A couple of ? for session players

[John Shadid]

So I've been getting more studio work. There's a few things I've noticed with my playing and would like some other people's experience and advice.

First is, I feel like I'm out of tune even more so than when I play live, which doesn't make sense, because I don't have 3 monitors blasting sound waves at the steel. But the cabinet drop seems to be twice as bad. Maybe I'm just being super sensitive or uptight? I've asked non-steel playing musicians I trust, and they've didn't seem to think I was out of tune. Of course, it's hard to believe them, because it's so obvious to me. I'm also not playing with delay or reverb which I'm used to hearing myself play with live, when I practice only a touch of reverb. Through the headphones it's just another story.

Second, should I feel bad if a bad band with band songs and bad lyrics have me record on a song and I can't make it sound good? Is that my fault, and what should I do in that situation.

Last, is it worth telling that bad band no when they ask you to record? I'm obviously all for getting my name out there, but it comes to a point when I don't want myself sounding bad available to everyone for a 99 cent iTunes purchase.

[chris ivey]

at least you're concerned for the right reasons.
recording with a dry signal is almost impossible for me. see if you can have the engineer give you some good reverb (or delay or whatever you like) at least in your headphones or monitors, even if the signal is being recorded without it. then stress to them that when mixed, it needs to have 'some' effect on it or it's hard to make it blend.
if you hate the song, it's hard to dig playing to it...might be better to lay out of that one unless they have specific ideas they want you to lay down.

[Mark van Allen]

John, first, congratulations. It's rewarding when people think adding your magic dust will enhance their recordings!
You're dealing with some of the most common studio issues.

1. Especially when not used to headphones and playing without your normal ambient FX, playing in the studio can be disconcerting. As Chris says, ask for some reverb in the cans. If it's an overdub session, I frequently play in the control room so I can skip the phones altogether, and have better communication with producer/engineer. Tuning issues may be related to the track, and if the band is all over the place you may have to try to hit a happy medium between, say, a sharp bass and flat singer. If you hear a consistently out-of-tune instrument ask gently for it to be muted while you're cutting- it may get the message across that they need to revisit that track. If the track is solid, make sure your tuner or other reference (ear?) is tight with the track. Surprising how bands scan fluctuate as far as tuning standards. Also, your own volume in your cans is touchy- too loud or soft relative to the mix will definitely pull your ear sharp or flat. Don't be afraid to ask to get the mix just right. If it's a consistent issue, you may have to revisit how you're tuning...

2. I'm a proponent of making the track sound as good as you possibly can. That may mean playing a simple moving pad instead of licks, laying out until the bridge, playing all the way through, just making ambient noises... or not playing at all. Be prepared to try things you normally wouldn't do, and trying to interpret what the producer says he wants in your own language.

3. The eternal conundrum! Sometimes you do just have to say no... if you feel it's just not your kind of session, or would really injure your "rep". But you might be surprised what comes out of sessions you thing will be crap. I certainly have been.

[Dave Hopping]

If you're getting more work,you must be doing something right.As to what you see(hear?)as inaccurate pitch,I think it's a case of needing to be sure whether your pitch needs work or whether you're being overcritical of your playing.Do your parts sound "off" to you in the final mix? If not,has the person in charge of mixdown said anything about having had to use pitch correction on your parts? On playing with no effects,I can see that-whoever's going to master may want to have the part with no effects so they can add the ones they want,which might not be the ones you want.I'd be tempted to want a sub-mix with my effects run back into my headphones and have the main signal go to the board dry,but it might be better studio etiquette(assuming you're physically present in the studio and not at home playing to tracks sent over the Internet) to just play the part dry and not take up time asking for special stuff to be set up. As to bad material,the artist or the producer is purchasing your work rather than your opinion of what he's created;once it's done and you're paid,you don't strictly speaking have a further involvement in the work.Hopefully the calls will keep coming in and you can cherry-pick the sessions you want,and hand off the ones you don't to other players.

[Jan Viljoen]

John,

You are in an enviable position being asked more and more to perform. Many steelers, me included, would give some bread to be in your position.
So you must be doing something right.

The more popular you get the more influence you will eventually get on the producing side.
It may be wise to use a little leverage when asked to play for a goofy band.
Tell them you are keen to play but you want more say in how things are done.
It starts with tuning at the beginning to standardize, if there is a piano, everyone should tune to the piano, etc. Little things to make sure everybody is in line for the best production possible.

