how did you overcome red light fever?

[danbones]

I know tons of folks on here have done a lot of recording, but how many of you just totally go blank when that little “record” light goes on?

I’m currently working on a solo project, and the recording process has been pretty rough. Whether it’s guitar or bass, I can play all these lines really well when it’s just me in front of an amp, but as soon as i hit record - even if it’s just on my phone - my mind goes blank and i stiffen up like crazy. Especially with bass, all the cool little flourishes, nuance, and all the flashy tricks go right out the window and i’m just plonking eighth notes like a robot. i’ll practice the line again as soon as i’m not recording, and i can nail it!

mind you, i never feel like this when i’m recording with a live drummer, or just playing live in general. does anyone else wrestle with this? what do you do to overcome it?

 

[stigbeve]

Strive to have zero clams or mistakes whenever you play, whether it be practicing by yourself or at a gig. If you always play it "right" then that's what your muscle memory will learn. Also record yourself more, that way you'll get used to recording. I use the Voice Memos app a lot on my phone.

 

[31HZ]

Game face. I had enough successful experiences in the studio to allow me to believe my own lies about how I was a first-take monster.

I have anxiety about other things, though.

 

[Roland GR 88]

Record more often. Hit the record button every time you sit and play. You'll soon forget all about it and can concentrate on thinking ahead rather than what you just played.
Plus....what they said ^^^^

 

[danbones]

good advice. i guess my issue is that i can play the line when i’m in the zone, but i need to be at a level where i can play it in my sleep. i am clearly not in the zone when i go to record something.

 

[dalkowski]

good advice. i guess my issue is that i can play the line when i’m in the zone, but i need to be at a level where i can play it in my sleep. i am clearly not in the zone when i go to record something.

"Don't practice until you get it right; practice until you don't get it wrong."
-- Allen Iverson

 

[byacey]

You have to know the tune frontwards, backwards and upside down. Once you can play it without thinking about what you're doing, you're ready to record it.

I'm not sure why people get apprehensive about recording; it's not like you're wasting tape these days. If you mess it up, clear your head and do it over. It's when you feel that you are under pressure that it becomes hard to focus on the music.

 

[Samatza]

I try to not think of it as a recording and allow myself to make mistakes, you can always go back and fix them.

Then it becomes like a gig and it’s more fun.

 

[Guild B301]

Going back and fixing mistakes, is not acceptable when you are being paid to do it correctly the first time.
Make sure you have your chops together, and know you can do whatever is needed when you are called on to perform. Then you will feel confident.

 

[BarfanyShart]

For both stage fright and recording fright - and even more so now that i am a trial attorney by day - the mental trick is to convince myself that it's already over and it all went as expected. Right when you start to get that anxiety welling up, right before the thing starts, you convince yourself that it just ended and feel that wave of relief and empty-headedness - AND THEN you start the thing.

I find that being able to do this trick is guaranteed to at least get you closer to playing as well as you did in practice. When it's really working you increase the chance of having that magical out of body experience where you are playing at dream levels. The best thing, though, is that the calming aura helps you not panic when something goes wrong, it's easier to let it pass and keep moving forward.

 

[Malcolm35]

...... does anyone else wrestle with this? what do you do to overcome it?

Way back in the dark ages I taught a pubic speaking course. It boiled down to getting 40 +/- people in one room and have them give two and three minute talks to the other members over a 10 week span of time.

After several weeks the room became a safe place. When that happened confidence began to increase. The more talks given the more confidence was built.

I love to play with other people, I feed off what they ae doing. I think the key here is I have to do what is necessary to sound good with what the other guys are doing. Just playing to the mike I end up noodling...

Drum jam tracks may help. They are free for the finding... and the more time spent with the red light on that ole comfort zone will began to develop.

Good luck, the above and $1.38 will get you a cup of coffee in most east Texas diners.

 

[equill]

I'm not sure why people get apprehensive about recording; it's not like you're wasting tape these days.

Funny thing: I've been through that shift in thought, in photography, and there's an important "but" at the end.
Now I can shoot hundreds of photographs in a session, without incurring any financial costs from film or development. The time required to go through all those frames, however, hasn't really changed. That realisation led to me spending much more time thinking through the shot beforehand.

 

[JRA]

what do you do to overcome it?

as others have suggested: desensitization. repeated exposures to the 'threat' will wear down the impulse (actually a compulse) to 'flee' or freeze.

at root: fear of being exposed as a fraud. you want to believe you're a great player but the "red light" symbolizes the mechanism(s)/process(es) that will expose the 'truth'.

good luck with your 'recording anxiety'!

 

[ThinCrappyTone]

I know tons of folks on here have done a lot of recording, but how many of you just totally go blank when that little “record” light goes on?

I’m currently working on a solo project, and the recording process has been pretty rough. Whether it’s guitar or bass, I can play all these lines really well when it’s just me in front of an amp, but as soon as i hit record - even if it’s just on my phone - my mind goes blank and i stiffen up like crazy. Especially with bass, all the cool little flourishes, nuance, and all the flashy tricks go right out the window and i’m just plonking eighth notes like a robot. i’ll practice the line again as soon as i’m not recording, and i can nail it!

mind you, i never feel like this when i’m recording with a live drummer, or just playing live in general. does anyone else wrestle with this? what do you do to overcome it?

I know what you are talking about. It's all about mindset. You need to "forget" you are recording and just vibe. How do you do that? One thing to try: put what you are recording on a loop, where it keeps recording take after take. Keep cycling through until you forget you are recording.

Also, you don't have to do it all in one take. I know a lot of people feel like it's cheating. But there is nothing wrong with doing it in chunks. Nail a part, stop, nail the next part, stop, rinse and repeat. Trying to do it all in one take can make people play too "safe" and ditch all the cool nuances. Doing it in sections takes away that pressure. I record a lot myself, and record a lot of other people, and with guest musicians, especially those who play live a lot, there is a sort of weird (imo) "I must do this all in one take, or I am cheating" mentality that just makes getting great tracks harder.

 

[Hummergeist]

Funny thing: I've been through that shift in thought, in photography, and there's an important "but" at the end.
Now I can shoot hundreds of photographs in a session, without incurring any financial costs from film or development. The time required to go through all those frames, however, hasn't really changed. That realisation led to me spending much more time thinking through the shot beforehand.

Haha yes. I remember coming back from shooting events with 1500 images to sort through. After a while I started shooting to avoid edit time. As far as recording goes, after a while you play or sing to avoid edit time as well, the technique improves simply because of that.

 

[Spidey2112]

After about the hundredth 'one take', you get to the point of micro focused apathy...

... and then, it just happens.

Furthermore, it's amazing what a good engineer can do, with what you or I think is a noticeable clam.

 

[buldog5151bass]

1. Know your part cold.
2. Record your practices. The more often you do it, the easier it is.

 

[Dirk Diggler]

It's called performance anxiety and is a real thing.
If you search you will find tons of help is available.

Good luck,
Dirk

 

[Rhythmman535]

Mistakes are part of life and part of the growing process. Allow yourself to embrace them which will reduce the self imposed intimidation. "There aren't any bad notes only bad resolutions." Those "bad" notes that you are fearing can take you down paths that you never imagined.

 

[two fingers]

Yeah just record yourself all the time. Even when you're just noodling, record yourself.