Background Vocals - Session Tips
Monday, April 20, 2009 at 03:17PM I was talking with some friends the other night about background vocals and it occurred to me that perhaps we should talk about that a little.
Doing background vocals takes some real concentration, vocal control and awareness, as well as some simple techniques that make the process go easier.
First of all, make certain that you sing in pitch. If you are unsure, there are plenty of friends and family who can and will let you know. Gain control of your pitch, because when you are singing with other people and you sing out of pitch, it cannot be fixed in the mix unless you are all recording separately and each vocal can be accessed and manipulated.
Secondly, learn to site read as soon as you can. Many background vocal parts are head arrangements made up the spot, but just as many are written out and if you can look at the notes and sing them, you are way ahead of the game. Plus it makes the sessions go faster and easier and in the studio in particular, time is money. All local colleges and junior colleges have vocal classes where you can learn to do this and for not too much money either. And they will also teach you to count, which will make it easy if you have to hold notes for a specific length.
Thirdly, come prepared to the session, voice warmed up and ready to deliver whatever the producer wants to have happen. If they want you to make up parts, then get together with whomever else is singing with you and determine who will be going high, low and in the middle.
Work out the part in the control room with the producer there and if there is a keyboard, use it if you are unsure of what notes you are to sing. Use solfage (do, re, mi, etc) or numbers or devise your own system but make certain that you can learn a part fast.
When you have the parts you need for the tune, then when you go into the booth, make certain that you have line of site with all the other vocalists. Watch their mouths and try to match their pronunciation and formation of the words they are singing.
Agree on which one of you will be doing the sibilance at the ends of words. It makes it very tedious if the engineer has to go back and erase four different “t’s” on the word “what” . If only one of you makes that sound on each pass it will go easier, and once the sibilance is recorded none of you need do it again.
And agree on which one of you will do the counting, and directing so that you all end at the same time, begin at the same time and hold the intensity as a group.
If you are the only one doing the vocals, then pay attention to how long you hold notes so that when you double it (almost all background vocals are doubled at least) you won’t have to learn the part again, as you will already have counted the value of the notes you sang and you simply repeat that.
And don’t think because you made it up, it’s carved in stone. If the producer wants you to try something else, just do it. Any producer worth his salt will record everything so that nothing will be lost, not even the most serendipitous of ideas.
And finally, bring water, and stay hydrated. You will wear your voice out in no time if you are not properly lubricated. Drink lots of water the night before, the day of and during the session. You will be glad you did, tho the potty breaks can get tedious.
Reader Comments (2)
Holy Merde!...isnt there a machine that does the doubling...I read sopmewhere very possibly here that john lennon hated doing doubling or double tracking(is there a difference and if there is what is it?)...anyhow sometime in the 60's there was a machine invented to do this so the singer wouldnt have to...Am I out of my mind or...well yes I am out of my mind ...but do you know what I am talking about and does it apply here?
PS-Tell the prop master that the cat-fish-baby has been used before on here;)
Pax
Namaste
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