Recording Yourself? Options

[BitterSweet]

I was wondering if anyone uses recording as part of their practice techniques? I am a singer, but I imagine the uncertainty I have about the idea is pretty universal for musicians of all types.

If you use it, do you find it helps or do you just feel awkward listening and gain nothing? And what technology do you use? Smartphone, laptop, old-fashioned dictaphone, cassette tape!?

I am considering the idea, especially for exam preparation, but I'm nervous!

[porilo]

Speaking as a pianist, not a singer (people would run a mile if I try to sing (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) ) I find recording invaluable. I have a Yamaha digital piano which has recording facilities and it is great to be able to record my playing and replay it to myself. I often find that when I am playing I am concentrating on the music so much that I am not always listening to myself, so I think that I have played something well but when I hear it I find it's not as good as I thought, and sometimes it's awful!

[anacrusis]

Not on a regular basis, no, but only because I'm too lazy to set the thing up: I do know people who have done, and who will then go through said recordings with a fine tooth comb as part of practice (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif). I have however benefited enormously from doing recordings, in several ways - I have two recordings of masterclass-type lessons with an eminent player and teacher, and going back over what he said, and of his approach more generally to musical interpretation, has been very helpful: it's so difficult to remember everything which is said. I've also recorded a pre-exam performance, and was able to take that to my teacher for critical appraisal and go over it with my accompanist before the exam proper: finally, I have rather older recordings still lurking on a hard disk, and I use those to remind myself of how far I've come when feeling a bit wobbly (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif).
Recordings help me to see where tuning is an issue, the video ones also point to stagecraft and posture problems, they show me where I'm over-exerting myself and where the tension is, in a way which is difficult to assess when actually playing. I use a Sony Minidisc for sound, and my son has done video recordings for me on his Canon videocam, but the latter is now no longer working (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif). He also now owns a Zoom, and recorded our last but one orchestra concert on that.

[Jacobi]

I use it to record bits of practice and play them back to check things out

I just use my laptop and audacity which is freely available.

[sbhoa]

I just use my laptop and audacity which is freely available.

I tried that... with a reasonable mic plugged in that had given me ok recordings on mini disc but the result was awful.

[Roseau]

I just use my laptop and audacity which is freely available.

I tried that... with a reasonable mic plugged in that had given me ok recordings on mini disc but the result was awful.

I use audacity as well and have reasonable results. The piano is not terribly satisfactory as far as tone is concerned with audacity (it sounds very "plinky") but trombone, oboe and cello all work fine, although you will probably have to experiment a little to find the best place to put the microphone (too close to the instrument often gives bizarre results).

My experience is that the quality of the speakers is more important than the microphone - an OK recording on my laptop sounded very nice on my father's expensive Hi-fi.

[katica]

My teacher thoroughly recommends recording practice sessions.

I don't do it regularly. Every time I've tried the result has been thoroughly demotiving (I think I sound really vile).

I suppose it's time I gave it another go.

I ought to record lessons too.

[GMc]

Video camera when I remember, for masterclasses or special lessons, if trying to change a technique or when a big occasion is coming up. Last concert we did recordings in about 10 different outfits - very important to make sure your hair and outfit can withstand an entry and exit bow and you can sit down elegantly for an instrurment that potentially reveals too much thigh and even your undies if you get it wrong.... Its fantastic for practice - focus is on the outfit but you get 10 runthroughs of the piece as well to pinpoint any dodgy areas. And kids love watching themselves on telly unlike most adults.

Downside is that making a DVD that plays is a bit of a saga. Camera is a Panasonic. Software is not great. So fine to play back on TV - plug in camera and off you go. More difficult to save but if you fork out for the DVD writer that the camera plugs into much easier.

Laptop and audacity sound awful in my hands but I never used a separate mic and you cant see general posture, face and hands. Havnt got an iphone so dont know if that is any good.

I have got some fancy sony device that is meant to be a good sound recorder and easy to download but its awfully complicated to work itand would do better with a mic attached.

[anacrusis]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) ten outfits.....? How on earth does anyone gather together so many?

For the sound side, I use Audacity too, for video I'm afraid I let geekson do it. I could learn, but it'd take me forever, and I'd have forgotten how by the next time I'd need to use it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blush.gif).

