My FAVORITE Recording Tip (V2 Rule)

[@HomeStudioCorner]

▶︎▶︎ Ultimate Recording Checklist: www.homestudiocorner.com/checklist

[@davidnika446]

Or.... you could write stuff like Bob Dylan!

[@theAshesofDecember1]

I learned early on that adding new elements into the second verse (layers, harmonies, etc) helps make the song sound fuller and more dynamic. Sometimes with the chorus if there’s nothing musical I can change, I’ll actually change the lyrics slightly to “forward the narrative.” I like to make each song a short story all its own so adding some new layers and dynamics gives it that rollercoaster ride feel that can always has a new rise and dip and turn that keeps you feeling like nothing fully repeats.

[@maseratifittipaldi]

As always - good advice, Joe. This is particularly true for songs with less meaningful lyrics, I would say. There are songs - like some of Kris Kristofferson for instance - where the "repetitiveness" of the musical instruments could be considered "boring" but one hardly notices because the lyrics are so captivating.

[@albirnstill]

Absolutely. Kristofferson has glorious lyrics. Masterful.

[@Beelzybud]

A long time ago, we replaced the entire drum track for v2 with sounds from non-musical objects that we'd found around the studio. It worked great and It's one of my favorite recordings.

[@BillGraper]

That reminds me of "30 Days In The Hole" by Humble Pie. They go into a jungle type beat for some of the second verse. It hits differently, and makes you want to listen over & over.

[@MikeSalopek]

I don't know how I haven't found your channel sooner. I had a bit of insomnia last night and one of your videos came up as a suggestion And I was hooked. It led to an entire playlist of yours of songwriting samples that you've done and I wound up listening to almost 3:00 in the morning through your thought processes on how you write. I'm a former semi professional musician much older now, always a bit more of a rocker but mellowed in my age. Have a day job now but still love music and writing and work with studio One as well as a hobbyist. Even put a midi pick up on my guitar. I'm absolutely soaking up what youre dishing out like a sponge. Now I'm just going through a rabbit hole of your past videos. It's funny because I've always had the same mentality you're teaching here about keeping things interesting and vary it up so that you don't just copy and paste even on the songs as simple as the harder rock stuff that I've done. Not to blow smoke but you're an amazing talent and an even better teacher and I'm loving my time digging through your catalog

[@HomeStudioCorner]

Thanks Mike.

[@chadgrieser8021]

I haven't had much time this year to do much mixing or recording as having a child diagnosed with cancer on Christmas Eve kinda turns life upside down. I have heard this song often in your videos and even in this video, it was giving me goosebumps even knowing they were there and you were discussing them.. Thanks for for all you do! BTW my son (8) is free of cancer(had t-cell ALL leukemia), and is doing well on his road of chemotherapy. He spent 2 weeks in ICU at Christmas because he was so sick when we found out... He's doing great and a trooper. I just need time to get back into mixing and recording again. Seems like life keeps me away.

[@jorgesandoval8915]

I love these production ideas to keep songs interesting. Keep the production ideas coming!!

[@BillGraper]

I love watching your videos. You inspire me, and I'm sure you inspire a lot of others as well. Great job!

[@danemiljoshua]

Fighter one of my favourites of yours 😅

[@mikewaldron4492]

One thing I like to do, is to have verse 1 'fuller' than the first half of verse 2. Then (normally after some kind of drum fill) halfway into verse 2, return to the 'fuller' sound for the second half. I also, quite often, strip back the final chorus to 'bare bones' for part of it, before throwing everything (plus more) back in. It works really well, especially if you end on a double chorus. Great vid, as always, dude. 😉

[@lozreeve2780]

This is so useful Joe, thank you. I'm currently working on a song and you've given me some great ideas to mix things up a bit. I'd already added a harmony to V2 but it's still not enough. I was going to just live with it, but not now I've watched this video!!!

[@willsteelrandall]

Yep! Thanks for reiterating everything I believe about constructing a song and how it should flow. In other words I agree!

[@ronholland-mid-watchmusic2402]

I definitely needed to hear this token of advice! Man, you're making all my songs better, and I've got five that I'm going back to take another look at now.

[@Songs-i-write]

Grateful for the knowledge. Great vid...great arrangement and song.

[@DrProgNerd]

Great song. Love it. I will definitely use some of the tips.

[@VApplegate412]

Good points! The song must evolve. Nice Tan BTW!

[@musiclearner8634]

Can you please give a mix breakdown of this song. I kinda love the vibe 💯♥️

[@aceventura5398]

I really enjoy the impersonations joe. Great teaching son

[@chrisbrowning7926]

"I don't like formulas" I cracked out laughing lol

[@darrenmartindevereux]

Love how you analysed the production side of your song. It'd be so helpful to have more of these types of videos Joe. For example, to have you analyse some songs from the album 'Spanish Train and Other Stories' by Chris de Burgh would be super helpful because I am trying to better understand how the production / arrangement side of recorsing works, and i think that album is a great example of the concepts and ideas explored here. BTW, your song is fantastic! Thank you!

[@HomeStudioCorner]

If you want more, check out my recording/production course: www.homestudiocorner.com/record

[@seanhoward5562]

Fantastic video, as usual.

[@robcerasuolo9207]

I read somewhere that fIREHOSE (that's exactly the name of the band) did exactly what you described, with three different verse-chorus pairs. I haven't heard their stuff, but now I think I should. 😂

[@Tokolele]

Great advice !

[@jeremyalm9006]

The "panned sticks" sound REALLY good!

