I Think, Therefore I Sound Awesome

How do you begin a song? Perhaps like this: "Oh, this one again. I know this. Off we go!"

I have recently joined a local concert band as a drummer, and have had to dust of some rusty brain cells to try and remember how to sight-read drum notation. But I can't just launch into the song. I've got to look at the music first, recognise the patterns that the arranger has written so I know what to play, make sure I know where in the stave the snare is, or the bass, looking at any dynamic and tempo markers so I know how to approach the song, and of course, watching the conductor so I know when to start and how fast. All of this happens long before I whack a skin.

Whether you're rehearsing or leading worship in a Sunday, time spent just asking a few simple questions before putting hands to keys or mic to mouth can make the world of difference to how that song comes off.

• What are the lyrics of the song saying?
• How does that affect the mood of the song?
• How fast should the song be?
• What should the feel of the song be?
• Where does each instrument come in?
• How loud should we start?
• What key is the song in?
• Do I know all the chords/can I substitute other chords?
• Does everyone know the song?
• Is anyone playing the same part (e.g. guitars) and should perhaps try something different?
• Who are we following for this song?

Of course, many of these questions by nature should be asked together as a team. This ensures that everyone is on exactly the same page, and has the same point of departure for a song.

Many teams try and rely on 'how we did this last time'. Even if last time was great, the more time that goes by between your 'great performance' and your present one will have an increasingly negative effect on the quality. People forget things at different rates, but everyone forgets (or fools themselves into remembering the way they wanted it to be).

So think before you play. Let your brain take a mental breath every time you approach a song, no matter how long you've been doing it. It will make the difference between okay and excellent.

Beat it!

One of the biggest challenges in leading church worship is how to get the drummer to fit with the rest of the band in presenting songs.

Of course a rock-style or pop-style song is pretty easy, if it's in 4/4 or 3/4. A 6/8 folky number like Getty/Townend's You're the Word of God the Father is also pretty simple to land.

But what about hymns? Always a challenge to find the right way for the drummer to play along for the hymns. The songs have funny beats, the timing is never even, we keep stopping after each verse. How does the drummer make a meaningful contribution to songs like O For A Thousand Tongues to Sing, or There Is A Fountain?

I think there are 3 points to keep in mind

1. Don't feel that you have to play all the time, or that the beat depends on you. These songs tend to be more melody-driven than the rhythm-driven stuff we're used to playing.
2. Keep it authentic. These songs are written with beautiful music, but from a particular musical palette. Learn to play them like that, instead of trying to force them into the rock/pop mould (or worse, the Funk/Disco mould).
3. Learn to use your drums and cymbals to add colour and texture to songs. An almost 'orchestral' style of playing suits hymns much better. Think in little isolated phrases that place emphasis on certain words, or help to move the song between different levels of energy. If you want to get schooled in this style of playing, listen to Matt Sorum's expert touch on Guns N' Roses November Rain, especially the first few verses before the solo section.

Above all, play musically. Your drum kit is not a drum machine, it's a musical instrument, with limitless possibilities for musical expression. Learn what sounds it is capable of making, and use those for God's glory and to serve the community of God's people you find yourself in.

Electric Guitarists, you have my ears...

Dear Electric Guitarists

If you were to attend a Saturday morning seminar on using the electric guitar in a worship ministry team context,

• what kind of stuff would you like to learn about?
• what kind of stuff would you like to do during the course of the seminar?
• what kind of guitar-related gear would you like to be able to buy, if there was a concession stand from a local retailer?

Share your thoughts with me, and then watch this space...

Review: OpenLP 1.9.6

Projecting words of songs and Bible verses is pretty much de rigeur for churches these days. But there must be something between those sad, greasy, OHP's and $100-a-month all in one service production stations?

This is where some nice guys in Cape Town, South Africa, have come up with a cross-platform projection interface, which is (*gasp*) free of charge! Introducing.... OpenLP! (applause)

And a very tidy piece of software it is too. It has a very easy-to-use interface, including live and preview modes, and can queue up not just songs, but Bible verses, PowerPoint presentations, images, videos and audio, allowing your entire service to run from the same interface. No more frantically swopping cables in order to project the youth camp report back after the first song!

