Some professional musicians don't want fame and prefer to stay out of the spotlight.
These talented individuals become session musicians and play a pivotal role in the success of other artists' records and performances.
If you want to be a successful session musician, several vital tips can help you stand out and get called back for future gigs.
Leaving a positive, memorable impression on producers, writers, and engineers is crucial for becoming a part of their must-use databases.
To excel, you must be professional, exhibit unmatched musicality, and possess strong interpersonal skills.
Below, we will review a few tips to help you become a sought-after session musician.
Table of Contents
- What's A Session Musician?
- Take Criticism Well
- Know Your Parts
- Have Confidence
- Know Who's In Charge
- Be Proficient in Several Styles
- Be Proficient at Sight Reading Music
- Market Yourself
- Perfect Your Craft
What's A Session Musician?
A session musician plays a musical instrument for a band for a specific time, whether in the studio or on stage, but isn't a permanent part of the band.
These specialists could play just one song during a recording session or join a band for an entire tour.
Session musicians often work in studios and go on tour with musicians.
Some are employed by studios, working in one geographic location.
Beyond backing artists in the record industry, session musicians are hired for commercial jingles, TV, film, radio, and streaming platforms.
While studios once had "house bands," most session musicians today are independent contractors who find work through word of mouth.
Studios and artists often recommend reliable session musicians to others.
If you want to be a session musician, these tips can help you achieve the success you're looking for.
Take Criticism Well
Feedback is an essential and unavoidable aspect of the journey of a session musician.
Other musicians might not always know how to articulate what they want from you or might not even be sure of what they want.
And don’t expect everyone to sugarcoat their feedback—leave your ego at home.
Many talented musicians struggle with session work because they can’t handle criticism.
It can sting, especially when you believe you did exactly what was asked. No one enjoys hearing that their work wasn’t good.
However, the best approach is to swallow your pride, understand the client’s needs, and figure out how to deliver what they want.
Collaborating to correct issues ensures everyone loves the final result.
All creative freelancing jobs, including session work, will involve a difficult client or two.
Learning to roll with the punches is crucial. The ultimate goal is to deliver your best work and leave your clients satisfied.
Being a successful session musician requires professionalism, adaptability, and a willingness to accept and act on feedback.
These qualities ensure that you remain a sought-after professional in the recording industry and beyond.
Know Your Parts
It's crucial for session players to know your parts inside and out. It also wouldn’t hurt to familiarize yourself with everyone else’s parts.
While this might seem obvious, flawless performances are vital.
Missing a note or playing during a rest can cause you to lose the respect of fellow players.
Remember, a studio recording captures and saves your performance.
Even if they say you aren't being recorded, assume you are.
Be aware of the arrangement and surrounding instrumentation.
You might be asked to mirror someone’s part, provide a countermelody, or double up on a harmony.
In the music industry, it's extremely useful to play by ear and sight-read proficiently.
If your skills in these areas aren't up to par, you must spend extra time perfecting your craft.
Knowing your parts and the entire recording process ensures you're a reliable source of quality sound, making you a sought-after professional session musician.
This skill set will keep you in high demand for studio time and live performances, solidifying your reputation as a successful session player in various genres of music.
Have Confidence
Confidence is crucial.
While handling criticism is essential, knowing you can bounce back after setbacks is equally important.
Clients can sometimes be sarcastic, rude, or demeaning, which can challenge anyone’s confidence.
However, understanding your worth and capabilities will prevent them from tearing you down.
The longer you're in the music industry, the easier it will be to build this confidence.
Experience naturally brings confidence, but practicing self-care and introspection can help develop inner strength.
Confidence is also vital when negotiating prices.
Negotiations should be straightforward, and if someone tries to haggle over your price, you should feel confident enough to stand your ground or seek a new gig.
Knowing your value and maintaining your confidence ensures that you can effectively navigate the recording industry and live performance scenes.
This inner strength makes you a reliable session musician, whether you're in the studio or on stage, and helps you thrive in the competitive world of professional musicians.
By exuding confidence, you demonstrate your reliability and professionalism, making you a sought-after session player in various genres of music and recording environments.
Know Who's In Charge
Knowing who's in charge of the recording process is crucial for a successful session.
If there's ever any doubt, it's usually safe to assume the producer is in charge.
However, if there's no producer present, the decision-maker could be a music director, engineer, label representative, or even a band member other than the lead singer.
Don’t be afraid to ask who’s in charge beforehand.
Relying on someone who isn’t in charge can lead to misinformation and disrupt the recording session.
A successful session requires clear and effective communication, and it’s your responsibility to ensure this process runs smoothly.
