Guitarists are always searching for new ways to improve their playing. Whether you want to become a better improviser or develop new pieces of music, having a video of your performance can be a big help. As a piece of your training routine, you can use it to analyze your techniques and make corrections. Or, as an addition to your repertoire, you can give your songs some extra depth by recording them with a backing track.
Recording guitar is a lot more challenging than recording other instruments. You need to be aware of the mic placement and what kind of sound you’re going for. But once you get the hang of it, it’s fairly easy. Let’s walk through the process about how to record guitar video with backing track
Related Article: How to make a guitar backing track
Set Up Your Recording Environment
The first step is to set up the sound environment in which you want to record. You need a quiet place, away from any other noise. If you’re going for a looped backing track, then set up your guitar amp and speakers in the same room.
Next, adjust the microphone position. You don’t want to have it too close to the amp or too far away because either can result in an unexciting sound. The optimum position is three feet from the amplifier and two feet from your guitar. Position the mic so that it faces your guitar’s sound hole and not its neck or headstock.
Once you’ve found the right spot for your mic, plug it into your computer with a USB cord, then into your amp with an XLR cable. Make sure that all of these connections are solid before moving on to adjusting levels and recording.
Set Up Your Guitar and Mics
To record your guitar video with a backing track, you’ll need two things: a camera and a mic. You’ll want to place the mic about three feet in front of where you will be sitting. This will help ensure that the mic captures your guitar and not just the sound coming from your speakers.
You can also use any microphone, but a condenser microphone will produce better quality audio for recording guitars.
Now you have to set up your guitar. Make sure that it’s grounded to avoid feedback. And if you have an amp, position it at least four feet away from the guitar so that it doesn’t interfere with the recording process.
If you’re in a quiet space and don’t want the mic to pick up any background noise, you can use an acoustic guitar. If you’re filming in a room with lots of background noise or if you want to capture the full sound of your electric guitar, then it’s best to use an electric.
Before setting up your mic, plug your guitar into the amp and let it warm up for at least five minutes. This will help prevent feedback. As for where to place your mic, it depends on what sound you are going for. For a clean sound with minimal distortion, try placing it about six inches or so away from the body of the guitar. For distortion or a more rock-and-roll style of playing, try moving your microphone closer to the amp head. Be careful not to get too close though as this will increase the likelihood of getting feedback in your recording.
Find the Right Decibel
You want to record at the right decibel level. You don’t want to be too loud and ruin your sound, but you also don’t want to be too soft. The level of sound you go for could depend on what kind of backing track you’re using, so make sure you test it out before recording.
Set Up your DAW of Choice
The first step is to find a program to use as your DAW. In the old days, we had to rely on tapes, which were expensive and often unreliable. Nowadays, there are many digital audio workstations (DAW) that can be used for free.
Some popular free DAWs include GarageBand and Audacity. It’s worth investing in a more advanced DAW eventually, but for now these programs will do the trick.
Head on over to YouTube or Google for tutorials on how to set up these programs. You’ll need to learn how to record guitar video with a backing track in this program of your choice. This is also where you should start when you first start recording guitar video with a backing track.
Choose a Composition or Improvisation
The first step is to choose a composition or improvisation. You can do this by playing along with a recording, or by improvising on your instrument.
Once you make your selection, it’s time to get the guitar ready to record. Make sure the strings are in tune and that the neck of the guitar is straight.
Choose a Playing Technique
First, choose which playing technique you’ll use for your performance. There are two types of guitar playing techniques: fingerpicking and strumming.
Fingerpicking is when you pluck the strings with your fingers. Strumming is when you hold down the strings with your fingers on the fretboard, then pluck them with a pick. Fingerpicking can create a more nuanced sound, while strumming is more pop-sounding.
To get started recording guitar video with a backing track, it’s important to know which technique you’ll be using and have an understanding of what sound you want to achieve. If you want to be able to use any style of music, fingerpicking will give you more options. But if you want something that sounds like a pop song or country song, then strumming might be right for you.
Record Everything, But What to Leave Out?
If you’re going to record guitar video with a backing track, you’ll need to have a good quality mic. You can also use the mic on your laptop or phone as long as you have a decent audio recorder app. But keep in mind: you will need to watch the levels so you don’t get too much noise. Recording everything is the best idea because it will give you more options in post production, but there are some things to leave out.
It’s always important to keep an eye on what your background is doing in the video. If it’s not something that enhances your performance, then it should be left out of the video. For example, if there’s a TV in the background of your shot and it has nothing to do with music or guitar playing, then consider moving the TV out of frame or turning off the TV altogether. It may seem like an unnecessary detail, but this can make all of the difference when editing down your final product. Another thing to avoid recording is extra sound effects like tapping feet and computer sounds. These details are best left out because they can be distracting and take away from what people are really listening for–the music.
Final Words
Recording guitar video with a backing track is an excellent way to develop your skills and learn new songs. By adding a backing track, you can give your existing pieces more depth or create new music. So, if you want to know how to record a guitar video with a backing track, just follow these simple steps. If you want the recording to sound professional, be sure that the mic placement is correct and that you’re using the right kind of sound for the type of song you’re playing.
How to record guitar video with backing track FAQS
It’s simple! You just need to download the backing track, import it into your DAW of choice, and then click “play” while you record. Some musicians will even bring the backing track on their phone so that they can play along with it.
The type of microphone you purchase depends on your needs. If you’re recording with a band, for instance, you might want an omnidirectional mic (the kind that picks up sounds from all directions). A lot of guitarists prefer dynamic microphones because they don’t pick up sound as well as condenser microphones. On the other hand, when recording solo guitar tracks or piano accompaniments, condenser microphones are often preferable because they also pick up sound from a close proximity.
Latency is when a delay occurs between playing an instrument and hearing the audio back through the headphones or speakers. This can happen if the computer’s processor can’t keep up with the audio stream coming in. Latency is typically more noticeable when using MIDI instruments than when using analogue instruments like guitars and drums.
Conclusion
Many guitar players have been asking the question of how to record guitar video with a backing track.
Fortunately, this is actually a very simple process.
In order to record a guitar video with a backing track, you will need to set up your environment, your guitar and microphones, find a decibel level that works for you, set up your DAW and choose a composition or improvisation.
Then you will need to record everything, but what to leave out?
You will finish by choosing a playing technique and some final words.
Lastly, there are some frequently asked questions that you may want to consider.