The best part, in my opinion, is the ability to import song lyrics from SongSelect. This allows you to populate your database with the correct lyrics and correct copyright licensing information. Hey, the easier it is to be legal, the more likely we will.

This is an initial impression, so perhaps I'll do a follow up in the future. For now, I'd suggest you download it and give it a go. What have you got to lose?

Immortal, Invisible, Inaccessible?

The great hymns of the past have such rich words and concepts. Often we don't sing them today because the style of the music is inaccessible. We just can't relate to the choral harmonies and organ music. When last did you hear that on the radio?!

We must remember, though, that very often these hymns were written as poems and set later to music, and that many tunes were used for the same hymn. 100 years later, the most popular one has stuck.

Case in point is Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise. This hymn was written in the 19th century by Walter Chalmers Smith, and the tune that we know is called St Denio, a Welsh folk-ballad tune.

It is a hymn about the reading of Scripture (read the Wikipedia article - very interesting!), and takes its inspiration from 1 Timothy 1.15-17, Romans 16.25-27, 2 Corinthians 3.12-18, and 1 Timothy 6.11-16, among others.

Chris McClarney has just released a modern version of this classic hymn that sounds fantastic and that I can't wait to do at our evening services. Chris sounds a little like Paolo Nutini, but he's got a unique, classic-soul vibe that's all his own. The music can be purchased at http://www.kingswayworship.co.uk/immortal-invisible/

Love to hear your comments on the song!

(I found this song through my subscription to Kingsway.com. Each week, I have a new song emailed to me free of charge, both the .mp3 and the official sheet music in .pdf format. I can't recommend enough that you sign up!)

The Value of Praying as a Ministry Team

Some of the best times we have as a music ministry team are when we pray together at rehearsals. We usually begin the rehearsal with a reading from God's Word - something to take our minds off the business of the day, and the job at hand, and allow us to focus on our Heavenly Lord and Father.

Then we quieten our hearts before God for a time of prayer. We praise him for his greatness, thank him for his goodness to us, pray for those we know who are experiencing trials and joys, and ask for his help to make the rehearsal a time where we reflect on who he is as we prepare to serve on Sunday.

Before we leave the rehearsal, we also pray together, so that over the days between the rehearsal and the service, God might continue to work in our hearts, reminding us of what we have sung about him at the rehearsal and preparing us to serve.

Prayer is something that is never reserved for church services, prayer meetings and mealtimes. Paul writes in Colossians 4:2, "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful."

Bob Kauflin, in his book Worship Matters (I know, I use that phrase a lot - but the book really is that good!) gives three reasons why prayer should be a priority:

1. Prayer helps me remember what I can't do
2. Prayer opens my eyes to God's purposes
3. Prayer cultivates care for others

Whatever you do at your rehearsals, however much time you have, don't neglect praying together, because it will put your heart and mind in the right place to do this ministry.

Cheap Love Songs

Here's a very interesting reflection on the kind of praise songs we sing at church.

http://theresurgence.com/2008/12/10/many-songs-about-gods-love-are-cheap

Read the Manual!

A lot of music and worship ministry is about the condition of our hearts, and the way we use our music skills in God's service to lead our brothers and sisters in his praise and adoration.

Something that we don't often talk about is the necessity of knowing how our equipment works. I realised this in a big way last Sunday morning, when I was left to lead the final hymn with a dead guitar, owing to my ignorance about how my guitar worked.

During the 3rd song, I noticed I was out of tune. During the reading, I hit the Tuner/Mute button on my guitar's preamp, in order to tune silently during the reading. As I did so, I noticed a light flashing green on the display. I've used plenty of preamps before, so my first thought was, "The battery's dying! But the good news is that I came prepared with a spare in my guitar case."

I opted to change the battery during the collection to be ready for the final hymn. When I did so, the battery connector fell down inside the guitar body, and I was stuck.

