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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the ability to read chord charts and sheet music is a very valuable tool, especially in situations where there’s new music thrown your way that you haven’t had a bunch of time to do private woodshedding.
but…especially in a worship context….you don’t want to get buried in the chart. and you don’t want to get attached to a particular arrangement or “scan”. by this i mean the order of verses, choruses, bridges, etc. it’s much more beneficial to learn the sections of the song in chunks. this way, the worship leader has some freedom to repeat or skip sections without the fear of the band getting lost.
also, the more you can “get off the page” the easier it will be to listen to the other musicians and pick up on cues for where the song is headed next. if i’m following the chord chart too closely, i can become disconnected with what’s going on around me. look away for a second, come back to the wrong place. next chord says G. oops. it’s not a G. where am i? what song is this again?
guitars/keys - here’s a trick. if you’re ever in doubt about “where we’re going next”, you can always play the root and the 5th of whatever key you’re in and be safe, as long as you play it in the mid- to upper-register. you can hold those notes over just about any chord in the key. this doesn’t work so well for bass guitar….
drummers - watch the leaders non-verbal cues. typically bouncing up and down or stomping feet on the beat towards the end of a section/beginning of a new one indicates a build in dynamics. you’re pretty safe to build into the next section. however, if you start hearing footballs (whole notes) from the leader’s instrument, it’s pretty safe to break it down. bass drum on 2 and 4, eighths or quarters on hi-hat is a pretty versatile breakdown pattern.
i feel as though i have not fully explained this. what can you add?
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January 16, 2008 at 6:47 pm
jeff oakes
I love your comment about the body language of the leader being such an easy indicator of what’s coming next. It caused me to laugh at myself because I know I have some pretty obvious body movements.
The key is obviously keeping your head up so that you’re aware of those motions. I’ve often found myself looking in vain to get a drummer or guitarist’s attention, only to watch them miss a cue because they didn’t keep their eyes open. Nothing supercedes a good knowledge of the song through preparation, but in the event that hasn’t taken place it’s very wise to look up when a song seems to be careening toward unknown territory. It might save the embarrasment of an unwanted solo.
I love these commandments you’ve put together Stephen. I look forward to reading the rest of them.
January 18, 2008 at 11:46 am
onelouder
thanks for the interaction, jeff. i hope this series is helpful to someone. if nothing else, writing it is causing me to rethink and refresh myself on some of this stuff.
let me know next time you’re looking for a break at true north.