[@mlwd1]

14:39 Joe what do you charge for a song critique/review ?

[@josephpeccerillo1640]

I love this video. Very similar to how I approach writing myself. There is nothing more boring than listening to a song that is repetitive and goes nowhere. Perfect example for me is Ed Sheeran “I’m in love with your body.” I’m not trying to crap on Ed Sheeran. He’s a talented artist and I enjoy some of his music, but this song has been hugely successful and I don’t understand it. It bores me to tears. It’s a cool groove to start, but it never goes anywhere. It never changes melodically. It never changes dynamically (which is the one that drives me the most crazy). It just drones on for however many minutes the song is until I wake up and realize the song is over. It’s like he had this idea and never developed it beyond that opening phrase. That’s not songwriting, that’s intro writing. I have a ton of song ideas recorded in my DAW that are really cool I believe, but they’re incomplete thoughts and until I expand on them and form a story with them I won’t let anyone hear them. I’m with you 100% on this idea of change throughout the song.

[@starckwest6358]

thks Joe for this rules

[@timmylawlor6821]

great advice love the song joe your a funny man

[@MattLeFaitMusic]

🙌

[@Karta_02]

At this point, I feel like I'm in a free songwriting camp. Thanks for the tips good old Joe🤝

[@GloveBunniesVideos]

Some people tan, I freckle. One day, i will be one big freckle. Great video!

[@mosstet]

For those here for the clickbait - he's saying make verse 2 and chorus 2 different from their firsts..

[@andrewgilman8835]

Joe, is there a reason why this song lacks more vocal production? Looks like just a single lead vocal, single harmony in the bridge. No doubles, triples, wide harmonies, etc.? Charlie Puth's videos on YT are showing like 10+ tracks of doubles to get his sound. Hope to run into you around Nash sometime. Keep up the good work.

[@HomeStudioCorner]

I mean, the whole song is built around a background vocal/beatbox loop with like 12 tracks.

[@tobbebergman7583]

"If I'm not surprised after the first 8 bars, I stop listening" -Sting

[@angermanagementstudios]

Love your channel Joe but I have to ask: what happened to the Recording Revolution? I thought you’d taken over? That was such a great channel for years mate!

[@HomeStudioCorner]

It was an experiment, but just didn’t work out. Wasn’t worth the time and effort.

[@angermanagementstudios]

@@HomeStudioCorner No worries mate, your channel rocks anyway so it’s a more than adequate substitute!

[@Kunibert_Knatter]

Nice sounding song, btw. I wonder wether the guitars are played directly into the console (through an analog pedal board before, perhaps) or the classic way through an amp/speaker and record with a microphone. When listenig to this song in particular, I am convinced that you cannot have too many guitars tracks in a record - as long as they are played so decent like in this song.

[@HomeStudioCorner]

It was an amp with a mic...the usual.

[@flmason]

In classical music I think they called it something like "theme with variations". As for folks deriding "formula"... all music is formula... even through composed... is a formula, LOL! Otherwise it'd just be random sounds... LOL!

[@tamirkeren6750]

Nice, Reminds me of K's choice.

[@dibonaa808thegreat7]

New to the channel,how do I get help from you with my music ? Need you do some tracks for me.Sorry for asking on here.😂

[@MDCapitanio]

I agree profusely, but can't stop of thinking of "a boy named sue" Edit: just listened to it and boy it changes a lot along the song

[@justinhayes3434]

Yeah, because that song tells a literal story, which is enough to capture the listener's attention.

[@MDCapitanio]

@justinhayes3434 yeah, but I meant instrumentally

[@JaBrandonSpoons]

Ok these KZbin ads are getting way out of hand. This video was repeatedly interrupted with ads. It’s getting so stupid.

[@Siansonea]

_nerd voice_ There are no rules in recording! Can I hit a cue or what? 😁 To me a formula is like a recipe, you can try to bake bread without a recipe, but you might not end up with bread at the end of effort. Of course, I don't bake, so maybe this metaphor isn't super apt...🤔

[@rocketsauce5067]

But snakes and sparklers is what I like.

[@davebops2478]

Spot on, Joe. That's why I don't like Bohemian Rhapsody, it's just same...same...same 😄

[@ricardothorburn4089]

Songs are isually boring because they are boring songs, I.e. lacking inspiration. So many songs these days are brilliantly produced, but if badly written they are still bad songs.

[@robertfoshizzle]

I find that too. It doesn't matter how well-produced a track is; if it has a boring chord progression that has been done a million times with a 3-note melody, elementary school lyrics, and no interesting bass lines or piano/synth/guitar lines, it's going to be a snooze fest. There is interesting music still being made, but it rarely makes it to the mainstream because record labels and other music industry power players are more interested in approaching music as an algorithm rather than an art form.

[@HomeStudioCorner]

But also remember that boring is not objective. People like to complain about massively successful artists with a huge following. YOU may find their music boring, but millions of people don't, so something to consider.

[@ricardothorburn4089]

@@HomeStudioCorner I think you are missing the point that creativity in song writing is significantly more important. If you need to go through all the steps you are describing here, maybe there's a bigger problem.

[@rager-69]

Paperback Writer does this.

[@Mikey__R]

Copy paste verse bridge chorus verse bridge chorus middle eight chorus and I'm ready for bed.

[@wapanglemdur]

😂😂 sometimes you sounds like your president to be Donald Trump...

[@340ACP]

That’s quite a compliment

[@nedim_guitar]

And that's why the song St. Anger sucks. I'm serious, it's not only about the awful drum sound. 😂