Dealing with session etiquette pressure
Hi🙂,
Just read the thread on session etiquette and consider it to be a rather daunting topic - I mean there is so much to worry about when participating in sessions because there are so many subtleties, codes and ‘do’s’ and ‘don’t’s’ one needs to adhere so one doesn’t get on the other musicians’ nerves.
For someone who does not play in sessions (I am only a beginner and far from session ready) it’s all quite overwhelming to just read about all the rules, so I’m wondering how do real musicians feel. Is there an element of pressure of having to conform to session etiquette both musically and on an interpersonal level. Do you worry what your peers might be thinking about you? Do you sometimes feel that pressure? And how about people starting out - beginners/intermediate players who are at the point where they are session ready - do you find all these guidelines intimidating? Do you worry you might not find acceptance? Do you fear you might accidentally step on the wiser people’s toes and put them off from enjoying both the music and it’s social aspects?