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Playing Bass for Church

#41
Use YouTube as your practice partner and learn the songs and their structures or as I call them the roadmap. You can find most of these songs on ultimate guitar.com and get the chords with the lyrics to get the basic verse-chorus-bridge info and then I print it out and go back to YouTube and write out the roadmap in the top right corner and check the chords which will be basic chords to start with but won't show you any walking bass lines but sometimes will show you slash chords where you will play the second note over the base chord like D/F#. You play the F# while guitar and keys play the D or a modified D with a lower F# added. Typical roadmap would be something like:
Intro
Verse1
Chorus
Verse2
Chorus
Instrumental
Bridge
Chorus
Chorus

You can add any notes you like as to dynamics rests stops or come in on line 3 or whatever the song calls for. Ultimateguitar also has a transposing feature for guitarist or usually a limited range singer who requires a song be played higher or lower where you transpose up 3 half steps for a song in D at Capo 3 which means you are actually playing the song in F. Some can do it on the fly but some you can't so find out Keys or first chord AND Capo position because it might make a world of difference to YOU and what YOU play.
 
#42
Great stuff here, just wanted to add two things:

1) Find the groove for each song, and let that "pulse" shape your playing. Most likely that will come from the drums, the kick and snares although if you play with a percussionist then it may come from a variety of other instruments. Sometimes I'll beatbox with my mouth "ba-dum-bum ba-dum-bum, etc" silently for a few measures before starting to play. Try to feel where the accent beats are.

2) Harmonizing. Listen to the vocal bass lines (if any), or check out hymns for their bass parts. When we play hymns that are quieter, I'll often move higher up the bass and play bass harmony if there's space for me to be there. Otherwise, if the keyboard or vocalist or piano is doing it, I'll move back down and just give low support.
 
#43
I have been playing in church bands for a while, and the one thing it's made me realize is how incredibly boring praise music can be...especially when your worship leader insists on playing the SAME song the SAME way each and every time.

The best advice I would give is to listen to your drummer, and I mean really listen to how he/she plays. Learn the nuances of their technique and learn to read each other musically. When you get to a comfortable level, you will naturally find ways to liven up your parts without overplaying.

Arpeggios, scale runs, and slap have become regular parts of my repetoire, and sometimes what I do rubs off on the band. Don't be afraid to (tastefully) spice up your parts.

Also, if by some freak occurence modal theory applies to the song you're playing, use it with authority. But being that praise music is usually predictable major scale stuff, you will have to discern the (rare) opportunities.

Have fun and don't forget why you're up there!
 
#44
Electric_Delta said:
I have been playing in church bands for a while, and the one thing it's made me realize is how incredibly boring praise music can be...especially when your worship leader insists on playing the SAME song the SAME way each and every time.

The best advice I would give is to listen to your drummer, and I mean really listen to how he/she plays. Learn the nuances of their technique and learn to read each other musically. When you get to a comfortable level, you will naturally find ways to liven up your parts without overplaying.

Arpeggios, scale runs, and slap have become regular parts of my repetoire, and sometimes what I do rubs off on the band. Don't be afraid to (tastefully) spice up your parts.

Also, if by some freak occurence modal theory applies to the song you're playing, use it with authority. But being that praise music is usually predictable major scale stuff, you will have to discern the (rare) opportunities.

Have fun and don't forget why you're up there!
Click to expand...

I've played with some of the Hillsong guys and known others and there are some seriously good players there. Many who are working in seriously successful mainstream bands here in Oz as well as the Hillsong thing.

Church music doesn't have to be mediocre. Heck, in Bach's day the church led the field!
 

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