5 Secrets to Recording Great Vocals on Your Next Project

5 Secrets to Recording Great Vocals on Your Next Project

Every singer wants great vocals on their projects. Today’s blog outlines the best way to prepare your voice to get ahead of the curve ensuring a great recording. 

Throughout each year I coach countless singers in preparing their voices for the studio. 

There is a process I use to help singers prep their voices to record at their very best. You don’t want to just hope for the best and sing your songs a couple of times. There is an art to getting your voice technically ready, improving your strength and stamina, rehearsing your songs well, and preparing stellar vocal arrangements for your project to deliver on those recording dates. 

So how do you get your voice ready for the studio?

Today I’m talking about the 5 secrets to preparing your voice to record great vocals in the studio.

Here are the top 5 secrets I will detail below: 

• Build your vocal strength and stamina ahead of time
• Develop a solid, consistent daily regimen and routine
• Demo and rehearse your songs well
• Prepare vocal arrangements
• Find a seasoned vocal producer or vocal arranger

Okay let’s dive in to make your vocals stand out on your next project!

1. Build your vocal strength and stamina ahead of time 

We just finished up recording vocals for an album here in New York for one of my label artists. We’ve been working on upleveling her voice for the past year and the vocals were outstanding and exceeded even her expectations.

Here’s exactly what we did. 

Preparing for the studio as much as 6-9 months ahead will significantly improve your recording. It’s important to realize that your recording will go down forever and you want your voice to be in the very best shape to record as possible.  

Precision: 
You’ll need stamina and endurance. You will need to be able to sing well for approximately 5 hours without losing your voice. 

Most vocal sessions are about 5-6 hours per songs. The lead vocals take from 3-4 hours to record well. Following the lead vocals at the same session, we then record for another 2 hours to track lead doubles and background vocals, for a total of 5-6 hours.

It starts with vocal technique to build stamina and endurance. You also want to improve your tone, expand your vocal range, improve flexibility, and breath control along with all of the technical elements, to be able to sing with ease and precision.

For any recording project I like to get a head start on strengthening the singers voice for a good 9 months prior or however much time ahead we have. The last album project I did we spent an entire year building her voice. This is not uncommon in professional projects. 

Here’s the list of preparation:

• Daily Vocal Technique Regimen using the Cole Vocal Method: 40 minutes a day, 5 days a week to build the vocal tone, range, strength and endurance.
• This is the Cole Vocal Method Series we worked on:
  • Singers Gift Vocal Warmups: warmups to open and free the voice, includes specific vocal release techniques to open more range
  • Vocal Rescue Kit: vocal therapy and cool downs for days when the voice needs more care, or restoration.
  • Master Voice Building Exercises: the voice building series inside the Cole Vocal Method is the key to building a strong and healthy singing voice that can sing for days without wearing out. 
  • Four Fundamentals. A series of 4 fundamental vocal technique exercises to work on the four main areas to establish:
    • Vocal strength
    • Vocal flexibility
    • Holding notes
    • High notes

Learn more about The Cole Vocal Method here.
To learn all of the vocal techniques listed above inside the Cole Vocal Method click here.

2. Develop a solid, consistent rehearsal routine for endurance 

Rehearse your songs to develop your endurance. Singing in the studio can involve long sessions singing for hours at the top of your performance level and require vocal stamina.

A lead vocal takes approximately 4-5 hours to complete a good comp. This includes the lead vocal, plus any doubles and adlibs to complete the vocal. 

To build your endurance try this:  

• Rehearse your songs 3-5x per week
  • If you are recording an album (10 songs) then sing through the entire songlist for 1-2 hours each day
  • If you are recording a single or two – sing through the 2 songs 2-3x through for an hour each day
• Note: don’t over sing but sing with the same gusto as you would your recordings. As you get closer to the actual day/week of recording, stop these rehearsals and just do your vocal warmups to avoid over-tiring your voice before your sessions.

3. Demo your songs well in preparation for the actual recordings 

This is something I do with all of my artists and I did it myself when I recorded my album. It works really well because it reinforces all of the vocal phrases and technical aspects in your voice before you lay down your final takes.

You really don’t want the first time you record your final vocal takes to be in the studio —it’s way better to record ahead of time and get the notes etched into your voice before the final vocals. 

Try this: 

• Work on vocal arrangements (see #4 below)
• Record basic piano/guitar/voice demos of each song
• Do comps of each vocal where you edit your vocals
• Record as if you were recording your final vocals paying attention to all of the details. 

This process prepares your voice to really know the songs, the notes and phrasing to be able to execute better on your final day. We also go as far as to tune any slight out of tune vocals so you are listening to the accurate notes when you play back. This helps your ear and not rehearsing slightly off notes. 

The result? Vocals that are 10x better then they would be without this process. Every single time! 

4. Develop and prepare vocal arrangements for each song 

What is vocal arranging and a vocal arrangement and why do I need it?

Vocal arranging is the process of deciding how a song’s vocals will be performed and recorded. It involves making choices about the melody, harmony, rhythm, dynamics, and texture of the vocals to enhance the song’s impact and emotional depth. Vocal arranging can include adding harmonies, choosing different vocal techniques like straight tone, vibrato, or breathiness, and determining where and how to layer vocals to complement the main melody.

A vocal arranger ensures that the vocals stand out and engage the listener, often by creating a unique vocal sound that highlights the singer’s strengths and the song’s message. For instance, a vocal arranger might decide to add a 3-part harmony to the entire song or use subtle background vocals to lift the verse into the chorus.

Vocal arranging is crucial for creating a powerful and memorable vocal performance. It can transform a simple melody into a rich and dynamic arrangement that captures the listener’s attention. Effective vocal arranging can make a song more engaging and can significantly enhance the overall production quality.

Vocal arranging is a skill that requires a clear understanding of the song’s mood, message, and genre, as well as a keen ear for how different vocal techniques and arrangements can enhance the song’s impact.

As a vocal performance coach coaching singers for important events, TV competitions such as American Idol and The Voice, all the way to the Grammy stage—I wanted to share the key elements to prepare your songs to sing them to the fullest. 

Try this:  

• The right key: It seems super basic, but surprising how often this is missed—the right key is everything.
• Work on the arrangement of your songs. The best way is to record demos to get the vocal arrangement recorded how you like it. Work on creating dynamics as you move through the song. Adding notes that move upward as you move through the sections to create excitement; adding long-held notes where the music calls for it; focus on phrasing and endings to create peak moments.
• Record these arrangements to perfect them and etch them into your mind and memory.
  
  

5. Find a seasoned vocal producer or vocal arranger for your in-studio sessions

When you are choosing your music producer to record with, it’s a good idea to ask if they specialize in producing vocals. Not all producers are “vocal producers” and that is okay, but it’s best to know ahead of time because you might want extra preparation with a vocal arranger, producer or coach ahead of time to get you ready. Or you may want to look for a producer that is also skilled at recording vocals. 

You can also opt for bringing a skilled vocal arranger in to your actual recording sessions to manage the recording of the vocals and to ensure you get the best possible takes. Your vocals on your record are forever, and you want to be sure to spend the extra time to make sure they are extra special.

In addition, work with your arranger to come up with background vocals and parts ahead of time so you can save time in the studio.

In an upcoming blog, I will be laying out a complete guide to vocal comping and how to record and edit great vocal tracks.