This document summarizes the process of creating a piece of recorded music from start to finish. It discusses the following key steps: 1) Composition, where the song is written through lyrics, musical form, and instrumentation. Genre and prosody help guide the composition. 2) Arrangement and instrumentation, where additional elements are added to the song skeleton and it is rehearsed. Collaboration can elevate the song. 3) Recording, where each instrument is captured separately using specialized microphones and equipment. Mixing and editing refine the individual tracks. 4) Mixing, where all tracks are balanced and effects are applied to blend them cohesively into a full song. Techniques like doubling

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Natalie Hope Finamore
Senior Capstone
Seeing Sound: From Notebook to Album
What is the process of creating a piece of recorded music? What happens “behind
the scenes”? For a lot of my life, I have been surrounded by musicians. As a little girl, I dreamed
of being a musician. In movies and TV shows, becoming a popular artist seemed so easy: You
write a song, you record it in a flash, and you get signed to a label. BAM! You’re famous! As
I’ve taken college courses, interned at recording studios, and composed/recorded my own music,
I found that the process is much more complicated. Lyrics and music must be written, the song
must be arranged and instrumentation added, the music is then recorded and made into a rough
mix, then the music is mixed and mastered. It may all seem overwhelming at first, but it becomes
less so when one realizes that music is a career—a big business.
Before a song can become a big hit—or even listened to for the first time, it must be
composed. Genre plays a huge part in how the composition process is approached. Now, as I’ve
had the most experience rock and blues, my perspective leans more toward those genres. Musical
form creates texture and rhythm. Lyrics and music will follow musical form. Though there are
many subgroups to musical form, they can all be gathered beneath two general types: A form and
A/B form. A form emphasizes continuity and prolongation, A/B form emphasizes contrast and
diversity. Rhyme scheme sets the mood for the lyrics. Free-verse often keeps you on edge, while
ABAB or other symmetric rhyme schemes create a sense of resolution. These schemes or
patterns are called “prosody”. An understanding of basic chord forms--by using the circle of
fifths or another chart, for example--will help with creating a good piece of music.

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I tend to compose many of my songs by sitting down with my notebook and freewriting.
I’ll work from a riff (a musical motif) that I wrote or a lyric and build until I have a song. The
basic rock song format that I usually write in (and most music we hear on the radio is based on)
is the Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Bridge, Chorus structure. Of course, the chorus can come
first or the bridge can come in the middle for the song—it’s all about telling the story. Once the
skeleton of the basic riff and lyrics are created, it’s time to add instrumentation and arrange the
song.
When adding instrumentation and arranging a piece of music, it is important to consider
your genre. Musicians often borrow bits and pieces of other genres to enhance their music--a
good analogy for this “riff sharing” would be intertextuality in a literary setting. Authors will
often make allusions to famous texts, like the Bible or the works of Shakespeare, and composers
will do the same, referencing the motifs of Mozart, the lyrics of Lennon, the riffs of Richards,
and the elegies of Elfman. I work mainly with guitar when I begin my instrumentation, since
guitar is my primary instrument. Collaboration with other musicians or lyricists can and will
bring a piece of music to the next level. Personally, I often work with a drummer and a bassist or
solo, but I’ve recorded rappers working with pre-recorded beats made by themselves or others,
musicians who record every instrument solo, and full bands with multiple guitars, singers,
pianists, etc.
Instrumentation and arrangement are integral to the creation of the piece or pieces of
music and the eventual recording process. Often, rehearsal takes place during this stage. Whether
an artist is collaborating or working solo, they need to go over a composition many times to
solidify it at refine the arrangement. During the rehearsal and refining process, verses may be
added to, riffs may be changed, and parts of the song may be rearranged, swapped, or deleted

