Indie Rock 101

Indie Rock 101

by Richard Turgeon
Released November 2012
Publisher(s): Routledge
ISBN: 9781136121654

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Book description

Indie Rock 101 is a clear, concise, all-in-one primer for beginning to mid-level musicians looking for the essential fundamentals behind running, recording and promoting their band. It's all the basics that can take years to collate from more specialized or technical books, magazines and websites-and it's written by a real independent musician.

* Part I, Running Your Band covers the topics most relevant to forming and running the band: the people, practice and songwriting

* Part II, Recording covers pre-production considerations, gear and how-to basics, and timeless fundamentals and techniques around recording, mixing and mastering

* Part III, Promoting covers what you need to know to establish and grow your fan base, including graphic design, your press kit and website, sharing and selling your music, playing out and making a video

Whether you're just starting out or looking for a 360-degree primer to help take your music to the next level, Indie Rock 101 is the one book that covers it all.

Featuring photos and Q&As from:
Birdmonster * CDBaby founder Derek Sivers * Juliana Hatfield * John Vanderslice * Karate * Mark Kozelek of

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Half Title
  3. Full Title
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. Contents
  7. Book outline
  8. Introduction
    1. What's an indie rock band?
    2. Who this book is for and what it will give you
    3. Before we start
      1. Develop and trust your own ears, tastes, and instincts
      2. You don't need to spend a lot of money to make music
      3. Protect your hearing
  9. Part 1 Running Your Band
    1. Chapter 1 People
      1. How to find good band members
        1. Post ads online, hang flyers
        2. Network
        3. Find like-minded players
        4. No weak links
        5. Every team needs a captain
      2. Next, consider
      3. Your band name
      4. Know when to part ways
    2. Chapter 2 Practice
      1. Decide on a practice location
      2. Practice as a band regularly
      3. "Jamming" versus "practice"
      4. Form a set list
    3. Chapter 3 Songwriting
      1. Group interpretations of songs
      2. Song structure basics
      3. Tell a story
      4. Avoid puns, cliches, and stock phrases
      5. What makes a good song?
      6. Protect your work
      7. Are you ready to record?
  10. Part 2 Recording
    1. Chapter 4 Pre-production considerations
      1. Common recording approaches
      2. Why do I want to record?
      3. Who should record us?
        1. D.I.Y.
        2. A project or home studio
        3. A professional studio
      4. Location
      5. The role of the producer
    2. Chapter 5 Gear
      1. Don’t overdo it
      2. Hooking up: the signal path
      3. Gear list and how it works together
        1. Instruments
        2. A computer46 Software
        3. Audio input device
        4. Hard drive(s)
        5. External CD-DVD burner
        6. Cables
        7. Monitors
        8. Mics/pop guard/mic stand
        9. MIDI keyboard
        10. Headphones
    3. Chapter 6 Recording
      1. Headroom
      2. Recording wet versus dry
      3. Mic types and placement
        1. Drums
        2. Bass
        3. Guitar
        4. Acoustic guitars
        5. Keys
        6. Vocals
    4. Chapter 7 Mixing
      1. Fundamentals
        1. Busses
        2. Soundstage and panning
        3. EQ
        4. compression
      2. Setting up a basic mix
        1. Drums
        2. Bass
        3. Keys
        4. Guitar
        5. Vocals
      3. Commonly used audio effects and plug-ins and their application
        1. Limiter
        2. Gate
        3. Pitch correction
        4. Time correction
        5. Gain
      4. General guidelines
        1. Trust your ears
        2. Less is more
        3. Every action has a reaction
        4. Practice makes perfect
    5. Chapter 8 Mastering
      1. What is mastering?
      2. What does mastering entail?
        1. Sequencing the songs
        2. Gain/limiter
        3. Adjusting the frequency spectrum (EQ)
        4. Compression
        5. Adjusting the stereo image
      3. Should I pay a pro or do it myself?
        1. Are your mixes worth paying someone else to master?
        2. Who's the audience for your masters?
        3. Do you need the help?
      4. Preparing your MP3S for digital distribution
  11. Part 3 Promoting Your Band
    1. Chapter 9 Making your record cover: Graphic design fundamentals and best practices
      1. Graphic design basics
        1. Keep it simple
        2. Make sure it evokes your band and music
        3. Understand fonts
      2. The option of non-image
    2. Chapter 10 Your press kit
      1. Genre
      2. Band photo
      3. Contact info
      4. Synopsis/sounds like/influences
      5. Sound samples
      6. Your bio
      7. How to try/buy
      8. Your website
    3. Chapter 11 Sharing, socializing, and selling your music online
      1. Manufacturing and selling CDs
    4. Chapter 12 Playing out
      1. Networking
      2. Booking club shows
      3. Things to keep in mind before and at your first show
        1. Bring a helper
        2. Be cool to other bands
        3. Protect your time slot
        4. Always soundcheck first
        5. Prep the stage
        6. Promote yourself during the show
        7. Videotape and audio-record yourself
        8. Follow the rules
    5. Chapter 13 Making a video
      1. What you need
        1. Camera or cameras
        2. An editor
        3. Hardware
        4. Mis en scene (and miscellaneous)
      2. Pre-production
        1. The concept
        2. Storyboarding/shot list
        3. Make a list, check it twice
      3. Production
        1. Guerilla filmmaking tips (for the director)
      4. Post-production
        1. Editing transitions: the "tap" exercise
    6. Chapter 14 Sticking with it
      1. Do it for the right reasons
      2. Know when to take time off
      3. Never stop learning
  12. Appendix A Audio production magazines
  13. Appendix B Glossary of audio terminology
  14. Appendix C Recording process and gear list
  15. Index
  16. Acknowledgements
  17. About the Author

Product information

  • Title: Indie Rock 101
  • Author(s): Richard Turgeon
  • Release date: November 2012
  • Publisher(s): Routledge
  • ISBN: 9781136121654