Jump to content
Why become a member? ×

Playing in Church.


Sardonicus

Recommended Posts

I've played twice a month in a bapist church for a few years now. Best tips I can think of:

  • see if they use an app like 'Music Stand' iwhich allows you to have the chord sheets in front of you on a tablet (the iPad type, not the Moses type), and make notes
  • be prepared to transpose, which Music Stand can do for you.
  • bring a 5-string if you have one
  • You'll often sit out intro verses, in which case a thunderous sustained low note sounds great when you do come in
  • leave your pedalboard's ego at home and be prepared to go tuner->church DI if the FOH team say they are having problems with something in your signal. It may well be something they are doing wrong, but it's best to just save everyone time and do what they ask.
  • Use IEMs if they are set up for them. Our church resonates at low A, which they can control through the PA but no so well through backline/monitors.
  • Don't overplay but don't be afraid to throw in some runs or dusty-end noodling where appropriate :) - and have fun!

    You may also uncover some bass fans in the congregation!
  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Your biggest problem will be the keyboards left hand (if they are classically trained) as others have said along with that sustain pedal they have.  Sometimes they hold down the sustain pedal and have bass notes that can last longer more than one bar!.  Those will feedback into the acoustic guitars.  If you have an acoustic guitarist playing open E on their lowest string, or fretting a note like the G on the low string, the organ or keyboard will then bloat that acoustic guitar note and the moment you hit your corresponding note on bass you will cause sonic bass booms that will kill half the congregation.  The survivors will give you the evil eye thinking you are the problem.   Duct taping the keyboard players sustain pedal behind their back along with their left arm is a highly recommended practice.  Or cut the acoustic guitarists lowest E string seconds before the performance so they don't get a chance to replace it in time. Acoustic guitarists don't always notice the note swelling up on their guitars, so they just keep going.

You might find that for some songs you have to pretend to be playing the notes that the keyboard is dominating on and just turn your volume to zero.  Usually the slow songs.

Or just play the fills at the end of sections and drop out whilst the keyboard is bloating out the bass range.

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, lownote12 said:

You might not be alone.  I once suggested to a bishop friend that I fancied being a bishop, or at least a parson, but I'm not a Christian.  He looked at me and replied "Don't let that stop you, quite a few of them aren't either."    

Quite a few of the ‘Christians’ I know, seem to have quite a different outlook to my own perception of how a Christian should behave.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, cgull said:

You might find that for some songs you have to pretend to be playing the notes that the keyboard is dominating on and just turn your volume to zero.  Usually the slow songs.

Or just play the fills at the end of sections and drop out whilst the keyboard is bloating out the bass range.

Or boost the treble and play in a higher register - I've learned a lot about the dusty end thanks to keyboards!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 02/01/2020 at 12:39, Newfoundfreedom said:

I never even knew music in churches was a thing in the UK. 

I didn't either until I broke my leg. My aunt who was a nurse had been so helpful bringing me stuff into the hospital and checking up on me. I knew they were big time christians (my grandmother used to go on about her converting her son with their wierd religion) in one of those modern churches, they said grace when we went to their house to eat (only place I had ever seen that as a kid). After I got out she invited me to her church and I felt kind of compelled to go because she had been so helpful. They had a band. That was the highlight on the event (and they weren't good, but they were funny). The preacher guy spent his time going on about the sins of sex before marriage, as I sat there with my heavily pregnant girlfriend.

It was pretty horrible, and the last time I voluntarily walked into a place like that when not looking at the architecture!

5 hours ago, lownote12 said:

 I once suggested to a bishop friend that I fancied being a bishop, or at least a parson, but I'm not a Christian.  He looked at me and replied "Don't let that stop you, quite a few of them aren't either."    

I never realised it was a requirement in the CofE.

6 minutes ago, ambient said:

Quite a few of the ‘Christians’ I know, seem to have quite a different outlook to my own perception of how a Christian should behave.

Same here, but difference between a christian and a christian I guess (and a church). 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@LeftyP Your bass gig is a mirror image of mine, I would be part of a pool of musicians and I would expect to play about once or twice a month.  The songs are a mixture of modern and traditional hymns, and the level of musicianship is varied.

I'm going to keep my playing appropriate to where I am and what each song needs, to go in tapping and slapping would detract from the words of the songs/hymns.

Everyone's there to praise Christ and not witness my 4 string athletics.

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Woodinblack said:

It was pretty horrible, and the last time I voluntarily walked into a place like that when not looking at the architecture!