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entirely. In my own experience, songs can change drastically during this process and may be
unrecognizable from their original form, which is why this step is so important in the creative
process.
In a modern studio setting, you’ll often find a synthesizer, and basic house instruments
like a drum kit, guitars, basses, and amps. Most artists will bring their own instruments and/or
beats in for recording, but the studio is in charge of microphones, the software, and the preamps.
Recording in your own home is possible, and in this era of limitless technology, there has been a
shift to recording in home studios. Digital Audio Workstations (or DAW) are available to
everyone, and microphones, cables, mixer boards, and instructions are easily accessible in stores
and online. As I’ve worked in-studio and at home, I’ve found that the quality of the recording
only matches the quality of your supplies. Eliminating excess sound, purchasing good
equipment, and making sure your instrument or voice is in the best condition are the best ways to
ensure a high quality recording.
Recording is a fairly arduous process. Typically, the preference is to record either a
rhythm instrument or percussion first, as those two tracks can lay a good foundation for the other
tracks to play off of. Vocals are usually the last thing to be recorded as they require the rest of
the music to follow and they frequently require multiple takes. Each instrument (voice included)
requires a different type of mic and/or mic configuration. Some instruments, like electric bass or
guitar can be plugged directly into a pre-amp, bypassing the need for a mic, and can be directly
manipulated during the recording process without harming the integrity of the track. Midi tracks
and pre-made beats can be copied directly into the DAW, which is a common practice for any
type of electronic music, such as pop, hip-hop, dance music, or rap.

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The recording process is known as sound design and production. Recorded tracks are
compiled into a DAW, most of the time over and over again until the most refined track is
produced. Each track is edited, using compressors, equalizers, effects, and moving each track
into its own special notch in the left-right speaker configuration to make it stand out. Clipping,
which occurs when the track is too loud or distorted, can be marked by programs within the
DAW and can be avoided through mic placement, recording volume level, and manipulation of
volume/amplitude after the track has been recorded. Fine-tuning happens later during the mixing
process, but to make sure that the tracks fit well with one another, some basic editing is done
during the recording/production phase of creating a piece of music.
The mixing process is of utmost importance in getting a song ready for distribution and
commercial play. All of the recorded tracks must mesh together to form a cohesive unit, but each
part must stand out on its own and not be overpowered by another part. One of the most common
problems I’ve observed in the field is the vocal track overpowering the other tracks. It’s easy to
make the vocalist shine and spend a lot of time making the voice sound great. The voice is often
what people are attracted to. In instrumental tracks, melodic instruments will have the same
problem. Focusing on the melody is natural, it’s what the ear is drawn to, but it’s the percussion,
harmony, and supplemental melody that make the song sound full.
Mixing takes a long period of time, especially since clipping must be repaired if it occurs.
Fortunately, clipping can be detected by many DAWs, and if not, it’s fairly easy to hear
distortion by ear. Turning down the gain will help with this, as will the use of low pass filters for
treble-y tracks or high pass filters for bass-y tracks to remove the outlying pitches from the
recording. Using equalizers can help to balance the various pitches in a track. Vocal tracks can
have pitch-correct applied to them to make them sound more uniform or to fix minor mistakes

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(This is a common procedure in a studio setting, but it is not to be confused full auto tuning.
Many singers will have moments where their vocals are slightly off, but artists who can’t sing at
all, like many pop artists today, will completely manipulate and pitch-shift their voices.) Tracks
will also be given their own unique spots in the left-right configuration of the speakers so that
each track can stand out without making them any louder or more intense than they already are.
During this stage, guitar and bass tracks will often be “doubled”, meaning that the track is
duplicated to make the recording have a rounded sound and a defined tone. I’ve found that
doubling is one of the secrets of the recording industry. During live sets and solo performances,
one finds that the guitar or bass may lack the depth that they’re used to on albums, and that’s
because of the doubling technique. Popular artists and bands will often have off-stage guitarists
to replicate the effect that doubling has on depth. Take a look around the wings of the stage at the
next concert you go to, and try to spot the supplementary musicians.
The final step in the process is to master the tracks. The recording is listened to
recurrently and the steps from mixing are repeated until the sound is polished. Then the tracks
are combined into a singular file in a process known as a “bounce” or “mixdown”. This file is
often saved as .WAV or .FLACC files, which are large, uncompressed raw data files. To be
distributed online, the easiest format to use is an .mp3 file, though some distribution sites and
disc/vinyl-pressing companies prefer to use .WAV files. It is usually preferred to transfer the raw
files onto a CD, so the music is of the highest quality possible.
After mastering, there are many processes that must occur. Beyond my project, there’s
marketing, copyright, touring, and the other areas of the business side of music. In my future
career, I’ll be expanding on this project to include the business side. As a musician, I’ll not only
have to be able to be well-versed in the steps I’ve presented here, I’ll have to be a shrewd

