christian bass players

[originalfunkbrother]

I play at a church called Salem International Christian Center. The band is a trio with me on bass, a keys player and a drummer. The equipment I use is:
Bass: Fender American Deluxe Jazz Bass V and the rig is a Markbass cab with a Little Mark. The rig is entirely mine but I have requested that they get stuff that they can call their own.
I tend to enjoy myself because I have grown up in that environment and the because the term 'gospel music' is broad, we get to play different kinds of styles ranging from American praise (Kurt Carr etc), Afro rhythms to Hillsong and contermporary rock. Its quite frustrating though because the whole music team arent as musically adept as they need to be but I hope they will get there one day.

Edited May 31, 2011 by funkygreega

[lojo]

[quote name='Rich' post='1251058' date='May 31 2011, 07:56 AM']Back when I was a wee nipper -- before religion and I pretty much gave up on each other -- I used to attend the local Free Church with my parents. The congregation was shall we say fairly advanced in years, and pretty much any attempt to work in anything even remotely up-tempo resulted in lots of grumbling about 'Top Of The Pops' and other such superannuated whinges. They were quite happy with their thees and thou-wouldsts and anything even remotely cheerful sounding was not acceptable. Oh, I hated it. So much for making a joyful noise. As some of the older people passed away, their places were not taken, and by the time I stopped going it was dying on its arse, literally.
A decent band and some major key songs would have changed all that.[/quote]


So many peoples experiences differ, but if you only attend one church and get turned off (or even on) its like going to a random concert and then judging all forms of music by it

The church i support, is really lively and there are many good projects going on, but I have been to some that do more harm than good to everyone there

Even within the church I attend, there are many views across the generations as to what is the way to worship, the leader however believes they all are valid, and runs 4 differing services on a sunday, all with the same message just different styles of worship, I play in the modern upbeat evening service with the full on band, initially started to attract the 20s, but now there are all ages of young and old attending

Edited May 31, 2011 by lojo

[LukeFRC]

stood at the back in my originals band you part of the 'performance' of course is engaging with the crowd of faces infront of you, I used to quite enjoy catching the pretty girls who came to see us play's eyes.
Needless to say going from that to church it was strange to work out where to look sometimes!

[lojo]

[quote name='LukeFRC' post='1251829' date='May 31 2011, 06:04 PM']Needless to say going from that to church it was strange to work out where to look sometimes! [/quote]

Thats what I found initially, as your engagement with out front is so not like a party type gig

[Len_derby]

[quote name='LukeFRC' post='1251829' date='May 31 2011, 06:04 PM']stood at the back in my originals band you part of the 'performance' of course is engaging with the crowd of faces infront of you, I used to quite enjoy catching the pretty girls who came to see us play's eyes.
Needless to say going from that to church it was strange to work out where to look sometimes! [/quote]

For me, the key thing to remember is that we're there most of the time to lead worship and not put a 'show' on in the normal sense. Generally in a church I much prefer to be out of the eyeline of the congregation, if the acoustics and building shape allows it. More like a theatre pit band I suppose.

[Rich]

[quote name='lojo' post='1251813' date='May 31 2011, 05:47 PM']So many peoples experiences differ, but if you only attend one church and get turned off (or even on) its like going to a random concert and then judging all forms of music by it[/quote]
I get the feeling that I may have given the impression I turned my back on religion purely because of the lacklustre services. Not so. My abandonment of the church goes an awful lot deeper than just getting fed up with sitting through antiquated hymns. Having said that, it is sad that the Shinfield Free congregation didn't realise the damage they were doing by refusing to move even slightly with the times.

[MacDaddy]

I remember White Metal from back in the day. Stryper were the ones who broke through but there was plenty of heavier stuff like Keel and Sacred Warrior.

Edited May 31, 2011 by MacDaddy

[tonybassplayer]

This takes me back a couple of years to when I put on the site a very innocent posting about my visit to the Abundant Life Centre in Bradford and how impressed I was with the band.

I checked the day after assuming that it may have had a couple of comments.....how wrong could I have been

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=30106"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=30106[/url]

[Ancient Mariner]

[quote name='tonybassplayer' post='1252320' date='Jun 1 2011, 07:12 AM']This takes me back a couple of years to when I put on the site a very innocent posting about my visit to the Abundant Life Centre in Bradford and how impressed I was with the band.

