• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Worship Bass Pedalboards

#2,081
Adamixoye said:
Non-FX related question, TL;DR: does anyone do band leading while playing bass?

Longer version of question: I'm one of three worship leaders at our church, though due to health problems it's temporarily just two of us. "Leader" basically means pick the songs, direct the band for practice, and lead that part of the service. I play both electric guitar and bass; when I lead, I have always played guitar. When I don't lead I play either bass or guitar depending on the week. I would describe myself as merely an adequate singer (and sometimes just barely so), but I sing when I lead, usually surrounded by some stronger vocalists. When I'm not leading I sing part-time, mostly for my own practice.

Anyway, this week I'm scheduled to lead and one of our other bass players (we have two part-time guys in addition to me) was scheduled but something came up that he would like to go to. I'm also the team scheduler, and a solution to this is that I could shift to bass while still leading (we also have our second guitarist scheduled for this week, which is not always the case). I'll also have one of our leaders singing to help in the singing department. Because of the holiday, we'll also have a shorter set, so I was thinking with the right songs that I could pull this off. It is something I've been wanting to try just for the heck of it. However, I hope it's not hubris; it's going to be a challenge, and I could just ask the scheduled bassist to go ahead and stick with us this week.

Anyway, if anyone does this, lead/sing while playing bass, and you have any specific tips/tricks (beyond "practice" :)) that would be helpful in a short time frame, I'm all ears...
Click to expand...

I can't think of a YouTube clip where a bassist is leading worship.

You should do this.

Please excuse the complete lack of any useful advice.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jrick7, ExaltBass and Adamixoye
#2,083
Adamixoye said:
Non-FX related question, TL;DR: does anyone do band leading while playing bass?

Longer version of question: I'm one of three worship leaders at our church, though due to health problems it's temporarily just two of us. "Leader" basically means pick the songs, direct the band for practice, and lead that part of the service. I play both electric guitar and bass; when I lead, I have always played guitar. When I don't lead I play either bass or guitar depending on the week. I would describe myself as merely an adequate singer (and sometimes just barely so), but I sing when I lead, usually surrounded by some stronger vocalists. When I'm not leading I sing part-time, mostly for my own practice.

Anyway, this week I'm scheduled to lead and one of our other bass players (we have two part-time guys in addition to me) was scheduled but something came up that he would like to go to. I'm also the team scheduler, and a solution to this is that I could shift to bass while still leading (we also have our second guitarist scheduled for this week, which is not always the case). I'll also have one of our leaders singing to help in the singing department. Because of the holiday, we'll also have a shorter set, so I was thinking with the right songs that I could pull this off. It is something I've been wanting to try just for the heck of it. However, I hope it's not hubris; it's going to be a challenge, and I could just ask the scheduled bassist to go ahead and stick with us this week.

Anyway, if anyone does this, lead/sing while playing bass, and you have any specific tips/tricks (beyond "practice" :)) that would be helpful in a short time frame, I'm all ears...
Click to expand...
Your situation sounds very similar to a midweek service I lead, in terms of being the scheduler and leader and what not. I used to lead worship too, but I got burned out on it and relegated myself to bass instead of quitting entirely.

When I sang lead, I was usually on acoustic but did lead from bass a few times. It's possible, but bass takes quite a bit more brain 'cycles' than anything other than maybe lead guitar, and even that's up for debate. It's different in a cover band situation where you have a determined list and can practice it a lot, or in original bands where you write music to accommodate it.

So to your question, I think the things that will help the most are to dumb down the bass parts considerably and do just enough to get by, see if you can appoint another MD for that week to drive the bus musically, make sure you have predetermined voicings / fingerings / octaves for all of the songs so that you can make it muscle memory as much as possible, and focus almost entirely on the vocal part of it. That makes it sound worse than it really is, but if you can do that stuff you will be able to still have a fairly comfortable groove and really lean into your lead vocals, which is what really matters in that situation.

What I would be looking to avoid in the situation of leading worship while playing bass is either having to babysit other band members musically (e.g. tempo, intros, etc.) and/or leaving a good chunk of the music to instinct/ad lib on your part -- those things are cool normally, but are decisions you will have to make in the moment that will detract from you being all in on the leading aspect.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TrevorR and ExaltBass
#2,084
Dan Knowlton said:
I am currently using the Metro 24 and was pretty sure I should bite the bullet and get the hard case - THANKS (really) for pushing me over the edge! I'm moving my rig across the country next summer and don't want to damage any pedals in the move. I'm thinking of adding a volume pedal in addition to an Mission expression pedal to the board but don't want to buy too many more pedals. Current list is:
Darkglass Super Symmetry
Darkglass VMTD
Eventide H9
Turbo Tuner
Red Witch Factotum
3Leaf Wonderlove

I'm having a great time using the H9 but may need to add midi to control it better. Pretty steep learning curve for me.

