| Many music producers, artists and bands find that the | | | | exactly how the producer wants it - possibly even |
| addition of stringed instruments such as violins, violas | | | | better. |
| and cellos can really add something special to a track | | | | If a band is making the investment of hiring in session |
| or album. Whether it's a singer/songwriter who wants | | | | players, it's important to make sure the music is |
| solo cello parts in a song, or a band looking for a | | | | prepared professionally for them, ready to come in |
| much larger, orchestral sound, well written string | | | | and start playing in a way that will get the very best |
| parts can supply everything from detailed counter | | | | out of their instruments. A lot of studio time can get |
| melodies to a big carpet of lush chords. | | | | wasted if musicians turn up and find the parts are |
| Not everyone is entirely happy with the results | | | | scored for keyboard, all written in unison with no |
| achieved with synthesised strings or samples, and | | | | chord spacings, or contain notes that don't exist on |
| although it's relatively simple and cost effective to | | | | their instrument - they might need to spend valuable |
| hire in a professional string player for some solo | | | | time in writing things out in the correct key, playing |
| parts, independent artists rarely have the budget to | | | | them through, trying out different bowings and |
| hire an entire string orchestra to play on their track. | | | | generally doing the work of a string arranger. A lot of |
| So what are the options if you want to create the | | | | musicians will be happy to have a quick look through |
| effect of a string orchestra? | | | | the score beforehand just to check it and tweak any |
| One common trick of the trade is to use synthesised | | | | notes which need adjusting, but they will not be |
| strings to create a 'wash' of strings, then hire in a | | | | happy to spend hours of unpaid time re-orchestrating |
| handful of professional musicians to overlay a few | | | | the parts the night before the session. As a general |
| live takes over the top - giving a more realistic feel, | | | | rule, hiring a professional orchestrator or string |
| including articulations (bowings) and adding any | | | | arranger to work on the music for an hour or two |
| virtuosic, exposed parts which are difficult to | | | | will save money & time, ensuring the session |
| programme convincingly. | | | | runs smoothly. |
| Another approach is to book a core of experienced | | | | On a practical level, it's important to remember that |
| session musicians who can - with razor sharp | | | | the tuning of stringed instruments can be quite |
| accuracy - overdub themselves a few times, building | | | | strongly affected by temperature and the level of |
| up layers of sound to create the illusion of a larger | | | | moisture in a room. Recording in a very hot and |
| section. In the same way that each singer has a | | | | humid studio in the middle of summer might result in |
| unique sound to their voice, every violinist will have a | | | | lots of squeaks and noises on the strings which |
| sound which is characteristic to them - so one danger | | | | would never occur at normal temperature. Players |
| with too much multi-tracking is it can sound like the | | | | using extremely valuable, antique instruments will |
| same player, recorded lots of times. In a real string | | | | probably express concern as very old stringed |
| section, the players would all have a different sound | | | | instruments are quite vulnerable to extreme |
| texture, so that the effect is like many people | | | | temperatures. In a very hot studio, players may have |
| playing together - rather like a choir being made up | | | | to stop and re-tune more frequently, or find that |
| of many different voices. With overdubbing, players | | | | their hands are perspiring and affecting their ability to |
| will need to slightly vary their bowing on each take, | | | | pitch the notes as accurately. In the same way, |
| and microphone placements can be subtly adjusted | | | | asking a violinist to play in a very cold, heavily air |
| to give variety of sound. If the strings are quite low | | | | conditioned environment might also have its problems |
| down in the mix, this might be less important - but if | | | | - both for the instrument and for the cold, stiff |
| you've written a big, orchestral section in the middle | | | | fingers of the person playing. Concentrating solidly on |
| of a song, you'll want it to sound as convincing as | | | | sight reading music for several hours can be |
| possible. | | | | exhausting, so musicians on long sessions will expect |
| Artists on a very restricted budget do sometimes | | | | to take occasional breaks for drinks or to eat |
| hire in amateur musicians, or call on friends who play | | | | something. Although they'll probably bring their own, |
| stringed instruments. Although good results can be | | | | making sure there are some juices and bottles of |
| achieved, this can be a little 'hit and miss'- with | | | | water in the studio will always be appreciated. |
| recording sessions often taking significantly longer, | | | | If you haven't got a personal recommendation, lots |
| players having tuning / timing issues and a lack of | | | | of string musician have websites with examples of |
| consistency with the quality of playing. A professional | | | | their playing, so you can check out the quality of |
| session musician will usually turn up at the studio, look | | | | musicianship online. Look out for musicians who have |
| through the sheet music and be able to play it right | | | | experience in all different styles, with good sight |
| pretty much first time - in any genre from bluegrass | | | | reading, excellent tuning and a good range of sound - |
| to classical or rock, exactly how you wanted it, in | | | | so that they can just as easily perform soft, lyrical |
| tune and in time with the rest of the track. Studio | | | | solo passages as strong, dramatic sections with other |
| time can be expensive, and for bands who believe in | | | | players. |
| their album so much that they want it to sound as | | | | With the internet opening up all manner of recording |
| professional and slick as possible, hiring in some top | | | | work these days, it's increasingly straightforward to |
| players could be a sound investment. If a group need | | | | take advantage of currency fluctuations and hire in |
| a string section to play on more than one track of | | | | players from other countries - with modern recording |
| the album, it can be surprisingly economical to hire | | | | and file upload technology, producers are no longer |
| players for several hours of recording at once. If you | | | | confined to using local musicians. All the players on an |
| need an estimate of how long the session might | | | | album may never meet in person, but it's now |
| take, send them the parts first and ask how long | | | | perfectly possible for a track to be written by a |
| they think it might take to record. Professional studio | | | | singer from the UK, include a session guitar recorded |
| musicians work quickly - and although they'll be happy | | | | in New York, a brass section from L.A, a string |
| to come in and play the parts with their own | | | | orchestra from London, a harpist from Ireland and |
| interpretation, they'll work hard to get it sounding | | | | backing vocals recorded in a studio in Paris....! |