What I do when faced with 'bad' musicians?

#musicproducer #audioengineer #musicproduction

[Producelikeapro]

What are your tips for producers working with musicians that may not be well prepared?

[NocturneTheatre]

Warren, this is why I love you man. Many producers/engineers would either berate the musician into playing better, bring in a ghost musician, or just edit the hell out of the performance. Instead, you focus on the fact that it’s human beings that make great records. I’m so glad that you’re in this space.

[frontprochproduction]

What this master is talking about is leadership.

[thedude]

Awesome video, awesome answer. When we cut our first real CD with real professionals (who worked with the likes of Jimmy Page, George Harrison, and Elton John) I was absolutely shitting myself. I have a lot of playing years under my belt but I am self taught, can’t read music, and had never recorded in a studio before. They didn’t care at all. They walked me through it and it was one of the best times of my entire life.

[RhiannonTyler]

So true! I am forever grateful to the drummer who kept telling me I was behind the beat when I first picked up a tambourine. We all start somewhere. A good musician will thank you and go home and practice and sort it out.

[unclemick-synths]

I would say that being in time with the song is not the same as being in time with the metronome (except for the "one").

[antonio]

Could you do a video on how long it took you to learn a daw or daws and what good beginner daws there are? thx

[Push-Pull]

If you listen to the first minute of welcome to the jungle there’s no way it would sound better if it was actually in perfect time. In fact the timing in that first minute is astoundingly all over the place. However it works and fits in with the mood of the song. So there’s no one cookie cutter answer wrt timing.

[brizzieleif]

For my own music I could drive myself mad pushing to get it right which is good but when do you say thats it, otherwise it would never be finished

[garyh]

What do you when the musician thinks they are far better than they really are and thus, not wanting to or thinking they need to improve ?

[audibletapehiss]

I focus on getting a passable drum performance first, and once you have it, all clicks and grids alike must go away. Further in that vein, I like to have the bass player come back and retrack last and be the final glue that holds everything together.

[jimp.]

I think it was Jack Douglas who mentioned that areosmith was so bad at keeping time early-on, that he had to hit a cowbell to get them in time. I could picture it, hahaha. If true, that's brute-force determination right there! The only prescription; more cowbell! Jack Douglas; a producer's producer! Cheers.

[celam]

Yeah but HOW??? I've tried to help people before and it's in one ear and out the other or immediately dismissed as "too hard." How do you get through to people?

[McMillanScottish]

Every Other Client:
“I don’t like the click track, it throws me off.“

Me: “The click is in perfect time. If perfect time throws you off, then you’ve got some work to do on your rhythm.”

[jonastona]

My timing was realy bad . My friend hi teach me . Hi was in a band from south africa ak47 . Sadly hi pastaway . Allmost everything i know in music i got from him . Hi whent in exile in 1980 becoz of the music against apartheid . Hi come too the netherlands . So hi talk english too me coz hi his dutch was not that good . So hi tell me come on kid 1 2 3 4 . After a time hi say you got it kid . I realy miss him . Hi now a year gone in heaven

[PreacherAtArrakeen]

You're fudging on the header. What you suggest may work with competent musicians, but 'coaxing out' the best performance from an unprepared, incompetent musician is a 'nother kettle o' fish.

[shawnmorgan]

simple trick, rerecord their parts after they leave