After the service, I used my Leatherman (vital for any church muso!) to unscrew the whole battery compartment, find the connector and put it all back together with a fresh battery. Now here's the joke - the light still flashed green.

You see, dear reader, what I didn't know was that the light flashes green to let you know that you're in Tuner/Mute mode, and the battery is in fact healthy as a young stallion.

I would have known this had I actually read the manual that B-Band supplied with my guitar, instead of confining it my 'guitar stuff drawer' at home.

So the moral of the story is this: in order to serve well, read your manuals. Make sure you know exactly how that stage piano/synthesizer/bass amp/preamp/wireless mic, etc. works, so you aren't caught by surprise when it throws you a curve ball. If you're looking for a manual for a piece of church equipment, ask your music director or your sound guy. If no-one knows where the manuals are, start Googling...

Recommended Reading!

Five Mistakes to Avoid in Church Sound by Curt Taipale

This is a very helpful article for musicians, sound operators, pastors and budgeters!

Squirrel!

A funny thing happened to me the other day whilst I was serving in the music ministry team at church. A lady fainted in the back row during the third song.

Of course, this wasn't funny for her, and huge props must go to her husband who caught her. I'm glad to report that she is okay.

The funny thing was me. This all happened whilst I was leading a song, and what surprised me was how easily I managed to disengage my brain from what I was doing and turn my attention to the mild chaos in the back row. I still carried on singing the song and playing the right chords, but my mind was elsewhere. The people closer to the front may not have even noticed.

This led me to consider two things. As musicians serving in a church, I think it is good to cultivate a certain 'multitaskability', because things are going to happen around us that might throw us off. But for the sake of serving, being able to be aware of what is going on around you in the service and being able to carry on with your ministry is a very good skill to cultivate.

On the other hand, how easily are we distracted when we've been doing this for a long time? Have we gotten to the stage where we know the songs, with the words and the music so well, that it's like hitting 'play' on CD player? Do our hands and voices do their thing whilst we look around, watching the weather outside, look at who's in church today? If we're very good, we might even be able to do this without our faces even giving it away. Of course, you need a very convincing 'worship face' for that!

To serve well in this ministry, we need to engage with the songs we sing first. Once we have engaged, we can lead others and encourage them to engage with them. Our time of singing in church is a special time of praise to God our Father, who has gloriously saved us by his Son Jesus Christ. Let's make it that and try to shut out the distractions.

Very Useful Article on Micing Singers

Shure Notes Issue #43 - Engineers' Round Table

Worship Leader Magazine - Your Comments Please!

Commercialisation or helpful resource for gospel-centred ministry? Real church, or glossy-paged, celebrity-worshipping quasi-Christian subculture?

Have a read of a free edition http://blog.worshiptogether.com/worshiptogether/2010/10/free-septoct-issue-of-worship-musician-magazine.html

...and have your say here!

O Holy Night - ou est-il?

O Holy Night is one of the best loved Christmas carols of the last 150 years. I currently have a beautiful version by Kerrie Roberts on my iTunes, and it has been covered by everyone from Mariah Carey to Andrea Bocelli.

The song was originally written in French as Cantique de Noel, with music by Adolphe Adam, and words from a poem by wine merchant Placide Cappeau, in 1847.

What is fascinating about the song is the richness of Biblical imagery and ideas in the French version, that gets sadly lost in the English version. I suppose it wouldn't have attained it's great popularity if the lyrics had retained their hard-hitting talk of original sin and the wrath of God!

To compare the French, literal English and popular English texts, go to Wikipedia.com. Just to give you a taster, have a look at this line from the third verse:

French:

Le Rédempteur a brisé toute entrave :

La terre est libre, et le ciel est ouvert.

Il voit un frère où n'était qu'un esclave,

L'amour unit ceux qu'enchaînait le fer.

Popular English:

Truly he taught us to love one another,

His law is love and his gospel is peace;

Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother,

And in his name, all oppression shall cease.

Literal English:

The Redeemer has overcome every obstacle:

The Earth is free, and Heaven is open.

He sees a brother where there was only a slave,

Love unites those that iron had chained.

