The Praise and Worship Band Bassists Club part 23

[slobake]

Our worship band has been playing together for a little over a year now. A lot has happened in that time. I remember talking here about lack of commitment on the part of some band members when I first started playing with them . A wise soul here on TB referred me to this:
http://bassmusicianmagazine.com/2012...teven-gregory/
Ever since then I have taken that to heart. I usaully don't pick the songs or arrange them but I have become the go-to guy whenever we have issues.
We always pray for each other and have become like a little family. We are more family than team. A family has grace for each other and lifts each other up no matter what. We do have expecations of each other though.
When we first started we were all just excited to be able to play together. That wore off after a time and we began to learn about each others little personality quirks. We also have higher expectation of each other. Things came to a head two weeks ago when several band members took me aside seperately and experessed their concerns. So we spent our last rehersal time mostly praying and talking . It is amazing how you I can speak to others about tough subjects when I am speaking out of God's love and wholeness instead of my own brokeness. The meeting went really good and the joy of worshipping together has returned. We talked to our pastor about it but no-one else. Several people commented about how great it was to worship with us on Sunday. Hoo Hoo, I love what He can do, when I give up and let God do it.

[dDaddybass]

Originally Posted by TodB

Have a great time with the fretless. Remember that it's more Biblical anyway.

I found that position dots on the binding were more useful than lines on the fingerboard itself. It felt like I would need a neck like a flamingo to look out over the top of the fretboard for lines.

Ok, I'll bite. how is a fretless more Biblical?

[SteveC]

Originally Posted by ExaltBass

We use PC, and are expected to be well prepared at rehearsal.

We use PC and Music Stand as well. Makes a HUGE difference - even with the "A" team.

[ExaltBass]

Originally Posted by slobake

Our worship band has been playing together for a little over a year now. A lot has happened in that time. I remember talking here about lack of commitment on the part of some band members when I first started playing with them . A wise soul here on TB referred me to this:
http://bassmusicianmagazine.com/2012...teven-gregory/
Ever since then I have taken that to heart. I usaully don't pick the songs or arrange them but I have become the go-to guy whenever we have issues.
We always pray for each other and have become like a little family. We are more family than team. A family has grace for each other and lifts each other up no matter what. We do have expecations of each other though.
When we first started we were all just excited to be able to play together. That wore off after a time and we began to learn about each others little personality quirks. We also have higher expectation of each other. Things came to a head two weeks ago when several band members took me aside seperately and experessed their concerns. So we spent our last rehersal time mostly praying and talking . It is amazing how you I can speak to others about tough subjects when I am speaking out of God's love and wholeness instead of my own brokeness. The meeting went really good and the joy of worshipping together has returned. We talked to our pastor about it but no-one else. Several people commented about how great it was to worship with us on Sunday. Hoo Hoo, I love what He can do, when I give up and let God do it.

Good stuff!

[chuck norriss]

What do you all recommend for a church that has 2 or 3 people of each instrument--sometimes more--but not everyone is always available to put in a hand? It's a different band combination every week, makes it hard to get tight. I think create bands and let those bands practice together then rotate bands every 3 or 4 weeks. The problem is availability. Also the pastor doesn't want people to get uncomfortable if they're stuck in a band they don' tlike or some conflict but that's just speculation.

[chuck norriss]

Originally Posted by dDaddybass

Ok, I'll bite. how is a fretless more Biblical?

I think it was a joke.

[Versatek6]

Originally Posted by dDaddybass

Ok, I'll bite. how is a fretless more Biblical?

Ps. 37:1 Fret not thyself because of evil doers...

[SteveC]

Originally Posted by Versatek6

Ps. 37:1 Fret not thyself because of evil doers...

Fret not thyself because it rules!

[SoVeryTired]

We have A team. Sorry, I mean a team.