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businessperson, a creative marketer, and a charismatic promoter. However, the internship that
I’ve done has helped me not only fully understand the process of producing a piece of music, but
also learn to communicate effectively. This project and research paper will help me do well in
college and my future career. In fact, I have been accepted to Whitter College, a private
undergraduate university, on a $28,000 scholarship. I will be attending and majoring in music
beginning in September 2016. Thanks to my internship, I’ll have the experience I need to get a
job in a recording studio when I move out to go to school.
In conclusion, producing a piece of music is a complicated process. The five main steps
are composition, arrangement/instrumentation, sound design/production, mixing, and mastering.
Each step takes hours of hard work and creative thinking. The best music is made when the artist
has an understanding of the technical side and the technical designers have an understanding of
the artistry.

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Works Cited
Brandt, Anthony. "Musical Form." OpenStax CNX. OpenStax, n.d. Web. 06 Oct. 2015.
<http://cnx.org/contents/05b70822-2fea-4857-86f7-2bb2fbdac629@13/Musical-Form>.
Musical form is like a guide to a song. It helps the listener, and the writer, anticipate
what’s coming next and determines the style of a piece.
“Musical works may be classified into two formal types: A and A/B. Compositions
exist in a boundless variety of styles, instrumentation, length and content--all the
factors that make them singular and personal. Yet, underlying this individuality, any
musical work can be interpreted as either an A or A/B-form.
An A-form emphasizes continuity and prolongation. It flows, unbroken, from
beginning to end. Similarly, in an A-form, the music has a recognizable consistency.
The other basic type is the A/B-form. Whereas A-forms emphasize continuity, A/B-
forms emphasize contrast and diversity. A/B-forms are clearly broken up into
sections, which differ in aurally immediate ways. The sections are often punctuated
by silences or resonant pauses, making them more clearly set off from one another.
The prime components of form are rhythm and texture. If the rhythm and texture
remain constant, you will tend to perceive an A-form. If there is a marked change in
rhythm or texture, you will tend to perceive an A/B-form.”
Chertkow, Randy, and Jason Feehan. "Planning Your Album from Beginning to End." (n.d.): n.
pag. Web. <http://www.ranchstudio.com/otherstuff/PlanningYourAlbum.pdf>.
Pre-recording and planning, recording, mastering and post production, other stuff that I
probably won’t spend too much time on because I mainly want to focus on the creative
process and not the legal or marketing stuff. Talk about EP’s (extended plays) and full

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albums. Keep a log of chosen songs and a backlog of songs that don’t make the cut.
Rehearsing, tuning, planning and feedback are all important. Focus on home recording. I
think I’ll go through the process of recording a single song and the polishing process.
This is a great resource, but I’ll have to read it again and again to get everything.
Connor, Dan. "The Role of a Music Producer Explained." Music Production Tips The Stereo Bus
Blog. The Stereo Bus, 7 Dec. 2007. Web. 10 Oct. 2015.
<http://thestereobus.com/2007/12/07/the-role-of-a-music-producer-explained/>.
This source talks a lot about roles and how they’ve changed. I am my own producer,
lyricist and musician, and I could use this source to talk about how those roles are
important and how they shift based on need. “Producers are traditionally responsible for
making sure that everything that needs to happen for the project to be finished is
accomplished.”
"Music Production 101: The 4 Basic Steps to Recording a Song." E-Home Recording Studio. E-
Home Recording Studio, 01 Oct. 2012. Web. 10 Oct. 2015.
<http://ehomerecordingstudio.com/how-to-record-a-song/>.
This source talks about recording in the home and how the music industry has shifted to
the increasing popularity of at home recording. They record from percussion to the
melodies like vocals and guitar, which is the opposite of how I like recording.
This resource goes in the order that I want to write my paper in. Good resource.
"Modern Musician Certification." Coursera. Berklee School of Music, n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2015.
<https://www.coursera.org/specializations/modern-musician>.
I have taken songwriting, audio engineering, and basic music theory on this site. I have
earned three certificates and I am working on the capstone project in this class. I will
include images of my certificates and what I’ve learned from the course in my

