At Home Recording 101

Click here to download the PDF

Equipment:

1. Cell Phone/Laptop/Tablet – some type of video recorder that has a microphone

2. Headphones – so you can listen to the click track while recording

3. Optional – it is best if you have two separate devices one to listen to the click track and one to record. If this is not possible, you can still record and hear the click track it will just take some quick clicking between apps. We will go over this together!

Set up:

1. Please hold your device in a landscape position

2. Make sure you are centered in the video

3. Put your recording device on airplane mode while recording

4. Make sure you are well lit with no light behind you in the video

5. Find a quiet space and avoid being close to windows. Rooms with carpet, clothes, or other sound deadening objects are best

How to Record:

1. Use the video record option on your device and download the click track*

2. Record a little sample of yourself playing using and listen back

3. What do you hear? Are you really loud? Too soft? Adjust yourself accordingly to make sure you are at a good distance

4. For brass players, we suggest recording yourself at side profile for sound

5. Once you are ready to record your part, the video recording needs to be from beginning to end. It will most likely take several attempts for you to get your video right and perhaps even working on it after we are together to get it just right.

6. Listen back. It is not easy to record with a click track so don’t be discouraged! We will be working together during out time to offer helpful suggestions and workshop the recording process together.

*How to make a click track

1. You can create a click track using musescore or Finale notepad, both are free notation software programs

2. Create a blank project with the exact number of measures your piece has. We suggest adding an additional one or two measures to act as a count in

3. Set the tempo to your piece and make sure the tempo plays as a default setting

4. Export the project as an audio file and you have yourself a click track with a count in!

Questions?

1. Email us at epjazzgirls@gmail.com!

2. Check out our participant’s work using these remote recording techniques at El Paso Jazz Girls Live 2020.