The Art of Backing Vocals PART 2: Recording
The art of recording amazing Backing Vocals is a specialist skill, and there are so many different tracking, delivery, and production techniques you can utilise whilst recording these vocal contours. In May’s blog, The Art of Backing Vocals Part 1, we looked at arrangement, focusing on some of the ways you can improve your BV’s using some tried and true techniques. In this month’s Session Notes blog, The Art of Backing Vocals Part 2, Pro7ect Songwriting Retreats founder and songwriter Lisa Fitzgibbon shares some BV recording nuggets of info that will improve your sound and your experience.
“Backing vocals bring so much more life to the situation. When a voice opens up, there comes the life.”
- Lynn Mabry – Sly and the Family Stone, Parliament Funkadelic.
You’ve done all the prep. Your arrangements are demoed, you’ve sifted through all the ideas and options, and you’re ready for tracking. I like to demo all my BVs in advance of the recording session, so I’m familiar with the song, and we don’t waste time when we get to the studio. This is particularly important if you are working on an album project and need to manage your pre-pro well in advance of the recording sessions.
I’ve worked with many renown music producers and although they all adhere to the same basic vocal recording engineering requirements (mic selection, mic set-up, recording levels etc.) they all have their own unique approach to this rather niche, but extremely important, part of a song’s production.
P72023: Lina Horner - Featured Artist
Ideally, by the time you come to record your BV’s you will have most of the track recorded and a guide mix to work with. It is ESSENTIAL that the lead vocal has been recorded in full before you add the BV’s. One of the main jobs of a good backing vocal is to lift the lead, and blend with the tones of the singer, which is so much easier to do when you have the final lead vocal to work with.
Lisa Fitz’s top-tips for recording BVs:
1. Choose a sound - Sometimes I like to use a different microphone to the lead vocal when I’m recording BV’s, especially if I’m singing them. This can give you a variety of sounds that are helpful in the mix. Sometimes the vocal peaks and frequencies of the same voice overlayed can cause phasing issues, and using a different mic can mitigate this audio trap.
2. Language is key - as a producer or engineer your job is to bring out the best in the artists you work with. Most musicians find the intimacy of multi-track recording difficult. It’s like putting your artistry and technique under the microscope and it can be a very exposing experience… especially for singers. I have been in many vocal sessions over the years, mostly good but some not so good, and the majority of failures are due to a lack of, or bad, communication. Reassuring artists in this stressful environment is an important part of the role of the producer. If a singer is struggling with timing or intonation they may need a different headphone mix, or a break, or they may not be warmed up. Sometimes taking one earphone off to hear your voice in the room can help. Perhaps you can try a different part of the arrangement while they warm up and find their flow. Positive and clear communication in the studio is fundamental to ensuring the productivity of the session.
3. Step back - The air or room around the vocal is an important consideration when recording. If I’m stacking vocals, I like to move away from the mic for some of the passes, ensuring to increase the mic preamp gain to keep the channel levels healthy. Alternatively, you can ‘kiss the mic’ and get right up close to sing softly for a more intimate, layered effect.
4. Housekeeping - If, like me, you often arrange a multitude of BV’s it is crucial that you label and group the parts for the mix engineer. Again, this will save time and a tidy session is a sign of professional practice. Colour coding the parts on your DAW will make it easier to manage.
P72023 artists - Coach House Studio, Rockfield
5. Ascension - It is so much easier to perform harmonies ascending from the main vocal. This gives the higher harmonies context and tonal support.
6. Gather round - Some BV’s work well with a group (2-4 people) singing around the mic. If you are recording two singers, you can either get them to face each other (setting the mic to a figure of eight pattern) or leave it in cardioid mode if they are standing beside each other. It’s always best to check what the vocals sound like in the room before you commit to the tracking.
“"She (Cher) had this killer voice. We had her standing like 50 feet from the mic all the way in the back of the studio, but all you could hear was her."” – Brian Stone from The Righteous Brothers when recording ‘You’ve Lost that Loving Feeling’
P72023: Bunny Alex - Featured Artist
7. Watch your S’s and T’s - Vocal sibilance and the peaks you get from the hard consonants, like T’s and D’s can cause spikes or unwanted peaks in the audio. You can smooth some of these out with a frequency dependent compressor like a De-esser, but it’s best to avoid having to make these fixes in the first place. When I’m overlaying multiple vocals, I tend to leave these harsh sounds out of some of the takes. As long as the lead vocal pronounces the S or T you can tuck the BVs behind it. For example, I was working on a BV arrangement last week on a song called ‘Carnival Days’. The hook in the CH was stacked with BV’s so on most of them I sang ‘arnival ay’. It saves time and sounds fine.
8. Try it - It’s important to be flexible when you’re tracking BV’s. If the arrangement you’ve made in pre-pro doesn’t quite work, it’s better to adjust than to fit a square into a circle. The track may have progressed since you arranged the parts and certain things may not work, or other things may work better. It’s important not to be rigid at this stage of the process and to prioritise what works best for the track.
Whatever way you approach it the most important thing to remember when you are recording backing vocals is to do what’s right for the song… and to have fun, of course.
P72018: Paul Edwards - Featured Artist
Since its launch in 2013, Pro7ect has brought together over 120 artists, songwriters, musicians, and producers. These collaborations have resulted in nearly 100 tracks written and recorded, 18 of which have been released. There have also been four syncs, three albums produced by P7 artist collaborators and many production opportunities for participating Headline Producers through the P7 Alumni.
Pro7ect’s success lies in its ability to pair artists and songwriters with internationally acclaimed producers who are there to guide the recording process and capture the collaborative efforts of our writing teams. Limited places are available so apply today…
Dates and Prices for Pro7ect 2024 are:
Residential: 16th – 20th July - £1795
The Early Bird rate of £1695 if available to anyone booking before 01.01.24.
Fee includes four nights’ accommodation (twin share), three writing days and all meals, studios, and equipment.
Masterclass: 20th July: 10am - 5pm - £225.
The early bird rate of £195 is available for bookings before 01.01.24.
The price includes studio, equipment, producer fees and lunch.
Applicants do not need to have any previous songwriting experience to attend the Masterclasses.
The Masterclass is open to anyone. No previous songwriting experience required.
“A friend suggested I go on a songwriting retreat
…and it changed my life!”
- Lisa Fitzgibbon (singer, songwriter, music producer)
Pro7ect is proudly sponsored by Prism Sound.
P7 Headline producers include Stew Jackson (Massive Attack), Youth (Sir Paul McCartney, The Verve, The Orb), Roni Size (Reprazent), John Fortis (Razorlight, Ellie Goulding), Greg Haver (Manic Street Preachers), Iain Archer (Snow Patrol, James Bay), Andrew Levy (Brand New Heavies) and Mercury Prize Winner Talvin Singh, just to name a few.