Looking to become studio musician

[Allmanfan456]

Hey Adam!

I posted a thread recently asking about becoming a studio musician. And one of the people who was kind enough to offer me advice pointed me in the direction of you. So would you have any advice on how to become a studio musician?

I'm 20, have been playing bass for about eight years, I know little theory (some scales, I can arpeggiate chords, and I know the notes on my fretboard) I used to read and did for about a week or so and I got pretty good considering but I got rejected from a music school and I got discouraged and just got fried on it and stopped. Not the best thing I know. Next semester I'll be returning to community college to get enough credits to transfer to a school with a good music program. So I'll be back in school soon.

Also I live in Connecticut but I'm not far from New York and according to one of the guys who replied to me said there is a session scene there but it's not as good as the one in Nashville. So this idea location wise isn't too farfetched. I hope at least.

Thanks for reading I hope to hear from you soon!

[stretchcat]

You should read the "Breaking into Nashville" thread that is a "Sticky" at the top of the Adam's forum.

[Allmanfan456]

Originally Posted by stretchcat

You should read the "Breaking into Nashville" thread that is a "Sticky" at the top of the Adam's forum.

Alright will do. I just thought I'd post because I don't know if it's different breaking into the Nashville scene than the New York one.

[adamnitti]

hey allmanfan!

thanks for posting. yup, that 'breaking into nashville' thread contains a wealth of information. it's actually a bit overwhelming!

i have to be honest with you and tell you that i haven't really taken 'the path most traveled' in my session and career pursuits here. although it could be argued that there is definitely a scene here with dynamics that have been shaped by time over decades, the truth is that things are changing rapidly here and everywhere else that's considered a music town. i've basically fought tooth and nail to carve my own path here, and after being here 7 years i feel like i am just now really finding my stride. there is no magic formula to becoming a session player... it requires a level of excellence and commitment in many different areas of your musical life, but not everyone has the same experience. i don't know that i would consider the current nashville session climate to be better than any other city. the undeniable truth is that there are less sessions happening right now than there used to be. budgets are smaller, home studios are everywhere, and producers are often playing the instruments they would have hired out in the past with bigger budgets, etc. i have actually reached the point here in which the frequency of my remote session work (i.e. recording bass tracks at my studio for clients out of town, etc...) has now outgrown the frequency of my local sessions. that says a lot about how things have changed. the idea of remote sessions has become much more widely accepted in recent years and is changing the way a lot of records (including some masters) are being recorded. the best advice i can give you is to befriend or consult session players while you're working your way up and gleen as much advice and knowledge as you can. also, it's hard to break into a scene if you're not present... so location does have its advantages. hope that helps somewhat!

[Allmanfan456]

Originally Posted by adamnitti

hey allmanfan!

thanks for posting. yup, that 'breaking into nashville' thread contains a wealth of information. it's actually a bit overwhelming!

i have to be honest with you and tell you that i haven't really taken 'the path most traveled' in my session and career pursuits here. although it could be argued that there is definitely a scene here with dynamics that have been shaped by time over decades, the truth is that things are changing rapidly here and everywhere else that's considered a music town. i've basically fought tooth and nail to carve my own path here, and after being here 7 years i feel like i am just now really finding my stride. there is no magic formula to becoming a session player... it requires a level of excellence and commitment in many different areas of your musical life, but not everyone has the same experience. i don't know that i would consider the current nashville session climate to be better than any other city. the undeniable truth is that there are less sessions happening right now than there used to be. budgets are smaller, home studios are everywhere, and producers are often playing the instruments they would have hired out in the past with bigger budgets, etc. i have actually reached the point here in which the frequency of my remote session work (i.e. recording bass tracks at my studio for clients out of town, etc...) has now outgrown the frequency of my local sessions. that says a lot about how things have changed. the idea of remote sessions has become much more widely accepted in recent years and is changing the way a lot of records (including some masters) are being recorded. the best advice i can give you is to befriend or consult session players while you're working your way up and gleen as much advice and knowledge as you can. also, it's hard to break into a scene if you're not present... so location does have its advantages. hope that helps somewhat!

Thanks very much for your response I greatly appreciate it! You've given me a lot to think about. I'm still wondering how to go about all this. Right now I'm concerned about improving my knowledge of theory which seemed to be the big piece of advice on my original thread. I'll look through the Nashville thread more and see if I can get any ideas on this stuff. There's a lot to consider.

[adamnitti]

allmanfan, not to sound like a blatant advertisement here, but if you are interested in picking up some comprehensive theory knowledge that will help you in real-world situations i can offer you a couple of options... for one, i offer a couple of 4 week-long online courses at musicdojo.com under the category of improvisation that are essentially applied harmony and theory coursework studies for bass players. i use jazz-based improvisation as the medium for practicing the exercises, but the material is indeed universal when it comes to learning and establishing the relationships between chords, scales, and other musical components that we must know as bassists. secondly, i offer private Skype lessons in which we could establish your specific goals and build a custom plan for your development. in any case, let me know if i can help out in either of those contexts-

[jdwilliams]

I can endorse that Adam's jazz improv course will change the way you think, and play.. I fell like twice the player after taking one of Adams classes down in Nashville.. Money well spent.

[Allmanfan456]

Originally Posted by adamnitti

allmanfan, not to sound like a blatant advertisement here, but if you are interested in picking up some comprehensive theory knowledge that will help you in real-world situations i can offer you a couple of options... for one, i offer a couple of 4 week-long online courses at musicdojo.com under the category of improvisation that are essentially applied harmony and theory coursework studies for bass players. i use jazz-based improvisation as the medium for practicing the exercises, but the material is indeed universal when it comes to learning and establishing the relationships between chords, scales, and other musical components that we must know as bassists. secondly, i offer private Skype lessons in which we could establish your specific goals and build a custom plan for your development. in any case, let me know if i can help out in either of those contexts-

I just may have to take you up on one of those. I'll let you know though thanks!

Originally Posted by jdwilliams

I can endorse that Adam's jazz improv course will change the way you think, and play.. I fell like twice the player after taking one of Adams classes down in Nashville.. Money well spent.

Alright well I'm heavily considering it. Seems like a good idea to me!