who here plays in a church praise band?

[funkybass]

I'm getting ready to start playing with the church's praise band, and was wondering if anyone who does the same has any tips for me. Thanks.

[El-Bob]

I'm relatively new to it too, the biggest tip i can offer at this point is to have a low B string. i personally have my bass tuned to A-standard (a whole step down). those low notes are super super handy for filling out the mix.

[mkbass84]

Make sure you can read the copies they give you. Stay on your toes. Be sure you can see a guitarists' fretboard in case you get lost. Stay in the pocket. Good luck buddy!

[stratovani]

Here's what I'd say:

1. Keep your bass lines simple.
2. When you're a rookie you don't want to step on any toes. Wait until you get some time in before stepping out.
3. Find a way to organize your sheet music, if that's what they use. They can pile up in a hurry.
4. Always be ready to play, both at rehearsals and at service. Make sure you're in tune, you've got the right sheet music in the proper sequence, all your equipment is in good working order, then when it's time you're ready to hit the ground running.
5. Say a little prayer before you begin. I find it goes a long way.
6. Read up on all the Talkbass P&W threads. They're chock full of information for us P&W bassists.

Best of luck to you, funkybass. You'll do just fine!

[Rattman]

Wow... lots of threads on that subject here have come and gone.. some are still active to this day thou. The short answer is LOTS of TB'ers play in churches.. some are volunteers, some are paid as pros. But it really runs the gamit with gear, styles, and frequency of playing in a worship team. I personally am part of that big group of people on TalkBass that perform in a church setting.

Tips: Be on time to practices/services . . . . Don't lose your sheet music (ever) . . . . keep your gear in perfect working order . . . . don't overplay!

[iplaybasstexas]

1. don't thrash, etc.
2. always sing/ make eye contact in audience( just don't stand there)
3. become best friends with the sound guy
4.often, there's a break between verse and chorus...know what key you are in and make a cool little fill.
thats what i do, anyway.

[lunker]

Originally Posted by El-Bob

I'm relatively new to it too, the biggest tip i can offer at this point is to have a low B string. i personally have my bass tuned to A-standard (a whole step down). those low notes are super super handy for filling out the mix.

Definitely, one way or another, have access to a low D. It's not vital, but listen to some P&W music and you'll understand why.

In all likelihood, you will end up with tons of music including songs you might play once a year tops. Have a good filing system
AND write notes about song structure, what you played, what the rhythm as a section does, anything that stands out to you.

Live in the pocket for the most part, once you get comfortable though, P&W music has a lot of those higher register fills that raise goosebumps, you know the kind.

Odds strongly favor that you will deal with acoustic guitarists who think that they are the driving force of the all the songs. This can be tough, I have no real advice how to handle it, just be aware of the possible situation. Personally, I just beat all the guitarists into submission (get it 'beat' hahaha).

I can probably come up with a lot more but here is the most important piece of advice that I have recieved

There might not always be time to practice, but there is always time to pray

Enjoy yourself and groove for God.

Keyboardists are usually your worst enemy in a worship group (operating word: "usually"). Many times they're used to accompanying a singer or choir all on their own, and they can't get out of full harmony gear, and they end up muddying the mix. Stick with the pocket if you don't have a keyboardist, or you have a keyboardist who doesn't play chords with his or her left hand, but if you do, it can be a handy exercise in playing lead bass. 6 string basses can be helpful here if you can play them.

[Infernal Affair]

I've never had the absolute need for a low D, but I can understand how one would want one. Most of the stuff we play at my church is contemporary and sometimes rock-ish Christian music with the occasional hymn, and we always put together our own arrangements since our band isn't the largest (drums, bass, acoustic guitar, electric guitar and various singers). In a gospel setting the low B string is used a lot, but in every song I've played at my church I think I've only heard one recording that has used anything below a low E.

The biggest advice I could ever give you is to keep your mind on worship while playing and don't get distracted. Feel the music and how it speaks to you and your walk. You don't necessarily have to like every song that you play, but at the very least keep your mind on God (or whatever diety you are playing for ).

I've experienced many times where people would get hung up about how the band sounds or how many mistakes get made. Really the most important role as a worship band member is to help bring the congregation to worship, and if you are distracted then that is felt by them. You can play with a bass made with a broom and rubber bands and still be capable of this.

[metdistortion]

My friend invited me to play bass for his church's worship evening, but gave me less then two weeks to learn about ten songs I have never heard of. Only got a few days left to learn them all...

I find church gigs relaxing as no one really minds if you mess up. But I find gigs where people are just sitting quietly watching (like a school performance) quite intimitading as they are paying more attention to detail, you can't tell what they think of you and the fact most times they don't like the music you are playing, just listening as they have to.

[DocBop]

Originally Posted by metdistortion

My friend invited me to play bass for his church's worship evening, but gave me less then two weeks to learn about ten songs I have never heard of. Only got a few days left to learn them all...

I find church gigs relaxing as no one really minds if you mess up. But I find gigs where people are just sitting quietly watching (like a school performance) quite intimitading as they are paying more attention to detail, you can't tell what they think of you and the fact most times they don't like the music you are playing, just listening as they have to.

Two weeks you don't know how good you have it. Around here most the time we get half-hour before service to do a combo sound check and learn the tunes for the musical guest. The rest of the tunes there are some chord charts floating around, but the MD will sometimes just go in to a tune so you ears have to be good.

[badboy1984]

I'm in the same situation really, reasonly join a church worship group. I think the best is to keep things simple at start like using root , 5th or octave etc. Lock with drumer etc.

