Billy Brandao

Guitar Player/Producer

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3 Reviews
Billy Brandao on SoundBetter

I've been a professional guitar player and producer for 30 years now with lots of experience in almost every musical style and a special concern in understanding what is that you need in a song and delivering it!!

In my professional life I played, recorded and toured with many of the major acts here in Brazil (overseas as well). Names such as Frejat, Marisa Monte, Erasmo Carlos, Ney Matogrosso, Lobão, Ana Carolina, Zizi Possi, Patty Pravo (Itália), Daniela Mercury, Martinho da Vila and many other with a large spectrum from straight rock, to pop, ballads, samba, bossa-nova, blues and even some jazz oriented stuff and everything in between!
I’ve also worked on some major music soundtrack both as a musician, composer and co-producing like “Muita calma nessa hora 2” (Brazilian comedy, 2014), “Homens são de Marte - E é pro lá que eu vou” (Brazilian comedy, 2014), and many others.
I’m also a producer with my own fully equipped studio, running both Pro Tools 10 and Logic X with Universal Audio Apollo Soundcard and Hardware pre amps, and many (many) plugins, software instruments, amps, guitars, bass, mandolin, acoustic guitar, ukulele, lap steel and a ton of pedals!
On my composer credits I have (besides the songs on the movies) I have songs that were recorded and very successful, like “O Último Dia” (that was a theme for a TV series and a huge hit that I wrote the lyrics and my partner Moska put the melody and recorded), and also another TV Hit single called “Eu só quero ser feliz” that was the opening theme from another

Would love to hear from you. Click the contact button above to get in touch.

3 Reviews

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  1. Review by Marcelo Vig
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    Billy Brandão is a very eclectic and versatile guitarist and prpducer. He knows his craft inside out and can deliver in pretty much any style within western contemporary music. I've had the pleasure to work with him on several ocasions and surely recommend him for any project.

  2. Review by Bruno Migliari
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    Billy is one of the best guitarists I have worked with. He exceeds on texturized effected guitar parts, but can just as easily tear it through a good ol' rocker like there's no tomorrow. Selecting him is a no-brainner - he'll get the job done!

  3. Review by Bruno Migliari
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    Billy is the ultimate studio guitar ace. He's got ideas, he's got the chops, he has all sorts of guitars and effect pedals in his gear arsenal and is very professional. I'd recommend him to any project, regardless of style. Billy delivers.

Interview with Billy Brandao

  1. Q: What's your typical work process?

  2. A: As I was saying I like very much to get to know the person I’m working with to really understand what he or she’s is trying to achieve, and what kind of sound they’re looking for, and what they like, so that is like the first step in both processes (producing a track or recording guitars), from there if I’m producing I look for the better key for the song considering if its instrumental or if its sang, the format of it, what kind of arrangement it will have etc,.. If it’s just to record the guitars usually I work pretty fest after I get the “feel” of the song. When I finish recording I’ll send my track and hear the comments and feedback and - if that’s the case - make the proper adjustments. When I’m producing it’s a bit different since I don’t wait till the project is finished to send and hear the artist opinion, it’s a pretty much “ongoing” process, and each step I’l be probably showing what I’m doing and working along.

  3. Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

  4. A: I have a very sturdy setup with a Mac Pro desktop running both Logic X and Pro Tools 10 and a Apollo interface with tons of plugg-ins. To UA 710 preamps and both Mackie’s HR824 and the classic Yamaha NS-10 for monitoring. I also have a bunch of anagogic stuff if it’s needed like vinyl pickups, tape deck, DAT tapes, a Roland RE-201 Space Echo Tape Delay and vast assortment of tube amps (Vox, Mesa-Boogie, Hiwatt, Fender) guitars (acoustic/electrics, solid/hollow/semi-hollow bodies, vintage, modern, bass, nylon string, steel string, lap-steel, dobro, baritone, mandolin, ukulele and a very own brazilian “cavaquinho”), and TONS of guitar pedals!!

  5. Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

  6. A: I grew listening to Beatles and Led Zeppelin, and I believe that trough this day they are still on top edge on what concerns music production and the way a track should sound and “breath”, but the same concept can be used to different types of music, like even mellower things like brazilian music (not only Bossa Nova) and all sorts of styles. It’s all about the “space” and the dynamics. As a guitar players go, besides the “classics” (Hendrix, Page, Jeff Back and so) I like the work of U2’s Edge, not so much by his famous known use of the delay but mostly from his boldness and gut to not be afraid of using odd/strange coices for sound.

  7. Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

  8. A: Mostly what I do is produce singles. General the singer/artist comes with a song (or “songs” for me to choose, what I prefer) and we start working on it. I do almost everything on my own on many cases (including the drum tracks) but that will differ from one situation to another. I do that almost as much as I do recording guitar (and playing it live, which is my bread and butter) on demand, and that I do over the internet or together in the studio.

Terms Of Service

As a musician I expect some guidelines from the artist/producer for me to work and I can send a separate file for the effects if that happens to be the case. I allow 2 (two) revisions, no extra charge

Gear Highlights
  • Stratocaster 69
  • Gibson Les Paul 59'
  • Gibson SG 72'
  • Gibson Howard Roberts 74'
  • Gibson EB3 Bass
  • Takamine Stell String Acoustic
  • Acoustic Nylon String (Brazilian Luthier)
  • Coral Electric Sitar
  • Vox
  • Hiwatt 100
  • Mesa-Boogie and Fender Amps
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