Worship bassists- becoming a bandleader?

Fassa Albrecht · #1 08-18-2008, 03:22 PM

I've been really interested in becoming a bandleader within my church worship band. I really think I could be a good bandleader.

So I was wondering....what kind of practical skills does a WORSHIP bandleader specifically need to have? Apart from the obvious...

Also, do I have to play guitar to be a bandleader? All the leaders I know seem to play only guitar and it's worrying me slightly.

Funkdrawer4 · #2 08-18-2008, 03:34 PM

To me there seems to be 2 catagories here,you will either be a band leader or a worship leader,I have been with both and they are not the same.Many are capable of leading others in playing worship songs,few are really capable in leading not only the musicians and singers ,but an entire congregation into real worship.

First choose

Marty

Fassa Albrecht · #3 08-18-2008, 03:47 PM

I want to lead the entire congregation in worship- I want to be a WORSHIP leader......

capnsandwich · #4 08-18-2008, 03:51 PM

Is this something you want to do or is this something you feel led to do? There is a difference. Many people get the desire to do things but if the Lord isn't behind the desire then you may be missing your calling. If the Lord is behind your desire then He'll provide all the necessary tools and training for you to learn.

One thing that I know will help you is to get with the current band leader and talk with him/her. Develop a close relationship with them and learn from them. They didn't get where they are overnight. It took them time, energy, and patience to get where they're at, but if you learn from them you can learn valuable skills much quicker than they did simply because they paved the way. This is all IMO and IME, of course.

RedSubway · #5 08-18-2008, 08:49 PM

If you're feeling called to that, then you should go for it. There is no requirement that worship leaders have to play guitar, I've seen many that play bass and lead.
The only requirements would be that you're allowing God to work through you and you can help inspire people to worship.

hills1234 · #6 08-18-2008, 08:52 PM

To address the bass-playing part of your question - IMO there's absolutely no reason why you can't lead worship with a bass slung around your neck. I do it regularly, though I also split my duties with guitar and keys as well (small band!). One reason many leaders play guitar is that much contemporary worship music is strongly guitar-driven, so a guitarist/leader is in a good position to shift and guide the dynamics, tempo and mood of a song or worship service, using the guitar. You can still do this on bass to some extent, but the cues you give your team will be less obvious and direct. I also find I have to accept I'll be playing more basic lines when I'm leading from the bass, as my mental focus needs to be on the song and the worship.

Try this: while you're playing in a worship service, try to be conscious of the overall worship experience - do you have a sense of how well the song is flowing? how cohesive is the music team with the congregation? how the congregation is responding? do you have a feel for where the shared experience of worship is moving? If this sort of stuff is on your radar - and you're keeping your bass chops together along with it - then you're definitely starting to think like a worship leader!

I agree there needs to be a sense of calling ... A chat with your worship leader or minister/pastor is definitely a good place to start. Look for "small steps" opportunities to lead -youth services, camps, house groups, whatever. And also try leading *without* the bass. Follow that calling and go for it!

dj150888 · #7 08-20-2008, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fassa Albrecht

I've been really interested in becoming a bandleader within my church worship band. I really think I could be a good bandleader.

So I was wondering....what kind of practical skills does a WORSHIP bandleader specifically need to have? Apart from the obvious...

Also, do I have to play guitar to be a bandleader? All the leaders I know seem to play only guitar and it's worrying me slightly.

First thing I'd do would be sort out your bass-specific issues. Namely the miming thing. If you can't be trusted to play your own instrument, you can't be trusted to lead a band.

jimb213 · #8 08-20-2008, 04:25 PM

Well, in my opinion, you have to be "sing-alongable." A guy that used to lead worship for my church's youth group is a good indie rock singer, and he's actually done some touring and had success as a musician, but he's not a good worship leader, regardless of where his heart is. His singing is too... indie rock, I guess... to lead a group of people in worship. He was a little pitchy (but an acceptable amount for his style of music) and his phrasing was always a little weird, so it was usually pretty hard to follow him.

But there's no reason a worship leader has to play guitar, or any instrument, really. Part of the reason so many play guitar is that it's easy to be a solo worship leader with just a guitar. I play with a worship leader who plays all over the country, but I only go with her on "full band gigs." She has a lot of gigs that are just her and her guitar. If you want to do it in your home church only, and there's always going to be a full band with you, then there's no reason you can't lead, unless you're an awful singer like I am. The Worship Leader/Music Minister at my church rarely leads every song on sundays. Some times he only leads one song on a weekend, and the other singers (or instrumentalists who can sing) take the other songs.

If your singing is up to par, have a meeting with your worship leader/music minister about the possibility of you leading on sundays.