If your demo is intended to sell the song itself—rather than provide a showcase for a band or you as a singer-songwriter—don’t make the mistake of thinking that the quality of the musicianship doesn’t really matter.
Poor musicianship on a demo is likely to make a good song sound inferior.
Don’t expect to get away with saving money by playing on the demo yourself if you’re fairly limited as a musician. If your strength is writing songs rather than playing them, it may not be worth the savings if you skimp on quality musicians who could otherwise light up the song and enhance it with some brilliant playing. As mentioned earlier in this book, while publishers, A&R reps and producers aren’t necessarily looking for the best studio quality in a demo, what they hear does sub- consciously influence their attitude to a song. So it’s important to make sure your demo sounds professional—with a solid and tight rhythm track that keeps time, no slipped chords, and no bum notes in the guitar and piano fills!
And if the demo only features one voice and a single piano or guitar, it is doubly important that the playing is of the highest quality because every element of the recording will be exposed.
So be ruthlessly honest with yourself, and don’t let your ego get in the way.
Do you really think you’re competent enough to go into a high-pressure studio environment and play on the demo yourself? If not, it may be better to ask some experienced musician friends to do you a favor. Or, if you really believe in the song, consider hiring professional musicians if you can afford it.
Working with the right musicians is an essential ingredient if you want to end up with a good recording that will create a positive first impression for your song.
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