Common practices when working with session players?

[DataDay]

Thanks for taking the time to read.

I began studying certain aspects of music almost a year ago so that I can arrange a 3-5 song set to be recorded and performed live. There's quite a bit that goes into this process but I would like to stick to a certain slice of it. For this first project, it's pretty much percussion, bass guitar, elec guitar, and piano. I'm really undecided on the vocals so we'll leave that out.

I'm really unsure of what stage of development, and the format, my ideas need to be in to accomplish my goals. I've never been very monogamous in marriage to my ideas buy I do cherish a degree of ownership in the final product. I don't know where the line is between interpretation of my work through a particular players style and/or asking them to basically create something for me.

For example, let's say I sit down with a percussionist, one end of the spectrum would be, "Could you play a one-drop in 4/4 for this bass line," and proceed to verbalize what I want to produce. The other end would be, "okay here is the notation/sheet and a solo track to accompany the rest of the arrangement detailing every stroke, accent, fill, and variation".

My end goal is to make what I consider to be good music while developing my skills enough to be proud of my contribution to the final product. I'm prepared to take some hits to my pride as it relates to my skill level. I also have a lot of other things to accomplish so the amount of detail I need to compose or notate in an arrangement will determine the timelines of many aspects of my overall goal. Having no experience doing this I don't know what's common practice, what's considered offensive or frowned upon, and who gets credit for what they contribute. Where's the line between a session player's contribution's being covered by the fee they collect and giving songwriting credit as well?

 

[rhythmgj]

There isn't necessarily a hard, set-in-stone line or criteria; contributions and credit are negotiable. Session musician contributions, and producer over-sight, can run the gamut that you described-- anything from "listen to this and see what you can come up with" to "here are the charts," with each and every figure and accent notated. It depends on what you're trying to accomplish and how you like to work.

If you, or they (hired musicians) feel that their contributions go beyond individual part and sound-selection into major arrangement and song-writing territory, you should have a frank discussion regarding credit and compensation. Traditionally, in order to avoid issues later, many producers will have musicians and vocalists sign "Work for Hire" performance release forms. You'll need a release form if you want to release your project (with these other musician's tracks included). Adding the phrase "work for hire" means they are giving you ownership of those recorded performances, for whatever negotiated compensation that you have agreed upon. "Work for Hire" is a legal phrase that solves a business problem, but the issue of levels of contribution and credit are matters of conscience and individual advocacy/negotiation.

GJ

 

[bandcoach]

Thanks for taking the time to read.

I began studying certain aspects of music almost a year ago so that I can arrange a 3-5 song set to be recorded and performed live. There's quite a bit that goes into this process but I would like to stick to a certain slice of it. For this first project, it's pretty much percussion, bass guitar, elec guitar, and piano. I'm really undecided on the vocals so we'll leave that out.

I'm really unsure of what stage of development, and the format, my ideas need to be in to accomplish my goals. I've never been very monogamous in marriage to my ideas buy I do cherish a degree of ownership in the final product. I don't know where the line is between interpretation of my work through a particular players style and/or asking them to basically create something for me.

For example, let's say I sit down with a percussionist, one end of the spectrum would be, "Could you play a one-drop in 4/4 for this bass line," and proceed to verbalize what I want to produce. The other end would be, "okay here is the notation/sheet and a solo track to accompany the rest of the arrangement detailing every stroke, accent, fill, and variation".

My end goal is to make what I consider to be good music while developing my skills enough to be proud of my contribution to the final product. I'm prepared to take some hits to my pride as it relates to my skill level. I also have a lot of other things to accomplish so the amount of detail I need to compose or notate in an arrangement will determine the timelines of many aspects of my overall goal. Having no experience doing this I don't know what's common practice, what's considered offensive or frowned upon, and who gets credit for what they contribute. Where's the line between a session player's contribution's being covered by the fee they collect and giving songwriting credit as well?

gj has covered the nuts and bolts of credit and splits and the idea of work for hire (see my comment below)

As a writer who has worked with both ends of that spectrum - charts with every note written out to nothing but a simple it's a 4/4 Texas-Boogie with the changes written out - it comes down to what your players can actually play and what their reading abilities are.

If you are paying for their time then as long as the charts are written out they can expect to create solos over given changes that are effectively paid for in their session fee ("work for hire" is the controlling legal principle here)

String players will expect their parts to be comprehensive enough to know what notes to play but without bowing

Woodwind and Brasswind players want to see at least any hooks/riffs and the changes for solos but will be happy to see charts that show the notes and possibly the articulations - depending on the session I may decide to add articulation in rehearsal once I have an idea of what they can and can't do - a potentially bad habit picked from writing for high school ensembles of mixed year levels and abilities, but it works 99% of the time so I still use it unless I know I have guys who can read without prompting. We refer to these players collectively as the horns or horn section in most situations

Guitarists vary in their reading ability from being able to recognise chords and maybe tab to being able to read notation at sight and at speed - include the horn "hits" if you want them to accentuate certain parts - if they can't hack it I'll play the part

Bass players can also vary from being able to read tab and maybe knowing chords to being able to read at sight and speed - include the horn "hits" if you want them to accentuate certain parts - again I'll play if they can't hack it (unlikely, as I know several good reading bassists, but that is my fail-safe)

Drummers - my experience has been almost exclusively with guys who can read at sight, though I'm currently working with a few who are good feel players but don't understand notation at all. the best players prefer charts that give a sample bar of the time you want them to play and then any horn lines/other important accented cues that are important written where they occur so they can hit the accents with them. Some prefer a simple statement of the feel and a road-map that consists of each sections individual bars numbered for ease of re-starting and the horn cues/hits/riffs/hooks as mentioned in the previous section.

hand percussionists are probably going to go more by feel than a chart but they still need a road-map similar to what you give the drummer - it will help them understand when you say play with the brass in these bars if the brass rhythm is written out for them.

mallet percussionists and timpanists/orchestral percussionists can all read very well so writing detailed parts is a good thing to do. However, learn the shorthand for the drum rudiments and sticking patterns rather than writing a part out in 32nds or 64ths and expecting them to play it - you'll go crazy and they'll go crazy too and spend a half hour or more rewriting the chart so that it can be read quickly. If in doubt visit the percussive arts society home page

Piano players almost always can read as that is how they learn to play. Unless you play yourself or spend a great deal of time creating exact parts, you are probably better off writing the changes, important horn lines (as per the drummers chart)) and bass parts and leaving the voicings to the player.

If in doubt about any of these suggestions go to Jazz Arranging Online - by Prof. Chuck Israels (and buy the book from Hal Leonard publishing) or Principles of Orchestration Online (mostly for string ideas but also orchestral writing for wood- and brass- winds

also consider buying and reading from cover to cover several times one or more of the arranging books written by Sammy Nestico, Henry Mancini, Nelson Riddle, Ted Pease, David Baker, Don Sebesky, John Mehegan (for a detailed view of Jazz time and jazz piano), Gordon Delamont

Notes
"changes" means the chord progressions for each section of the chart
"road-map" means repeats, Da capo's, Dal Segnos, Codas and vamps