Seems like Placide Cappeau was onto something! In verse 3's talk of liberation from slavery and oppression, which has become so political in our time, we have lost a Christmas reminder of our slavery to sin (Romans 6v17-18), Christ's destruction of the power of sin and death (Colossians 2v13-15), and Jesus Christ gladly considering us his brothers and sisters! (Hebrews 2v10-13).

So, who's going to have a crack at singing the literal words this Christmas?

Leading Songs

Too easily our song leading in church can become mechanical. The service leader announces the next song, the musicians play the intro, the singing starts the singing ends, and then the service moves on. Box ticked.

Here are a few principles to think about as we lead songs.

• Because we worship in song in response to God's revelation of himself in his Word, the leader should 'lead' the gathered church into the song from God's Word.
• The musical introduction should be part of the journey, setting the appropriate feel and atmosphere, as well as leading into the song musically. Think about the length, musical complexity, and instruments involved in order to do this.
• Mean the words we sing! Communicate this to the gathered church in our facial expressions and body language as we lead.
• Grasp the opportunity provided by musical interludes in songs to reflect on what you're singing, and enjoy praising God.
• Lead out of the song appropriately. Ensure that you put it down gently, and don't drop it! Note that you can even drop an uptempo rocker - you need to bring it to good end in order to move on in the flow of the service.
• After the song, leave space to breathe before moving on in the service.
• Perhaps it is appropriate to pray to God about something the song has raised.

These ideas all serve to ensure that the main thing is kept the main thing - God's people gathered to hear God speak and to worship him together. A good exercise if you are a muso or a service leader is to grab a song from your reportoire and go through these points with that song and see what you come up with. It might change the way you approach your church service!

"I Don't Do the Singing"

As much as I enjoy my job, one of the challenges for people in my position as a paid music minister is the perception that you are responsible for the singing. I'm not talking about the congregation standing up on a Sunday with shut mouths as they let you bring their praise before God, as if by proxy - I'm talking about fellow church workers!

There is a great danger in specializing our ministries to the point where normal Christian activities are 'outsourced' to the qualified person. If (as is usual in my church situation), someone else leads the service and leaves me to lead the songs, their is a great temptation to sit back and wait for me to finish my 'bit' before they continue with their 'bit'. Maybe it's a good time to look over your notes or remind yourself what notices you have to give!

The Bible commands Christians to sing to the Lord, and to come before him with great joy. 1 Chronicles 16v9 says, "Sing to him; sing praise to him; tell of all his wondrous works!" Psalm 5v11 says, "But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy." No one is excluded from the command to sing, no matter what their position, or musical ability, or even their singing voice.

This command to sing joyfully can be freely fulfilled knowing that God doesn't care about the quality of our voices, but rather looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16v7). After all, he created the human voice, and he declared his creation good (Genesis 1v30-31). Do you not think that God delights in the heart that desires to glorify him by singing his praise, without concern for what others might think of how we sound? (Here's a thought - doesn't a crowd of thousands of mildly tipsy sports fans sound amazing when they just belt it together? I'm sure they're not thinking about they quality of their voices!)

In days gone by, anyone who got up in front of the church was expected to be able to sing. Often the singing was led by the minister singing, with the organist accompanying. I suspect that because it was the norm, people just went for it and found that they actually could sing. It's a shame today that singing together is so not the norm that we are scared to try in case we can't.

Let me encourage church ministers, service leaders and others to commit this to prayer and in God's strength and enabling to be a model for those we lead. Often we are concerned for those who we see not singing in church; we worry that their hearts are far from the Lord and rightly so. But maybe they just need to see someone else doing it, someone who isn't trained, who isn't a musician, but is just a Christian opening their hearts to God with the voice God has graciously blessed them with. Anyone who stands in front of the church should, in everything they do, model a right response to God. A true love for Jesus is caught as well as taught!

Perhaps I should consider it gospel ministry to equip and enable my fellow gospel workers to sing...

Sound Ministry Series Part 8 - The AUX buses

So, what's a bus? Well, it's something that gets you from one place to another! On a mixing console, when we see the word BUS, that's just what it is - a routing device to get the signal from one place to another.

