Recording - October 2013 - 63

Continued from page 60
to hear a three-guitar strummed style that sets up a
steady beat. In the song “Rise,” from the film “Into
the Wild,” Eddie Vedder creates a powerful rhythm
track on solo mandolin.
Piano can set up a rhythmic feel using arpeggiated
chords (playing the notes of a chord one after the
other as in Adele’s “Someone Like You”) or by
playing a steady, repeated rhythmical phrase.
4. The vocal is the centerpiece
In this style, the vocal is king and everything else
is there to give it support. These vocals are very
personal and present, almost as if the singer is
speaking directly to the listener. Singing close to
the mic and keeping the vocal fairly dry in the
mix (go light on the reverb) is a good approach.

out the referenced artists on Spotify, Rdio, Rhapsody, or iTunes. When you hear someone that’s
close to the style you want to work in, buy it and
study it. I keep extensive playlists of artists with a
sound or feel I think is worth coming back to. I
found many of them in the TAXI listings.
Listen to an example
There’s a Sprint commercial that I’ll bet you’ve
seen. It features a guitar/vocal track with added
strings and light percussion. The song is “All My
Life” by Alexi Murdoch, one of the most licensed
singer-songwriters of the last decade. You can
watch the commercial on YouTube
(http://youtu.be/aQnsN6eXbR8) to see how the
song was used. You can do this!

This tip is based on my book Shortcuts to
Songwriting for Film & TV available at Amazon.
No nonsense – just good, useable info! Copyright
2013 Robin Frederick.

Robin Frederick has written more than 500 songs
for television, records, theater, and audio products.
She is a former Director of A&R for Rhino Records,
Executive Producer of 60 albums, and the author of
“Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting” and “Shortcuts to
Songwriting for Film & TV.” Visit Robin’s websites
for more songwriting and inspiration tips:
www.RobinFrederick.com and
www.MySongCoach.com.

5. A good mix is key
In Adele’s “Someone Like You” and Olivia Broadfield’s “Gone” the piano part is in the vocal range
but a darker EQ keeps it in the background, allowing the brighter vocal to stand out. Some of
today’s singer-songwriters are adding more reverb
to create an atmospheric feel in the vocal a la Bon
Iver’s “Holocene.” It all depends on the effect you
want to create. Even in a simple arrangement,
there are plenty of choices you can make!
When mixing, it’s a great idea to compare your

“A minimal arrangement allows the
singer to be the focal point of the
song.”
mix with a song that’s in a similar style that has
been used successfully in film and TV. Try to get
as close to the overall sound and balance as you
can. If you’re working in a home studio and still
learning the ropes, try bringing in an engineer
for a day to set up a mix and show you how to
get the most from your effects.

How Good Does Your Recording Have
to Be?
The short answer is: It needs to be as good as
other songs in a SIMILAR STYLE that have been
used in film and TV. If you’re a singer-songwriter,
listen to a few songs that have been used successfully in commercially released movies and TV
shows. Check out simple productions like Adele’s
“Someone Like You,” “Powerful Stuff” by Sean
Hayes, “Naked As We Came” by Iron & Wine,
and “Gracious” by Ben Howard. All have been
used in film & TV.
Find more barebones songs like these
My favorite place to find artists and songs is the
TAXI listings! Look for listings requesting singersongwriter artists or songs for film & TV. Check
63

http://www.RobinFrederick.com http://www.MySongCoach.com http://youtu.be/aQnsN6eXbR8 http://www.vocalbooth.com http://www.vocalbooth.com

Recording - October 2013

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