Agreed, but interpretation is not allowed. You can find this on a Google search of worship team applications and requirements. The entire process is geared towards exact replication of the music as it appears on the artist's recording...
Gospel & Praise Break Guitar
- Thread starter Stratstrangler
- Start date
- Status
Agreed, but interpretation is not allowed. You can find this on a Google search of worship team applications and requirements. The entire process is geared towards exact replication of the music as it appears on the artist's recording...
From a Worship Publication:
"Learning parts verbatim will force you to learn essential and advanced techniques, creating a more skilled musician.
Guitarists: listen to all the guitar parts in the songs, don’t just play the chords. I’ve observed too many guitarists who apply all 8th or 16 note strums to every song. That’s not musicianship; that’s the creation of monotony! Try removing one side of your ear buds when practicing and listen to the guitar parts in the left side, then do the same with the other. Often guitar parts are recorded in stereo, so you will hear separate and very different parts from left to right. If two guitars are playing the same parts, the frequencies run over each other. This causes a muddy, non-distinctive sound. Learn how to play those other parts, and communicate in advance with all other guitarist so parts are not duplicated, but coordinated!
Additionally, know your equipment. Understand the use and integration of effects! If you don’t know, ask! YouTube is a great source for all musicians. You will discover your favorite guitarist’s rig and often their settings. Additionally, check out our library of Free Lessons for Praise Teams...."
I want to stress, there is nothing wrong with this, as they can create any rules that they wish, but I am opposed to this much control and manipulation...
bea
AmBASSador of the F Clef
This contributes to my understanding how Karl Marx came to his opinion that religion was "opium for the people".
And i actually stopped playing sacro pop when our freedom reduced to non provocative titles. BTW: one of my preferred guitars in that times was my red Flying V. What else?
I agree. Some churches are amazingly open and place no requirements on the musician other than being able to actually play. However, I am repulsed by any form of control and manipulation.
On the other hand, I recently (last year) quit a band because the bandleader kept running amp line outs into other amps, causing a loud buzzing, and he would not hear of changing this. He complained about the amps (one of which was my Peavey TNT-130 Bass/Keyboard Amp) and when I pulled the daisy chain apart, all the amps settled down.
So you can have a ridiculous level of control and manipulation even absent of all religion...
OP
Stratstrangler
Well-Known Member
It's amazing how many of God's “children” want to rule the world.....and those are certainly immature types. Yes, I can see where a certain amount of uniformity in what Robert describes in his weekly work back in 2011 is fine, but musicians love music for its variety and spontaneity and after awhile, would shy away from the controls you experienced.
The reason I started this thread was to share my discoveries about this joyous type of music and guitar work. I don't seem to come across these types of guitar players very often. I doubt if any of them will be rich and famous, or become household names, but the sheer joy in the music is important to those players like Jabari Johnson.
Stratstrangler
Last edited:
I do not want to put anyone down, or anyone's beliefs down. Forgive me, StratStrangler, if I came off that way...
gball
Ambassador of Boogie
I'll second that one. Full disclosre, I haven't stepped foot into a house of "worship" in probably close to 30 years, excepting a few weddings, so I don't have much practical experience. But I've known enough musicians over the years who have participated in the bands at these places to have formed an extremely negative opinion. Robert's anecdotal experience just backs it all up - always a control freak in charge, always about control, always about conformity.
The guy in the OP video seems to be freestyling in a way that I wouldn't normally associate with what I know from my limited experience, definitely more of a Southern Gospel sort of a vibe to it. He's a great player, hope he's getting what he wants out of it.
OP
Stratstrangler
Well-Known Member
No harm done.....like what you have to say. I've never been in that same type scenario as you described, but you deserve credit for giving it a try.
Stratstrangler
OP
Stratstrangler
Well-Known Member
Jabari Johnson has also a pretty good singing voice and his social media pages promote his work
on Spotify and other outlets. His Praise Break style, although quite impressive, is not his strong point. It's anyone's guess what his future will be, but as long as he keeps his head about him, will be sucessful is my hope, anyway.