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presentation and paper.
Neilsen, Dana. "5 Things I've Learned about Mixing." 5 Things I've Learned about Mixing.
KeyboardMag, 5 Mar. 2015. Web. 06 Oct. 2015. <http://www.keyboardmag.com/what-
the-pros-know/1264/5-things-ive-learned-about-mixing/51130>.
Find the dramatic moments, use the lyrics to your advantage, a balance is not a mix, cut
percussion so you can listen to the mix more attentively. This source explains how to
make your mix better, and since I’m going to talk about how to make a beautiful song,
and not really all of the technical elements, this source seems like a good choice.
"The Production Process." The Production Process. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Oct. 2015.
<http://www.mediacollege.com/glossary/p/production-process.html>.
“The production process refers to the stages (phases) required to complete a media
product, from the idea to the final master copy. The process can apply to any type of
media production including film, video, television and audio recording. The stages in
each medium vary; for example, there is obviously no storyboard in an audio recording.
However the same general concepts work for any medium.
The three main stages of production are:
Pre-production: Planning, scripting & storyboarding, etc.
Production: The actual shooting/recording.
Post-production: Everything between production and creating the final master copy.”
"The Recording Process Explained." Fountain Square House, LLC. Fountain Square House,
LLC, 2011. Web. 10 Oct. 2015.
<http://www.fountainsquarehouse.com/recording101.html>.
You need to have a production plan. You want to track all of the instruments before you
record vocals. You need to choose your studio musicians wisely.

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“Once the full mix is completed, the evaluation CD is created. This mix represents a very
close resemblance to the final CD, and should be given careful attention. We suggest
clients take the evaluation disk home and listen to it frequently for a week or two. Every
change desired (if any) should be carefully noted. Client, producer and engineer will
communicate with each other regarding these changes. A final pass (touch-up) mixing
session follows. The client and producer are encouraged to be present as the engineer
creates this final mix to ensure all needs are met.”
Robair, Gino. "Class of 2015: You're On Your Own, Kid." Mix. Mixonline, 2 June 2015. Web.
<http://www.mixonline.com/blog/robair-report/class-2015-you-re-your-own-
kid/424718>.
This article talks about the needs of a professional studio, but how a lot of musicians are
relying on themselves to produce professionally.
“And while nothing can beat a well-tuned room for tracking and mixing, you don’t need
a million-dollar space to do good work or make a living. Furthermore, buy the best gear
you can afford, but don’t let mid-priced mics and preamps keep you from capturing a
magical moment or helping someone realize their dreams of making a record.”
There is money in the business, but you have to be flexible. This article is full of advice
that I’ve been told by older professionals.
Robair, Gino. "Tales From the Client Side." Tales From the Client Side. Mixonline, 31 Mar.
2015. Web. 06 Oct. 2015. <http://www.mixonline.com/blog/robair-report/tales-client-
side/424137>.
This article talks about staying professional and always giving your all into a recording
session and avoiding technical difficulties. The article is quite short but I could use

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quotes from it, or use it as a topping off at the end of my presentation because
professionalism makes you both a better musician and a better producer.
Vinatea, Edward. "Understanding Mastering." Understanding Mastering. MMOL, 25 Apr. 2010.
Web. 10 Oct. 2015.
<http://musicmasteringonline.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=35>.
This article initially talks about the way the mastering industry has shifted from tape
cutting and re aligning tape to recording everything digitally. The word “mastering”
originally meant “mass replication”. Pretty cool. The meaning has changed a lot over the
years, and although I’m not doing anything with the history of this industry, I think it’s
good to have this background knowledge.
“Mastering is the last step in the recording process conducted by an experienced and
specialized sound technician who checks the quality of the audio or music for best system
translation, preparing the audio content for both, mass replication and broadcasting.
This preparation may consists of track sequencing {order of the tracks}, track pq coding
or pre-gapping {the spaces between the tracks} and other code programming {e.g. ISRC,
UPC bar and text for CD}.”