Sharing the love of music and education with the youth in our cities

Recording Background Vocals

I remember recording background vocals the same way I recorded lead vocals. They always came out the same, but I wanted them to sound different. The more I kept doing the same thing over the more I began to wonder if I was doing something wrong. The answer is I was doing something completely wrong. When recording your background vocals it would be a good idea to experiment a little. Maybe try adjusting where the artist is standing or adjusting the mic position as an experiment. The purpose is to change the dynamic a little with the recorded piece. Once finished with mic placement you should make sure you’re getting good levels. Good levels simply mean your levels are not peaking above 0 but they are really close! Next, try to make sure you record about six takes of the chorus. When the artist is recording the chorus be sure to suggest they sing the first 2-4 the way they want it to sound. The last 2 you should suggest they experiment with going an octave higher or an octave lower but with the same actual performance.  Lastly, make sure you put three hard left (panned all the way left) and the other three hard right. Be sure to make the takes the artist wants it to sound mostly like dominating in volume to the left and to the right. The two experimental takes you have lower. This will give the chorus something special!

Try it out and let me know about your results…