My FAVORITE Recording Tip (V2 Rule) 

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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.

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.

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.

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.

UK musician here, 62 years old, who still spends 2 or 3 nights per week playing American country music. Its a living, i guess and who can afford to just retire? And who'd want to?? :) Im probably 20 years older than you, and been doing this since age 15, but Ive learned a lot from you brother. Your voice has a certain edge which is great to listen to and Ive stolen many of your production suggestions, so thank you Joe, really helpful stuff.

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!!!

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. 😉

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

The "panned sticks" sound REALLY good!

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

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. 😂

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

Fighter one of my favourites of yours 😅

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

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

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

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

I really enjoy the impersonations joe. Great teaching son

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.

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!

Fantastic video, as usual.

Nice, Reminds me of K's choice.

Great advice !

great advice love the song joe your a funny man

thks Joe for this rules

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

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

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.

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

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

If I went to see The Knack and they only played My Sharona for an hour, I'd be happy. But I'd not be likely to see them live so it's a moot point.

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

_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...🤔

🙌

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!

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.😂

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

But snakes and sparklers is what I like.

Paperback Writer does this.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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!

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.