if you can hit them. Keep making the notes harder to hit.

You'll be amazed. Even people who have had damage to their ears from childhood infections, etc. can learn to be on pitch. If you want to bad enough, you can do it. Just make time for target practice!

Vocal Performance: Messages

There's an ancient Chinese proverb that goes something like this:
"A songbird doesn't sing to be heard, it sings because it has a song." I translate that proverb into this observation- The most important part of vocal performance is... THE MESSAGE!!

Here is an interesting vocal exercise:

Next time you choose to generate sound waves with your vocal apparatus, (or write something for someone else to sing!!)- I challenge you to honestly ask yourself: What is my motivation(s) for using my voice? Check all soul-searching answer (or answers) that apply:

• I'm trying to get someone to like me
• I'm trying to impress someone with my talent
• I'm trying to win a contest
• I want to make a fortune- no matter what addiction, violence, hate or sexual misconduct I have to sanction with my music.
• I want to be famous (worshipped)
• I need to know I have a voice that is heard
• I want to make a living with music I believe in
• I'm looking for a musical rush- to feel the passion of my own voice
• I'm singing as background vocalist for someone's recording project or live show and they are trusting me to give my best vocal efforts
• I'm speaking my truth for anyone who will hear
• I'm mad and want to expose something
• I'm in love and want to sing about it
• I want to entertain and make people happy (and it's really about them)
• I want to make people think
• I'm trying to share some insight on love/faith/justice/forgiveness/freedom/mercy/integrity/faithfulness/life/etc.
• I have a song you need to hear!

Btw... the only right answer is a truthful answer :)

The first answers, as you can see, involve insecurity and nervousness centered around yourself. I'd be lying if I claimed I have never been nervous or vocally insecure (that's how I know what YOU are doing! hehehehe)

As for contests... I'll share my thoughts about them on a future post, but here's a clue: I would like a contest named something like"American Positive Role Model" to take the place of "American Idol". (Investors welcome!)

If you're like me, you have more than just one motivation. And if you, like me, make a living with music, you have to draw your own fine line between the business and the art of music. As for me...I sang jingles and background vocals exclusively for many years, and I found that I almost lost my love of making music until I began writing songs that meant something to me. I still do background vocals and jingles today, but I know I also have to regularly sink my teeth into a message my heart needs to communicate to keep the fires going.

The paradox is, the more you make your performance a useful message to your listener instead of all about you, the better your vocal technique tends to be. See previous posts about body language on this blog.

Here is a possibly uneasy fact to wrap your head around. When you use your voice, you are sending a message. That message may cause people to like or dislike you, buy or not buy your music, reject or dismiss you, or... change something in their life or mark a memory because of your vocal performance. Music is THAT powerful!

Every choir practice. Every songwriting session. Every casual jamfest. Every recording. Every show. Remember who you are. Remember what messages you want your audience to hear. Then your singing can be considered - dare I say - a holy art. Comments always welcome...

Jaw movement and the voice

The position and movement of the jaw has significant effects on the voice. You may hear different points of view from various vocal teachers about what you should try to do with your jaw. Whatever you are taught, just know that you can over-do what is being suggested.

Here's what I've learned by experience with both my own voice and that of my students and recording clients:

A stiff jaw (I call it "lockjaw") will limit your control of pitch, vocal range, tone color, and articulation. It will numb the eyes, which need to sparkle with communication in order to stimulate and expand the upper nasal membrane (yes, the eyes are intricately connected to the nose). It will tighten the throat, causing the larynx to rise uncomfortably (not good) with high notes. It thins the voice and causes vocal fatigue to quickly set in.

Sooooo... what to do?

• First of all, drop the jaw loosely. Don't drop it tightly like pliers, drop it at the hinge like a monkey wrench. You know that phrase from the movie "Forrest Gump" - "Life Is Like A Box Of Chocolates"... try talking in that slack-jawed way and you should feel the jaw dropping.

NOTE: DO NOT OVER-DROP the jaw!! In fact, Forrest Gump drops the jaw too much for good vocal production. You need to feel distance between your molars, but to do this correctly you need to lift the upper jaw more than drop the lower one when you sing or speak. Anatomically, when I say "lift the upper jaw", I'm really trying to get you to lift your soft palate and the back of your nasal membrane. If you're doing this, your eyes will show it. The upper jaw lift feels like the beginning of the yawn. If you over-drop the jaw, you'll compromise this upwards lift.

