Notes about worship playing.
It is what it is, the service is a performance with a crowd. Understand that you are playing songs to help that crowd to engage emotionally and spiritually with God. This means that a bad performance will not achieve that. Here's a few tips to address the many incidents that happen during a normal performance.
Engage with the band before engaging with the crowd
Lead. Use eye contact or established signals with the musicians. Three piece bands do so much better due to the quality of the communication. A bigger band requires much more planning and agreements between musicians to achieve a quality performance.
When the song is played, not nice to talk during the song. Breaks concentration. Nobody can engage with the song emotionally when you are gabbing away.
Speaking once in transition is good enough. Stick to a few seconds of exhortation, more than that will risk a mood dip.
When the song ends, end it musically confident. A definite end. Wrong notes are the most audible at this point. Decide on chords before the performance. There is only so many times you can wing it by saying "in faith".
Transition without dead sound or awkward silence. Only if the situation calls for it, otherwise do not. Any eyes that were closed in spiritual alignment will begin to open in curiosity.
Begin the new song confidently, for goodness sake! Weak vocals or instrument will dull the song. A vocal squeek that builds into a roar is highly regarded as odd. Or bad.
When an instrument is playing the lead, don't clash with a verbal conversation. Nobody can hear the gibberish. Yeah, really. GwannnggPRAISEOURGODANDSTARTYOURPRIASEANDDONPTjengjengjengRAISEYOURHANDSANDGIVRTTULTIMATEPRAISEbwuanhbwuangsgywkpfhrhejamam...etc
See how gibberish it is?
Do not close your eyes if you are leading the song. If the holy spirit is leading, He needs your eyes to see what's happening!
Nuff said.
The speed and tonal range of the songs can be the definite theme of the service. Choose wisely and with assistance from senior experienced leaders. A song too fast or too high in tone or vice versa can murder the performance.
Pastor is the Ultimate worship leader. There is no co-leading. Follow what he says, signals or requests. Do not at any time close your eyes so that you can play to Pastors leading.
Any instrument mishap is not the end of the service. Kill other instruments by playing with fewer instruments to have enough time for repair. Pick up the song in due time.
No matter what anyone says, mistakes are audible. They are heard. Too bad, deal with it later, and polish up the performance later. End the performance with a quick round up.
Learning and knowing the song by heart is excellent. Quite good. Having the sheets as reference is good.
If you are a worship leader, knowing an instrument to convey the song is fantastic. If not, make sure the song is conveyed PROPERLY and the expectation defined. Musicians are emotional people and reacting to failed expectations is prelude to an argument.
