The Praise and Worship Band Bassists Club part 22

[1dstoner]

Originally Posted by SoVeryTired

A musical few days coming up.

Sunday morning on lead guitar (and MD mic) with the youth:
The Time Has Come (with extended intro)
Take It All
I Surrender
We The Free

Then 4:30pm a solo acoustic set in the foyer. I'm thinking:
Angels From The Realms of Glory
Come See The King (self-penned on Monday)
O Little Town of Bethlehem
Hark The Herald Angels Sing

At 5:00 it's another acoustic set with a group of singers (someone else is playing guitar for this one, I'm just singing):
Joy To The World (Unspeakable Joy)
Silent Night
O Come Let Us Adore Him

Then at 6:00 it's into the main hall for the big carol service, and I'm singing with the choir, accompanied by the brass band. It's always a packed hall as if there's one time of the year that people will come to church, it's for a carol service!

Christmas morning and I'm back on bass (and MD mic):
Angels From The Realms of Glory
O Come All Ye Faithful
Joy To The World (Unspeakable Joy)
For Unto Us A Child Is Born
We Wish You A Merry Christmas

Aaaaand relax!

Wow, this looks a little like my schedule although I have nothing Christmas day. 2 services Christmas eve and then also playing worship at church as well this weekend for one service Saturday and two on Sunday.

We are playing the song Joyful Joyful with the addition by Laura Hackett at International House of Prayer with creates and upbeat and over all challenging song musically. Now to play it well and still worship!

[SteveC]

For IEM...I have a set of Yamaha EPH50's and they work really well. $80.
I use a Rolls PM50S box and a (used) Radial JDI. Great wired IEM for about $250.

[Hawkeye]

Originally Posted by SteveC

Once I changed the tips on my Yamaha's it was MUCH better - fit, comfort and sound.

It's amazing how much you notice/hear when you use IEM's. I have some "tightening up" to do on a few things. I like it though. I am guessing I will improve simply from wearing these and actually hearing all that I am doing - good and not so good.

Can't say that's my experience FWIW. I think IEMs will always be an approximation of what you might hear onstage in an optimum situation where amps are allowed onstage, with everyone using judicious and considerate volume levels. The unfortunate reality is that some overly enthusiastic electric guitarists and drummers have ensured that there are few optimum situations like that, so we're left with second best.

The best/cheapest solution for monitoring i've found are my Audio Technica ATH-M50 over-ear / closed back headphones. Isolation is really good and the bass response is actually pretty phenomenal. You hear every note. This is a case where $150 headphone "old tech" trounces $500 IEM "new tech".

I've used these when playing drums and they're terrific. Fine for sitting back behind the kit and plexiglass shield but the "dork" factor is pretty high if you're standing up playing bass with those on.

[Dan Knowlton]

Originally Posted by 1dstoner

U.E. 18? as in 18 drivers?

It is probably just marketing-speak. They "wimp out" with only 6 drivers per earpiece!

Actually, I'd love to get custom ear molds for the comfort and ability to keep the volume low and still hear well. After all the years of gigging, I have developed tinnitus even though I have always attempted to protect my hearing. Apparently, I did not succeed!

Dan K.

[SoVeryTired]

Custom IEMs are on my 'to buy' list at the moment - I've realised that, for me, fit is the most important aspect in hearing the bass clearly.

I've just finished one of those supposedly boring admin tasks that in reality I love doing - the rota. It's like a giant jigsaw puzzle, but with people who play various instruments and can't be around certain weekends. One of our bassists is out of the country for all bar one week, so even with one of our WL/acoustic guitarists playing bass for a couple of weeks I'm still getting a good run. Out of 13 weeks I'm on bass for 7 and electric for 2 (I'm MDing for 5 of those), acoustic and vocals 1 week, just vocals 1 week, and 2 weeks off (1 of which is when we have Ben Cantelon and band leading worship). Busy, but I love it!

[Hawkeye]

Originally Posted by steve_rolfeca

The concept of space.

The biggest problem in church, isn't in the soundbooth, or over at the keyboard station. It's the combination of just about everyone in the band (quite often including the bass player), not knowing how or when to shut up. 'Nuff said.

Well said. Love that "Purdie Shuffle". Man that grooves. Love a slow hard groove.

The bass is such a fundamental determining factor for dynamics and scale. There's music in the spaces too. I don't mind at all laying out to help change it up. Even if the WL doesn't specifically call for it, I'll try to add feel and move the song by:

A. Not playing at all during a verse or other section.
B. Playing legato whole notes
C. Playing an octave up to lighten up the sound
D. Playing the odd chord to just lightly back the guitar
E. Playing the melody or a harmony to the melody, sparingly.
F. OR, if the song calls for it, simplistic root quarters.

I love the bass for its ability to influence and direct flow and feel by using these "subliminal" (nobody really notices) techniques.

To parrot myself in previous threads, modern worship drumming is sometimes guilty of filling up every space in every measure with "bizzy kick" stylings and a lot of "drums as lead instrument" tom-tom hits. Sometimes I find it difficult to hold and help the groove if the drummer is too busy.

[SoCalBassman]

I'm looking forward to playing the Christmas worship songs we have this weekend and on Christmas Eve services.

Also, my wife bought me the ST-200 for Christmas. It's in delivery right now.

[Jhengsman]

Originally Posted by Hawkeye

Well said. Love that "Purdie Shuffle". Man that grooves. Love a slow hard groove.

To parrot myself in previous threads, modern worship drumming is sometimes guilty of filling up every space in every measure with "bizzy kick" stylings and a lot of "drums as lead instrument" tom-tom hits. Sometimes I find it difficult to hold and help the groove if the drummer is too busy.

