The Praise and Worship Band Bassists Club part 22

[SoVeryTired]

A good day yesterday - it was one of those 'despite' days, where everything works despite the circumstances!

For various reasons, mostly technical, we were late getting started in the morning even though most of us had got there early (and a few team members were running on very little sleep). We had hardly any time to rehearse and had a new song that the drummer and keys player hadn't played yet. Unusually for us we didn't play one of the songs at all until the service itself but it was one we knew well. In the end both morning services went amazingly well and I managed to combine bass and vocals probably better than I've ever done.

Setlist was:
Saviour Of The World (Worship Central)
Cornerstone (Hillsong)
Open Heaven (Audacious)
The Lord Is My Rock (Eleveation)

Then the youth meeting in the evening. It was a multi-church event run, really focussing on helping those churches and young people where there aren't many teenagers. There were about 50-60 young people -if we'd brought our usually Friday night attendance we'd have more than doubled it! I went with zero expectations on sound, fully intending to just go with the flow and throw myself into it even if I couldn't hear a note. Small stage, DI, two floor monitors on one mix - just like the old days! For almost all the rehearsal I couldn't hear a thing (other than the cymbals next to me) but didn't want to kill the other band members with bass so just played deaf with enthusiasm! One of our young guys offered to help with the mixing and for the last rehearsal song I could suddenly hear. I thanked him a lot, which maybe he took to heart because when we hit the start of the set the bass was absolutely thunderous! The intro to the second song, played with pick, was such fun to play and hear. The cure of the cheap DI struck again, and when we came back for a final song there was an insane amount of noise which could only be tamed by completely rolling the tone off - it still worked fine, if a little thuddier than I'd like. The young guys who led it were amazing and really led worship rather than performing songs - a great evening.

It was a Hillsong-heavy set of:
The Time Has Come (bass solo!)
Take It All
One Thing Remains/The Stand
and finishing with an epic, no-idea-how-long-it-went-on-for version of I Surrender

[MissingHighs]

Originally Posted by christle

Had one issue with a young guitar who was overplaying. That young man is a [reasonable] player and as he matures musically I think he will become quite the player if he wants. He has a bit too much fascination with [effects] pedals but given his age it is rather understandable.

If it weren't for the fact you're in Canada, I'd have the sneaky suspicion you're one of the other bassists in our Church!

Had an interesting Sunday; in the morning they couldn't get the bassist monitor to work so gave me an amp (yeah!). In the evening, back to normal. However, the volume out the mains was at a pretty good level and I stand right underneath one (mounted on the wall). That's until the 2nd last song. The KB, drummer, and myself are just resolving the last bar and he cuts me dead (makes the congregation jump a little). This is the second time he's done this in the evening (this man's attitude toward me is not Christian, to the point I actually wonder about his faith) and, I openly admit very, very wrong of me, scowl at him across the room. And the last song, I'm only out the monitor; that's it!

However, as I can now sense when they've killed the bass in the mains (all thanks to a bit of 'grit' in the signal), I have turned this into an advantage.... I take this as being "time to jam/practice". I even discovered a new sequence in a song where previously the KB left hand (yes, sadly, they do not understand the meaning of "serving others" by letting go of the left side of the KB) was clashing.

Now, I know some of you will think "what! ". C'mon, is this not a golden opportunity given to improve the skills of providing a true harmonic foundation to the song, and in the manner it is played in our setting?

M. <><

[SoVeryTired]

Originally Posted by MissingHighs

Now, I know some of you will think "what! ". C'mon, is this not a golden opportunity given to improve the skills of providing a true harmonic foundation to the song, and in the manner it is played in our setting?

M. <><

I think that's what I'd call "putting a positive spin on something that is clearly wrong". Developing skills and working out new parts is great but if only you can hear them then it's not helping lead the congregation in worship.

Did you ask the sound guys why they killed your signal?

[MissingHighs]

Originally Posted by SoVeryTired

Did you ask the sound guys why they killed your signal?

This guy (singular - he only operates that way) will not talk to me; full-stop! Approaching him would have returned nothing more than snarls (happened before) so chickened out and stayed clear (why provoke anger when it can be avoided?).

But, I can tell you it's landed up as stress-free playing; just the way to go!

M. <><

[SoVeryTired]

Originally Posted by MissingHighs

This guy (singular - he only operates that way) will not talk to me; full-stop! Approaching him would have returned nothing more than snarls (happened before) so chickened out and stayed clear (why provoke anger when it can be avoided?).

But, I can tell you it's landed up as stress-free playing; just the way to go!

M. <><

You're a more patient man than me then - I think I'd have spoken to the band leader and explained why I was quitting!

I suppose sometimes all you can do is find your own peace in a situation.

