oldslapper Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 1 minute ago, Richard R said: BC = BassConfessional So bless you my son, say three Hail Jacos and practice Dm arpeggios as penance. I can’t go to Penzance until restrictions are lifted. 😊 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass_dinger Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 (edited) 1 hour ago, oldslapper said: Looking back at my contributions to this thread, they are pretty negative. I’m sorry, I’ve kind of derailed what should be (and is) an encouraging place. P&L John 👍🏻 Not at all. You have shared the difficulties that are common to all church musicians. Your comments about the amount of time church musicians and the sound team need to invest made me realise how understanding my own leadership team are. It also made me understand why the model of willing amateurs just turning up to play does not always work (vocalists need to change key multiple times during a rehearsal; leader wants extra repeats or new songs in the service which would confuse people who do not know the songs well). Producing music that good worship is a challenge - more so during lock-down. In my own church, we no longer have any real rotation on most of the instruments, and we tend not to change the songs (we play what we are given, including 400 year old German hymns, Hillsong, Rend Collective, Townend, and Kendrick). We have previously been asked to have the young people involved, and did so, for a long time. However, they don't always turn up when booked, can't always play in time, and sometimes need to be taught how to play their instruments during the service. Again, that differs from your own experience of encouraging youngsters to get involved. We used to get the song list on Monday, the sheet music on Friday, and the chord charts when we arrived at church. We worked out the keys 45 minutes prior to the service, for as many as nine songs. We now get the songs over a week in advance and learn them on a Sunday run through and refine them at home throughout the week. For those reasons, we no longer involve children in the service, and the core band has been reduced from three dozen people willing to give it a go (carefully moderated by the sound guy), to perhaps nine hardcore people who are willing to give up their Sunday. When it works (and it very often does), the musical conversation between instruments, congregation and leader is wonderful to behold, and an incredible experience to be part of. It's a wonderful gig, but an odd one. Where else can one play each week, with a great PA, for 250 people, with musicians ranging from learners to professionals, with little warning of the songs? Edited March 10, 2021 by bass_dinger even more words 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass_dinger Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 31 minutes ago, Richard R said: say three Hail Jacos WWJD - what would Jaco do... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldslapper Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 2 minutes ago, bass_dinger said: WWJD - what would Jaco do... Psalm 37: do not fret, for it only leads to evil. 1 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard R Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 3 minutes ago, oldslapper said: Psalm 37: do not fret, for it only leads to evil. Oh VERY clever!! 👍👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeftyP Posted March 11, 2021 Share Posted March 11, 2021 I would love to have a mid-week rehearsal but we just get together on a Sunday morning, about an hour before the service, to run through the songs. We get the songs emailed to us about a couple of weeks in advance so we can practise them at home. The church has a Spotify account with our library of songs on it and a web site with the sheet music/chord charts. I often have to make my own chord charts from the sheet music. I have a Tascam GB-10 MP3 player to play along to. You can slow the song down without changing its pitch or change the key without affecting the speed. As we have a pool of musicians, we very rarely play with the same people every time. The idea is to have a rota so we don't have to play every week. Mixing the members of each band brings variety to the service and prevents cliques forming. It can make gelling together a challenge! The attached video is from the American Worship Tutorials site on YouTube. They are professional worship leaders, at a Mega Church, and take it all very seriously but have raised some helpful points about running a worship team. They can get a bit obsessed about the subject but it may provide food for thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass_dinger Posted March 11, 2021 Share Posted March 11, 2021 2 minutes ago, LeftyP said: " I often have to make my own chord charts from the sheet music. " This website may help - https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/john-butler-trio/ocean-tabs-777939. - to my surprise, a lot of church music is on there. I think that we use On Song which allows one to paste someone else''s version into it, and change key. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grahambythesea Posted March 11, 2021 Share Posted March 11, 2021 We used to have a weekly practice until COVID-19 put pay to meeting together. We had a brief spell in last autumn of socially distanced church with the band limited in size and spread out. Hoping to back to “live” worship at Easter but in the meantime recording at home separately and the results being edited on Google Drive has to suffice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted March 11, 2021 Share Posted March 11, 2021 Here's a question... Do any of you play/rehearse/jam online with any other musicans from your church? I've thought about it, but I don't know how many of the others have the capability (especially drummers & singers). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grahambythesea Posted March 11, 2021 Share Posted March 11, 2021 @x_sjg_x - yes. Several of our church musicians together with a couple from another have a rock/soul band called the Omega Project which plays pubs, weddings etc etc . I’m the reserve bass player, one of the 3 bass players in our church band has the regular gig. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sardonicus Posted April 18, 2021 Author Share Posted April 18, 2021 When I first started this thread way back in January 2020, I never expected it to be this long until I got to play but finally we’re getting ready to start sung worship again, our first rehearsal is May 21st and I can’t wait 😆. I’ll be switching between bass and guitar so I’m happy. