When Recording a Song

Do you hit record and play it all the way through, or do you record it piece by piece?

I just completed a song that's a kind of tribute to the pink panther theme song. It's got 3 separate parts, with the first one repeated after the second, followed by the third. I know I can play it all the way through without a mistake, but I'm curious what your opinion is on the matter.

Is there any benefit to recording piece by piece? It seems to me there are cons for both methods.

I play all the way through (on rhythm), and then add everything else.

i record once all the way, just to know hows it goin to be.. then i record part by part, n ill continue to do that till i get a real studio

Since most of my songs are without solos I just record it all through.
And if it has a solo I just stop playing the rhythm and playt he solo

@GB

Why don't you just use track overlay?

Well Skold,
A) When I do make a band I am not interested in having a rhythm guitarist, just drums guitar ass and vox. So really, I don't see there being much point in making a rhythm track and a lead, even though I probably should, just to know that I can.

and B) As I've mentioned, I seem to suck at playing at the same speed each time perfectly ; /

yer we all wnt sum ass dnt we BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA na jks i noe wat ya mean, bass

i jus write song and keep em in my head
coz usually afta a while i realise how much dey suk...but i got sum nice riffs up my sleeve :D

LOLOLOL "ass" Damn, I did NOT konw I tyed that and I didn't mean to. I meant bass guys, I wasn't even trying to be funny either.

I try to keep them in my head, but I kinda can't sometimes cause say if I play, then I take a shower or something I forget what I play, so i either tab it out or record like a demo/ draft of it.

I record my songs by piece by piece, but when its arrangment is ready and song is ready for mixing, I record vocals with one shot, atleast on same day.

Advantage on recording by piece by piece is that if there is something to fix or you think you can play it better. Its easier to record that part when you dont have to cut tracks and such tricks.

dido what Empirism said is how I roll. I'll even loop a riff, just because I'm lazy. that way if i screw up toward the end I don't have to do the whole thing over.

I'm pretty anal and every thing has to be near perfect.

Well, I can understand you wanting to play lead, but switching from rhythm straight into lead generally makes the song lose the power it gained.

^ That's very true,
That's why when I do a band thing, for whatever songs have a solo I could probably just like have some kinda breakdown before the solo with just bass and drums then just like rip it.

Or I could look for a decent rhythm guitarist..