[jmclearnon]

i know what you mean, the amount of trash talk and abuse i have received is not great. Generally from people who do not know what they are talking about!

like who in their right mind would play slap bass stuff during communion (reflective quiet song which was stripped back), that was one of the WORST ideas i have heard.

This one particular guy complains all the time, since i'm the only bassist who can sit and sight read all the stuff (called at last minute when people pull out) i don't play for him anymore, he can get someone else if he doesn't like me lol

[SoVeryTired]

Originally Posted by jmclearnon

like who in their right mind would play slap bass

Sig-worthy.

[jmclearnon]

lol not to attract haters..... just not in that context,

sexy harmonic chords is what i like for these situations

[SoVeryTired]

I only slap (such as I can) when messing about. One of our bassists can make it work well in the context of the songs we play but he chooses his moments carefully and sparingly.

It's always about applying the right techniques to the right songs, not just playing something because "I can". I've worked out a nice double stop part with overdrive in part of the verse of one song which works great when we play in B and I'm going higher up the neck. As much as I love it I had to change it for yesterday when we were playing in E. It's about making the whole sound good. And that's why I don't slap - it would not make the whole sound good the way I do it!

[SoVeryTired]

And I thought I'd found my first useful application of harmonics yesterday - until we changed the way we played that part of the song.

[jmclearnon]

hahaha, gotta love the harmonics, i slip them in all over the place.

The worship leader was saying to me about playing them as he had seen someone else using them..... i told him i had been using them for years and he just hadn't noticed lol.

also do the occasional double hand tap to play parts of chords at different octaves in slow stuff, helps fill out the sound

[mkandolf]

Originally Posted by adambomb

Ooooooo I have needed some new strings. I might have to check those out. How much we're they? ($)

About $42 including shipping through JustStrings.com which included a free cleaning cloth. Shipping was extremely fast for over the holidays I might add.

[LAG]

Ouir churches Pearl Epro electronic drum kit "disappears" in the mix when the band is playing and vocalists are singing. When played alone, the drums can be heard. The kick and toms can be heard a rumbling (in our boomy room) but the snare and cymbals get completely lost in a band mix.

Anyone else experience similar with your Pearl Epro drum kit?

[mtb777]

Originally Posted by nick98338

Got to play "Your Great Name" today. First time that I had heard this song. Very powerful song. Congregation really liked it.

I love that song! We do it both instrumentally and with vocals.

[mtb777]

Originally Posted by MissingHighs

This guy (singular - he only operates that way) will not talk to me; full-stop! Approaching him would have returned nothing more than snarls (happened before) so chickened out and stayed clear (why provoke anger when it can be avoided?).

But, I can tell you it's landed up as stress-free playing; just the way to go!

M. <><

Time to bring a nice SVT fridge rig on stage and just go with that and be done with it.

[mtb777]

Originally Posted by mkandolf

About $42 including shipping through JustStrings.com which included a free cleaning cloth. Shipping was extremely fast for over the holidays I might add.

Just Strings Rock!!!! He posts a lot of cool pictures on FB all the time.

[BlueLine1]

Wish they had 6-string sets. Looks like I'll have to put some on the 5'er and try them out. I'm with mtb777. Nothing sounds, looks, or intimidates like an SVT and 8x10.....
Alan

[steve_rolfeca]

Originally Posted by BlueLine1

...I'm with mtb777. Nothing sounds, looks, or intimidates like an SVT and 8x10.....
Alan

Never really felt like my mission in worship was to intimidate...

;-D

[Starflyer59]

For the first time in a while i was invited to play bass on for a all worship night on Wednesday. I just came back from practice and while it was a little horrendous, i am sure everything will get straightened by Wednesday afternoon.

The only downfall is that there are TWO worship leaders sharing the bill with 8 songs in total and those are:
Alive in us (Hillsong)
Beneath the waters (I will rise) (Hillsong)
Came to my rescue (Hillsong)
Oh Lord You're Beautiful (Keith Green, simplified)
Beautiful (http://www.danbremnes.com/) hes a really good musician
You Are (http://www.danbremnes.com/)
This is Amazing Grace (Phil Wickman)
None But Jesus (Hillsong)

Its not that i don't mind listening to two leaders but sometimes the keyboard player (which he plays as many instruments as the artists formerly known as Prince), is a heavy hitter on the left hand. Nice guy and all but it does irk me from time to time. Thankfully i can cut him out of the mix from the aviom console.

Now the challenge is to play this with a 5-string Jazz that's stringed with flats

[christle]

Originally Posted by MissingHighs

If it weren't for the fact you're in Canada, I'd have the sneaky suspicion you're one of the other bassists in our Church!
M. <><

Lol! Maybe I'll just visit