Is good practice and experience because most ofthe time you improvise a song instead of learning cover etc.

[metdistortion]

Originally Posted by badboy1984

I'm in the same situation really, reasonly join a church worship group. I think the best is to keep things simple at start like using root , 5th or octave etc. Lock with drumer etc.

Is good practice and experience because most ofthe time you improvise a song instead of learning cover etc.

It seems as if we don't have a drummer, well if we do he hasn't turned up to a rehearsel yet.

Yeah, I'm just working around the chord sheets, playing root, fifth, octave amongst other things, and the occasional fill if i get space.

[CrashClint]

Learn to play your bass lines in position with no open notes. Keys will change at a drop of the hat sometimes during Sunday morning rehearsel and if you have learned the lines using open notes, depending on your playing level this can cause you problems. We have 5 different worship leaders and all of them do things differently.

Remember, your ear is your biggist asset when using chord charts. Don't get so focused on the leadsheet that you are not hearing what is happening around you.

Check out this Paul Baloche video about bass players, it is dead on for worship bassist. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MgDdHrctkM

[Lee Barker]

All good counsel, in my opinion. I'll underscore one and amplify another. Crashclint's words about playing in position are hugely important, and that's a discipline you'll never regret learning, if you don't already have it. And once you have that, oodles of possibilities open up when you head up to the teeny notes.

Several posters mentioned filing issues. My thoughts here are based on a fundamental philosophy that part of my job as a musician is to minimize the possibilities of a mistake. Not just a musical mistake, a mistake that might take valuable rehearsal time away from my bandmates, who are all volunteers too, and who aren't there to twiddle their thumbs while a copier is warming up or someone is leafing through a tattered stack of lead sheets.

I keep my own binder of every song we do. It's big, it is alphabetized with those tab thingies, and I keep it with my stuff. When a different song is suggested in rehearsal, I am ready.

I use hole reinforcers. These lead sheets get a lot of miles, in and out of notebooks, because I put the day's tunes by themselves in a small binder for worship. In that binder, in plastic sleeves, are the tunes we do every week.

I keep a three hole punch and I punch my sheets both sides, so I can put them in the small binder in such a way that I'm not turning pages after every song.

I have a tray attached to the top of my amp, and that is where I keep vital things like pencils, post-its, fingernail trimmer, a new, unused, sealed-in-a-plastic-bag instrument cord (I had one fail in a funeral service once), tuner, and a spare battery for same. And paper clips. Ok, and breath mints.

Finally, when I arrived on the scene years ago the sheet music situation was chaos. I inquired about the church purchasing a 4 drawer filing cabinet and hanging folders and manila folders, and it did. My wife and I have now created two manila folders for every song title, one of just lyrics and one for lead sheets. Those tunes that exist in more than one key have a red dot on the manila tab. There are separate drawers for Advent, patriotic and misc. Before, copies were made before each rehearsal and often thrown away after worship. We also created a computer song list, alphabetized, which we keep updated when new material is added. Everyone seems to appreciate this efficient and earth friendly improvement in the organization dept.

Oh yeah, pray and lean into the music.

[NS2A]

The most important thing all church musicians should realize is:

God is the frontman.

People aren't there to see you.

[budman]

When I started playing in church the best advice I was given was "remember, it's not about you". It's stuck with me to this day. The songs, the practice, the whole entire experience will fall into place.

[WalterBush]

Seek the kingdom of God first. Live for Him during the week, and praising Him on the weekends becomes much, much easier and more meaningful.

And, +1 on the breath mints.

I find out what we're playing the week before, and then come home and listen to the original (if there is one) on youtube. It helps me cop the other bassists' style, unless, of course, I don't like it

[madbassplaya]

there has been alot of good info given.

i would say this: worship.

i play to worship God. when i first started, i was all technical and i never felt the music. now, i focus on God and feeling the music. If you can't worship, how can you expect the congregation to?

[BarkerBass]

I find church music is partially about ability but also a lot about attitude. a few tips from me:

1. make sure you dedicate the worship music and especially your playing to God before you play and often during if you can play and pray or in pauses etc. even more so if you're not feeling the song or music that day.

2. stay in the pocket and lock into the drummer, snare and kick beats. if you get those linked tightly especially on groove/beat driven songs you can really build the song and drive it along, also when you add fills and licks they stand out and compliment the songs.

3. In worship you really have to know when NOT to play, a lot of P&W worship is about dynamics and building up songs so be confident when you come back in and once your comfortable with the songs you can add melodic upper register lines and parts to compliment the rest of the band.

4. don't obsess over tone. i do and it drives me mad, just learn to get a decent tone with your hands and bass and leave the rest up to the sound guy if there is one.

5. some things that may seem fine to you may be distracting for others... personally i think slap has a place in worship music providing its in a suitable setting and not overbearing but i know from experience that it can be distracting for members of the congregation so i hold back and tend not to use it in church.

6. although a low B string can be very useful it's not necessary. i used to and still occasionally play my 6 string in church and yes it's range is very useful but i often feel far more comfortable playing on my 4 string jazz purely because there often isnt need for the low notes and middle range D's and C's punch through just as well in the groove (on a side not don't let the band leader or sound guy bully you into playing a certain bass, play whatever feels or sounds right to you and will help you worship naturally and to your best ability)

7. most of all don't take it too seriously but remember you're praising the all powerful creator of everything so don't be silly either. find an attitude in which you can worship him personally while allowing others to worship him too by suiting the band and enhancing the sound.

God Bless.