Dan
Click to expand...

I also have a Mission pedal (volume) that I pulled off the board recently for lack of room. I'm currently using the Pedal Pad AXS III in a 15 x 20" wide... I probably should have gone 24" #neverenoughroom
I love the case! Super easy to setup, and ready to go. Not gonna go bigger now though.

Really.
 
  • Like
Reactions: kevk
#2,085
ExaltBass said:
I also have a Mission pedal (volume) that I pulled off the board recently for lack of room. I'm currently using the Pedal Pad AXS III in a 15 x 20" wide... I probably should have gone 24" #neverenoughroom
I love the case! Super easy to setup, and ready to go. Not gonna go bigger now though.

Really.
Click to expand...
I had a Mission V pedal...awesome and built like a tank, but too heavy for my taste. I've been looking for a "mini" expression pedal for my EQD Avalanche Run. EQD recommends a Moog EP-3, but I'd like a lighter/smaller expression pedal, if possible. By chance, any experience with a DOD Mini or Dunlop DVP4?

[EDIT: Add] Just found a post that mentioned the DVP4 doesn't work well with the AR...
 
Last edited:
#2,086
Eric_71 said:
Your situation sounds very similar to a midweek service I lead, in terms of being the scheduler and leader and what not. I used to lead worship too, but I got burned out on it and relegated myself to bass instead of quitting entirely.

When I sang lead, I was usually on acoustic but did lead from bass a few times. It's possible, but bass takes quite a bit more brain 'cycles' than anything other than maybe lead guitar, and even that's up for debate. It's different in a cover band situation where you have a determined list and can practice it a lot, or in original bands where you write music to accommodate it.

So to your question, I think the things that will help the most are to dumb down the bass parts considerably and do just enough to get by, see if you can appoint another MD for that week to drive the bus musically, make sure you have predetermined voicings / fingerings / octaves for all of the songs so that you can make it muscle memory as much as possible, and focus almost entirely on the vocal part of it. That makes it sound worse than it really is, but if you can do that stuff you will be able to still have a fairly comfortable groove and really lean into your lead vocals, which is what really matters in that situation.

What I would be looking to avoid in the situation of leading worship while playing bass is either having to babysit other band members musically (e.g. tempo, intros, etc.) and/or leaving a good chunk of the music to instinct/ad lib on your part -- those things are cool normally, but are decisions you will have to make in the moment that will detract from you being all in on the leading aspect.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your thoughts. A few things. First, as I mentioned, I have always led from electric guitar (I've literally played acoustic guitar on just a few select songs in the last few years). You're right about "brain cycles," when I first started leading that was one of the hardest things---talk here, intro there, switch settings there, set the tempo for the band, etc. But I have made a lot of strides in that area. I'm not a traditional lead guitar player, either. I learned bass first as a teenager and then started messing around on guitar a couple of years later; I'm almost entirely self-taught on both. Ultimately, my guitar playing style has developed oddly, influenced a lot by my bass background and my use of effects. I even play consistently in drop D. I play a mix of rhythm power chords, arpeggios, and lead lines, but they're always interacting with the song and my vocals; I don't typically play any lead lines when I'm singing, only for intros and interlude type of stuff. I've learned to do arpeggios while singing, though.

For leading on bass, I'm hoping to not dumb down my typical bass lines too much, but I am trying to do songs that are either expressive in such a way that my vocals and bass playing feel natural, or ones that use a pretty driving, even rhythm, e.g., just pounding out eighth notes.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: FullTime Tim and ExaltBass
#2,087
IMG_3409.jpg
My current worship setup. The Alpha Omega is a lot more versatile than all the videos I've seen online have shown. The Scrutator coupled with the EXP pedal allows me to not bring a key bass for the synth parts. It's kinda like having a filter knob on an analog synth.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Blu bro, BrentSimons and ExaltBass
#2,091
More seriously, it went about as well as I was hoping. Bass playing was a touch sloppy but overall in terms of my leading and the overall band it was just as effective as when I'm usually on guitar. I don't know if I'll do this again anytime soon (the circumstances that led to my decision to do it were somewhat unique), but it was fun.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Red Planet, ExaltBass and Flabzilla
#2,092
Adamixoye said:
Personalized just for you
Click to expand...


:laugh:

Adamixoye said:
More seriously, it went about as well as I was hoping. Bass playing was a touch sloppy but overall in terms of my leading and the overall band it was just as effective as when I'm usually on guitar. I don't know if I'll do this again anytime soon (the circumstances that led to my decision to do it were somewhat unique), but it was fun.
Click to expand...

Well done. I tried a couple of times to sing whilst playing but decided to give it a miss.

