Learn How To Record Yourself Playing The Guitar

It's loads of fun & a GREAT way to improve your playing!

There are SO many benefits to recording yourself playing music! It helps you develop your musical creativity, and you'll learn loads about yourself in the process.

Of course, you can record yourself with your phone. It'll get the job done, but in this lesson - we'll go deeper than that. I'll walk you through how and what you need to record individual tracks. At first, it might seem scary - but it's so much fun once you get into it!

So get ready to learn how to record yourself playing & the essentials tools you need to record yourself at home. Let's get stuck in. :)

Why You Should Record Yourself Playing

First - it's FUN to record yourself! Whether you're in a proper studio or at home with a laptop. Recording can be a whole musical experience - especially if you're into songwriting and composing.

Recording yourself playing is a great tool to listen to your musical creations. It's hard to understand what you're audience hears while you're playing - this is why it's so exploring this is valuable!

When you record yourself, you're able to listen to yourself as a third party. This lets you have an outside opinion on your playing. You'll be able to tell if your timing is offbeat, if your dynamics are too loud, or if your groove needs work!

You might sound better than you thought - and sometimes - it's the other way around! Either way, it's a great learning experience and an effective way to assess your guitar playing.

Recording yourself also gives you the option to collaborate with other musicians. With the technology available these days, it's easy for you to record a part & send that over to a jam buddy. Then, they can record their part yours - and musical creations can be born!

To help you get started recording yourself, you'll need to invest in some gear! Let me walk you through the 5 essentials tool you need to record yourself.

🚨 It's very, very easy to spend a SMALL FORTUNE on recording equipment. The sky's the limit with this stuff - please do your research before purchasing anything. :)

5 Tools To Record Yourself

Here are 5 essential tools you'll need to record yourself.

#1 Daw Software

A DAW is a digital audio workstation. This is a type of recording software and is what can give a studio-like finish to your recordings.

Apple computers usually come pre-installed with the free software GarageBand. Garage band is an excellent program for beginners! I recommend it - especially if you already have it pre-installed on your Apple computer. You can create some high-quality recordings with it! If you're looking for something more professional, try LogicProX. This is Apple's upgraded recording software.

If you're using a PC, the go-to recording software is Audacity. I haven't used it - but it's got many loyal users, and its feature list is impressive. The best part - it's completely free and open-source.

#2 Audio Interfaces

Once you've got the software, how do you get your recording into it? You'll need an audio interface to do that. :)

Your microphone or guitar cable plugs into the audio interface. This would then connect to your computer (via USB). You can also plug your headphones into this to listen back to what you've recorded.

For home recording beginners, a two-in-two-out interface is a good option. This way, you can plug in either your acoustic or electric guitar and your microphone.

#3 Microphone

It's easy to spend a lot of money on microphones! So make sure you do your research.

Find something that works best for your budget and personal needs. If you play electric, you can plug it directly into your audio interface. You'll still need a microphone to record your voice.

I recommend looking for something called a "large-diaphragm condenser microphone." Rode makes some great ones, and it's a good bang for your buck! You might want to start your microphone search there.

There are a few mic accessories you'll need. Most importantly, a microphone stand, suitable cable, and a pop shield/reflector protection.

Plugging an acoustic guitar into an audio interface won't give you a sound like a microphone. If you play a lot of acoustic, you'll want to look for a microphone that's suitable for voice and guitar recording.

#4 Headphones

Whatever you do, don't use Bluetooth headphones! There will always be a bit of a lag with these! Adding instruments and play in time, more chance of running into problems! I recommend you go with a pair that has a cable.

When looking for headphones, you might want to look for ones that have a closed back. This means that the sound won't bleed out the back of the headphones and into the microphone. This is important when you're recording acoustic guitar and voice!

#5 Knowledge

Audio recording is its own art form. There's plenty to learn about the recording processes and how to use effects and production.

In your beginner stages, you'll need to spend some time learning with your equipment and software. See what works for you, learn as you go, and grow as a musician.

💡 You might enjoy the Production Basics course. My studio assistant Adam made it for me during Corona lockdown! It's a great learning tool.

Low Budget Guitar Recording Setup

Technology has progressed since I started recording with a four-track cassette! You can get great quality recordings done with budget gear.

Here are some recommendations for you to get started. :)

DAW Software: Garageband for Apple computers & Audacity for PC.

Audio Interface: Focusrite Scarlett

I don't own one of these, but I know many people who use them and love them. Great bang for your buck, easy to set up, and easy to use!

Microphone: Rode NT1a

You might first want to know that the condenser mic was a Rode - I confirm that they make great budget gear. Their NT1a is no exception! They often bundle it with a vocal pack. This is awesome because it includes stuff you'll want to buy anyway.

Yes - cheaper options exist. But - try not to cheap out on your microphone. A good mic will make a massive difference in your recording!

Headphones: AKG K52

Again, work within your budget, but do your homework!

Microphone Stand: Hercules MS432B

For microphone stands, I wouldn't go cheaper than this! A bad mic stand can affect your recording session.

If you want something that's very long-lasting and durable, I would consider going for a K&M brand stand. They're more expensive - but they are of excellent quality.

Cable: Stagg SMC6

You can find it cheaper than this, but you'll be repurchasing it soon after. Many good cable options available exist - buy the best you can afford and look after it!

Vocal Pop Shield: Neewer Pop Shield

I used a pair of women's tights stretched over a coat hanger as my pop shield for a long time. And yep - it totally worked! Budget-friendly options exist that are WAY better than doing this!

My Pro Recording Setup

Many of you are curious about what I have in my recording room! Here's what I'm currently using to record myself.

Audio Interface: Universal Audio Apollo

I love Universal Audio gear - their audio interfaces are as good as it gets. Their plugins for effects are also incredible. This interface is well worth the investment if you're more serious about recording.

I use an 8Xp as my main interface and have had smaller units too. You can't go wrong here - they don't make anything less than excellent! If your budget allows, definitely look into UA.

Vocal Microphone: Shure SM7B

I have quite a few microphones that I use for different things. I particularly love the sound of this mic for vocals.

With microphones, the most expensive option isn't necessarily the best option. It might be worth renting a studio with many different ones that you can try out before buying.

My London studio was above legendary producer Hugh Padgham's Sofa Sound Studio. He let me borrow and try out whatever I wanted from his incredible collection. I even bought an incredible Neumann U87 from him - it was probably used on many famous recordings! It's fantastic - but for my' ropey at best' voice, the SM7 works a treat!

Acoustic Guitar Microphone: Neumann KM184

My taste for acoustic microphones changes quite often. I have a few different ones, but the KM184 is a regular favorite. It almost always sounds amazing! It might be too amazing and clean at times!

Headphones: KRK 8400

I love these KRK headphones. I've had mine for a long time - it might even be more than 10 years now!

They've got an in-line volume on the cable. They close tightly enough, so I get minimal bleed when recording quiet acoustic parts.

Got any recording suggestions? Log into your account and share in the discussion area. You might also find some neat recommendations there!

I hope you have a blast getting started with your recording journey. See you in the next lesson, where we'll look at setting up your Module 14 practice sessions. :)