In this page, I have compiled all of my research that is specific to myself and my instrument, the drums.
Some key points from this first source are:
practice playing to a metronome and the tempo maps that I have created
know the structure of the songs off by heart
practice playing rimshots
practice having constant dynamics
purchase new drum heads
know bpm (tempo maps)
service gear beforehand (oil hardware such as kick pedal)
All of these tips will be helpful for me going into the studio to record music as they are very specific to the type of music that I play. Because my music is loud and high energy, my snare will sound the best when playing with a rimshot, as this gives a louder harsher sound which is primarily used in rock and metal, and also make my snare stand out in the mix (a rimshot is the action of hitting the snare head and the rim at the same time as opposed to just the skin). It will also be beneficial for me to know my parts inside and out in order to waste as little time as possible.
Advice that I’ve found for me when going into the studio to record drums.
- ‘Become comfortable playing your parts alone, with no other instruments. There’s a good chance you’ll be doing this in the studio. Spend time working on difficult parts, so you’re well prepared for the drum recording session. Don’t just play it until you can do it right… practice it until you can’t get it wrong. Drums are often recorded first, so the drummer usually needs to be the most prepared out of the whole band.’
- ‘Buy some extra sticks, drumheads, duct/gaffers tape, and some snacks to keep you going while recording drums. If you have in-ear monitors or headphones that you use for a click track, bring those to the studio as well. The studio will usually have headphones, but you’ll be more comfortable with your own gear.’
- ‘Make a checklist of everything you plan to bring, to be sure you don’t forget anything. Do not skip this step!’
The main gist of these tips is to be as prepared as possible. It is going to be a relatively new experience for me, which means I will be under pressure when recording my parts. Due to this, I will have to know my parts off by heart. With my playing style, I usually improvise a lot even over my pre-written parts. To avoid making mistakes and having slip-ups which will cost time, I will have notes about my parts and practice them as I intend to record them. This involves writing fills and sticking to them instead of improvising as I usually do. I will also have to practice a lot to a metronome as during the recording process the rest of the band will be following my performance so I need to make sure I am as tight with my own playing as possible. I will do this by practising random exercises along to metronome at different speeds to get used to locking into a metronome. I will also practice our two songs, Bad Habit and Smackhead, along with the tempo maps that I have created so that I am well rehearsed and consistent with my timing.
Another bit of advice from this article is to record myself playing the drums. This is so I can pick up on certain things that I do that may not be appropriate for recording or there may be certain things that I am doing wrong.
These two sources have given me enough information to know exactly what I need to do before going into the studio. Being a drummer and going into the studio is a fairly simple process, the most important of these tips is that I am well rehearsed. Since the drums are the foundation of the band and everything else sits on top, it is important that I am well rehearsed and comfortable with playing to a click track. This way, I can make as solid a foundation possible to build the other instruments on top of.