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Transcendent Worship: The Use Of Specialty Instruments In Worship |
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Written by Larry Myers
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Sunday, 23 November 2008 |
Larry Myers gives practical advice on how to seemlessly integrate specialty instruments into worship
One of the paradoxical qualities of humans is that we thrive on predictability and constancy, but because we are easily bored, we look for the unpredictable. Doesn’t surprise God; he made us this way. We love the peace and nourishment that comes from what is beautiful to us, whether it is a painting, a piece of music, a wonderful story, or even a sunset observed from our favorite spot.
We are particularly thrilled, however, when we discover something in the painting we’ve never seen before, or an unusual cloud formation appears during the familiar sunset to momentarily explode its colors over the horizon, never to appear again. It is this unpredictable occurrence or discovery that sometimes causes our experience to leap from the mundane to the transcendent.
Isn’t this what we long for as worship leaders and musicians when we lead people in worship? To be transported in worship from the mundane to the transcendent? Isn’t this one aspect of the purpose and function of art as created by the Lord? I think so.
What does this have to do with my little worship band at church or home group? Everything. It has to do with what instruments we use and how we use them. Or put another way, who plays what, when.
The typical Vineyard worship band is comprised of two groups of instruments: primary and secondary. This isn’t a distinction of importance (well, maybe a little), but of function.
The primary ones are the ones that cause the worship leader to break out into a cold sweat when the player calls on Sunday morning with the flu. These are the drums, bass, rhythm guitar, lead guitar, and piano, give or take drums, bass, rhythm guitar, lead guitar and piano, depending on how large your congregation is.
The secondary ones, or “specialty” instruments, are the ones that cause the leader to say, “Shucks. Oh well, maybe we’ll see you next week.” These include woodwinds, various strings, percussion, synths, horns, accordions, bagpipes and so forth.
Ah, but here’s the cool part…it’s when these secondary instruments are played well, in the right spots, and in the right amounts that something special happens. A good band becomes a great band…A good, acceptable worship experience may be transformed into a transcendent experience.
How does this happen? It all has to do with the phrase “…played well, in the right spots, and in the right amounts…”
The starting point is that the instrument must be played well. You don’t have to be a virtuoso, but you must at least be honest with yourself about your skill level. Play everything you can within your skill level, but save the harder stuff for your own personal displeasure at home. If your current skill level can be safely used on the worship team, fine. If not, stay home and practice. And don’t grumble! Practice.
The next point is where the rubber meets the road for secondary or specialty instruments. It has to do with what notes you play, where you play them and how often. The technical term for this is “the arrangement.” There are at least three levels of arrangement. One is where all the notes are written out. In some ways this is the easiest because you don’t have to think about it. If it’s written you play it, if it isn’t, you don’t. Simple as that. Your own creativity is limited to how much emotion you can cram into each of those written notes.
One of the hallmarks of a true artist is the ability to impart emotion or life into someone else’s notes. Itzak Perlman comes to mind here. Another level of arrangement is when the leader says, “I want flute on verse one, tambourine on the chorus, synth on verse two, and everyone on the last chorus.” He then gives you the freedom to improvise when it’s your turn.
The last and probably the least desirable, is when the leader leaves everyone to work it out for themselves. This can work when you have the right people, or it can end up sounding like a Dixieland band with everyone playing at the same time.
The levels of arrangement, which are most common in the Vineyard, are the second and third so there need to be some ground rules or basic principles to help pull this off.
Now To Some Basics.
1. Less is more. When I was a younger musician we used an expression to describe a player who seemed to play the right notes at the right time in the right way. We would say his or her playing was really “tasty.” In fact, Webster defines taste: ‘to eat or drink a little of; to experience slightly; a small quantity tasted; a sense of what is proper, harmonious, or beautiful.’ This definition expresses what I think a player of specialty instruments wants to shoot for. It’s finding that one note, or that percussive sound or that synth pad that goes right to the heart. The one phrase that changes everything, that ushers in the transcendent. As musicians we all have our memories of those notes or riffs or sounds that, whenever we hear them, speak to our deepest parts. Usually if you play every note of every song you lose the uniqueness of your “voice” and become so much chatter, part of the mundane sound. However, if you restrain yourself, playing “good” notes, at the right time, you will be the spice that makes the overall flavor of the song delicious.