Establishing who’s in charge early on helps maintain order and efficiency, making you a reliable session musician.
Whether you're working with session guitarists, session drummers, or a full studio band, knowing the hierarchy ensures everyone is on the same page.
This awareness is essential in the diverse music scenes and genres of music you may encounter.
Understanding the chain of command and communicating effectively will solidify your reputation as a professional session musician in the recording industry.
Remember, a well-coordinated session leads to a fantastic final product, making you a sought-after asset in any studio setting.
Be Proficient in Several Styles
To become a successful session musician, proficiency in multiple genres is essential.
The more styles you can play, the more job opportunities you'll have.
If you get a call on Wednesday for a jazz session and on Thursday for a folk session, you want to be able to say yes to both.
Similarly, understanding the fundamentals of punk music is crucial if a punk band needs you for a tour.
This isn't just about learning various genres; it's also about knowing their context.
Being familiar with a wide range of genres and their histories will make you a more versatile musician.
Listen to all types of music and consume new music regularly.
Expanding your musical repertoire increases your chances of landing diverse gigs.
However, always play to your strengths. If you're an exceptional blues piano player, emphasize that skill.
It could establish you as the go-to musician for blues sessions.
Yet, focusing too narrowly can limit how other musicians perceive you and potentially reduce your job opportunities.
Strive to balance specialization with versatility.
Becoming proficient in multiple styles, from jazz to punk and folk to blues, ensures you remain a sought-after session musician.
Your ability to adapt to various genres of music will keep you in high demand within the recording industry and live performance scenes.
Be Proficient at Sight Reading Music
Sight-reading music is a fundamental and must-have skill for any session musician.
The ability to quickly and accurately read and interpret written music can set you apart in the competitive world of studio and live performances.
Session musicians are often required to navigate complex charts, transpose music on the spot, and notate parts by ear during recording sessions.
This skill is not just an asset but a necessity.
Producers and engineers expect session musicians to be able to pick up a piece of music and perform it flawlessly without needing extensive rehearsal time.
Your proficiency in sight-reading can significantly impact your employability and reputation in the industry.
AIMM understands that sight-reading can be a challenging skill to master and is often a weakness for many aspiring musicians.
However, AIMM’s comprehensive training ensures that all students, whether instrumentalists or vocalists, develop strong sight-reading capabilities.
Committing to this aspect of your musical education enhances your versatility and reliability as a session musician.
Market Yourself
No one will hire you if they don’t know you exist.
You need to market yourself.
You can’t be everywhere at once, so pick a few social media platforms and focus on them.
Post videos, show off your gear, and let people know your background and what you have to offer.
Decide how much personal information you want to share, balancing between being an open book and keeping some privacy.
A good rule of thumb is that 80% of your content should be about others and only 20% about you.
Instead of every post being about you in the studio or your new gear, talk about other things happening in the music industry.
Discuss streaming services, shout out artists you love, and highlight your local music scene.
You can post inspirational or funny memes, but keep things professional.
Join songwriting groups and use industry-specific tags to get more eyes on your accounts.
Many songwriters and session musicians don’t know they need you yet because they don’t know you exist.
Meeting them and showing them what you can do will make them excited to work with you.
Also, the new trend for session players requires multiple skill sets, including performing the instrument and programming the part, which requires knowledge of digital recording.
The trend now is for the musician to receive the session online and add their part using a home studio.
Highlight your versatility by showcasing your live studio sessions and home studio recordings.
This dual capability will make you more appealing to a wider range of clients.
Your online presence can make you a reliable source of talent in the music industry, whether you're a session guitarist, session drummer, or any other type of musician.
Effective self-marketing ensures you stay relevant and in demand, attracting a wide range of opportunities in traditional studios and modern remote recording environments.
Perfect Your Craft
If you're an experienced artist looking to become a session musician, these tips will help you get there.
Landing your first gig might take time, and your second might take even longer, but persistence pays off.
The most important part of being a session musician is being a proficient musician to begin with.
Attending an accredited music college is the best way to prepare, develop a strong knowledge of various musical genres, and maximize your skills.
If you're serious about a career in music, the Atlanta Institute of Music and Media (AIMM) is a fantastic place to start.
AIMM provides students with the instructional environment necessary to fine-tune their musical talents and acquire the skills demanded by today’s music industry.
AIMM is the only music college that combines instrumentation with technical components, ensuring you leave well-rounded and well-prepared.
And don't overlook the networking and connections you can make at AIMM, which are crucial for becoming a successful session musician.
From the intricacies of studio time to mastering chord progressions and production plugins, AIMM covers it all.
If you want to start getting booked as a session musician and elevate your music talent, click the link below for more information today.
