So, the BL or church doesn't have money to pay you, but if you asked for money they'd fire you and hire someone for pay? I know I'm stretching your words here, but based on what you've explained so far, that is my understanding. Putting numbers on things, it generally takes me an hour of practice to become familiar with a new song. Not master the song, just familiar. Some take less time, but my average is an hour. Assuming you are able to practice 2 hours a day for 6 days, That's 12 hours per week to learn music you won't be playing. That doesn't account for band practice or Sunday services. So, you actually get less time. If you guys can convince the BL to change, you can spend that 12 hours per week practicing songs you will play and have a better grasp of the music. I know, I keep beating this drum, but I get the impression you really want to contribute to the worship service. If the BL won't listen, talk with the pastor. If the pastor can't/won't talk to the BL, be prepared to walk away. It isn't worth the stress.
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How do I make learning 11 songs a week less painful?
- Thread starter Donald Thompson
- Start date
They are a piano player, and has played during church a couple of times. That why they get on the other pianist for messing up all the time.
I was in a worship band years ago and I practiced every day to learn 3 to 4 new songs every week. The band would do one run through prior so I needed to have those songs down. The other musicians were familiar with most of the songs so they weren't spending the same amount of time as me. As much as i wanted to be part of it, it was taking too much time from my family so I bailed. My advice... Don't kill yourself learning all of those songs.
Just manage your time and do it. Each individual instance is unique so assess, adapt, and achieve.
My method is to listen to only the songs on my crush list when I’m cramming for a job. I make a playlist using whatever relevant version of each song the BL, or band as a whole has agreed on. I’ve been spoiled by singers who send me scratch vocals over a rhythm strummed on an acoustic guitar. I nail the chord progression and which words chord changes occur on. Then I play it until I can do it without thinking, then I start upping the tempo until I can no longer play it and keep it correct. It’s like shooting pool on a 12 foot table makes an 8 footer a piece of cake. When I can double the tempo and get it all in, it makes playing at regular speed much easier. But it’s total immersion in the material I’ve got to know to do the job that gets me there in the least amount of time. After that it’s on stage communication that makes a band look polished when they have not had much time on the material as a group.
My method is to listen to only the songs on my crush list when I’m cramming for a job. I make a playlist using whatever relevant version of each song the BL, or band as a whole has agreed on. I’ve been spoiled by singers who send me scratch vocals over a rhythm strummed on an acoustic guitar. I nail the chord progression and which words chord changes occur on. Then I play it until I can do it without thinking, then I start upping the tempo until I can no longer play it and keep it correct. It’s like shooting pool on a 12 foot table makes an 8 footer a piece of cake. When I can double the tempo and get it all in, it makes playing at regular speed much easier. But it’s total immersion in the material I’ve got to know to do the job that gets me there in the least amount of time. After that it’s on stage communication that makes a band look polished when they have not had much time on the material as a group.
That’s what I took away too, 11 is achievable but it is work. To have that on a weekly basis and just toss the majority would get on my nerves, there are other things I can be doing besides learning songs nobody plays.
That's almost worse.
They play piano and aren't giving you the keys for the songs they want to play?
Our BL does this constantly. What it amounts-to is: we all learn 10 songs a few days before rehearsal, and he keeps the songs he thinks we did to his liking. We drop the rest. That might be half the songs. And then, hey! he'll noodle around between rehearsal songs and ask " have you guys heard this one?" and we'll start putting together a song we may have never even heard before, on-the-fly. We might even add it to the list of "keepers" to play in a few days at the gig. The guitarist will then usually add his "input" by suggesting a different "custom" ending that is always complicated. How we have become so popular in our area amazes me. We manage to always pull it off, but the added stress it adds to the days before the gig is . . .
JazznFunk
Supporting Member
Bandleader needs to be prepared with well-written charts - even if it's just chord charts for the bass - if those are the expectations.
TLDR
to your direct question of "efficient song prep" Using the "Number system", "Nashville Method", etc is the easiest way to quickly chart out material. You can move it to any key on the fly... but this assumes your personal comfort/scale knowledge/flexibility around the neck.
I freelance around the NYC gospel scene and I'll often get a call for 6-12 song for a performance, along with my regular church gig (of up to 11 songs each week), so the Nashville system streamlines the process.
Some thoughts to aid the process (at least it helps me...)
- General knowledge of the material is not essential but highly recommended. If your group is doing mostly 'Hillsong' material (or gospel, or Artist specific - Rev James Clevelend, Rev Timothy Wright, etc etc ) create a playlist of those top 10-20 popular song and listen whenever you get a chance. Or keep a playlist of each week's song for background reference. Being familiar with the material increases "recall".
- You WILL need to build your eartraining/transcribing skills. If those skills aren't the best (yet), in the modern era YouTube is filled with songs, tutorials, and 'covers' to help you prep.
- Write it down. Keep a ORGANIZED, TIDY book(s). If a song comes up again later in the year, you already have it and your previous efforts put you ahead of the game. (I currently have a dozen 96 page Manuscript books—just for gospel arrangements. Most weeks the selections are aready in there, so my failing memory isn't an issue.
- Make 'Index' pages for quick reference. (better yet keep a spreadsheet for quick search)
- Depending on your BL not all the 'little fills' are necessary—Focus on the bass' fundament roll, group fills/kicks, and essential groove in your charts. KISS method.
