We mostly play off sheet music where the piano can cover the entire accompaniment, and the pianists just play the music as written.
Jumping out of the whole spiritual point of playing in church, time to put the musician hat back on. Poit57 makes an excellent point here.
The majority of my time on worship teams was as a pianist (sometimes keyboards/synths, as well as bass, drums and occasional guitar). The GREAT equalizer for any music group is the music. Period. In church, everyone got the same songs and charts from the WL/MD - no egos involved - we all could literally be on the same page, first and foremost, yielding to the charts. In doing so, as long as we followed the bones of it, we became trusted to add our own flavors as long as it was appropriate. Our MD even said, "If you really feel led, go for it - if it's not right, I'll let you know". In that, our worship wasn't cookie cutter canned and stiff, it really did flow in unity and freedom, as the Spirit moved. That was at the best of times.
Also, if the piano or organ is the "lead" instrument, it often has the task of playing the melody strongly in order to lead the congregation's singing. When melody isn't strong, people out there often sing less or more sheepishly. (pun intended)
As the pianist, I worked with half a dozen bassists over a decade at one church, as well as subbing in countless others. As long as we all submitted to the chart as a mutual guide - no problems. And any good pianist knows how to orchestrate on the fly, when it's time to double the bass, or get out of the way and comp LH rhythms and chords. (guitarists could be some of the trickier ones to not collide with).
Only once did I clash with a bassist. The reason: He did not like to use charts. The problem: Since he was newer with us (only lasted 2 weeks) - he "knew" the songs from other church experience. Church music can be notorious for being learned by ear in bible study sing-a-longs, or just winging it on less pro-grade worship teams. It's often passed on by aural tradition. And in that, people do weird things when winging it, odd substitute (read: WRONG) chords, to different than standard keys and feels. This new bassist was flying blind in 2 ways : 1) feeling along according to his memory of how a song went, regardless of the rest of the team playing from the chart. So he was flubbing confidently, expecting things that we didn't have happening due to our failure to read and follow his mind. 2) When he didn't know a song, he became a very lagging follower, trying to keep up with my left hand - which, in one instance, I was covering bass, due to his lack, and on the other, I was last-second-dodging out of his way, as he plowed into only God knows what. Dare I say, I was damned if I did, and damned if I didn't. He just didn't know how to read a chart, nor did he want to learn. The worst was playing something like a D 11 chord, charted as C/D where the cat would play the C. Some worship music can use these pivot chords a lot. A bass train wreck every time.
SUBMIT ALL YE TO THE CHART - no ego, no guess work, no fancy pants dancing and head conflicts needed.
and btw - we covered a fair amount of Ron Kenoly music complete with respecting bass parts and solos by the great Abraham Laboriel - and we had a young player who loved to do it. How could any keys guy be so arrogant as to wanna step on that?
Not only did working from charts make the band tighter, but we all learned something to make us better musicians, got along better, were freer to let go and worship better, which spilled into the unity of the congregation. It was a win/win/win - and (i believe) God actually showed up in spite of us, from time to time.
And this is as true for the worship leader to submit to the music/chart as well - BUT, the band MUST submit to the guidance, creativity, freedom and inspiration of the WL/MD, as they are the person in charge of planning the service, hopefully prayerfully so, having a vision in step with the pastor's service plan.