This is going way off topic I know, I apologise 😊. The architecture is my main reason for going in to churches, I love looking around them, the architecture and the sound too; the reverb etc. I’ve noticed also, especially in Europe, they’re more and more resembling art galleries which is really nice.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, ambient said:

The architecture is my main reason for going in to churches, I love looking around them, the architecture and the sound too; the reverb etc.

Well, this church was a 70s one so no architecture. But I do love church architecture, although I tried not to, my dad dragged me round loads of castles etc to show the architecture and I hated it, so I sure wasn't going to be interested in it later. Turned out I was.

Acoustics in churches are good in their own right, although really not good for amplified music!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

Well, this church was a 70s one so no architecture. But I do love church architecture, although I tried not to, my dad dragged me round loads of castles etc to show the architecture and I hated it, so I sure wasn't going to be interested in it later. Turned out I was.

Acoustics in churches are good in their own right, although really not good for amplified music!

Church we used to go to was an old 1720s building that had been abandoned and then renovated - one of the decisions made was to put a big glass wall down the back third in order to put a cafe space and bit of a second floor in... big stone building.... glass wall....:facepalm:

in case you are wondering it was The C on the A string that resonated most

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I practice in my church once a week and play there once a month. 

Our church building is octagonal with a pitch in the roof towering above the congregation. 

I use a Trace Elliot 150w combo and my Warwick Thumb 4 usually.

the congregation are mainly elderly and having a band as opposed to a piano, is a big step for them. I supposedly rumble a few pacemakers! 😄

I try not to upset too many of the oldies but add something that makes the young at heart praise Him more! 🙏🏼

Life is a balance and on balance I enjoy playing there. 💒

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm off to band practice in about 10 minutes,  and have discovered that we are playing this as the kids' song:

I appreciate it is for young children, but any suggestions? Please? Help!

Edited by Richard R
The inevitable typo.
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not a religious person but I'd like to play in a church / worship band.  I think a lot of churches are beautiful buildings,  the music I've heard is all really positive and the people who attend are there to share in a spiritual event.

Edited by PJ-Bassist
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

24 minutes ago, PJ-Bassist said:

Goes against a lot the advice in this thread but this YT video was interesting to me (though you can safely skip the first 3 minutes)

 

* that's * what's fun about worship bass - the sense of being able to experiment and mix things up. (unless you go to a church where you have to play it to the letter) 
Reading this thread I think a lot depends on if you have a keys player, I haven't in the churches I've played in, and when I have they have mostly been very good. 
You also find out that non-professional sound people can be scared of bass.... I had one situation with a digital desk where everything under 80Hz was boosted, everything 100Hz-2k was -18db and the top end was left alone, that's where they thought the bass guitar lived in the mix ?! and more than a few times I've played and later found out I may as well not as I wasn't audible in the FOH. :) 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 hours ago, Big Rich said:

@LeftyP Your bass gig is a mirror image of mine, I would be part of a pool of musicians and I would expect to play about once or twice a month.  The songs are a mixture of modern and traditional hymns, and the level of musicianship is varied.

I'm going to keep my playing appropriate to where I am and what each song needs, to go in tapping and slapping would detract from the words of the songs/hymns.

Everyone's there to praise Christ and not witness my 4 string athletics.

Similar here, too.  We use OnSongs on iPads, and have individual MEI mixers with in-ears, so choose our own mix.  I find other bassists have almost the same mix as I have - making sure we can hear ourselves, of course!

we also have talk back, so the worship leader/md can communicate with the band.

Malcolm

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I’ve spent most of my of 40 plus years playing in various church settings. Currently in a large CofE church that meets in a school sports hall so we set up and break down each week. Band is usually drums, bass, keys, guitar and vocals and I am on a rota that means I play roughly once a month. We use OnSong, iems with Behringer personal mixers and have the benefit of a good tech team who like bass and can manage the appalling acoustics in our venue. We also have a music director on staff so the standard is high and the opportunities to develop as a musician are excellent.

Top tips from me to add to what has already been said:

Ideally use OnSong or an equivalent, we will often change keys at the last minute - easy with OnSong. Also easy to add in an extra song if that is called for.

We rarely play a song in its original form and often change it on the fly so make sure you are clear with whoever is the band leader what the signals are to repeat verses, drop chorus, build etc. And even more important to have good comms with the drummer when this happens.

Just because it is in a church doesn’t mean you cannot get into the music when you are playing. I know that my more “active” style of playing is an encouragement to the congregation to really enter into the worship we are creating.

Enjoy!
 

 


 

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, SuperSeagull said:

make sure you are clear with whoever is the band leader what the signals are to repeat verses, drop chorus, build etc

It took me ages to realise that when the band leader lifts one leg that means "back to the chorus". 

  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...