Stratstrangler
Last edited:
Session 5
Ambassador of Strings & Wings
Dave Sloven
Ambassador of DOOM!
Maybe that's why that worship guitar wannabee traded me his Schecter? The Floyd Rose is the devil's muse
Dave Sloven
Ambassador of DOOM!
What? No MXR Carbon Copy? No Dunlop Echoplex Delay?
Dave Sloven
Ambassador of DOOM!
Expression pedals on delays are probably forbidden
gasket
Ambassador of the Guitarded
A lifelong friend of mine with a history of finding "interesting, wink wink say no more" was of making money has started a church, he's the minister and plays in the band between sermons. He now owns a much nicer house than me and has a holiday home on The Great Barrier Reef. Religion is a great way to make money if you stand at the front. He's still a good friend, I just ignore the hypocrisy and consider it business. Wish I figured it out before him 
I'll say this, then get off the topic because I do understand the forum's rules against religious/political discussions.
In addition to occasionally gigging out, I've played in P&W (praise and worship) teams for years.
I have never experienced anything close to what is being described here. I've used my Les Pauls, my Washburn HB-30, my Stratocaster, my son's red Stratocaster, my Gibson SGs, and even my Jackson without any pushback from the leader or anyone. In one church I used to play in, one guitar player would often play his Gibson Explorer. It was the really nice koa model. I loved that guitar.
No one has ever dictated a single piece of my equipment - from the guitar to a single pedal to the amplifier.
True, there is the expectation that you more or less perform the pieces as performed by the original artist, but the degree of replication is more a matter of the personality of the leader. I try to capture the gist of the recorded guitar parts because many times they do form a pretty important hook to the song, but I don't feel slavishly bound to them. Our team is always introducing new songs, so as each member practices on their own, the recording is the baseline so we more or less know what to expect from each other.
Sometimes, our leader will turn to me and give me a sign to break into a guitar solo. During any given Sunday, what I personally play will run the gamut from very clean finger-plucked parts to full-on, mid-scooped distorted crunch. I sometimes improvise subtle accents on the spot. Our leader has no issues with this as long as everything fits the context and character of the song. Sometimes he'll hear me do this stuff and turn and give me a wink and nod. I've even thrown in Floyd Rose dive-bombs and Zack Wylde inspired pinch harmonics.
So, maybe I've just been lucky this whole time. But, I do have fun.
In addition to occasionally gigging out, I've played in P&W (praise and worship) teams for years.
I have never experienced anything close to what is being described here. I've used my Les Pauls, my Washburn HB-30, my Stratocaster, my son's red Stratocaster, my Gibson SGs, and even my Jackson without any pushback from the leader or anyone. In one church I used to play in, one guitar player would often play his Gibson Explorer. It was the really nice koa model. I loved that guitar.
No one has ever dictated a single piece of my equipment - from the guitar to a single pedal to the amplifier.
True, there is the expectation that you more or less perform the pieces as performed by the original artist, but the degree of replication is more a matter of the personality of the leader. I try to capture the gist of the recorded guitar parts because many times they do form a pretty important hook to the song, but I don't feel slavishly bound to them. Our team is always introducing new songs, so as each member practices on their own, the recording is the baseline so we more or less know what to expect from each other.
Sometimes, our leader will turn to me and give me a sign to break into a guitar solo. During any given Sunday, what I personally play will run the gamut from very clean finger-plucked parts to full-on, mid-scooped distorted crunch. I sometimes improvise subtle accents on the spot. Our leader has no issues with this as long as everything fits the context and character of the song. Sometimes he'll hear me do this stuff and turn and give me a wink and nod. I've even thrown in Floyd Rose dive-bombs and Zack Wylde inspired pinch harmonics.
So, maybe I've just been lucky this whole time. But, I do have fun.
Last edited:
gasket
Ambassador of the Guitarded
OK, good bye.
- Status