What to do with a depressingly sloppy guitarplayer

[Ermz]

The recording method Adam described is fairly common, unfortunately and totally sucks the life out of the project for me. I literally want to give up and call it a day as soon as we start doing this. There is nothing even remotely fun, stimulating or rewarding about it.

Solution:

-Get into working with 3-chord radio rock.
-Specialize in mixing.
-Play it yourself when the guitarist leaves.

 

[nowherecatastrophe]

Play it yourself when the guitarist leaves.

if i'm being paid enough for the project - THIS.

 

[tempe]

if i'm being paid enough for the project - THIS.

I've had to do that with a part on every project I have worked on thus far. I just always track guitars over two days and ask the guitarist to leave their instrument there so it remains "acclimatized" haha.

 

[HCL]

My personal main issue with tight playing is that I always come in a fraction too early and lose the attack during editing. I have no idea how to correct it in my playing either. It's shitty because coming in slightly after the beat sounds thicker.

In conjunction with a guitarist who comes in slightly behind the beat the sound ain't too tight, even if we're both tight as hell on our own.

+1 For 'recording parts after the band have left' here. Seeing the look on a musicians face when after 50 takes you suggest the other guitarist tracks the riff isn't a pleasant experience.

 

[Leon--]

learn to play your instrument.if you edit everything in the studio and then you play live..everyone will understand the difference and laugh.the best thing is learn to play your instrument first

 

[thefyn]

I am a tight player, but I still cheat.

Most ryth tracks don't use all 6 (or 7 and 8 in this forum!) strings in metal.

For the ones that don't use all strings, mute the ones that are never played. I have little pieces of foam I slide under unused strings. That stops open string ring often caused by flying fingers on the left hand.

If you are playing a solo that has no open or lower frets, tie a sock around the first fret.

The best players in the world cheat when it comes to recording. Not because they can't play everything clean, it's mostly because recording with decent producers costs a fkn packet by the hour. The less takes and headaches the better.

 

[SimonTaddio_Qc]

^
The sock thing, I do that all the time when recording, and it's not cheating at all.
I also put a cotton cloth between the nut and the tuner pegs.
Angus young had only the B string attached to his guitar while tracking "Thunderstruck", so just a cloth isn't that bad

 

[Paulie!]

if you edit everything in the studio and then you play live..everyone will understand the difference and laugh.

I don't entirely agree with this... recordings are scrutinized much harder than live performances, IMO.

Mind you, I am in no way advocating guitar player suckage..

-P

 

[thefyn]

Angus young had only the B string attached to his guitar while tracking "Thunderstruck", so just a cloth isn't that bad

I KNEW IT!!!! Sneaky little prawn!

 

[BrettT]

Punch him in the face.

 

[thefyn]

Punch him in the face.

He's German. An open hand slap is good enough.

 

[Seth Munson]

learn to play your instrument.if you edit everything in the studio and then you play live..everyone will understand the difference and laugh.the best thing is learn to play your instrument first

what the fuck?
I actually think its fucking awesome when I edit the shit out of a band and then see them play live and everyone comes up to me and says "idk how you did it but they sound sweet on the album but they are really bad".
makes my look like a God producer hahaha

yea its time consuming and a PITA, but if you can edit them and make them sound tight I dont see why it matters, its all about the end result.

 

[darthjujuu]

i'm a bass player and not particularly good at guitar at all, and i made this:

http://www.atomicballroomcalamity.com/metal3.mp3

suck it.

 

[Seth Munson]

i'm a bass player and not particularly good at guitar at all, and i made this:

http://www.atomicballroomcalamity.com/metal3.mp3

suck it.

love it

 

[JoeJackson]

He's German. An open hand slap is good enough.

What's that supposed to mean?

i'm a bass player and not particularly good at guitar at all, and i made this:

Well... that's easy ... just rumbling chaotically over all the strings, trying to hit a few notes. Noone would ever notice, if both guitars would play completely different stuff ... just joking

 

[darthjujuu]

Well... that's easy ... just rumbling chaotically over all the strings, trying to hit a few notes. Noone would ever notice, if both guitars would play completely different stuff ... just joking

please do reference this thread:

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/...-shat-one-out-i-call-40-seconds-retarded.html

 

[eligortyphon06]

Solution:

-Get into working with 3-chord radio rock.
-Specialize in mixing.
-Play it yourself when the guitarist leaves.

Thats what I do.

I think this is being analyzed a little too deeply though guys. Its your job to tell the guitar player that he isn't ready, and should take some time to tighten up. And by tighten up I don't mean veins popping out of your head, playing like a robot. If you've gotta do it, try having the guitar player jam along to a click track set to the tempo of the part he's having trouble with, and tell him to "jam" that part. Hit the record button without him knowing, and tell him you'll be right back or something. Its surprising how well some people do when not under the spotlight.

 

[Leon--]

i love editing i didn't say something bad about it,what i say is that it's better to practice first and then start recording.that's my opinion.

 

[guitarguru777]

I usually get each guitarist to play all the parts to the song then whoever is tighter I just use his tracks. The band never notices

 

[darthjujuu]

I usually get each guitarist to play all the parts to the song then whoever is tighter I just use his tracks. The band never notices

similarly, if a band has two guitarists, i'll have the tighter one track everything where they both play the same parts. bums the other dude out, but the end result is better... and the rest of the band will usually assist me in convincing him it's for the best... haha