FAQ's - Frequently asked questions
Do I need a session musician?
Well, that depends on what your trying to achieve. If you want a professional sounding demo, album or film track, then a good session musician will deliver everything you need, saving you time, money and frustration.
Your end result will always depend on your preparation and the quality of the ingredients you use
Why can't I do it myself?
First of all, it’s extremely important that you take ego out of the equation. There is no shame in having someone else play on your project. Remember, your main objective should be to present your work in the best possible light, in order to “sell” it to prospective artists or place it in films and TV shows; it is not supposed to be proof of your studio musicianship.
Recording an instrument in the studio requires an entirely different skill set than playing live.
Studio recording is more like music surgery than a musical performance. While you might be comfortable playing guitar in your living room or even on a stage in front of hundreds of people, it’s an entirely different skill set to sit in a four-by-six booth wearing headphones and listening to a click track. Giving a note-perfect, dynamic and in-time performance in this kind of unnatural setting requires a special set of skills, and precision execution.
Isn’t It Cheaper if I Do It Myself?
We all have to keep an eye on the bottom line when it comes to our recording budget, so there is always the temptation to save money by playing everything yourself. The problem with this approach is that often, it will take an inexperienced musician a lot longer to get a good result as it would a pro. One of the many advantages of using session musicians is that, not only are they good at what they do, they also do it fast. In other words, the price you pay to hire a session musician translates into savings on studio time compared to playing the part yourself.
How do I find the 'right' session musician?
All musicians have 'their musical identity'. 10 guitarists will all play the same song, with a different feel, a different tone or vibe, which, can be instantly recognizable as them. Check out some album covers of solo performers, singer/songwriters, and you will see several different drummers were used on the album, guitar player 'A' was on tracks 1,3,8, while guitar player 'B' appears on tracks 2, 4 and 6. Track 7 uses a banjo and fiddle, while track 9 uses 2 different fiddle players.
So, take time to listen to examples of a session musicians work, and decide if 'their style' will be a good fit for your track.
However a good session musician is highly adaptable and should be able to provide exactly what you're looking for.