I checked the day after assuming that it may have had a couple of comments.....how wrong could I have been

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=30106"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=30106[/url][/quote]

Some people have axes to grind with Christians - sometimes with good reason (like those who have been hurt by others) and sometimes out of guilt or devilment. I read the first page, and there were many misconceptions about what it meant to be a Christian and why churches meet used to justify a hostile perspective. People with a worldview that says "let's get in the pastor's daughter's knickers while pretending it's cool to be in church" are not going to be able to understand the faith of others because their own personality is so twisted.

[Earbrass]

[quote name='Ancient Mariner' post='1252352' date='Jun 1 2011, 08:44 AM']People with a worldview that says "let's get in the pastor's daughter's knickers [i][b]while pretending it's cool to be in church[/b][/i]" are not going to be able to understand the faith of others because their own personality is so twisted.[/quote]

You're right; that's pretty twisted.

[Ancient Mariner]

[quote name='Earbrass' post='1252632' date='Jun 1 2011, 01:09 PM']You're right; that's pretty twisted. [/quote]

At least you realised.

[wulf]

I've played at church and other Christian settings almost as long as I've been playing bass but I've also had lots of other playing experience along the way. It seems to me that there are plenty of distinctive things about the setting, some good and some not so good. For example, at a lot of churches you are improvising the song based on chord charts or simple piano arrangements; generally there is a lot of room for playing excellent and interesting basslines (although you can can get away with a very basic level of skill and simple often is the best choice). On the downside, there is often a lack of preparation time, you might find yourself playing with people who aren't very good and don't seem to do anything to improve and, rather than having to cope with a singer, you've got a whole congregation-full of them.

As a bassist who is also a Christian, I'd be at some kind of regular gathering anyway, so the chance to take a bass along and contribute still feels like a privilege. However, it hasn't always been the most demanding playing setting and I'm glad that, looking back, I've taken plenty of opportunities to develop my skills in lots of other settings too.

Wulf

ps. if anyone is from the direction of Suffolk on 18 June, I'm running an informal event called [url="http://www.web-den.org.uk/bassist/deepdeep.php"]Deep to Deep[/url], a long-running series of get-togethers specifically for Christian bassists.

[wizbat]

[quote name='FayeAutumn' post='1246859' date='May 27 2011, 11:42 AM']'Portico' loosly translates as 'door' or 'portal'. 'Bless You' sounds more like an exclaimation after someone sneezes. Portico is a much better name for a band.[/quote]

Thats about it :-)

[Bottle]

[quote name='wulf' post='1253068' date='Jun 1 2011, 07:40 PM']I've played at church and other Christian settings almost as long as I've been playing bass but I've also had lots of other playing experience along the way. It seems to me that there are plenty of distinctive things about the setting, some good and some not so good. For example, at a lot of churches you are improvising the song based on chord charts or simple piano arrangements; generally there is a lot of room for playing excellent and interesting basslines (although you can can get away with a very basic level of skill and simple often is the best choice). On the downside, there is often a lack of preparation time, you might find yourself playing with people who aren't very good and don't seem to do anything to improve and, rather than having to cope with a singer, you've got a whole congregation-full of them.

As a bassist who is also a Christian, I'd be at some kind of regular gathering anyway, so the chance to take a bass along and contribute still feels like a privilege. However, it hasn't always been the most demanding playing setting and I'm glad that, looking back, I've taken plenty of opportunities to develop my skills in lots of other settings too.

Wulf[/quote]
I actually agree with a lot of what you're saying! Being in a church environment certainly challenges me to be a better player, particularly my improv skills. I also agree with the comment about the lack of preparation time - I'm often playing songs off of a chord sheet I may have been given that morning when I turn up to the meeting. I think 30mins soundcheck and a quick run-through is more than enough prep time

I find myself being the most inexperienced player in the band so for me, the musicians are generally better prepared and have a higher level of ability than me. It is a demanding and challenging environment, but I thrive in that place and some of my best playing has occured in worship time.