Good luck!
The games have started.

[Billy Carr]

I always check my guitar before I pack it and head to a session. That way, when I set up, it's ready to go after another quick check on a tuner. If another instrument on a track sounds out of pitch/tune, say something to the session leader and then listen to it together. Mistakes can be eliminated and dubbed over but an out of tune instrument can't unless it's totally removed from the mix which I've seen done before.

[Bob Hoffnar]

These days I have whatever sound I want on the recording coming out of the amp. I don't ask for anything and try to talk as little as possible. When I'm talking I'm not listening and it takes longer to get the work done.

Recording is a craft. Do plumbers worry about the color of the sink they are fixing ? Learning to just listen openly without judgement and you will hear more. Try to hear what the band is trying to say and help them out as best you can. I have recorded with absolutely terrible bands that other steel players walked out on. I ended up having a ball and making money.

Even if the guys you are recording for suck remember it means enough to them to hire you so enjoy it for what it is and learn. There is no better way to get your intonation and phrasing together than studio work.

After a few hundred sessions you will be able to hear and react to things that other musicians don't even know exist.

As far as intonation goes. Get in touch and I'll explain how I deal with it.

[Marc Friedland]

John – some very good ideas shared here already.

Also – I wouldn’t be concerned about recording with what you consider a bad band or a bad song. If that’s truly the case, the chances of anyone hearing it are pretty unlikely and unless they’re marketing it with a full description of liner notes indicating you’re the pedal steel player, no one will have any reason to associate you with that particular project unless you want them to. One time a band said they were going to “give me credit” on the project and I asked if they would use my stage name, which I immediately made up and gave to them.

Fortunately it's been the exception, but I’ve been involved with recording sessions that I hope no one knows it’s me on the recording. Sometimes because of the other players or the material, and sometimes it was my fault for doing a less-than-good job.

-- Marc

www.PedalSteelGuitarMusic.com

[Gibson Hartwell]

I think it's pretty normal to be put off by intonation when you are fairly new to recording. When tracks are unnaturally high in the mix on playback it's like they are under the microscope and out of context---and things can indeed sound weird. Likewise, piping dry sounds through headphones can make everything sound unnervingly clinical. I usually ask to use my own reverb when recording, but if the engineer wants it dry then I won't ask for any effects in the cans unless I feel it helps me relax and focus better on the performance.

Lots of practice with drone tones has helped me immensely--though I still have a long way to go!

I would take any recording work you can get at this point. The more experience you have, the better you'll be, and the more enjoyable it will be for you in the future. Have fun above all, that will come across in the recording more than anything.

[Peter Nylund]

Trying to be in tune with keyboards may be difficult sometimes. It often requires a different tuning.

[Jim Pitman]

I personally have trouble with intonation if I'm only given bass and drums or some other "low in the spectrum" instrument in my headphone mix. I've learned I need something similar to the range of my instrument to reference, like a vocal. Hopefully the singer is in tune in that case. Acoustic guitar suffices.
I've done a number of less than steller quality band sessions. I've even dumbed down my steel part in fact to try to fit in a couple of cases. At least the session goes quick. I did an entire 13 song album once in 1+1/2 hours. The material was almost too predictable. Dito what Marc F says - it probably won't get heard. You could always wack them with a high rate and at least you'll be making good coin.

[Michael Hummel]

I'm just a beginning pedal steel player (and often have trouble with intonation) so I don't have a lot to add from the perspective of playing psg on a session.

However, I have recorded a couple of tunes in my home studio with psg parts. As somebody mentioned, I find the best situation is to sit in the "control room" and hear the song close to what it will sound like when finished, with the psg in context (with some added reverb and delay).

And, here is the coolest thing -- in case you haven't seen it or weren't aware of it, Celemony makes a recording plugin called Melodyne Editor, which allows the engineer to pitch-correct polyphonic material! I didn't believe this to be possible until I bought it and tried it myself (it is not terribly expensive).

I was able to correct a note or two in a couple of four-note chords to make them more consonant. As it turned out, I believe it was a case of moving some pitches that sounded "correct" on their own, but because the other instruments were tuned with equal temperament, the tuning that I use clashed with the other instruments.

