Visit an online musical instruments/equipment sales website such as Musiciansfriend.com or Americanmusical.com to research and price recording equipment, if you do not have it already.
Setup and install your recording equipment or software according to the manufacturer's instructions. Hook up any necessary microphones, instruments and audio equipment before recording. A drum machine is also an indispensable tool if you don't have a live drummer. Most studio software and many standalone multi-track recorders come with preinstalled drum tracks. If your software or recorder has a built-in drum machine, refer to your manufacturer's instructions for details on how to lay down the drum track.
Select the tempo for your recording. When laying down the drum track the drums will determine the pace of the song. A smooth track, or mellow song, normally has a tempo between 50 and 80 beats per minute. Remember this when programming your drum machine or drum software. Set the tempo of your drum track to the desired speed and record your drums on the first track on your recording software or standalone multi-track recorder.
Record any other instruments that are to be included on your smooth track. Record one instrument per track on your software or standalone unit. Whether you play these instruments yourself or not they are necessary and vital to achieving the "smooth" effect. When recording keyboards, select a keyboard tone that adds a jazzy feel to your piece of music. Reverb can also add to the smooth sound of your recording. Refer to your manufacturer's instructions for information on adjusting reverb and keyboard voicings.
Master your track. Mastering is the process where all of the individual tracks are combined together, and all parameters and special effects are adjusted. Refer to your specific device's or software's manufacturer's instructions for information on the mastering process, as it will differ with different recording mediums.