This apart from the fact that nothing is in my key...
 
  • Like
Reactions: ExaltBass and Adamixoye
#2,093
Flabzilla said:
:laugh:



Well done. I tried a couple of times to sing whilst playing but decided to give it a miss.

This apart from the fact that nothing is in my key...
Click to expand...

There was a time I would have completely laughed at this idea. But about 5 years ago I just started practicing and somewhere along the way I became marginally competent.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ExaltBass and Flabzilla
#2,094
Adamixoye said:
Non-FX related question, TL;DR: does anyone do band leading while playing bass?

Longer version of question: I'm one of three worship leaders at our church, though due to health problems it's temporarily just two of us. "Leader" basically means pick the songs, direct the band for practice, and lead that part of the service. I play both electric guitar and bass; when I lead, I have always played guitar. When I don't lead I play either bass or guitar depending on the week. I would describe myself as merely an adequate singer (and sometimes just barely so), but I sing when I lead, usually surrounded by some stronger vocalists. When I'm not leading I sing part-time, mostly for my own practice.

Anyway, this week I'm scheduled to lead and one of our other bass players (we have two part-time guys in addition to me) was scheduled but something came up that he would like to go to. I'm also the team scheduler, and a solution to this is that I could shift to bass while still leading (we also have our second guitarist scheduled for this week, which is not always the case). I'll also have one of our leaders singing to help in the singing department. Because of the holiday, we'll also have a shorter set, so I was thinking with the right songs that I could pull this off. It is something I've been wanting to try just for the heck of it. However, I hope it's not hubris; it's going to be a challenge, and I could just ask the scheduled bassist to go ahead and stick with us this week.

Anyway, if anyone does this, lead/sing while playing bass, and you have any specific tips/tricks (beyond "practice" :)) that would be helpful in a short time frame, I'm all ears...
Click to expand...
I am actually a minister joining the seminary this fall and have been thinking, more and more, about leading worship from behind my bass as much as the pulpit. While I come from a more traditional church (my small-town congregation has two organists, and a spare!) there is some real value in using the bass in worship. Unlike the guitar, which tends to overwhelm a speaker, a bass can set tone and atmosphere without interfering. Especially if you have some super-long reverb or a freeze pedal I can only imagine and entire message set to a slow, plodding jazz-gospel beat.

Please let us know how it works. I would love to hear of your trials, tribulations, and triumphs!
 
  • Like
Reactions: ExaltBass
#2,095
Being and Bass said:
I am actually a minister joining the seminary this fall and have been thinking, more and more, about leading worship from behind my bass as much as the pulpit. While I come from a more traditional church (my small-town congregation has two organists, and a spare!) there is some real value in using the bass in worship. Unlike the guitar, which tends to overwhelm a speaker, a bass can set tone and atmosphere without interfering. Especially if you have some super-long reverb or a freeze pedal I can only imagine and entire message set to a slow, plodding jazz-gospel beat.

Please let us know how it works. I would love to hear of your trials, tribulations, and triumphs!
Click to expand...

Yeah I mentioned how it went above. One thing that I'm weakest at, whatever I'm playing, is that I don't do the ambient/backing playing when I'm speaking. Either I speak without any music or the piano player will fill in some of the time. It's a skill I would like to develop eventually.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ExaltBass and Being and Bass
#2,096
ItsmeSantiago said:
View attachment 2858238 My current worship setup. The Alpha Omega is a lot more versatile than all the videos I've seen online have shown. The Scrutator coupled with the EXP pedal allows me to not bring a key bass for the synth parts. It's kinda like having a filter knob on an analog synth.
Click to expand...
Nice looking board!:)
The reflections look like it's snowing on your Ray. Happy New Year!
Brent
 
  • Like
Reactions: Wardy1985, ExaltBass and kevk
#2,097
I have a question. I don't have a fancy pedalboard (yet), nor a dedicated pedalboard power supply, however, I have kind of a pedalboard consisting of:

TC Electronics Polytune Mini Noir tuner
Markbass Compressore
Darkglass Vintage Microtubes
Electro-harmonix Bass Clone (chorus)
Markbass Super Booster (DI to foh)

I have a Markbass wall wart with a single to two power splitter cord. The Super Booster does not require much juice.
I have a Truetone 1Spot wall wart with a single to many splitter cord. Yesterday, before worship began, I noticed I had lost power to my 9v devices. I think one of the extra 9v plugins on the daisy chain was touching metal somewhere. Is there something I can plug onto the extra plugins so they are not touching anything else electrically, causing power to go out?
 
  • Like
Reactions: ExaltBass
#2,098
As an Amazon Associate, TalkBass may receive commissions from qualifying purchases made via links on this site.

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back