- Sometimes the arrangement is highly complex, find out if the BL plans to do the 'complete arrangement' or only (for ex) the "shout chorus". *IF you have time, chart the complete song—for the future. There have been many times Im ready to play the whole thing and find out they only want to do the chorus section.
- I'll note the key of the original, AND this weeks key as needed.
- Note the artist's version in your notes (for future reference)
- Always use a pencil ...and keep an eraser at reh. BL always want to 'gild the lily'
This sounds like alot, but it's a really effect workflow and your confidence and comfort level rises the more you work it.
Hope its helpful—
Last edited:
This sounds like the root of the problem...best of luck with that!
TLDR
to your direct question of "efficient song prep" Using the "Number system", "Nashville Method", etc is the easiest way to quickly chart out material. You can move it to any key on the fly... but this assumes your personal comfort/scale knowledge/flexibility around the neck.
I freelance around the NYC gospel scene and I'll often get a call for 6-12 song for a performance, along with my regular church gig (of up to 11 songs each week), so the Nashville system streamlines the process.
Some thoughts to aid the process (at least it helps me...)
- General knowledge of the material is not essential but highly recommended. If your group is doing mostly 'Hillsong' material (or gospel, or Artist specific - Rev James Clevelend, Rev Timothy Wright, etc etc ) create a playlist of those top 10-20 popular song and listen whenever you get a chance. Or keep a playlist of each week's song for background reference. Being familiar with the material increases "recall".
- You WILL need to build your eartraining/transcribing skills. If those skills aren't the best (yet), in the modern era YouTube is filled with songs, tutorials, and 'covers' to help you prep.
- Write it down. Keep a ORGANIZED, TIDEY book(s). If a song comes up again later in the year, you already have it and your previous efforts put you ahead of the game. (I currently have a dozen 96 page Manuscript books—just for gospel arrangements. Most weeks the selections are aready in there, so my failing memory isn't an issue.
- Make 'Index' pages for quick reference. (better yet keep a spreadsheet for quick search)
- Depending on your BL not all the 'little fills' are necessary—Focus on the bass' fundament roll, group fills/kicks, and essential groove in your charts. KISS method.
- Sometimes the arrangement is highly complex, find out if the BL plans to do the 'complete arrangement' or only (for ex) the "shout chorus". *IF you have time, chart the complete song—for the future. There have been many times Im ready to play the whole thing and find out they only want to do the chorus section.
- I'll note the key of the original, AND this weeks key as needed.
- Note the artist's version in your notes (for future reference)
- Always use a pencil
View attachment 5096062
View attachment 5096063
This sounds like alot, but it's a really effect workflow and your confidence and comfort level rises the more you work it.
Hope its helpful—
Impressive!
I have been playing bass off and on in church worship situations since 1998.
Every church, worship leader, BL, director, whatever you want to call them have all been very different.
But in my opinion this is completely unreasonable. Unpaid volunteers (which I have no issue with in the proper structure and properly lead worship team) are the core of ministry in the church. But not like this... Sorry but IMO, probably more than just the BL need to be talked with.
Maybe this is a case of BL expecting everyone to know everything they know and be able to work the same way they do. If they are a really great musician and could do this easily on piano that's fine, but it's not reasonable to ask the band to prepare twice as much as most bands while simultaneously wasting half that practice time.
If the BL is a pianist but wants to be out front singing, I guess they probably want to hear what key is best for their vocals, but they could at least give reasonable guesses at the keys to practice from.
If the BL is a pianist but wants to be out front singing, I guess they probably want to hear what key is best for their vocals, but they could at least give reasonable guesses at the keys to practice from.
The BL is going to run thru 11 and reject the 7 that they feel aren't working.
As bass player you have plenty of power to make a song "not work"
Pick the 4 easiest ones that you can transpose on the fly and nail them
half ass the remaining 7 songs so the BL decides they "aren't working " and they get discarded
If the band leader expresses disappointment in the discarding a song, you say
"I think I could have nailed it If I had a chart and the key ahead of time"
People value things based on how much the cost. You're not being paid so your time is not valued by the BL. If you were being paid by the hour to learn the songs then he'd be picking the 4 he needs.
Imagine you worked in a cake shop. The church is having an event and you offer to donate 4 cakes. That's great but could you bake 11, and bring them all. We'll decide which one we like and eat those ones. You can throw away the other 7 (we only need 4 so we don't mind wasting those ones).
I think your problem is you don't have a Band Leader, but rather a Band Guy In Charge... He's not working to get the best out of you - he's treating you as a free resource for his own benefit. He's asking you to put in work, to make up for the fact he's not doing the work he should be doing.
His Job:
Pick the songs (He's not doing this)
Pick the keys (he's the singer - he can run through them all at home and let you know in advance).
Tell you in advance, with appropriate notes/sheets (YMMV as to what that might be)
Your Job:
Turn up play the songs you agreed.
You wouldn't take this from a work boss, or a secular band. You're helping out for free and deserve to be treated well. Sure it's church and you want to do the right thing, but just because he "works for the church" doesn't give him a free pass. If he wants you to treat him as if he's representing god, then he needs to act like he's representing god.
