This can be tricky, because we love our friends, but we also love our songs.
It comes up on almost every project. As we discuss the arrangement of a song, we inevitably want to include an instrument that we don’t play – or don’t play very well. : )
Professional musicians can be expensive. And it can be intimidating to hire someone you don’t know to play on your recording. Thus, folks usually jump to the more comfortable (and “cheaper,” they think) option.
“Awww man, a fiddle would sound amazing on this song! And I have a friend who plays fiddle!”
This is an exciting and fun idea, but there are questions you should ask yourself to determine if this is a good idea.
Why do you want your friend to play?
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- You’ve played with them before, perhaps even regularly, and love what they bring to your song
- They are a co-creator
- You’d love to have them part of the recording process because they are a good friend, or they are a fan, or they’ve provided important encouragement to you and your music
- They know the song
- They won’t ask to get paid, so you’ll save money
All of these are legitimate reasons (although the last one rarely works out that way). But be honest with yourself about what you want out of the song, and if your friend is a good fit. Things to consider:
- Has your friend recorded in a studio before? You may love what you’ve heard when they play live, but recording is a different animal. Our ears can be forgiving when listening to live music; we’re having fun, the atmosphere is fantastic, we’re with our friends. And if we’re playing with them, we don’t really hear half of what is going on in the song. Objectively ask yourself: How good is their instrument? Their intonation? Timing? Phrasing? Can they play to a click? This has a direct impact on how long they will take in the studio. Even if you don’t pay them, the studio time that it may take to record, edit, mix the part may end up being less than paying a professional studio musician that can get the part done quickly and accurately.
- How well do they take direction. You and your producer will likely want some changes or try some different ideas when recording the track. Will this fluster them or make them defensive?
- How might it impact your friendship – if their track doesn’t end up on the song? There are many reasons why it may not be included. How hurt or offended will they be?
If you feel good about those issues, having your musical buddies on a track can be quite rewarding, sometimes magical, and a lot of fun. The key is to be clear with your friend about expectations:
- Although we expect to have a LOT of fun, the time in the studio needs to stay focused and as efficient as we can make it. They need to be practiced, fresh and ready to work.
- Get together beforehand to make sure they know the song and have an idea of what they want to play. It’s important you have an idea, too. This rehearsal is important. You can do this in the studio, but it costs time=money.
- Finishing a track/album has a lot of moving pieces and decision points. And there’s a possibility we won’t use the track.
My last piece of advice: Pay your friend SOMEthing. Even if it’s $30 or $50. It shows them that you value them and also have expectations of them. And almost every time, when people have offered their friends some money, I’ve seen that musician stand just a little taller – they feel their talents and time are respected. Even if they don’t accept the money, it’s a good thing to do. You can still give them a six-pack or bake them cookies, but that’s the “thank you” or “tip”.
Actually, one more piece of advice (and VERY important): Make sure all your musicians sign a release of some kind that acknowledges that what they recorded was “work for hire” (another advantage of having a monetary exchange). This makes it clear, legally, that they don’t have ANY rights to the part or performance. You don’t want to get into a situation down the road where there is confusion about rights over royalties.
Here is some information on those kinds of contracts and you can download templates. If you’re doing this a lot, I suggest you consult an entertainment lawyer to make sure all ‘t’s’ are crossed.
Have some additional thoughts? Contact me!
Alicia