• Secondly, move the jaw in a chewing motion. Don't over-chew; what I'm talking about is a slight sideways movement that unlocks the jaw much like a slight twist unlocks a frozen nut or screw. I noticed this when one of the members of my church choir was having trouble holding a note. When I suggested that she move her jaw in a slight chewing motion, all her vocal fatigue with this note disappeared.

So, give your jaw permission to be free...JUST DON'T OVER DO IT!

FYI: I have two cd packages available on my vocal training method "Power, Path and Performance".

• My 6-cd package sells normally for $130 + $5 s&h; if you order it by calling 615-347-5195 or emailing judyrodman@comcast.net, I will discount it to $99 + $5 s&h.
• My 1-cd condensed course sells for $17 plus $3 s&h. It's new, not even on the internet yet, so order it by the same phone or email.

Back Off the Pressure!

Here's a very important tip for using max vocal power...

DON'T DO IT!

I mean... never use 100% of the power you have available to sing. It will turn into "pushed" sound instead of what I like to call "pulled" sound.

Instead of "pushing", imagine pulling your voice, by the word, from above and behind you. If you sing as hard as you can, you will tense muscles and tendons in your neck, shoulders, jaw and tongue- oh, yes- and your larynx! This will limit your vocal range, will make it very hard and effortful to reach for upper notes, will fatigue your voice, and will sound strained, thin and brittle.

Instead, back off the pressure and you will find yourself with more vocal range, tone and pitch control. You'll be able to blend your registers much better. Your voice will less likely suffer from strain and fatigue.

That's because when you back off a bit, you'll be better able to keep your throat open, giving the vibrations from your larynx an open path to the resonation zones in your face, sinuses, nose, throat and trachea. You'll be able to blend your vocal registers so you are not screaming chest voice and then changing to weak head voice.

Here's the bottom line: Vocal volume should come from more resonation, not more pressure through your vocal cords!!!

IMPORTANT: As you back off the power, you should (and can) add PASSION! Meaning, with less strain in your face, neck and shoulders, you can articulate the words and emotions of your song even stronger.

So......

Whether live performance or in the studio: Back off the pressure + add passion, and you'll find that less is truly more!

Posture for Singers- Studio

Many times a singer has trouble getting studio vocals and can't figure out why. It happens a lot with vocalists who do a lot of live performance work and are used to singing while holding a microphone (wired or wireless). But of course, it also happens with people who are new to the studio.

Try changing your posture!

• First of all, stand with your feet in farther towards the mic than you're used to. Ask the engineer to make this possible, which may entail a longer boom stand position so you can move under it. You may need to move the music stand farther back, too. (THOUGH I HOPE YOU'RE NOT READING THE LYRIC WHILE PERFORMING!!)It's so important not to move your head forward (closing the ribs and the throat), and if you move it forward while in this position, you'll hit the mic with your mouth!
• Stand tall, flexible, and confident! Don't stand there like a bump on a log. Unless your voice needs to communicate that you are a bump on a log :)
• Talk with your hands!!! Use your hands just like you would with your friendliest live crowd (or your favorite unguarded vocal performance in the shower or to a pet audience) Your hands are connected to your arms...which are connected to your shoulders... spine... ribcage... DIAPHRAGM. Your expressive hands & arms can keep your chest from caving in, which gives your diaphragm too much slack and also limits your inhale. You need to keep the bottom of your ribs expanded but not frozen, and "talking with your hands" can help.
• Use a dummy mic! I've had amazing success having vocalists use to live performance hold a dead mic or similarly weighted object in their hands while singing. It psychologically causes the body to balance itself differently. Without the mic, these singers feel front-heavy, like a fish out of water. Sometimes all they need to do is to use the previous tip and "talk with their hands". However, sometimes that's not enough. If you'd like to try this, grab the dummy mic and hold it close to your mouth like you do on stage, but keep your mouth closer to the live mic which is recording you.
• Air out your armpits! Don't clench your ribcage with your upper arms. This is a position you assume when you're scared. If you're scared, don't show it with body language.
• Let the groove get into your legs! If you allow a dance-like sway in your feet, legs and hips, you will affect your spine in such a way as to free up your ribcage, and also to free up your mind. It will tell your automatic nervous system that you are confident, into the music, and confident. Act as if, and ye shall be!
• Keep your head level! Don't lift or dip your chin. Just flexibly balance your head on your neck... don't let your neck or shoulders get tight for any reason.
• Keep your eyes communicating. This affects your posture, your open throat, and your emotional impact.
• MOVE YOUR MOUTH! Communicate, communicate, communicate. What the heck are you saying? And remember, you're not singing to the control room- you're singing to the object of the song, for the sake of those who will listen to the final product and hopefully, be moved!