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted April 18, 2021 Share Posted April 18, 2021 (edited) we had our baby so risk levels down and I'm about to go back on the rota again! Only Covid risk free space for three ppl in the band so will be interesting as normally it's just acoustic and two singers. The temptation will be to play my my HX stomp and add a load of effects to what I'm doing, that and plus I'm going to presume that most people are listening at home on devices that aren't doing any bottom end anyway... - anybody got any ideas of what I could do tone wise that would be fun? Edited April 18, 2021 by LukeFRC 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joseb84 Posted May 9, 2021 Share Posted May 9, 2021 Playing in the church for the first time in about 6 months this morning, very excited! If fearing I may be a little rusty with the hiatus! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard R Posted May 9, 2021 Share Posted May 9, 2021 "Rusty Worship for The Eternal Lord"- sounds like an album from Rend Collective 😁 That apart, it will be great. It is very strange with no congregation singing, but live worship is still the best and you should enjoy it. I'm hoping to play in a fortnight 🤞 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted May 9, 2021 Share Posted May 9, 2021 I did a recording session for the next 3 services. They’re hoping church worship is back on in 3 weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sardonicus Posted May 24, 2021 Author Share Posted May 24, 2021 We had our first Worship Team rehearsal last Friday and it went brilliantly, I ended up playing bass on two songs and acoustic guitar on one other. I have to admit that my Jazz with Elites Detroit flatwounds sounded 'heavenly'. Live worship should be allowed around the end of June I'm believe so looking forward to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass_dinger Posted May 24, 2021 Share Posted May 24, 2021 42 minutes ago, Big Rich said: We had our first Worship Team rehearsal last Friday and it went brilliantly, I ended up playing bass on two songs and acoustic guitar on one other. I have to admit that my Jazz with Elites Detroit flatwounds sounded 'heavenly'. Live worship should be allowed around the end of June I'm believe so looking forward to it. Great news!! We have "watched worship" - the band plays and sings, the congregation sway / clap along / cry / jump around. No singing allowed - and nor do we expect it to happen until perhaps next year. I don't much like it - it feels too much like a performance. with too much focus on the band, and how well we play. That said, it has improved my chops massively. However, this means that the skill gap between the "improver" bands, and the regular band is increasing week by week. I am wondering what I can do to help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted May 24, 2021 Share Posted May 24, 2021 We are going to live broadcast with small congregations. We are having an absolute 'mare with the tech for broadcast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard R Posted May 24, 2021 Share Posted May 24, 2021 1 hour ago, owen said: We are going to live broadcast with small congregations. We are having an absolute 'mare with the tech for broadcast. Anything I can help with @owen ? We're through the nightmare stage, so happy to catch up on a call and share lessons learned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted May 24, 2021 Share Posted May 24, 2021 I will take you up on that. Ta. Pmd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grahambythesea Posted May 24, 2021 Share Posted May 24, 2021 It’s still difficult for those involved in church. We can sing/play as a band, but the congregation is not supposed to unmask or sing, unless we go outside. So we’ve stopped people parking in the car park and towards the end of the service we all troop outside. However muggins (or on alternate weeks the other bass player) has to take a load of extra equipment down the day before ready to set it up outside whilst the congregation is on the move, hoping that the rain is keeping off as we have extension cables running out to the amps. Coming with high winds this week was challenging, our rhythm player was trying to stop his mic blowing over, play guitar, sing and catch his music simultaneously. How come the set up role falls to the bass players? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baxlin Posted May 24, 2021 Share Posted May 24, 2021 (edited) 3 hours ago, bass_dinger said: Great news!! We have "watched worship" - the band plays and sings, the congregation sway / clap along / cry / jump around. No singing allowed - and nor do we expect it to happen until perhaps next year. I don't much like it - it feels too much like a performance. with too much focus on the band, and how well we play. That said, it has improved my chops massively. This is us, too. But we’ve recently employed a new worship leader, she’s very keen and professional! This evening we’re meeting at our ‘morning service’ venue, to try and set up pre-set sound levels/tones for each of us, to make it easier for the sound team each week, because of different rota’d bands. Unfortunately the sound team is where we are short of volunteers, so anything to help is a bonus - hopefully! Streaming and lack of low down sound was mentioned earlier. If he’s not already doing so, get the sound man to listen to the YouTube mix rather than the stage mix. On ours, this has resulted in the bass and to a lesser extent the drums being wound up significantly on the stream, and they are just about heard... Edited May 24, 2021 by Baxlin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted May 24, 2021 Share Posted May 24, 2021 We have the live broadcast with the small congregation who can’t sing, so they have set up a screen in the car park so everyone can sing outside... so we will be playing to an empty room and no one outside or at home will be able to hear the bass at all!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-bbb Posted May 24, 2021 Share Posted May 24, 2021 What would Jesus do? well i guess he’d have a kilowatt rig minimum for starters! 🤔 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_5 Posted May 24, 2021 Share Posted May 24, 2021 21 minutes ago, steve-bbb said: What would Jesus do? well i guess he’d have a kilowatt rig minimum for starters! 🤔 I thought he was quite keen on peace though? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.jpg.7e18f76540598a8efc0e6ca9be453059.jpg)
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.