The Questions to Ask Before Recording a Take in the Studio

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Every time we set a goal it’s crucial to understand in which direction we need to go in order to achieve it.

To figure that out quickly there is no more powerful tool than asking ourselves the right questions.

In the recording studio every minute costs a lot of money, especially in high-profile situations, and as a consequence our objective is to produce a solid performance in as few takes as possible.

Finding ways to optimize every moment of the session, simplifying, speeding up and streamlining wherever possible, is an essential part of the strategy that will enable us to perform to the best of our ability and keep everyone happy.

Once we have a lot of experience it becomes completely natural to focus on the most critical components and be effective, without even needing to think about it.

If, on the other hand, we are less experienced, it’s helpful to have guidelines that point us in the right direction, so as to get used to identifying the aspects that should not be underestimated, in spite of some of them not being very intuitive.

There is nothing worse than being about to record a take and realize we have a shortcoming that needs to be worked on, or a doubt about an important issue we have overlooked.

The following is a summary of elements to clarify, address, or contemplate whenever we are faced with music to record.

To get all the answers we can proceed autonomously where applicable, or refer to the producer, arranger, songwriter, and sound engineer.

What are the time signature, tempo, subdivision, cadence of the song? For instance 6/8 at 140 Bpm, with sixteenths played with a shuffle feel.
Am I clear about the musical form/structure of the piece?
What feel, mood, attitude does the track have? For example sparkling uptempo shuffle, or poignant sixteenth note ballad.
What Snare Drum, Toms, Bass Drum and cymbals do I need? For example, larger sizes and brighter cymbals in Pop, and smaller sizes and darker cymbals in Funk.
How do I need to tune the drums? For instance, lower tones in Rock songs and higher tuning for Jazz pieces.
How does the live room sound? For example, in a room that is acoustically dead we might tend to sound stiffer, so it’s important to acknowledge this immediately.
How loud should I play? It depends both on the musical genre and our style, but also on the requests that are made to us.
Which beaters should I play with? It depends on both the dynamics of the piece and the musical genre. And also on the arrangement.
How much room does the Drum Set have in this piece, what role does it play, what and how should I play? Here we need to talk to the artist and especially the producer.
Of course our style plays an important role, but it’s crucial that the overall direction, arrangement and creation of the drum part come from the inputs from these two figures.
What do the artist, the producer and the sound engineer expect from me? Same as above. As far as the sound engineer is concerned, it’s important to establish a symbiotic relationship.
Our sound comes into being thanks to this person. So let’s listen to him or her and let’s communicate, openly and both respectfully and assertively.
Are there any parts that I need to practice for a few minutes? It’s an old but very useful trick. Once we have the score or a drum part, if we notice any complex passage we can take advantage of breaks and spare time to study it, even just mentally or on a pad.
If necessary it’s okay to take a few moments to try it on the Drum Kit, so that we can later save time thanks to fewer and stronger takes.
What volume levels do I have in the headphones? Can I clearly hear the metronome? Of the tracks I’m listening to while recording, which ones will be left in the final mix?

It’s a good idea to stop and think about what issues might come up that are crucial to us, so as to improve this list with additional questions that may be helpful.

Lastly, one more reason to ask ourselves all relevant questions beforehand, is to help clear our mind, in advance, of matters that might arise at the least opportune time – that is, during a take.