[quote name='wulf' post='1253068' date='Jun 1 2011, 07:40 PM']ps. if anyone is from the direction of Suffolk on 18 June, I'm running an informal event called [url="http://www.web-den.org.uk/bassist/deepdeep.php"]Deep to Deep[/url], a long-running series of get-togethers specifically for Christian bassists.[/quote]
Had a quick shuftie at the website. I think I'm free that weekend and I'm just up the road near Newmarket (plus have family in BSE), so would love to come. Need to run it past the other half, but I can't see it being a problem

[algmusic]

[quote name='Bottle' post='1255053' date='Jun 3 2011, 09:06 AM']I actually agree with a lot of what you're saying! Being in a church environment certainly challenges me to be a better player, particularly my improv skills. I also agree with the comment about the lack of preparation time - I'm often playing songs off of a chord sheet I may have been given that morning when I turn up to the meeting. I think 30mins soundcheck and a quick run-through is more than enough prep time

I find myself being the most inexperienced player in the band so for me, the musicians are generally better prepared and have a higher level of ability than me. It is a demanding and challenging environment, but I thrive in that place and some of my best playing has occured in worship time.[/quote]

I constantly remember having a rehearsal for a concert or service, then the lead singer who was very good would usually do something also completely different, it was like playing for James brown, definitely a good training ground for any musician... I played drums, bass and guitar on different occasions. A few years later when I was MD we did try and work out a little 'structure' in the madness.. I'm sure I got some grey hairs even at 21 doing that gig

Edited June 3, 2011 by algmusic

[davey_one_visits]

I wish I was a Christian so I could play in church. I bet it's like that scene from blues brothers with James brown.

[ZMech]

I remember seeing a gospel choir playing at Glastonbury, and thinking that if synagogue was like that I might actually go occasionally, was awesome. Playing bass along to worship seems like a completely foreign concept to me, but it does sound like it'd be great fun.

[Len_derby]

[quote name='davey_one_visits' post='1255173' date='Jun 3 2011, 10:51 AM']I wish I was a Christian so I could play in church. I bet it's like that scene from blues brothers with James brown.[/quote]



Sometimes!
But other times, in the immortal words of Ronnie Scott on a quiet night at his jazz club,
'Shall we all join hands and try to contact the living?'

[originalfunkbrother]

[quote name='wulf' date='Jun 1 2011, 07:40 PM' post='1253068']
I've played at church and other Christian settings almost as long as I've been playing bass but I've also had lots of other playing experience along the way. It seems to me that there are plenty of distinctive things about the setting, some good and some not so good. For example, at a lot of churches you are improvising the song based on chord charts or simple piano arrangements; generally there is a lot of room for playing excellent and interesting basslines (although you can can get away with a very basic level of skill and simple often is the best choice). On the downside, there is often a lack of preparation time, you might find yourself playing with people who aren't very good and don't seem to do anything to improve and, rather than having to cope with a singer, you've got a whole congregation-full of them.

As a bassist who is also a Christian, I'd be at some kind of regular gathering anyway, so the chance to take a bass along and contribute still feels like a privilege. However, it hasn't always been the most demanding playing setting and I'm glad that, looking back, I've taken plenty of opportunities to develop my skills in lots of other settings too.

+1 I play with people who have no idea what they are doing and I try to help but I guess the musicianship aspect as far as they are concerned doesnt exist.

[mcgraham]

I'm a christian bass player. I play regularly at Gracechurch Nottingham. Got into bass to help out at my youth group back in the day, been blessed by it and through it ever since.

One thing that has come up a lot in the above posts is how it places demands on you to create music with others of varying ability and preferences just from a lead sheet/chord chart, and I think that is one of the strongest elements of developing musicianship that worship provides that you just can't find anywhere else. It's the balance of improvisation, bandcraft, and (for lack of a better word) performance/purpose that ties it all together so people do their best with far less prep time than a normal performance band would, but also don't go crazy or off on musical tangents like they may do at a jam night or the like.

[Bottle]

[quote name='mcgraham' post='1255212' date='Jun 3 2011, 11:21 AM']One thing that has come up a lot in the above posts is how it places demands on you to create music with others of varying ability and preferences just from a lead sheet/chord chart, and I think that is one of the strongest elements of developing musicianship that worship provides that you just can't find anywhere else.[/quote]
+1 indeed

[quote]It's the balance of improvisation, bandcraft, and (for lack of a better word) performance/purpose that ties it all together so people do their best with far less prep time than a normal performance band would, [b]but also don't go crazy or off on musical tangents like they may do at a jam night or the like[/b].[/quote]
Agree with this, however, you ain't been to my church seems like we do go off on musical tangents on a regular basis! Keeps me on my feet, and rooted firmly on the ground (LOL)

HTH,
Ian

[Ancient Mariner]

This mix of controlled improv is one of the things that I especially like about playing worship, whether bass or guitar. I find bands that are tightly rehearsed much less satisfying than playing with a bunch of guys who want to work together and have a basic chord structure and some words to follow. It all feels much more creative, and being open to the worship being a vehicle instead of a destination makes for enormous freedom and enjoyment. It also allows injection of things that make it fun - like doing a hymn reggae style or borrowing little quotes from well known songs and adding them into the backing.