The AUX (which stands for auxiliary, meaning secondary or additional) buses are used to create a second, third, fourth or even fifth mix (with the front of house mix being first) that can be used for stage monitors, recording of sermons and worship, cry-rooms, broadcast, etc.

Each channel should have knobs labelled AUX1, AUX2, etc. These are used to control the level of that individual channel in the AUX mix. Somewhere on the far right of the desk should be other knobs or sliders also labelled AUX1, AUX2, etc. which are used to control the overall volume of the AUX mix. Near the top right of the desk, either on top or on the back, there should be outputs for each AUX bus for plugging in a cable to take the signal, well, anywhere you want!

Here are some worked examples:

Recording the sermon

Plug your recording device, like a computer soundcard or a tape recorder, into their AUX1 output. Increase the volume of the overall AUX1 volume (the one on the right of the desk) to about halfway. Use the AUX1 control on the preacher's microphone channel to adjust the recorded volume. Your AUX1 bus is now your recording mix! You can add other channels to this mix by using their AUX1 controls.

This idea is the same for a cryroom. Just plug the cryroom feed into the AUX1 output.

Stage Monitors

Remember that each AUX bus can provide you with a separate monitor mix (depending on how many monitors you have). For now, let's use AUX2 and AUX3 for vocal and instrument monitors respectively (remember that AUX1 is our recording bus).

Plug your monitor sends into their respective AUX outputs on the mixer. Adjust the volume of each AUX mix to about halfway. Ask the band to play, and let them help you to determine how much of each instrument or vocal needs to be added to each monitor mix. You can also walk up there yourself and take a listen, but that's going to involve a lot of walking back and forth! The vocal mix (AUX2) will need more vocals and less instruments, and the instrument mix will need the opposite, but still enough vocals to hear the words so they don't get lost!

Finally, always ensure that your AUX buses are "pre-fade". There should be a button on each channel allowing you to set your AUX buses to pre- or post-fade. If they are set to post-fade, any change you make to that channel in the main mix will also affect the monitor mix. For instance, you turn up the piano in the main mix and it also goes up in the monitor! Pre-fade allows you to maintain completely independent AUX mixes.

The only time you may want post-fade AUX buses is if you are controlling an effects unit from an AUX bus. If this is set to pre-fade, the sound from the effects unit will still be heard when you turn the channel down.

Remember, however, that if you have your AUX buses on pre-fade, the MUTE switch won't work on the AUX buses - i.e. you will still hear a "BOOM" on the monitors when someone unplugs even if the channel is muted - you will have to turn down the AUX buses separately.

Comment if anything's still unclear.

Next time: The PAN control

Sound Ministry Series Part 7 - A Final Word on EQ

Before we move on to the AUX buses, maybe it would be good to have a final word on EQ.

The hard part of mixing with EQ is the time spent learning what different frequencies sound like. When most of us hear a low sound, we imagine that's it's lower than it actually is. Same for highs - we imagine they are higher than they actually are. So, we need to learn more or less what 120Hz sounds like, what 2kHz sounds like, and so on. We also need to learn what frequencies are produced by what instruments and voices. It might sound like hard work - and any ministry is! - but spend time playing with the EQ whilst you're mixing and you will definitely learn a few things.

Always cut rather than boost. If a vocal is missing some clarity, try and cut some 240Hz before boosting the 5kHz. This ensures that you keep the overall level under control and prevents problems caused by too many boosted frequencies (like feedback).

Lastly, remember that EQ tends to relate across channels. If your vocal is getting lost, try and create an open space for the vocals by reducing a little 2kHz-5kHz in the other instruments. This will help balance the sound as a whole.

Mixing is more than adjusting volumes between instruments and voices. It is ensuring that the total sound that comes out of the speakers is comfortable, enjoyable, intelligible and audible for those hearing. The EQ is the steering-wheel to get you there!

A document that has helped me hugely is http://www.digitalprosound.com/2002/03_mar/tutorials/mixing_excerpt1.htm.

