{"id":4712,"date":"2020-11-16T14:13:36","date_gmt":"2020-11-16T14:13:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/?p=4712"},"modified":"2026-04-04T14:57:17","modified_gmt":"2026-04-04T13:57:17","slug":"ten-top-tips-for-becoming-a-session-musician","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/ten-top-tips-for-becoming-a-session-musician\/","title":{"rendered":"Ten top tips for becoming a session musician"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

From those on the outside looking in, it may come as a surprise to learn that many who want to be professional musicians, do not always aspire to be centre stage. This is because, behind every great artist, there is the sideman, the musical gun-for-hire – the session musician. These men and women are usually exceptionally talented and absolutely crucial to the success of an artist\u2019s record, or performance. In this blog, we\u2019ll give you our top ten tips on becoming a session musician\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is a session musician?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s actually quite tough to summarise everything a session musician<\/a> could end up working on, but they generally fall into two broad categories \u2013 live and recorded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back in the 60s (and perhaps right up to as late as the 1990s) it was possible for a session musician to work exclusively in one field or the other. Nowadays, it\u2019s much more common for them to have a foot in both worlds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On recordings, session musicians will contribute parts that the artist can\u2019t do themselves or add their own unique take to proceedings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, if a singer-songwriter has gone into the studio with a song written for acoustic guitar<\/a> and vocal, then they might need a session drummer, bass player or pianist to contribute more parts and work with the producer to make the song come alive. They may also \u201cdep\u201d in for players that become unavailable or ill at the last minute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to live performance, a session musician might be hired to supplement the line-up of an artist\u2019s band, on tour or for important one-off performances. If a big band is looking to tour, they might need a session musician in order to help replicate parts that they\u2019ve performed on the record, but don\u2019t have enough members to replicate live. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chart-topping singers<\/a> might have touring bands made up entirely of session musicians, with a Musical Director in charge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n