Overdubbing multiple rhythm guitars—called layering—is a common technique for producing a bigger sound. But is that invariably the case? There’s more than one way to...
Overdubbing multiple rhythm guitars—called layering—is a common technique for producing a bigger sound. But is that invariably the case? There’s more than one way to layer guitars, and these tips will help you choose the right approach.
1 Do No Harm
Some guitarists reflexively layer guitars, but don’t ask themselves whether it’s really necessary. A friend, Avid’s Mark Williams, once said, “As soon as you put on that second guitar part, you’re going in the wrong direction.” That’s not always true, but I know what he means. A single guitar part has definition, and can stand out in a track as a distinct sound. Layers are more indistinct, as the additional parts can “step on” each other. Sure, there are situations where layering is great, but Jimi Hendrix almost never layered—except for doing overdubs as a sort of counterpoint lines. One guitar part said what needed to be said. So if a part doesn’t need to be layered, don’t.
2 Go Small
Paradoxically, layering can actually provide “smaller” sounds that sit better in the background— particularly with power chords. To do this, layer by overdubbing the same sound, using the same guitar, and panned to the same position. The parts will tend to blur into more of a texture, and, if mixed at moderate levels, that texture will sit in a track as a more background than foreground part. To place the part even further back, roll off the highs a bit for warmth, and pull back a little on the low end to leave more room for the bass and kick drum to give the textured part its own sonic space.
3 Churn It Up
Taking the aforementioned “small” approach, you can mix the guitar tracks up, and not roll back highs and lows, if there aren’t