Recorder Fright?

[brad1]

I just completed recording of a rhythm guitar track on an acoustic guitar with mic.

It probably took me at least 20 takes!! This always happens.

I can play it fine, all the way through, more than once. But as soon as I turn on the recorder, everything changes.

Now I am the kind who gets nervous playing in front of my girlfriend of 13 years. In front of people I don't know, I don't get quite so nervous. A few friends, I get VERY nervous. But I can play the drums in front of 300 people (the biggest crowd I've ever played for) with no problem at all. And I know that has to do with feeling comfortable on the instrument and experience with it.

I just get so frustrated at the fact that when I release the pause button on the recorder, all of a sudden I become nervous and forget to do what I should. I become so self-concious. Almost as if a real person was there watching.

Anybody else get stage fright or "recorder fright"?

[jimsi777]

It's understandable after all, it's a piece of art to be heard by others. I used to be the same, its just a form of stage fright, but recorder fright. I do like to use the punch in feature after I get tired of trying to record all in one take..as for your girlfriend, she wont care if you make any mistakes and if she isnt musicaly inclined, she wont notice anyway...

[brad1]

With vocals I will use edits all the time. But for some reason, I won't with the rhythm guitar. Lead, I do it all the time.

It's like I become obssesive/compulsive over the whole thing. It becomes a big challenge. I sometimes will spend hours and hours doing this. Something makes me want to do it in one take. But I admit, sometimes I get so frustrated I HAVE to do it in parts, or it seems as though I will be there forever.

 

*edit* My girlfriend is not a musician and loves most everything I play. She seems to never notice mistakes that I make all the time. But for some reason, this does not make me any less nervous.

[jimsi777]

I record with canned drums and find rhythm takes are more in groove with them... then we add real drums... I am a very nervous person by nature and after having a bad day, I can find my hands becoming sweaty and hitting the wrong frets with some of my fingers, usualy my friends will laugh at me then I pay back once they mess up...I also find the rhythm the hardest, sometimes missing a bar, adding a bar, unless I write the m down

[CodeMonk]

When I was 12, my mom took me to Knots Berry Farm. At that time I had been playing accordion (lessons and everything) for about 4 years. We saw an accordion player there. We got him to let me get on the "stage" (some saloon storefront thing). I put on the accordion. People started gathering around, maybe 30 or 40 or so. I froze. Couldn't even remember my own name at that point.

Many years later, I had been playing the guitar for about 3 years. I had joined this band. 2 weeks later, I found myself on stage with this band in front of 2000+ people. I started playing like I had been doing it all my life. No stage fright.

 

My advice: Press the record button and try to forget about it.

 

And...not that I am recommending doing anything illegal but....drink a beer or take a couple hits off a joint. Very small amounts! Or do something else beforehand that relaxes you.

 

You could also start playing in front of people. Maybe this will help.

[brad1]

jimsi77 and CodeMonk,

Thanks for making me feel a little better, and for the suggestions.

You both have helped!

[pohatu771]

You could just start the tape and record the entire session. Pick the best take later and extract it.

[daneman]

Wow...and I thought I was the only one...

[stone1281734000]

I just completed recording of a rhythm guitar track on an acoustic guitar with mic.

It probably took me at least 20 takes!! This always happens.

I can play it fine' date=' all the way through, more than once. But as soon as I turn on the recorder, everything changes.

Now I am the kind who gets nervous playing in front of my girlfriend of 13 years. In front of people I don't know, I don't get quite so nervous. A few friends, I get VERY nervous. But I can play the drums in front of 300 people (the biggest crowd I've ever played for) with no problem at all. And I know that has to do with feeling comfortable on the instrument and experience with it.

I just get so frustrated at the fact that when I release the pause button on the recorder, all of a sudden I become nervous and forget to do what I should. I become so self-concious. Almost as if a real person was there watching.

Anybody else get stage fright or "recorder fright"?[/quote']

 

There's a term for this: "chasing the demo". I read about in Geoff Emerick's "Here, There and Everywher". After Apple was formed George Harrison signed the Von Eaton brothers to the new label but soon dropped them. Seemed they could never recreate the spark in the studio that attracted Harrison to them in the first place.