There's no set group that always play together. We mix it up and try and ensure a good mix of experience and newer players. It's a good way of developing those who need more development and smoothing out the highs and lows. Plus when we have special events we can put together an A team easily enough. With a few multi-instrumentalists we get variety even when not all the personnel change. For example, this week the lead guitarist, bassist and rhythm electric guitarist/backing vocalist (me) were respectively PA, acoustic guitar and bass last week.

[aServantLeader]

Originally Posted by TodB

Have a great time with the fretless. Remember that it's more Biblical anyway.

I found that position dots on the binding were more useful than lines on the fingerboard itself. It felt like I would need a neck like a flamingo to look out over the top of the fretboard for lines.

I have given that thought and may try just cutting the pin stripping into squares and making "dots" on the side of the neck.

I am also concerned that at that small, it will not stick very well...maybe perhaps wrap the back of the neck...I will give it some thought.

[Bakkster_Man]

Originally Posted by MikeBass

I guess it comes down to the hard point that most people don't want to discuss for fear as being looked down and judged upon:
Drawing a line between the serving heart and the ability.
Sometimes they are not on equal ground and you have to pass.
And that goes BOTH directions.
We've had some seriously talented, top shelf first call musicians that we have declined because their heart wasn't in the right place.
That's "OK" for pretty much most. But decline someone because someone with a massive heart for worship but the basic skill level just isn't there, and all of a sudden it's "wrong".

Again, I'm looking at this from a slightly different perspective because we are a very large church.
I'd bet we have more than 100 musicians on or music team alone. (We have a weekly "band rotation". you are on pretty much one weekend a month- 1st weekend, 2nd weekend etc...)

I think eqqually or more important is implementation of meeting a standard of playing. I watched my hometown church worship team crumble due to change in WL which wanted auditions. Previously we had a very open yet at the same time maintained high standards. It was through her that I got a lot of my training in leading worship, along with a few other high school aged musicians. We learned and trained and got experience, and a combination of her training and being an outstanding leader kept things together.

Fast forward a few years, new hired WL wants to increase the quality of the team and asks everyone to audition. This was a 150+ contemporary service on top of two whole additional services usually worshiping 500+/wk. We had some seriously talented players and singers. However, the way he asked for auditions rubbed most of them the wrong way and drove every last one of them away from even attending the contemporary service.

The team went from a core group of talented members simultaneously training up the next generation, to attempting to whittle down to only the most talented, yet disenfranchising them and ending up with only the next generation still building their talent and pickup musicians. It's a little sad to see such a great group disband due to a lack of tact.

That said at my current church, despite being desperate for a guitar player, turned down a player with chops because he was unwilling to put in the practice time and unwilling to address some sins and struggles in his life. Sure, we could have had a lead guitarist with chops, but the cost was too great.

It's definitely a fine balancing act. I think looking at all the factors (talent, attitude, heart for worship, work ethic, leadership, etc) is far more important than any one in isolation, and any decision should be made discretely and carefully. It also depends on the church's size and goals (smaller churches may skew more towards favoring devoted members who can lead a congregation while large outreach churches may favor talented session musicians with little interest in that musicians personal faith), there is no one size fits all just like no single church works for everyone.

[SoVeryTired]

Originally Posted by chuck norriss

What do you all recommend for a church that has 2 or 3 people of each instrument--sometimes more--but not everyone is always available to put in a hand? It's a different band combination every week, makes it hard to get tight. I think create bands and let those bands practice together then rotate bands every 3 or 4 weeks. The problem is availability. Also the pastor doesn't want people to get uncomfortable if they're stuck in a band they don' tlike or some conflict but that's just speculation.

I think a settled band can potentially be tighter but can create problems as you mention. It can be difficult for other players to fit in as subs if any regular team members aren't available. And with an all-volunteer team that's quite likely.

We plan 3 months at a time and ask everyone to mark off the dates they're unavailable on Planning Center. I think we'd struggle to get two or three teams that were always available at rhetoric same time.

