Getting Started: Recording One Thing at a Time

My Getting Started series continues with an explanation of how you can use the limitations of recording a single track at a time to focus on capturing one solid performance at a time.

---

The Third video explains:

1. Why you don't have to record the whole song in a single take

2. Why recording one part at a time can be a good thing

---

I never set out to be a YouTube creator but I sincerely want to thank everyone who's watched and subscribed to my channel over the last few years. While 2000+ subscribers may be a very small amount in the grand scheme of things, I've been able to interact with many people of all ages and experience levels—many of whom are brand new to recording themselves at home in our post-pandemic world.

Earlier this summer, I started a short Getting Started series on YouTube to help encourage and support those exploring the world of making their own music at home during COVID-19. While some may be new to music entirely, there are plenty who are already experienced and talented performers that have never been forced to record themselves unassisted or with limited resources.

To be clear, the Getting Started playlist is not intended as a step-by-step "How To" course, but rather a primer on some of the basic concepts that can make the whole recording process easier, less frustrating, and more enjoyable.

Painting with broader strokes, these same concepts can be applied as you scale your efforts and move on to better gear and more powerful software. We all start somewhere, so please continue to be humble and help those you can.

The third video in the series addresses the limitations of many mobile apps, specifically the ability to only record a single track at a time. This is a good example of how the recording session often differs from a live performance, in both mindset and process.

With the release of iconic albums such as Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and Pet Sounds, the recording studio quickly became much more than just a place to document the performance of a song. Artists and producers now had a creative space to take their songs further and create sonic pieces of art that weren't necessarily limited by what the band could pull off live.

This means being able to craft and assemble a more polished production that showcases your song and musical vision in its best light. While it can seem disingenuous to some, it's a very similar process to how our favorite films are created—not always in real-time or even in a "start-to-finish" sequence. Instead, you simply have more options to deliver the best results for your audience, if and when you decide they're needed.

What other challenges or questions have come up in your music-making journey? If there is enough interest, I'd be glad to add to the series whenever it helps someone.

In the meantime, please stay safe and feel free to reach out at any time to tell me about your music!

If anything here has helped you, or if you know someone who might benefit, please share it within your musical circles and on social media.

Thanks, and Rock On!

Please Subscribe

get thoughts on music-making & making music thoughtful

we respect your privacy