2. Develop your own road map of how you will approach the song, even if a detailed arrangement is provided for you. Start with an overview of the entire song. How many verses, how many times will the leader repeat the chorus, is there a bridge, how does it end? Next, decide how you can best embellish the song. How do the words develop the message? Do the words and music build toward a climax? If so, then you can help it along. If it doesn’t start to build till the third verse, lay low till then. If it stays at the same level all the way you could play the melody on the first verse, lay out on the second verse, play melody on the chorus, play the third harmony on the third verse, lay out on the first half of the chorus then play the melody on the second half. The possible combinations are endless.
3. Give the arrangement some breathing room. Leave some open space with a note. Sure you can think of a lot of notes that might work but exercise self-discipline and don’t play them. One of the qualities that separates first call studio players from the rest is how much they don’t play. This causes what they do play to really stand out.
4. Don’t play the same thing twice. This keeps the song interesting. Of course, there are exceptions. There may be a phrase that the leader wants repeated, or there may be one of those inspired phrases you stumble across that works when you play it over and over. But in general, don’t repeat yourself. Play a phrase, then play it backwards, then play it inside out, then play it standing on your head, oops, maybe not! Anyway, you get the point.
5. Choose the right instrument for the song. Consult with the worship leader. Sometimes you can switch in the middle if the dynamics call for it. Typically our songs will build with intensity so if you play flute and sax, for instance, you would start with the gentler more lyrical flute, then switch to sax when things start to scream toward the end. Be flexible; be sensitive. One of the exciting and artistic aspects of this principle, though, is to surprise people by using an instrument or a sound that they wouldn’t ordinarily expect to hear. This is one way to kick a song out of the mundane. Lately we’ve heard some of the beautiful Irish folk instruments used such as the penny whistle, or the various pipes. We’ve even heard the didgeridoo and the conch shell used to great effect. But remember, less is more, use sparingly.
6. If you play a melodic instrument such as violin or flute, play notes that are actually part of the chord structure. It’s so easy for immature players (and singers for that matter) to fall into a sort of mindless noodling, playing notes just to be playing, no matter whether they actually make any sense. Until you progress to the point where you can play really obscure notes with purposeful intent, as in Bebop, it’s best to stick to the melody and/or basic harmonies, like the third or the fifth of the chord. Often it works well if you start by playing along with the melody. Then, the second time through play the third harmony. If there are two melodic instruments have one play the third, the other the fifth. Then switch. This keeps it interesting and it makes you think a little.
7. If you play rhythmic instruments, play the tempo in lockstep with the drummer and bass player. Nothing much worse than a bunch of rhythm players playing more or less around the tempo. Except of course, singers singing or melodic instruments playing more or less around the pitch.
8. Finally, listen carefully to what the pros do and don’t do. You’ll be surprised. Almost any hit record will do because these are the production values that help make them hits. I will suggest two moldy oldie bands that were flawless in how they used specialty lead instruments. Fleetwood Mac and The Eagles. Listen to how simple and clean the lead breaks and fills are. Notice the breathing room in the arrangements and how inventive the phrases are. Listen to any Vince Gill or Daniel Lanois. Very interesting use of unexpected sounds. You’ll also hear these values reflected in Wallflowers, Counting Crows, and Alannis Morrisette. May we all enjoy the ecstasy of being transported from the mundane to the transcendent.
It’s Not About Me
Contrary to what our human nature insists on whispering in our ears, worship is not about us! Being part of a musical team by definition means it’s not about how much I get to play or not play. It’s not about my “position” as a leader or a support leader. It’s not about how much I get to solo and how much attention I can call to myself. It’s about walking in the spirit of humility and being eager to serve the worship leader and the worship team; being eager to play as much or as little as is called for. Every musician needs to be willing to defer to another play at any time. Working together is about learning, as a team, to submit to the Holy Spirit and follow him wherever he wants to take the worship. Selah.
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