Progress of the Album – Demos (Ch. 3)

Why a Demo?
Every musician is going to have a different definition of the word “demo.” For some, a demo is nothing more than a scratchy cassette recording of their vocal and a guitar. Ultimately, one has to decide what the purpose of a demo is, and construct the demo with that purpose in mind. Sometimes, a demo is simply the initial capturing of a song’s melody and chord structure, and is used only to help the songwriter remember the basics of a song before it is fully committed to memory. At times, a songwriter may record a demo with hopes of sending that recording to a professional, possibly a producer or even a record company’s A&R rep. Depending on the purpose of the demo, a musician may keep the recording as raw as possible, or may work to make the demo a bit more polished.

Each of the 13 songs on this new album started with a very raw vocal & piano mp3 recording. Starting last August, I began using a Tascam DR-07 recorder to capture all of my song ideas. Along the way, these recordings have been transferred to my laptop and have been sorted into folders depending on what song each recording belongs to. Some of the recordings are only small sections of songs (for example, the chorus only when I was first writing the chorus melody) while other recordings are of full-length songs (piano & vocal only). For each song, I may have recorded anywhere from 25 to 100 mini demos, each a progressive snapshot of what each song would eventually become.

Back to the Drawing Board
Generally, after a piano and vocal demo was complete, I would email it to my friend Dave Bechtel (who is helping to co-produce the album) just to get a second educated opinion. His input has been extremely helpful. Often, he really liked the songs I sent him. However, from time to time, he would give me suggestions of how I could make a song better. There were even times when a song was completely shot down as it didn’t fit with the overall feel of the album, or was weak thematically or melodically. I’ve really appreciated Dave’s honest feedback as it has only helped me to improve.

The Elaborated Demo
For this album, I’ve taken demo creation to an extreme. The above-mentioned piano and vocal recordings were only the first stage of a much more involved process. As I’ve mentioned in previous blogs, I am now working to develop full MIDI mock-ups of each song. The reason? I want to go into the Nashville recording studio as prepared as possible. Every minute costs (literally) when you are working with studio players, and it should save me a lot of time and money if I step into the studio with a solid plan of what I want each song to sound like. This doesn’t mean I won’t be open to new ideas that arise in the studio, but I want to at least walk in the door with a good blueprint of each tune.

Assembling a MIDI Mock-Up
Here is how I go about making a MIDI demo. After opening a new session in Logic Pro, I begin by selecting a tempo and a time signature (if the song is not in standard 4/4) and then I play in the piano part of the song (remember this is MIDI, so no audio is being recorded, only MIDI data) using my 88-key controller. Next, I add markers for each section of the song (verse 1, pre-chorus 1, chorus, turn-around 1, etc.). These markers assist me later in jumping quickly to any portion of the song.

Usually, after I set up the song session (tempo, time signature, markers) and record the piano part (via MIDI), I add a drum pattern. I have a smaller MIDI controller that I use to trigger everything but piano, including the drums (this smaller controller has un-weighted keys, which makes it easier to play organs, drums, etc.). Often, I begin by adding a 2-bar drum loop that I repeat throughout the entire song (on occasion, I’ll even add this before I play in the piano part), but other times, I will start by playing the drums real time from start to finish. It really depends upon the song. The point is, I usually try to get some drum pattern established at least right after I record the piano part (or sometimes before). I usually try to pick a drum patch that is appropriate for the song. For example, a slower heavier song may call for a deep kick drum, a meaty snare, and heavy high hats while a faster pop song may demand a snappier kick and snare, and small high hats. These choices should later direct the real drummer as he adjusts his drum kit(s) to fit each particular song. I also may add electronic drums behind the “real” drums for additional rhythm texture.

Generally, the second instrument I record is bass. Hearing the drums, bass, and piano together helps me to visualize the overall groove of the song. It’s important to note that everything I record initially is a very rough pass. This means there may be wrong notes here and there, but the goal is to simply get all the colors on the page, in the same way a painter may start a masterpiece out by selecting his color palette. Typically, I will later go back and re-record most of the instruments (or correct wrong notes as needed).

From here on out, the order of instruments may vary a lot, but often, I will start adding guitars after I have recorded piano, drums, and bass. The question I subconsciously ask myself is, “What instruments make this song come alive or set it apart from other songs?” These are the instruments I usually add immediately after the rhythm foundation (meaning piano, drums, and bass). If a song is going to be very ambient, I may next add some synth pads to give the song an ethereal feel. If the song is going be carried by strings, I will record a rough string pass just to get the mood in the right ballpark. If the mood is ethnic, I may add a Japanese flute or a sitar. If the mood is to be grand, I may add some large taiko drums or timpani.

Up next… Demos P2: recording vocals and background vocals.