{"id":13954,"date":"2019-03-18T09:00:26","date_gmt":"2019-03-18T16:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/?p=13954"},"modified":"2023-08-10T12:24:58","modified_gmt":"2023-08-10T19:24:58","slug":"pro-drum-studio-tips-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/pro-drum-studio-tips-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Pro Studio Tips, Part 3: Live Vs. Studio, Playing Consistent Parts, & How to Create A Road Map"},"content":{"rendered":"

Once you\u2019ve made your gear choices and dialed in your headphones and click, you\u2019re ready to start recording. In Part 3 of our Pro Studio Tips Series, we\u2019ll go over the differences between live and studio playing, and discuss the importance of playing consistent parts with good dynamics.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll also explain the best way to create shorthand Road Maps for each tune to help you be accurate and efficient when you record.<\/p>\n

In case you missed parts 1 and 2 of this series:<\/em><\/p>\n

Part 1: Gear choices, drum tuning and muffling<\/a><\/em>
\nPart 2: Getting the perfect headphone mix & working with a click track<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Playing consistently and with dynamics<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Every note you play in the studio will be captured for all eternity, which means those massive tom fills that feel amazing on stage may be too messy and obtrusive for recording. Remember, there will be many mics on your drums, and they’ll pick up every note you play. Since the engineer will place mics directly over your cymbals (usually sensitive ‘condenser’ mics), it\u2019s important to avoid the temptation to bash away at them like you might in a club.<\/p>\n

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Most cymbals are high-pitched and will cut right through the mix; they\u2019re also in the same frequency range as the vocals and can be overbearing if you play them too loud. If the music calls for it, it\u2019s okay to hit the drums hard – but always be conscious of everything else that\u2019s going on, and don\u2019t overplay.<\/p>\n

Stamina can be an issue for many drummers, and if you\u2019re hitting as hard as you can all the time, your playing won\u2019t be as clean as the day goes on and you start to get tired. Conversely, you\u2019ll also want to avoid playing too timidly in an attempt to be dynamically sensitive. Quiet playing should still be crisp and confident, and it\u2019s a common trap to slow down or get a bit sloppy during breakdown sections or transitions in the music. You may not notice these things as much when you play live, but you\u2019ll definitely hear them on a recording.<\/p>\n

Make sure to give the same detailed attention to every part of the song and play as consistently as possible. In rock and pop music, it\u2019s best to choose a kick\/snare pattern for each section and try to stick to it each time that section comes along. Flipping the rhythm around – or varying it too much – can result in an unstable groove. There will always be some spontaneity and on-the-spot creativity when you record, but it\u2019s helpful to work out some grooves ahead of time so you can hit the ground running.<\/p>\n

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Think about how you can use subtle texture changes to differentiate sections of a song. For example, if you have the hi-hat closed on the first verse, you can open it slightly or switch to the ride cymbal for the chorus. Start with the same basic kick\/snare pattern for each verse, but as the song goes on, think about small ways to develop your ideas while keeping the same underlying groove going. These small texture changes will shape the music and keep it moving forward.<\/p>\n

Sometimes you\u2019ll want to be sparse and avoid playing too many notes, while other situations might call for something a little busier (author\u2019s note: simpler is almost always better!<\/em>). While the engineer can fix mistakes and make edits, there is no substitute for straightforward, solid, and sensitive playing in the studio.<\/p>\n

One excellent example of this is drummer Philip Selway\u2019s playing on the song \u201cLucky\u201d from the iconic Radiohead album \u201cOK Computer\u201d. This song has a ton of different sections and many texture and groove changes to navigate.<\/p>\n