While you are doing your studio vocals, it is not the time to be worrying about technique... use your posture to set you up, literally, in the right position and then just get uninhibited with body language and go for it!

Studio Tips from David Pell

Judy would like to thank David Pell for guest posting these studio tips. You can find David on the internet at http://www.catsimagination.com/ Now here's David's post:

"So let's make some history today".

Twenty years from now or the day the recording session is completed that recording and performance will be the same. Every session is history. This should motivate not discourage.
You really can't explain to the producer and or recording engineer what you like or dislike unless you have some understanding of the recording process.

I've always recommended that singers invest in themselves not only in vocal lessons but learning the studio since it is an extension of their art.

• Take a recording class.
• Read liner notes on the LP,s, CD,s, magazines that describe what microphone, mic pre-amp, recording console etc. were used for that artist. That combination in conjunction with your voice makes a performance average and or special for the yourself as well as the listener / fan.
• Go and book some time in a studio that has a good microphone collection. Sing the same verse, lyric melody into every mic the studio has. Yes, this is expensive and boring but you will truly hear the difference from microphone to microphone. The expense is well worth it since you'll learn a lot about microphones and studio session time plus a networking opportunity. Who knows who might be in the studio that day.
• Judy can recommend the best way to chose a verse and or melody to best represent your vocal range for this testing. Make notes of which microphone made you sound good, great or bad. Make notes on what microphone pre-amp, EQ, compressor / limiter they used as well.
• Regardless if the studio is recording into a DAW or to tape, what you sing into before the recording device makes a difference. Many artist will go out and purchase this equipment and travel with it from studio to studio. Always trying new stuff along the way. I hear the same thing from all artist when they are in the studio for the first time. "Boy, that microphone hears everything"
  

Other helpful hints:

• Wear comfortable clothing that is not to tight. cotton is always a good choice. When you move as you are performing your clothes move as well and ruins many a take. You'll find yourself disrobing to lower your acoustic nonmusical noise. This can be a good or bad thing for the recording staff. (Judy agrees enthusiastically!)
• Jewelry rattles so take it off.
• Please let the recording engineer know how you hear the track / band and your voice in the headphones. If your voice is to loud, you'll sing too soft and thin. If your voice is mixed way-back in the headphones, you'll sing too loud and you lose the magic of your voice, plus blow it out which in turn cuts the recording day short.
• P-Pops are bad: Big rush of air before your voice comes out resulting in a big ugly bump or thumping sound on the recording. Consult with Judy on how to correct. (Check future posts for solutions, Judy says)
  

There is much more to this process and of course it is all subjective. That's a good thing because recording is an art form in its own right. Remember it needs to sound good before it hits the microphone. Don't trust "Fix it when you start mixing." In most cases it can't be fixed in the mixing process if it wasn't there to begin with.

Hope this helps you get a start on better understanding of the recording process.
Go out and make some history! -dp
http://www.catsimagination.com

Studio Singing Techniques: Body Language

Ever have trouble getting your vocals as good in the studio as you do in live performance? How you stand at the mic in the studio makes all the difference in the world.

If your hands hang limply at your sides, your face frozen in a zombie stare, your voice doesn't know what to do. If you were speaking or singing to the one to whom the lyrics of the song is directed, you would probably use a much different body language- the LANGUAGE OF COMMUNICATION! You would probably make facial expressions, use your hands, even your legs and spine would move with the groove. Technically, this tells your voice what to do in three areas: breath (your arms are connected to your spine, your spine works your ribcage), tone (moving your face and eyes make differences in your vocal resonators), and real-ness of your vocal performance. Heck, it gets YOU into your own song.

Think about it this way: Someone listens to your recorded voice on their cd player. You should affect them like a great actor who pulls you into their performance. At the mic, use body language like you naturally would if you were talking or singing the song in live performance. It's a great way to make your cd listener feel something.

In my experience ...Move it... or lose em!