Next time: (I promise!) The AUX buses

Sound Ministry Series Part 6 - The Low Frequency EQ Knob

Hey guys. It's been a while since the last post, so let's dive right in!

The next knob on your channel after the mid range is usually your low frequency. This control typically allows you to boost or cut everything from 80Hz or so and below. Remember that if your PAD switch is in, you are already cutting the lows to an extent. Therefore, the Low knob and the PAD switch are interactive.

These low frequencies are going to really affect the fundamentals of the rhythm section (bass guitar, kick drum, 'body' of acoustic guitar sound, bottom end of the keyboard, etc.) They can give the music a more powerful sound in larger doses, or a bit more body in smaller doses. That's when it's used right. Used wrong, it will make the music sound boomy or muddy, and if cut too much can make everything sound 'thin'.

Be careful with lower frequencies. Lower frequencies are what we call "omni-directional" - they go everywhere in all directions, even behind the speaker! This means that a little boost goes a long way.

Be aware, also, that as you get lower you will begin to feel the sound more than hear it. This means that even if you can't hear the difference you are making, you might still be reprogramming someone's pacemaker in the 3rd row (just kidding).

On vocals, low frequencies won't to do much, especially if you have the PAD switch in to reduce handling noise.

Next time: the AUX buses

Sound Ministry Series Part 5 - The Mid Frequency EQ Knob

Next on the channel we have either one, two or four knobs that control the midrange. When we talk about midrange, we mean the frequencies between the highs and lows. Most of the sound is actually concentrated in these frequencies, so your mid range control is pretty powerful!

If you have 1 knob called "MID", it works the same way as your high and low controls, boosting or cutting a very large range of frequencies.

On better mixers, you will have a MID control and a FREQ control. The MID control does the cut and boost thing, but the FREQ control allows you to decide on which frequency the cut or boost centres on. Imagine a bell-curve (up for boost, down for cut) where you are able to move the apex left and right across different frequencies to get a visual image of this in action.

If you have the luxury of four knobs, you have a LOW MID with a FREQ control (around 800Hz) and a HIGH MID with a FREQ control (around 3kHz). This allows you the best management of your midrange.

To get to know how these controls behave, it is important that you grab a mic, cut the MID knob all the way, and then turn the FREQ knob backwards and forwards while speaking into the mic. Do the same with with the MID knob boosted all the way, and you'll quickly hear what's going on.

The best way to use these controls is to listen out for offending frequencies in instruments or voices, then cut your midrange by 1/4 and 'sweep' your FREQ control until you find the point on the dial where the problem lessens. Remember to look at what frequency you have stopped on and try and remember what it sounds like - it will help you get there quicker next time.

The best thing to do with this control is to play with it and listen for the results. Try boosting a little on your singer's mic and then sweep until you find a pleasing result.

Next time: the Low EQ knob

Sound Ministry Series Part 4 - The High Frequency EQ Knob

The first knob you encounter in the EQ section of your channel strip will be the High Frequency knob (sometimes labelled "HF").

This knob boosts or cuts all frequencies above 12kHz (which in note terms is the F# in the 9th octave of the piano).

This control can be used to remove excessive 'essing' or brittle-ness from a vocal, or it can be used to add clarity and sparkle to instruments and 'airiness' vocals. If you are micing a drum kit, use it to add shimmer and brilliance to your cymbals.

12kHz is the top end of the human voice's range. This frequency would most significantly affect your soprano singer, a church organ and the cymbals of a drum kit.

Remember, as with all eq'ing, to use it gradually and sparingly. Don't just randomly turn knobs. Turn it a little, then listen carefully. Has the sound improved? Has it deteriorated? If you are making adjustments during a service, ensure that you do things so gradually that the congregation wouldn't notice you making the change.

Also bear in mind that higher frequencies are very directional (in contrast to low frequencies, which just go everywhere!). If you are making adjustments here, you need to make sure you are listening in the direct path of the speaker to hear the actual affect, or you may end up increasing too much high frequency.

For more info on eq, check out this video series: http://www.prosoundweb.com/videos/video/introduction_to_equalization/

Next time: the Midrange control knobs