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Lesson 11 Play the same parts in different tunings
Layering multiple takes of the same part and placing them in your mix can make you sound huge, but why not take it a step further? If you’re laying down chords, try playing the same part using different inversions, either with alternative shapes, tunings or a capo to increase the depth of your multitracked parts without just creating a wall of the same noise.
Lesson 12 Create a fake acoustic sound
A great way to add depth and texture to your electric guitar recordings is to capture the acoustic sound of your strings. This is less of an ‘acoustic’ guitar sound than it is percussive, but you’ll be able to layer it amongst your tracks to give extra character to your recordings. Just place a condenser mic near the fingerboard.
Lesson 13 Use your pedal as a recording interface
You can spend a lot of money on an audio interface to record with, but before you drop your hard earned, check out your multi-effects pedal! Multi-effects have included USB audio outputs for many years now, and it’s the simplest way of getting your guitar signal into your computer. Same goes for modelling amps – just hook it up to your computer, and you’re recording for free!
Lesson 14 Tuning trick: more accurate intonation
Due to some very complicated physics, no guitar is ever 100 per cent in tune at every note on the fretboard – and when you tune your guitar at the 5th fret you may find the higher notes on your instrument sound less ‘in tune’.
If a song you play is based higher up the neck, try tuning with notes in that range of the fretboard for more accurate intonation. Your tuner picks up the notes whichever fret you’re on.
Lesson 15 Tuning trick: a fatter sound
Double-tracking will get you a bigger sound. It’s a simple idea. Just record the same part twice and pan hard left and right. So where does tuning come in? Well, try this. Record one part in concert pitch and double-track a second guitar tuned a fraction lower. Pay attention to your tuner, though – we’re only talking about four or five hundredths of a semitone here. It’s a great way to create a pseudo-chorus effect, great for jangly cleans but perhaps not so good for tight, thrashy, distorted powerchords.
increase the depth of your multitracked parts by playing different inversions