[charlie brown]

Yeah, I'm very aware of "stage fright" myself! But, the more I play in front of

people, the less it seems to be a problem? Family, though they might give you

a lot of leaway, is always stressful, because of YOUR expectations (of yourself)

and what you THINK they expect (perfection, etc.?)...Most don't. Some "stage

mothers/fathers" might, but those are still rare, for most of us. I'm always

amazed, at what is recorded, too, as compared to what I THINK I'm playing..

sometimes, I'm quite pleasantly surprised, other times...I want to "shrink" in '

horror! LOL! So, I think your "problem" is quite common. Not to worry...just

start recording everything you do, and when you get used to it, you won't even

notice. Kinda like playing out, in front of others, that way.

 

CB

[flyingfrets]

Brad,

 

I'm with you...I won't punch in a guitar track (nobody else may hear it, but I can). What I do is key the recorder "ON", turn my back to it and forget it's on. I'll start playing when I'm ready. I can always edit out the dead air at mixdown.

[brad1]

Brad' date='

 

I'm with you...I won't punch in a guitar track (nobody else may hear it, but [b']I[/b] can). What I do is key the recorder "ON", turn my back to it and forget it's on. I'll start playing when I'm ready. I can always edit out the dead air at mixdown.

That's a good idea! And it's so simple I can't believe I didn't think of it.

I usually stare at the recorder, fixated on the LED lights.

I am going to try that next time for sure. I think that will help a lot!

I just finished doing all the vocals for that very same song. Did it in 4-5 takes. I just had to fix a couple of parts I had to do over. It's so wierd to me how vocals and drums are so easy for me to record. But the guitar takes me much, much longer. I don't feel nervous at all when singing or playing drums.

[JefferySmith]

One of our previous chancellors could talk with complete ease through a microphone in front of 10,000 people, but if he had to do a 1:1 conversation in a small reception of 30 people, he'd have to down 5 shots of Jack Daniels first. Don't ask me why. I guess it has to feel like you have lost some control over the situation.

[oldpriest]

Wow, I've missed alot of posts since I've been sick....anyway, don't feel bad, I have the same trouble sometimes...I don't think it's nervouse like you're scared, but you really want it to sound like what you were just playing when everything went right, and you get anxiouse...at least that's the way it goes for me...I come up with something and it sounds soooo good to me and I want to get it down before I lose it and when I try to do it again, sometimes I'm so anxiouse about it I just screw it up...so I have to turn off the recorder and relax and go through it a few more times..then I can usually do it.

[hoobiepatrol]

I think just about everybody has to work through some self-consciousness. I can just now play while my girlfriend is in the room (as long as I'm facing the other way and she's doing something else like reading and not just paying attention to me, haha).

 

As for recording, I use software which makes me very lazy. For a rhythm track I'll just play the progression several times, go back, find the best measure, and loop it. Viva la revolución digital!

[byrds1965]

Brad' date='

 

I'm with you...I won't punch in a guitar track (nobody else may hear it, but [b']I[/b] can). What I do is key the recorder "ON", turn my back to it and forget it's on. I'll start playing when I'm ready. I can always edit out the dead air at mixdown.

 

Yeah I do all my demos by myself. Though in a band the rest don't really do stuff in my style so. I do everything in one pass to keep it as live sounding as possible. I have to do a lot of takes to get some things.

 

Have to say digital has made it so much easier, don't have to wait for the tape to rewind anymore just hit locate.

[Obed]

I think I'm just now getting over this. I still tend to have issues with solos, but I think I've recorded enough in the last couple of years that the rythm playing isn't as affected. Vocals are still very scary, though!

[Funkwire]

With vocals I will use edits all the time. But for some reason' date=' I won't with the rhythm guitar. Lead, I do it all the time.

It's like I become obssesive/compulsive over the whole thing. It becomes a big challenge. I sometimes will spend hours and hours doing this. Something makes me want to do it in one take. But I admit, sometimes I get so frustrated I HAVE to do it in parts, or it seems as though I will be there forever.[/quote']

 

I don't find this strange or compulsive. It's harder to punch in rhythm tracks. Because the chords are usually left ringing for a few beats in between changes. On a solo or a vocal, you can leave spaces that enable easy punch ins. It's not so easy on a rhythm track. I generally try to do a rhythm take from beginning to end, without edits. Sometimes it takes a few tries.