I've got the "my praise team never rehearses" blues.

[Bruce]

I'm come to the realization that the fills I prepare at home for the worship service rarely work when I get to church on Sunday.  I pick up a generic "leader's guide" at church every Friday after work; (that's typically the earliest that it's available).  Then I go home and work things up for Sunday.  I'm pretty familiar with the book of music that we use, so I'm able to drive the verses and chorus pretty well.  My problem comes during the transitions and fill opportunities.  I can work something out at home and when I go to use that fill, it just doesn't seem to work in the acoustical environment we play in.  The sanctuary is old school hard surfaces and was designed for organ & choir.  When I play a busier fill it seems to just get muddy and I feel that it's too much for the room. 

Ideally, we'd rehearse mid-week and I'd have some time to road test some different ideas.  However, even if we did, the entire feel of the song changes when you get an entire congregation singing with you and you need to make sure they know where the One is. Some of this is just venting, but anything anyone with a similar experience would like to share would be greatly appreciated.     

 

        

     

[Stephen]

Yep...this will happen. Just preparing things ahead of time will help you with this though. That process of going through the song, working those fills, etc. They make those "surprise" moments not such a surprise. Because you know the song so well, you're able to adjust.

Since you know it's a large, open acoustical environment, I would start preparing fills in that way. I would develop fills with a lot of space...simple fills. Fills that just focus on moving the song to the next section without getting in the way.

If it were me, that's what I would do. I would just take the knowledge I have of what's going to happen and prepare appropriately. If you know those busy fills won't work, just prepare in the opposite direction. Space can be every bit as interesting as lots of notes. I also love using the acoustical environment to augment what I'm doing. I try to see it as a positive...I get to work on my spaces and yet still try to move the song a long. Miles Davis...lots of space...but never boring.

[Noel]

It's funny you should mention that because our praise team never rehearses. For most services, half the tunes are alien to me and I end up ad libbing the grooves. I go to what is largely an African Pentecostal church, which means there are a handful of beats that suit those songs.  Fortunately I have two mentors  on the worship team. Brother Levi and Brother Chucku, who teach me which beats to come in with on the fly. I've narrowed down the worship to one of three grooves, (two afrobeats and a rock groove) Levi and chucku are both pastors kids and are both talented multi intsrumentalists , so when either of them are on the bass, I get a hint as to which grooves to come in with. 

Edited December 28, 2019 by Noel

[Bruce]

@Noel Now that you've shared your thoughts, I'm thinking this situation may be a lot more normal than it should be; with praise teams essentially winging it.   

[Noel]

21 minutes ago, Bruce said:

@Noel Now that you've shared your thoughts, I'm thinking this situation may be a lot more normal than it should be; with praise teams essentially winging it.   

@Bruce the thing about worship gigs( especially in my church) is that worship is more about service to God than an actual gig. There are some people who are complete novices. Also it's not uncommon for another drummer to come up mid song and want to play. But you do it because it is more about worship than music l.

[Bruce]

1 hour ago, Noel said:

@Bruce the thing about worship gigs( especially in my church) is that worship is more about service to God than an actual gig. There are some people who are complete novices. Also it's not uncommon for another drummer to come up mid song and want to play. But you do it because it is more about worship than music l.

@Noel I'm in full agreement regarding service to God.  Having said that, if it is for God, shouldn't it more reflect our best efforts, rather than just whatever we can throw together with the least amount of preparation we can get away with?  All the choirs I've ever been associated with rehearse, rehearse, rehearse - shouldn't praise teams do the same?  

[Noel]

@Bruce I agree. I'd love nothing more than to have a proper worship team as well. However, for the foreseeable future, it's not going to change at my church. I do hear what you're saying. Worship should be more organised. 

[Bruce]

@Noel Again, we are in full agreement.  My church is my church and I'm not going to let this issue dominate my thinking, or any create strife.  I will continue to respond to the work the Lord has put in front of me, be as supportive as I can be and yet suggest (at appropriate times) that we are capable of more.  Doing that while not accepting less than my best is the challenge.

Thanks for the conversation Noel.  It means great deal to have some communication with a fellow drummer on the topic.  Have a great day! 

[Grant]

Yo @Bruce!

I had a few thoughts to share on this subject. First off I completely agree, praise teams should strive for excellence. As believers we are called to do our best in everything, which includes the praise team doing their best. 

It sounds like you have some frustration with the lack of excellence that your praise team is showing, & honestly I think it can be a good thing to see laziness & be frustrated with it. 

As part of the praise team I think it is part of your job to help keep others around you accountable for their actions & efforts when it comes to the praise team...therefore I don't think it's too crazy for you to share these thoughts / frustrations with your worship leader & or band leader. 

Seeing something that can be better & making a change is such a good thing (maybe not every time, but in general).

I would suggest first striving for excellence in yourself, showing up being the most prepared member of the band, ready to help others. Then when you have established that reputation with the group, approaching the band leader & saying "Hey, I care about this church & I think we as a worship team can do better." Kind, respectful, but focused on the group being the best it can be. 

I hope all of those thoughts make sense! Again, this is just my opinion, not saying it's the only way to approach the situation, just the way I would choose to do so. 

[Bruce]

@Joshua Thanks for the input.  I think you've nailed it.  If I'm not showing up prepared I'm surely not in any kind of position to even hope that anything will improve.  

[Grant]

Happy to share from my own mistakes @Bruce. I do hope things turn around for you with this band, as I know it can be draining to be the most prepared or positive member of a group. 

[Tim B. - SDS Staff Teacher]

@Bruce hey! You are not the first, or last, drummer to experience this type of thing. Like Stephen said, now that you know the room is what it is, and that fills can sometimes muddy the situation - you can plan for it. I have a few other things to think about too: 

- Watch your dynamics on fills. As drummers, fills serve to add excitement and signal transitions - but that doesn't mean we have to play LOUDER. Excitement doesn't have to equal playing with more volume. If the groove is a basic kick, snare, hat groove and you want to fill into the chorus - just breaking the constant hi hat motion is a pretty big change and then if you start an 1/8th note build on the toms that starts SUPER quiet - now you have room to grow in that tom build back up to the volume you were grooving at. The dynamic contrast of starting the measure super quiet gives you "head room" to make the fill grow, but because you start the fill quieter than the groove you are about to get into, it seems as if you are "getting louder". 

- I might experiment with different tuning and muffling. You can't change the room you are in, but you can change how your drums will react in the room you are in. If I find myself in a big room and needing to play really quiet, the first change I make is my snare. I'm going to dampen it a TON. Dampening makes a drum quieter and shortens the sustain of the drum - both of those things with will help with volume and making a live room sound "muddy". I might also put gaff on my cymbals to make them less bright and ringy. Then it is about playing dynamically. We all want to bash and wail on our drums because that is the MOST fun way to play, but everything will benefit if we play at the proper dynamic range for the setting. I've played a TON of shows playing half the volume I wanted to play, and honestly it probably would've been fine if I had played louder - but on those shows I almost ALWAYS have the vocalist say something like, "wow it was so much easier to hear myself and sing today" - that is a job well done.