The Session Singers' Survival Guide - DO I NEED TO SIGHT-READ?
Sometimes yes. Sometimes absolutely not.
If you’re working on:
classical sessions
film scores
musical theatre
choir recordings
…then sight-reading can be essential.
I’ve done sessions where singers had to stand around ONE mic, sight-read 4-part harmonies, nail their part instantly, and somehow not get distracted hearing three completely different notes blasting into their ears at the same time.
Miss your note?
Congratulations - you’ve ruined the take for everyone.
No pressure.
But in most modern commercial sessions, especially pop and songwriter projects, sight-reading is rarely required. Usually the writer sends a guide vocal beforehand.
Your job then becomes simple:
Learn it. Memorise it. Sing it like you wrote it.
And when I say “make it your own,” I do NOT mean:
“Completely rewrite the melody because you watched three TikToks about vocal runs.”
The songwriter wrote it that way for a reason.
Suggestions can be welcome. Rewriting their chorus because you can’t sing it properly is not.
Award winning producer & mix engineer
Uptown Studios is run by hit songwriter, music producer and mix engineer Anthony Galatis. Anthony brings 20 years experience, knowledge and skill to every session, expertly guiding artists, writers, voiceover artists and creative agencies through each step of the recording and production process.