[mcgraham]

Indeed. It's a very particular skill set that people pick up really quickly. What I would say is that once people get to that standard of just being able to plug'n'play everything plateaus very quickly, and suddenly improvement is rare. Also, what people think is 'good musicianship' for a worship team is sub-par compared to true masters of their instruments. I would love to see more christian bass players (see? keeping it on topic ) spend more time working on their instruments outside of sunday mornings or band practice. Because it's all improvised to some extent, the chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

The best bit of advice I was given from a fellow worship musician (albeit by someone who was just repeating something that had been told to them) was 'learn jazz theory - if you can play jazz, you can play anything'. I did and continue to do so, and it has definitely allowed me to plug into any genre that I might want to experiment with.

[Bottle]

QUOTE (Ancient Mariner @ Jun 3 2011, 11:53 AM)
This mix of controlled improv is one of the things that I especially like about playing worship, whether bass or guitar. I find bands that are tightly rehearsed much less satisfying than playing with a bunch of guys who want to work together and have a basic chord structure and some words to follow. It all feels much more creative, and being open to the worship being a vehicle instead of a destination makes for enormous freedom and enjoyment. It also allows injection of things that make it fun - like doing a hymn reggae style or borrowing little quotes from well known songs and adding them into the backing.

This is true to an extent - something I truly take to heart. I believe in being able to express myself as a bassist by having a structure to work within, without the constraints of making the song note-perfect to the CD version we used as practice material. It's something that I have tried to get across to other members of the worship team, with varying degress of success.

I willing to accept more than one point-of-view as being perfectly valid; sometimes it is nice to play a song with faithfullness to the original intent of the songwriter (and this would be true of songs written within our church), however it is also good practice and honouring to God to just let Him dictate where worship is going (after all, it's who we're there to praise and worship in the first place, right? ). If that means the worship leader takes a walk off of the map, well, then it's my responsibility to back them up with a tastefully appropriate bassline .


QUOTE (mcgraham @ Jun 3 2011, 12:01 PM)
Indeed. It's a very particular skill set that people pick up really quickly. What I would say is that once people get to that standard of just being able to plug'n'play everything plateaus very quickly, and suddenly improvement is rare. Also, what people think is 'good musicianship' for a worship team is sub-par compared to true masters of their instruments. I would love to see more christian bass players (see? keeping it on topic ) spend more time working on their instruments outside of sunday mornings or band practice. Because it's all improvised to some extent, the chain is only as strong as its weakest link.



The best bit of advice I was given from a fellow worship musician (albeit by someone who was just repeating something that had been told to them) was 'learn jazz theory - if you can play jazz, you can play anything'. I did and continue to do so, and it has definitely allowed me to plug into any genre that I might want to experiment with.

All very good advice - I have found that since I've been to jam nights outside of the church worship band context, I've improved a great deal in my playing confidence and ability to listen to other musicians during a song etc.

[algmusic]

QUOTE (mcgraham @ Jun 3 2011, 12:01 PM)
Indeed. It's a very particular skill set that people pick up really quickly. What I would say is that once people get to that standard of just being able to plug'n'play everything plateaus very quickly, and suddenly improvement is rare. Also, what people think is 'good musicianship' for a worship team is sub-par compared to true masters of their instruments. I would love to see more christian bass players (see? keeping it on topic ) spend more time working on their instruments outside of sunday mornings or band practice. Because it's all improvised to some extent, the chain is only as strong as its weakest link.



The best bit of advice I was given from a fellow worship musician (albeit by someone who was just repeating something that had been told to them) was 'learn jazz theory - if you can play jazz, you can play anything'. I did and continue to do so, and it has definitely allowed me to plug into any genre that I might want to experiment with.


This really is the argument that learning theory helps you improvise an thus helping you to be more free in your playing..