5 Basic Recording Tips for Classical Musicians

If you need to make a recording of yourself for an audition, portfolio, or just for fun, here are a few basic recording tips to help you get started!

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1. Use the Best Equipment You Have

To create a high quality recording, use the best camera and microphone that you own or have access to.

Camera

For many people starting out, that might just be a smartphone. New iPhones and Androids can record great videos (especially in good lighting), although the microphones generally don’t capture a great range of dynamics or depth of sound.

I’ve recorded a few of my Youtube videos on just my iPhone- here’s an example of one.

However, if you have a DSLR camera (I personally use a Panasonic GH5), you’re likely to get a higher quality video. There’s usually a learning curve, though.

Microphone

For microphones, USB mics are a solid (cheap-ish) way to start out. I used to use a Samson Go Mic for small recordings and when I began teaching online, and it gets the job done.

Now, I have a Rode VideoMicro attached to my camera. It’s great for capturing talking, but I find that my viola tends to max out the volume, and it doesn’t capture as much nuance as I’d like.

For music recordings and online lessons, I always use Shure SM57s plugged into a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface. There’s a bit of a learning curve with these, and you’ll need to plug them into a computer and record the audio with an external program, like Audacity, and then edit the audio and video together. However, these capture the best sound. Everything is crisp and clear!

If you want to upgrade your recording equipment, do a bit of research to see what mics are best for your instrument in particular. Some are better suited for vocals, while others are better for strings, etc.

2. Use Good Lighting

One mistake I make in most of my Youtube videos is not using any external lighting to brighten up the space. This means that my videos are sometimes grainy, and not as high quality as I’d like them to be.

Making your recording space bright will allow the camera to pick up more details, and capture something that looks good. This is especially important for smartphone cameras: they do so much better in natural sunlight, or bright light!

So, recording tip #2: Use good, bright lighting!

If you have a ring light, that’ll work great, or even just turning on all the lights and adding an extra lamp or two will help.

3. Record Somewhere You’re Comfortable

You want to record somewhere that both looks nice, and is comfortable to play in. Try to avoid setting up somewhere cramped–be sure you have enough room to fully play your instrument!

So often, my online students will set up for a lesson in the corner of the room, or at a desk, and they just don’t have enough room to really play their instrument. Then they get a bad sound, and it’s always frustrating.

Test out the space, and make sure it works well for you.

4. Make as Many Recordings as You Can

Try to make your recordings over an extended period of time, so that each individual recording you make feels low-stress.

I know that if I only have one or two chances to record something, I feel very nervous, and I’m more likely to end up with a “bad” recording. Giving myself enough time to get comfortable in front of the camera lessens my nerves, and makes the whole process easier.

5. Find an Editing Software That You’re Comfortable With

Recording tip #5 is to find an editing software that you can navigate and feel comfortable using to edit your recording, if that’s something you choose to do.

Some auditions require unedited videos, but if you’re making a video for your website or just for fun, use your creativity!

iMovie comes free on most Apple products, so it’s a good place to start out if you’re going to edit on one of their products.

I personally use DaVinci Resolve, which has a little more of a learning curve, but has more capabilities and gives me more freedom.

On my phone and iPad, I sometimes use CapCut to edit reels/TikToks/short form videos. This is a good option if you’re just using a phone, and I’ve also heard that they make a desktop version! That can be a good, free option to try out.

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I hope these basic recording tips will help you make your classical music recordings! If you have any questions, please let me know down below. I’ll help you out the best I can!