That reminds me of a few Freaks and Geeks episodes where the amatuer drummer idolized Rush and had a 20 piece kit but blew an audition because he could not lay down a groove and later he was introduced to a Buddy Rich recording and took the advice that he needed to learn his art.

But then we have our own demons, even in Mr Wooten's groove DVD he keeps asking the students solo for me, not lay down the beat.

[SoVeryTired]

Originally Posted by SoCalBassman

I'm looking forward to playing the Christmas worship songs we have this weekend and on Christmas Eve services.

Also, my wife bought me the ST-200 for Christmas. It's in delivery right now.

Nice! My new bass won't be finished in time for Christmas unfortunately but it's not a present, I've worked an extra week to pay for it. Every time I've felt like I'd rather be at home rather than work this last week, I've just reminded myself that I sold my holiday back for a very worthy cause!

[BlueLine1]

a2z, I went to Trinity Lutheran Church and School ( 4th through 8th grade) in Indianapolis, LCMS as well. When we first started the Contemporary/Praise service in the early '90s, we were all told by the old farts that we would burn in hell for bringing guitars and drums and amplifiers into "Their" church. It bdidn't take too long before the Praise service had twice as many attendees as the traditional service.....
Hawkeye, I thought i had the "Dork" thing covered all to myself. My wife says "You really look like a dork up there." It's tough being 45 and bald I guess.....

Thanks everyone,
Alan

[steve_rolfeca]

Originally Posted by BlueLine1

Hawkeye, I thought i had the "Dork" thing covered all to myself. My wife says "You really look like a dork up there." It's tough being 45 and bald I guess.....

Try being 58, out of shape, and surrounded by people who look like they just stepped out of a cosmetics commercial!

Still, it keeps me humble...

[english4bw]

Originally Posted by steve_rolfeca

Try being 58, out of shape, and surrounded by people who look like they just stepped out of a cosmetics commercial!

Still, it keeps me humble...

Originally Posted by BlueLine1

Hawkeye, I thought i had the "Dork" thing covered all to myself. My wife says "You really look like a dork up there." It's tough being 45 and bald I guess.

Oh my Lord, this is the story of my life being 46, overweight and in a Hillsong based church, surrounded by 20-something fashionista hipsters. haha

[MissingHighs]

Phew! And here was me thinking I was the only middle aged (51) bloke secretly.... OK, not so secretly stashing a few :cough: pounds of lard about his person :blushing:

"so why do you want that new bass, darling?"

It has a bigger body

"What's that for?"

It helps with resonance and sustain

No way am I letting on it's to hide the 'wok' I've developed on my front.

[rotis]

I picked up a passive Warwick from a fellow TBer and busted it out the last couple weeks for intercession.

Last night we tried to play Hillsong's "With Everything." Didn't think it would go well and it didn't. lol

We didn't have a drummer and the thing has some complicated timing (for us at least).

pic related

[steve_rolfeca]

Originally Posted by english4bw

Oh my Lord, this is the story of my life being 46, overweight and in a Hillsong based church, surrounded by 20-something fashionista hipsters. haha

I've been asked to wear jeans a couple of times, preferably in a "fashion" cut.

My response was to show them pictures of "grandpa jeans" from Marks Work Wearhouse. You know, with the belt waaaay up there. Then I explained that saggy, ancient cheeks just don't look right in skinny jeans.

The younger types went all green at the gills just thinking about it, and suddenly decided that my khakis were fine, after all.

[5StringFool]

I prefer 6 pocket cargo style khaki's myself, if not that just regular straight leg Wrangler's. I the summer month's I'll wear shorts... but no flip flops. Flip-flops are taboo.

[praisebass]

Thank God he can use people that ain't all young, fit and with all their own hair (or...teeth) Can I get a witness?

[SoVeryTired]

Originally Posted by praisebass

Thank God he can use people that ain't all young, fit and with all their own hair (or...teeth) Can I get a witness?

Speak for yourself - I'm playing with the youth band in the morning!

(at 37 years young)

[slaerts]

Originally Posted by praisebass

Thank God he can use people that ain't all young, fit and with all their own hair (or...teeth) Can I get a witness?

Testify! God will often use the weaker vessel to do his will. Sometimes that vessel may just be older, fatter and balder.

On another point; Band practice last night. Pastor on his cole clarke FL3, too loud. Drummer riding the cymbols and hammering his toms like there's no snare or hi hat in his kit, way too loud. Other guitarist and drummer noodling whenever we stop to talk. Almost walked out. I'll be practicing patience and grace during the Christmas Eve service. I suspect I'm the only one who listens to the other musicians and tries to make a connection between them, and they are all quite talented musos. Somewhat frustrating.

[HereIGoAgain]

Originally Posted by slaerts

Testify! God will often use the weaker vessel to do his will. Sometimes that vessel may just be older, fatter and balder.

On another point; Band practice last night. Pastor on his cole clarke FL3, too loud. Drummer riding the cymbols and hammering his toms like there's no snare or hi hat in his kit, way too loud. Other guitarist and drummer noodling whenever we stop to talk. Almost walked out. I'll be practicing patience and grace during the Christmas Eve service. I suspect I'm the only one who listens to the other musicians and tries to make a connection between them, and they are all quite talented musos. Somewhat frustrating.

For some P+W soundmen, "too loud" = "you can hear it." For some, "too loud" = "it was two days ago and my ears are still ringing." How are you meaning it?

Given that I've worked around large automotive stamping presses, welding and fabrication, large electric motors, and many other types of machinery, I'm in the latter camp.