You never know when someone might need to borrow some headphones. This is the most common type of digital camera memory, and it is useful to be able to copy these files to a computer. If you have a blank SD card, it can double as a type of flash drive.

Summary: Carry a pair of ear buds. Carry an SD card reader.


If you are struggling to sing on pitch, your posture may be to blame. When you stand in the correct posture, you will have an easier time producing the right pitch and controlling your voice. To stand in the correct singing posture:  Place your feet slightly apart with one foot just in front of the other front. Transfer the weight of your body from your heels to your toes. Maintain a slight bend in your knees. Never lock your knees. Place your hands at your sides. Keep your hands relaxed. Your stomach should be flat and firm, yet expandable. Pull your shoulders back and down. Your chest should be held high. Keep your chin parallel to the floor. If you are singing sharp, you are singing above the intended pitch. This may be caused by tense abdominal muscles, a locked jaw, or lack of focus. You can correct for these problems by:  Relaxing your muscles and softening your tone. Singing with less force. Monitoring your jaw for tightness and relaxing it when it begins to tense up. Working on your breath control. Monitoring your voice closely and remain focused. This is a great way to determine if you are on pitch, as it can sometimes be difficult to hear yourself while you're singing. Record yourself singing scales, arpeggios, or even a song, then play back the recording. Listen for notes that are off pitch so you can correct them the next time around.

Summary: Stand in the correct singing posture. Correct a sharp pitch. Record yourself singing and listen to the recording.


Mixing is the process of affecting parts of a single track and the overall master track. You can edit the high, low, and mid frequency range for each track. Once the tracks sound good together, experiment with panning the tracks to the left or right. Panning is a good way to isolate a track and blend it in with other tracks.  Most multitrack recorders come equipped with an equalizer (EQ). Mixing can help accent parts you want to be more present, or even hide parts you're not thrilled about. Equalize each track and balance everyone.  Low sounds should be the strongest for a good balance. For inspiration listen to the Beatles with headphones. They only had a four track recorder and you can hear multiple complex parts interacting and balancing each other out. Once you record your album, you can add certain effects that will improve the sound of the album. Popular post-production effects are compression and reverb. Compression squeezes the track together, lessening the dynamic range between the loud and quiet parts of the song. As compression brings elements of the sound together, reverb redistributes the sound to fill a space. Reverb widens the sound wave by stimulating the sound bouncing off multiple surfaces. Mastering is a compression technique used in post-production to ensure every song is equal in volume. You also strive to achieve an equal balance in each speaker. Mastering is not an easy process and may require a more experienced engineer.  Some music software programs come equipped with a simple form of mastering. Record labels will typically have their own engineer to master an album they plan on releasing. There are different techniques for mastering, depending on the form you release your album (vinyl, CD, cassette, or stream). Burn the CD through the recorder or computer and give it a listen.  If it does not sound good in a stereo system or headphones, decide if you want to record certain songs again. Pass a few copies of the demo out to trusted friends and fellow musicians. Ask them for constructive feedback on the album to determine if the songs are working. Create album art and make the album look good. You can create an image using a design software like Photoshop or Illustrator. Another option you could do is to use a photo of something.  Look at your favorite album covers to decide if you want to pay an artist to do something special like Santana's album Abraxas. Then there are famous album covers that are nothing but a picture like The Beatles' Abbey Road.
Summary: Mix the song. Add production effects. Master the album. Make a demo of the album. Design a cover.