Next time that I record a steel part, I am going to try tuning the guitar to equal temperament and see how that goes.

I know not everybody operates their own PC-based recording studio, but if you do, you should check out Melodyne.

Cheers,
Mike

[John Shadid]

Thanks to everyone that responded. All the recording sessions I've done have been overdubs. I didn't consider that I might be out of tune with other instruments and not myself or that my the volume is pulling my ear flat. I'll keep that in mind for next time. I'll start trying to get more of the sound I want sent back into my headphones too, and if skipping the headphones is ever an option, I'll definitely do that! It seems like once I hear the "mistake", I can't ever not hear it. I'm sure you all know plenty about that!

[Bill Ladd]

As far as intonation goes. Get in touch and I'll explain how I deal with it.

You should do that, John. From the recordings I've listened to, Bob's got 'bout the most accurate intonation I've heard.

[Franklin]

John,

First off let me say this....The studio makes better tuning musicians out of live players......Its the most accurate mirror I have to hone my playing and hearing skills.

Assuming you are tuning your guitar correctly....All other tuning issues will involve your left hand... In the studio every bar move has to be perfect to the fret or you will sound out of tune.

Video tape yourself and watch the accuracy of the left hand.....Is the bar always perfectly straight to the fret? or is the bottom of the bar slightly angled? or are you sometimes looking at the bar and fret? if that last part is so, you are most likely playing slightly behind the fret. Another pointer is unless the bar is held correctly like Buddy, Tommy, Jeff, and Jernigan do on their videos no player can get true accuracy with the bar hand over the entire fretboard.

I can not stress enough to players the importance of always checking and maintaining the bar hands accuracy......Live gigs allow for a lot of fudging whereas the studio exposes all inaccuracies.

[Billy Carr]

I believe PF nailed it. Wonder how he figured it out? Ha!!

[Jim Cohen]

And, here is the coolest thing -- in case you haven't seen it or weren't aware of it, Celemony makes a recording plugin called Melodyne Editor, which allows the engineer to pitch-correct polyphonic material! I didn't believe this to be possible until I bought it and tried it myself (it is not terribly expensive).

I was able to correct a note or two in a couple of four-note chords to make them more consonant. As it turned out, I believe it was a case of moving some pitches that sounded "correct" on their own, but because the other instruments were tuned with equal temperament, the tuning that I use clashed with the other instruments.

Next time that I record a steel part, I am going to try tuning the guitar to equal temperament and see how that goes.

Mike, I had an opportunity to experiment a little bit with Melodyne and found that dragging the note to the "0" point made everything sound in tune with the piano. I suppose I was basically "undoing" the usual tempered tuning (flat the 3rds, etc.) that I had put on the steel, but I haven't had the nerve yet to go into the studio with everything tuned "straight up" because it sounds so awful to my ears on its own.

I do wonder whether it worked this time specifically because there was a piano in the mix. In your case, was there also a piano?

And, Paul, do you find any need to tune differently with a piano as opposed to an all-guitar based combo? Or does your left hand and ear make any adjustments that might be needed in either instrumentation situation without adjusting your tuning per se?

Thanks,
Jim

[Franklin]

And, Paul, do you find any need to tune differently with a piano as opposed to an all-guitar based combo? Or does your left hand and ear make any adjustments that might be needed in either instrumentation situation without adjusting your tuning per se?

Thanks,
Jim

No....I get a 442 root note and tune the instrument by ear and then I will adjust when needed to the center pitch of the band with the bar.

[David Graves]

John, I would say the answer to your problem lies somewhere in the replies above, but let me mention one situation I had in my studio about a year or two ago. While doing a gospel album for a local group, the guitar player had an unusual problem. The best description is, his ears could not balance sounds. He was spot on pitch singing and playing in the control room, but as soon as the headphones went on.. it was Oh so bad! As the sound was brought closer to his ear canal, ie headphones, it made everything out of tune. He said it was like a cheap pair of binoculars, he could focus the left eye or the right, but not both of them together. It did the same thing for his ears. At a distance from the sound he was fine, but as soon as the headphones brought the "sounds" to each ear he was unable to balance the two. It's called Tullio's Phenomenon. The only reason I mentioned this is because we spent a huge amount of time fixing the normal stuff but with no results. As I said, your answer is probably listed above, but just wanted to mention this to you... just in case. Good Luck.

