Calluses during recording

[rOB]

Evening all,

I'm about to go into the studio for a week of 12 hour days recording my new band's first EP. I've got calluses that happily see me through our 4 hour rehearsals but am thinking that they might not be enough for the longer days?

Does anyone who has experience of longer and repeated sessions have any advice on dealing with this? Is there something that i can put on my fingers to help them recover at the end of a days work?

thanks, Rob

[thisnameistaken]

Make sure you can hear yourself properly, then you won't pick so hard.

[yorick]

Might sound daft, but try a thin layer of super glue on your fingertips. Don't glue 'em together.....

[wateroftyne]

Is it really going to take that much work to do the bass tracks?

It's an EP... is each song three hours long?

[dlloyd]

You'll most likely be sitting around, bored for much of that time. I wouldn't worry too much about the state of your fingertips.

[lowdown]

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='392052' date='Jan 26 2009, 07:41 PM']It's an EP... is each song three hours long?[/quote]

Could well be if the Drummer is taking a solo.


Garry

[Delberthot]

As a last resort you can use electrical tape round the fingers.

I had to do that once.

Yeah, unless you;ve just begun playing you should have plenty life in your fingers to see the recording through.

4 songs, maybe 2 takes each one - you'll maybe playing for half an hour in total - the rest of the time will be spent going to the garage for Ginsters and fags before sitting on your arse for the rest of the time.

[rOB]

it was obscene just how fast everyone got back to me on that one, nice one.

Yeah you're probably right, won't be playing all that much I guess. Might try the superglue or electrical tape if necessary.

Ha, if our drummer was allowed to solo, each song would easily reach 3 hours, will have to keep an eye on him.

cheers everyone, Rob

[tombboy]

By the way rOB... next time you sign up to a forum... check your caps lock!!!

[rOB]

[quote name='tombboy' post='392113' date='Jan 26 2009, 08:47 PM']By the way rOB... next time you sign up to a forum... check your caps lock!!! [/quote]

Nah its meant to be like that, its a long running joke with a drummer friend of mine.

[ashevans09]

Hmm the superglue trick does work (i believe Stevie Ray Vaughn used to do this) , though i'll be honest if you're playing for twelve hours straight every day that is some hardcore sh*t right there!

Best suggestion - don't f*** up and get the takes done quickly!

[budget bassist]

You should be alright, just make sure you're well practiced. I had to play the bass part for can't stop by the chilis at college a few months ago and i hadn't played slap much for a while, after four or 5 takes i had blisters, but i got the job done. Just practice and persevere, the end results will be worth it. As long as you don't make the same mistake in the same place every time, you can edit it out anyway.

[DanOwens]

I'm a daily player, and the last time i got blisters was New Year's Eve, pissed up during a 3 hour jam on my upright through an underpowered amp. The day after, i realised how important my playing technique was, and that through comprimising I had suffered.

Make sure you're well monitored, practise the parts thoroughly (Not only getting your chops up but also making sure it'll be fewer takes) and warm up before playing.

That'd be my advice.

Dan

[johnnylager]

You only need one good take of each riff then cut & paste. :brow:

[rOB]

Thanks guys, this will be my first time recording in a studio so I'm not all that sure what to expect. I've got my parts well practiced and the band is pretty tight so hopefully I'll get my parts down in 2 or 3 takes.

Anything else I should be aware of going in? all advice, good/bad experiences welcome.

[ZMech]

Strange. After playing an hour or so a day for a couple of years I don't have any calluses on my fingers, although one is forming on the side of my thumb as i've started to learn to double thumb. Can't really see how you could get calluses from a bass, since the strings are so thick, and need such little pressure.

[ashevans09]

[quote name='rOB' post='393975' date='Jan 28 2009, 07:33 PM']Thanks guys, this will be my first time recording in a studio so I'm not all that sure what to expect. I've got my parts well practiced and the band is pretty tight so hopefully I'll get my parts down in 2 or 3 takes.

Anything else I should be aware of going in? all advice, good/bad experiences welcome.[/quote]

Bad experience? Producer saying "I'll be back in a minute", comes back a little while later stoned off his face and so is pretty much useless for a bit. We were paying by the hour too. Grr.

Advice wise, other than having your part down well I'd just say relax. You can get into this mentality of absolutely obsessing over not screwing up while your playing, and while you're worrying about messing up you don't concentrate and end up throwing the take anyway. So yeah, relax

Also be willing to play with your tone, what might work live might not work in the studio.

All I can really think of for the time being...

Best of luck, post a link when it's all finished

Edit for spelling

Edited January 28, 2009 by ashevans09