10 commandments for worship bands / 1. tuning

1. thou shalt play in tune
2. thou shalt learn the song, not just the arrangement
3. thou shalt practice with a metronome or drum machine
4. thou shalt seek out a mentor or coach on your instrument
5. thou shalt know thy gear
6. thou shalt play less for more
7. thou shalt seek out feedback
8. thou shalt be on time
9. thou shalt learn basic practical music theory and ear training
10. thou shalt continue thy education

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playing in tune might seem like a no-brainer, but in my experience it remains a big one. musicians playing/singing out of tune is one of the quickest indicators of an amateur, uncaring, or lazy band.

especially for bands given the privilege and responsibility to lead people into worship of God, this is inexcusable.

guitar players:
:: use a tuner (A440) before every worship time and at every “break” in the service
:: invest in the best quality instruments you can. a cheap guitar is less likely to stay in tune.
:: find a good luthier in your area and have your guitar setup and maintained on a regular basis. even if you tune individual strings with an electronic tuner, the intonation at different spots on the neck can be off if not set-up properly.
:: new strings as often as you can afford. i know it’s not fair, but hey, you chose the guitar. as a worship pastor, i have included in my volunteer appreciation budget a small amount to occasionally buy a set of strings for my volunteer players. can’t foot the whole thing, but it’s a nice way to say thanks occasionally.
:: kapo as near the fret as you can. take good care in placing the kapo cleanly on the neck.
:: your touch on the fretboard can affect your tuning. if you press your fretting fingers too hard, you will push the string sharp. chords sound bad this way.
:: string bends take lots of practice to lock in the muscle memory for half-step and whole-step bends. some of my favorite guitar players rarely do string bends even in solos. i’m wondering if it’s because it’s not a strength of theirs.
:: record yourself every opportunity you get and listen back. in your individual practice at home if possible. definitely listen to recordings of the band in context. even a board mix can help you.

string players:
:: you must be able to hear yourself. don’t settle!
:: tasteful, stylistic vibrato is your friend, but shouldn’t become your crutch.
:: use the piano/keyboard or acoustic guitar as your pitch reference. tune each note or phrase to it.

singers:
:: you must be able to hear yourself. don’t settle! however don’t drown everyone else out either, you need the tonal context.
:: plenty of breath support.
:: when in doubt, it’s always better to cut a note off sooner than later.
:: record yourself and listen back. NO ONE likes to do this, but it’s so helpful. you have to learn what it feels like to sing in tune.

bass players:
:: it’s easy to get lazy with tuning. don’t do that.

acoustic piano:
:: if you use an acoustic piano at your church, please budget enough to have it professionally tuned at least once a month. more often if possible….

drums:
:: i don’t know anything about this, but i always see my favorite drummers tuning and retuning their drums in between “sets”. do some research about drum tuning or ask a drummer who sounds better than you.

finally, no one gets this perfect. there is plenty of grace. we just need to always strive for excellence.

any other thoughts?