[Chris Hughes]

One trick with headphones for studio or live use is to only have them on one ear so the other ear can hear what's going on in the room.

[Clyde Mattocks]

Great responses all around. I would only add, don't feel compelled to play all the time. Less is more. I few tasty licks dropped in at the right places will make you sound like a genius. I hate it when the producer(?) says, "Just play all the way thru and we'll edit it". That way you don't get to plan your entrances and exits. Most of the time, though, they'll accept that you are the authority on what the steel should do.

[Tony Prior]

this is a nice discussion, excellent thread topic..

Although I cannot make claims of being real studio busy, or even gig busy these days...( mostly Dobro now) but I do get several calls each month for sessions that are wanting to add "something Steel" for original artist tunes, wherever they may end up...Something Steel..it's quite a definition !

I picked up the 442 thing from Paul many years back. I'm not sure if I asked Paul about it directly or read it somewhere but it has been my stock tuning method for the E's for easily 10 years now. Quite frankly if you want to play in open A I am not sure how else you could do that and be in tune with the rest of the band...

regarding recording and being in tune...this is really a seat time thing, the more we do it, the more we hear and the better we get at it..then all of a sudden one day when we are just practicing at home you are not satisfied with a few off pitch notes that we would probably never even notice on a gig...For me personally I have been tracking tunes at home in my small studio and playing on top of tracks forever it seems so the tuning thing became front and center a while back...Paul mentions bar position..good grief that's so important..paying attention really helps with that as well as seat position over the fretboard, it should be the same each and every time we sit down behind the axe.For me personally I can't tell you all how many years I played where I didn't really pay attention to this very important detail..paying attention...A perfectly tuned instrument is out of tune with ever so slight poor bar position.. ex: Did we ever go to a Steel show where our friends pulled out every top dollar tuner known to mankind, then when they played it was like chalk on the board ? This all comes from not paying attention or maybe not the proper seat position each time they sit down.

regarding playing on sessions...just do it, it's not about US, it's about what the producer /artist wants. Every song, every session , every rehearsal...has merit for a player, just look at it as a prep for the next session...sit back, relax , listen to the producer/artist and play the best you can . At the end of the day that's all that matters, not the 99 cent download if it ever even gets that far...I'm pretty certain that many of us have played on tracks that had us wondering what the heck we were doing there..nobody ever died from this ! The Steel Guitar Police never came and confiscated our Instruments..at least not yet !


bottom line..have fun, play your best, act like a PRO, look like a pro, LISTEN..( as Bob states) because when you are tracking a session, you are a PRO...as Clyde states, you are the authority, don't be afraid to say that you are not pleased with what you are playing or that you can do it better...talk about it it..be sure what they are wanting..don't assume.. The artist/producer has idea's, even though they may say they don't...

When you are done, go home and ring the bell, one more for the books, a job well done...

[Bud Angelotti]

John - May I chime in in response to this one statement in your OP.

Second, should I feel bad if a bad band with band songs and bad lyrics have me record on a song and I can't make it sound good? Is that my fault, and what should I do in that situation.

No - You should not feel bad.
However, IF YOU decide to take on the job and IF you are getting paid, then that makes you a professional and means you need to do the best you can to meet the clients needs.
IMHOP, this holds true wheter you are recording or performing steel, fixing their car, or painting their house.
Do your best to meet the clients needs, not your own needs.

[Bill L. Wilson]

I had been playing steel for a year in '75, when I started doing sessions. I never heard my steel out of tune, while recording. But when the record pressings came back from Houston, my steel was ever so slightly flat. The mix engineer, would put reverb out the wazoo, to try and hide the bad notes. Eventually, I corrected the problem, and I'm still playing in tune. However, after having a bad car wreck in '05, I told my wife, with some of the insurance money, I want a good steel guitar. So, I bought a black Emmons LeGrande II, D-10x8+5. I started tuning my E's a little sharp, and the rest by ear, and now I've been on the road to steel guitar bliss, whether live or in the studio. Don't make any money, but I have a lot of fun.

[Ron Pruter]

Chris, and everyone . In George Martins book' All You Need Is Ears' he talked about how he mixed with one finger in one ear.