[GMc]

10 outfits is usually variations on a theme! Usually only one or two bottoms plus variants on top - and scarves/jewellery changes. And various hair styles but bowing and long hair is a bad mix - you can look very witchy after a full bow so a head nod is better if loose hair is the favoured style. Then there is the skirt versus dress discussion and does it go with my patent red harp shoes? Typical harpist! She doesnt bother so much with piano though....

Had a very famous soloist in a very famous venue in the 1980s done a bit more dress prep she wouldn't have lost her strapless top mid concerto.....Carried it off with panache mind you - I was in the audience. You know how the leader hands over his violin in a crisis? We wondered whether he noticed and wondered whether to shove her into his jacket at a good moment in case it went again. I have advised against strapless with no bra since then.....but many harpists like strapless and there is less movement once you are sitting than for a standing soloist I suppose.

[Maizie]

At some point, I think in the run-up to my G5 or perhaps the first adult learners' do I went to, I discovered that my iPod (nano, 5th gen) had 'Voice Memos' function. That is, it recorded, and you could play it back either through the iPod (built in speaker or headphones), or plug it in to your computer and sync it with iTunes and have it play back on the computer. This was OK for what I wanted.

At my next birthday/Xmas (can't remember which), my husband bought me a little Sony digital recording thingy (checked it: Sony MP3 IC Recorder). iPod sized, with stereo recording. Again attaches to coputer for playback, or has built in speakers. It can take headphones. It can also take an external microphone.

I haven't used it that much - mostly in exam preparation or forum event prepartion. However, on Monday I used it in practising for the first time! I am learning a piece of music which I am very very familiar with. This has a good side - when I play a wrong note, I immediately hear it as wrong, because I know how it should sound. But, it has a bad side - when I play the right notes, I don't honestly know if the sound I am hearing is my playing or my knowledge of how the recordings I have sound.
So at the end of my practice session, I recorded a 'performance' of the piece. This has some benefits of itself for me - forces you to keep going and play the whole thing through, no stopping, no going back. This is a useful skill to learn if you are accustomed to stopping at mistakes, replaying the tricky bits, and rarely ever playing the whole piece through as you would to an audience.

But then I got to listen to myself, and the good news is the bits where I thought it sounded good, it does sound good. And the bit in the middle where it feels like it all falls apart, is where it all falls apart. Listening to myself back, I can pinpoint where it starts to fall apart, so I can focus my practice there for the next few sessions.

I don't think you necessarily need any fancy equipment to start with. It is likeyl you have something - computer, laptop, mobile phone, mp3 player, etc - with a recording functionality. Give it a try with what you have, not worrying too much about the quality for now. If you find recording useful, then you can look at 'upgrading' your equipment if you need to.
As was said above, I think your playback quality is important - if it sounds rubbish on your mobile phone, that may be your phone rather than you (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) See if you can record something else (even if it is just holding it by the radio for 10 seconds) and you'll get a grasp of the recording/playback quality!

[BitterSweet]

Wow, I'm actually surprised how many people record themselves! I have audacity, but suspect my phone or the digital dictaphone I bought for university will be a better bet initially.

I'm kind of terrified to try it though because I don't like recordings of my spoken voice...

Will chat with my singing teacher this afternoon and see what she thinks about the pros and cons and let you know whether I have dared to try it!

[BadStrad]

I sometimes use my Olympus LS20 to record myself. Usually video if I want to show my teacher something - bow technique feeling "wrong" for example (I play the violin).

If I'm recording myself to hear how I sound, then I usually leave the recorder running and after a while I'll forget about it. Otherwise I end up thinking I'm rubbish as my initial attempts are nervous - not good for the intonation!

For playback I'll use either VLC (audio and video) or Audacity for sound only.

[porilo]

Wow, I'm actually surprised how many people record themselves! I have audacity, but suspect my phone or the digital dictaphone I bought for university will be a better bet initially.

I don't know what audacity is, but I wouldn't recommend a dictaphone unless it has a stereo facility. Most dictaphones record in mono.

[BitterSweet]

Wow, I'm actually surprised how many people record themselves! I have audacity, but suspect my phone or the digital dictaphone I bought for university will be a better bet initially.

I don't know what audacity is, but I wouldn't recommend a dictaphone unless it has a stereo facility. Most dictaphones record in mono.

Audacity is free music editing software for computers available here: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

How important is stereo sound for self-reflection? And would an android phone provide stereo? Or a laptop? *genuinely curious*