How To Become an in Demand Bass Session Player Doing Live and Studio Work

Picture of Session Bass Player Chris Chaney


By Mark Grove




The answer to that is double-edged, and we’ll address that here today in our latest Canadian Bass Player article for Bottom-Feeders. Keeping the bottom together with your fingers in a studio session is easier depending on your hand dexterity and building up your hands and fingers to take the punishment of playing Bass. I think if any Bass Bottom Feeder uses these tips just a little, you'll come out ahead as an in demand Bass Session guy, and play the kind of music you want to play.

It’s also a lack of noise in a studio session that keeps you pick free, and players not having to crank their amps and rack equipment to drown out a crowd. But playing situations both studio and live are something you have to get used to. Just because you have a great feel playing live with a pick, doesn’t mean that studio session work without a pick will be a breeze.

http://www.butterflypicks.com

Often, a lot of live bass players don’t have the right feel for studio session playing. It doesn’t work as easily as all that. A huge percentage of big players used hired guns for Bass studio work. We’ll talk about live and studio work with and without a pick, and the little nuances when it comes to Bass playing. First question is, do you really need a pick for studio session work? For the most part you don’t need to because of the work environment. What I mean by that is most session Bass players are known for their texture and feel on certain albums as a sideman.

As well, it’s a matter of an ability to hear what the other players in a session need for a track—and literally get into that head space and being in the pocket with the right tone. When a band needs you to play with a pick—it is usually having to change from Round Wound to Flat Wound bass strings, and a little less on the bass tone, and jacking the treble. This creates a cleaner bass tone as a result.

I think most bass session players wouldn’t, including those bass axe-men who read this, hate having to play with a pick or fingers when they don’t want to for heavier material.

Live work with your Fingers:
 If you play heavy music you better have flat-wounds and Humbuckers up the Wahzoo. Along with that some Mesa-Engineering 600 watters would be nice to cut through. Nah! Even if you have top of the line amps and bass guitars live, you still need to cut through the Lead guitar and drums. But chances are you still need a pick to produce the string and tone attack you need to cut through.

But it’s tougher than you think to get used to using a pick and the right attack on those Flatties, and produce some nice fat chords that are in the pocket. Mainly, it’s a matter of a pick that feels good between your thumb and forefinger, and getting used to using a pick.


Butterfly picks are great for bass players who like a fatter or thinner pick. Using both a Pick and doing it finger style will help you adapt to both live and session work, and become a more talented Bass Player that gets more work when your band is off the road.

http://www.butterflypicks.com