Thankfully, I have the opposite issue. It’s repetitive, low pressure situations when I get uninspired and play/write (improvise) poorly. I always step waaaaay up for recordings, simultaneously doing slicker fills while doing a better job finding a special pocket. I wish I could record every day
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how did you overcome red light fever?
- Thread starter danbones
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the replies here are great! this is all super helpful. for context, the drums and scratch guitar tracks for this song are already recorded. drums are all done in EZ Drummer and I wrote and played all the guitar tracks. it’s fast thrash, the majority of the song is speed picked 16th notes at 205bpm, and the main riff alternates picking technique about four times. lots of triplets, palm muting and economy picking at play.
so, tricky enough to play on guitar, but i keep getting ambitious and play the bass lines to match. debatable whether or not this even sounds good if played perfectly. for the sake of the mix, i’m probably better off just playing the eighth notes anyway, but that’s how i wrote it and that’s how i want to be able to play it.
since i posted this, i actually had a guitar lesson over zoom, and had the same issues playing in front of a camera. my instructor pointed out that i’m tensing up my picking hand when i go to play, which i realized i don’t do when i’m not recording/being observed. this is why i can play these lines fine when i’m just noodling, but all that speed and dexterity goes out the window from unconsciously over tightening my grip. i could always do with more practice, but it turns out i need to learn how to relax!
so, tricky enough to play on guitar, but i keep getting ambitious and play the bass lines to match. debatable whether or not this even sounds good if played perfectly. for the sake of the mix, i’m probably better off just playing the eighth notes anyway, but that’s how i wrote it and that’s how i want to be able to play it.
since i posted this, i actually had a guitar lesson over zoom, and had the same issues playing in front of a camera. my instructor pointed out that i’m tensing up my picking hand when i go to play, which i realized i don’t do when i’m not recording/being observed. this is why i can play these lines fine when i’m just noodling, but all that speed and dexterity goes out the window from unconsciously over tightening my grip. i could always do with more practice, but it turns out i need to learn how to relax!
By doing it as part of practice... again and again and again.
I remember my very first recording session. The light came on, and in that particular studio the latch on the door would lock while recording automatically so someone couldn't just walk in.
The producer could tell I was looking a tiny bit freaked out when the light and the "Clack" from the electric door lock occurred. It was embarrassing but they were kind.
So, start recording yourself. Get used to hearing count-ins and use your DAW punch-in feature on tracks you're working on to punch in changes here and there - you'll quickly get used to it and become accustomed to creating on the spot.
I remember my very first recording session. The light came on, and in that particular studio the latch on the door would lock while recording automatically so someone couldn't just walk in.
The producer could tell I was looking a tiny bit freaked out when the light and the "Clack" from the electric door lock occurred. It was embarrassing but they were kind.
So, start recording yourself. Get used to hearing count-ins and use your DAW punch-in feature on tracks you're working on to punch in changes here and there - you'll quickly get used to it and become accustomed to creating on the spot.
When I was growing up I was was fortunate to have the opportunity to record my first sessions in my teens for Little Joe Y La Familia along with many local musicians. Joe was very kind and generous on my first session to help me over my nerves which were guitar overdubs on Motown songs that I had figured out and were playing in an R&B band that he wanted top add to the cover tunes he was doing at the time in Spanish that were his bread and butter at the time. He assured me that he had all the time to capture the magic that only I could bring to his records and not to worry about my mistakes. Later I would learn just how generous (a lie) that was considering how primitive his recording studio was at the time and how crazy it was making his brother Johnny the engineer.
MDBass
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Practice to a click, and record your practice sessions.
If it’s not second nature, you’ll be thinking too much while recording which obviously compromises your playing facilities.
Being honest, I don’t think I’ve ever played a a whole song perfectly, ever. So when the light is on, I don’t jam up. The second thing, in the studio, you can fix things without too much trouble, which takes a major load off. Just relax, and have fun.
Yeah, that.
I did my first bass and vocal recordings with an all original rock band in 1988 when I was 19 years old. The guitarist shelled out the cash for a Fostex 8 track reel to reel along with a big pile of other recording and processing gear.
I had my parts down cold because we had played these songs live for almost a year, but the very first time he hit the record button I got stage fright and flubbed my bass lines.
Fortunately, this was a home studio recording and we had all the time in the world plus endless tape record redos. I just kept at it until the nervousness went away.
By the 3rd recording session, I was completely over my anxiety and felt 100% calm during every take. I've recorded in studios numerous times since then where time is money with no problems feeling nervous. It's just a matter of diving in and doing it over and over.
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Record much simpler stuff for the time being until you get your recording confidence back.
Over-reaching can have a serious negative effect.
Over-reaching can have a serious negative effect.
I'm lucky in that I've never had anxiety about performing. I've performed in one way or another since I was 6 years old so that may have something to do with it.
I look at performing as work to be done which I think helps. I get excited about performing because I enjoy it but not fearful of it.
I look at performing as work to be done which I think helps. I get excited about performing because I enjoy it but not fearful of it.
Not to worry. It just a mental thing that’s got you apprehensive. As it’s mentioned here before, record yourself at home. It’s all about practice and fine tuning. It’s all true. If there’s been one positive about sheltering for me is that my personal practices have been on my iPhone and headphones. That and I play pretty clean. No effects. It’s also not just my recordable sound, this helped, but my live sound too. Good luck and just keep at it.
Gavin Harrison (prog drummer) has a theory comparing brain use to CPU. So if you play something difficult you are using close to 100% of your CPU and not really listening to yourself/paying attention to all the big picture stuff, your head is down looking at your instrument.
So in a recording situation multiple things are taking up some of your CPU, e.g. the stress of trying to do a good job while (at least) the engineer scrutinises you, trying to minimise takes to save money, listening to the click and other instruments if they are already recorded etc. You probably only have about 70% CPU left to do a good take.
So you need to practice your specific to be recorded part over and over before recording so that the playing itself takes as up less and less CPU.
Also woodshedding to a click makes playibg with one easier.
Also trying to have fun reduces the stress.
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'!
Exposure therapy. Worked for me with public speaking.
Practice
Practice more
Practice Again
Always Practice with a Purpose
Record often
Practice more
Build confidence in yourself
Sometimes you mess up, move on
Practice
Enjoy
Did i mention practice?
Accept perfection is always going to happen.
Practice more
Ive done tracks in 1 take and my most was 72 takes......it eeez what it eeez
Did i mention practice?
Practice more
Practice Again
Always Practice with a Purpose
Record often
Practice more
Build confidence in yourself
Sometimes you mess up, move on
Practice
Enjoy
Did i mention practice?
Accept perfection is always going to happen.
Practice more
Ive done tracks in 1 take and my most was 72 takes......it eeez what it eeez
Did i mention practice?
