The Dos and Don’ts of Working With Demo Singers
In my experience, the single most important part of any songwriting demo is the vocal. The vocal carries your melody and lyric which, for all intents and purposes, is your song. And for my money, a great demo singer is the best way to guarantee that your demo will be well received. That said, knowing what to do and what not to do when it comes to working with demo singers will go a long way towards a great-sounding demo and an enjoyable recording session.
The Dos
1. Get your demo singer a rough recording in advance of the session.
You can make things easier on yourself - and your demo singer - by being prepared in advance of your session. Sending an mp3 of your rough recording (generally a single instrument and vocal recorded into your smart phone) can help your singer not only select the ideal key for the song but it will also allow them to learn your song in advance saving you time - and money - in the studio.
2. Provide a lyric sheet with the EXACT right lyric.
Providing a finalized lyric sheet with the exact right lyric to your studio vocalist not only allows them to mark up the song in advance but prevents them from having to unlearn older versions of your lyric if you haven’t kept it up to date. This makes things easier on everyone and will also allow you, as the songwriter, to take notes on your own copy to make the process even more streamlined and efficient.
3. Be polite.
It can be stressful in the studio but it’s just as easy to politely ask a singer to review a snippet of melody from your rough recording as it is to say, “That was wrong. Do it again.” Being blunt or even rude in the studio is the fastest way to kill the goodwill of a session. Professional demo singers want nothing more than for you to be thrilled with their work, so relax and ask for what you need in a thoughtful manner.
The Don’ts
1. Don’t start offering corrections until the singer has sung the song a time or two.
There will always come a time in a session where the producer or vocalist will ask you what needs to be fixed or if you’re happy with the way things are going. That said, it usually takes a singer a pass or two through the song before they’re ready for those comments. Stopping the proceedings to correct a singer before they’re warmed up can slow things down considerably. As I mentioned above, take notes on your lyric sheet so that when you’re asked what you need, you can offer clear and detailed requests.
2. Don’t expect to give a live performance in the studio to show a singer what you want.
As I mentioned, the studio can be a bit stressful, so hoping you’ll remember your song well enough to go to a specific section and play or sing it correctly is often unwise. If you’ve made a rough recording - which I highly recommend - simply have the engineer play the appropriate section of the song to the vocalist so they can learn or fix the spot in question. It’s a much simpler and more efficient way of getting what you want.
3. Don’t hesitate to ask for exactly what you want.
It can be intimidating sometimes working with an exceptional vocalist. So much so that you might find yourself accepting something that doesn’t match your original melody. In these situations, it might help to remember that it’s your song and the singer works for you and wants you to be happy. Feel free to politely ask for what you want and know that the only appropriate response from a demo singer will be to happily give you what you’re requesting.
My intention, here, is to set your expectations so that you can make the absolute most out of your experience with a professional demo vocalist. The reality is that there’s nothing quite like hearing a world-class vocalist sing your song. Keep the above dos and don’ts in mind and you’re in for a great session.
Good luck!
Bio
Cliff Goldmacher is a songwriter, music producer and educator with recording studios in Nashville, TN and Sonoma, CA. Through his studios, Cliff provides songwriters outside of Nashville with virtual, live access to Nashville’s best session musicians and demo singers for their songwriting demos. To find out more go to https://se295.infusionsoft.com/app/page/studio-services. You can download Cliff’s FREE tip sheet “A Dozen Quick Fixes To Instantly Improve Your Songs” by going to https://se295.infusionsoft.com/app/form/homepage-songwriting-tip-sheet.
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