[theLimeyBrit]

Originally Posted by SoVeryTired

I think we'd struggle to get two or three teams that were always available at rhetoric same time.

Autocorrected? Or is it just substitute random word day and nobody told me?

[SoVeryTired]

Originally Posted by theLimeyBrit

Autocorrected? Or is it just substitute random word day and nobody told me?

It's clearly substitute random word day. Did no-one platypus you the memo?

[SoVeryTired]

(I think it was 'the', but then autocorrect decided to Christmas it.)

[khutch]

Originally Posted by chuck norriss

It's a different band combination every week, makes it hard to get tight.

My church has five worship teams. In the beginning I was filling in for people who could not make their assignments. Now that I am assigned to a team I am still filling in for people who can't make their assignments and playing with those filling in for team mates who can't make their assignments! So I pretty much play with everyone in the rotation eventually. It is not impossible to gel with an ad hoc band, it does take more time to learn the styles of everyone you might have to work with. There are those whose playing styles I love to work with and then there are those whose playing styles I will learn to cherish once we've worked together enough! I rather like the variety and the challenge of being able to play with anyone in the church. I still smile every time I remember the day I walked into rehearsal and realized all those kids hanging around were the WT vocalists for that week! Seriously, I am grinning ear to ear as I type this....

Ken

[chuck norriss]

I bet you're a better musican for it, khutch.

[chuck norriss]

Originally Posted by slobake

Our worship band has been playing together for a little over a year now. A lot has happened in that time. I remember talking here about lack of commitment on the part of some band members when I first started playing with them . A wise soul here on TB referred me to this:
http://bassmusicianmagazine.com/2012...teven-gregory/
Ever since then I have taken that to heart. I usaully don't pick the songs or arrange them but I have become the go-to guy whenever we have issues.
We always pray for each other and have become like a little family. We are more family than team. A family has grace for each other and lifts each other up no matter what. We do have expecations of each other though.
When we first started we were all just excited to be able to play together. That wore off after a time and we began to learn about each others little personality quirks. We also have higher expectation of each other. Things came to a head two weeks ago when several band members took me aside seperately and experessed their concerns. So we spent our last rehersal time mostly praying and talking . It is amazing how you I can speak to others about tough subjects when I am speaking out of God's love and wholeness instead of my own brokeness. The meeting went really good and the joy of worshipping together has returned. We talked to our pastor about it but no-one else. Several people commented about how great it was to worship with us on Sunday. Hoo Hoo, I love what He can do, when I give up and let God do it.

good article. thanks.

[FellowBass]

Originally Posted by chuck norriss

What do you all recommend for a church that has 2 or 3 people of each instrument--sometimes more--but not everyone is always available to put in a hand? It's a different band combination every week, makes it hard to get tight. I think create bands and let those bands practice together then rotate bands every 3 or 4 weeks. The problem is availability. Also the pastor doesn't want people to get uncomfortable if they're stuck in a band they don' tlike or some conflict but that's just speculation.

We do exactly what is colored up above -- we tell what weeks we area available in a given month, and our worship leader forms a band for each week given who is available. Usually 6 to 8 people of varying instruments (sometimes more acoustic, sometimes more electric), always makes for a diverse sound and experience.
That's where it becomes important to have rehearsed and also I think where a click helps.

[chuck norriss]

Originally Posted by FellowBass

We do exactly what is colored up above -- we tell what weeks we area available in a given month, and our worship leader forms a band for each week given who is available. Usually 6 to 8 people of varying instruments (sometimes more acoustic, sometimes more electric), always makes for a diverse sound and experience.
That's where it becomes important to have rehearsed and also I think where a click helps.

Same situation but 3-5 people the only thing is it seems like the variety & inconsistency hurts us not helps. We need to invest more practice & playing time. It's evident we don't play together enough. Now I'm answering my own question. We could use a click track. We use aviom to monitor ourselves.