King Elvis
New member
Any of you guys play in a band at church?? Praise and worship band or anything like that?
M
Major Tom
New member
Me, Sunday am worship team
King Elvis
New member
Alright Major!!
What kind of gear are you using on the gig??
What kind of gear are you using on the gig??
M
Major Tom
New member
Well, whatever amp I use is too loud for the "sound man" and the other players ! - we meet in the Auditoreum/Theater of a high school and I put my amp way off-stage to the side, partway behind the rear curtain. I mostly use an Am Std. Strat, a Fender Performer, and a PRS-like Samick. I have a Hot Rod Deville 4x10 that I use sometimes with my Strat, but more often than not I use my little Peavey Bravo - a 25 watt 2 channel EL84 tube 1x12 combo that has a very Vox-like vibe when its loud enuf for the power tubes to be workin'. I have a Digitech RP-2000 that I use for effects like delay and volume boost for solos, I use a couple of its modelled amps for some distortion sounds, but mostly I rely on the natural amp tone. I have a Danelectro 7-band eq in front of it that I use to remove some of the bottom end muddiness of humbuckers, add a little mids to single coils, and compensate for the different output levels of the different guitars. I think I am going to buy a Danelectro Galaxie 10 - a 10 watt 1x10 tube combo, similiar to a FenderChamp, hopefully to reach an acceptable volume level while still having a decent tube-amp-starting-to-sweat-a-little tone.
I played in rock/pop/ bar bands off and and on for 25 years or so, and started with the worship team about a year and a half ago - its been quite an adjustment for me. We play mostly contemporary stuff, usual lineup is me, drums, bass, acoustic guitar and 3 or 4 singers. I really enjoy it for the most part, but I sometimes get frustrated with:
The person running (or ruining) the sound. In a word, clueless
We don't work at trying to be "tight", or coordinating parts; just run thru the tune a couple times.
We seem to follow a formula for the arrrangement of almost every song, always predictable.
...overall it has been a learning experience.
What are you doing ?
I played in rock/pop/ bar bands off and and on for 25 years or so, and started with the worship team about a year and a half ago - its been quite an adjustment for me. We play mostly contemporary stuff, usual lineup is me, drums, bass, acoustic guitar and 3 or 4 singers. I really enjoy it for the most part, but I sometimes get frustrated with:
The person running (or ruining) the sound. In a word, clueless
We don't work at trying to be "tight", or coordinating parts; just run thru the tune a couple times.
We seem to follow a formula for the arrrangement of almost every song, always predictable.
...overall it has been a learning experience.
What are you doing ?
F
Fret
New member
I play on the rotation for the Sunday morning team and I play on one of the teams on Sunday night for the 20s group. I use an Epiphone Les Paul, a Pod Pro, into a Marshall 8240 2x12 Combo, and I use a Behringer FCB1010 foot controller. Currently drooling over the new POD Pro XT and I wish I had an amp that was more transparent but all in all it works pretty well. The different amp models are perfect for a church situation. Granted I don’t use the Rectifiers but I like the dumbles, voxs, Fenders,and the Matchless.
Last edited:
Leeking
New member
I'm in a small church (80 people)
I play guitar, drums(mostly), lead worship and soundman. so I'm basically on duty everyweek.
my wife plays the keyboard.
I play guitar, drums(mostly), lead worship and soundman. so I'm basically on duty everyweek.
my wife plays the keyboard.
mixmkr
we don't need rest!!
I played bass, gtr....whatever in a small church ensemble for a year and a half and had to quit out of frustration. Soooo many mistakes and not caring to play the best you can. The director was on an ego trip and was actually the cause of most of the musical errors. I was bummed and ended up just recording praise and worship style songs at home.
Tekker
New member
I play drums (Pearl) Sunday mornings for the early service at a church that I've been going to for years and I play guitar (Cort CL 1000 -> Digitech RP14 effects pedal -> PA system) for their youth group.
Then I play drums (DW... *drooool*
) for the youth group at another church that I started going to less than a year ago. I like this church the best, and I'd really like to start playing (either guitar or drums) for the main services too. 
-tkr
Then I play drums (DW... *drooool*
) for the youth group at another church that I started going to less than a year ago. I like this church the best, and I'd really like to start playing (either guitar or drums) for the main services too. -tkr
Jeyan
New member
I play drums every sunday in my church, more than that I love to be the sound man! Our Church is in a rented building, so we have to connect all the instruments, monitors...etc every week before service. Everytime we perform a new problem comes and I have to figure that out. It is a great experience to be a sound man!
J
jonathanl
New member
Sunday worship team when I'm at home. I play bass (Yamaha RBX775 -> Sansamp TRI AC)
Sometimes Saturday night Youth Group too..
and on occasion I become the soundman/recording guy
Sometimes Saturday night Youth Group too..
and on occasion I become the soundman/recording guy
bdbdbuck
New member
No band activities at my church, just choir and a pipe organ and sometimes a little canned music. Lots of old folks. Getting more and more progressive though thanks to the music director being a younger guy. The pastor actually plays acoustic guitar along with the pipe organ. That's the extent of our band. I have been writing a lot of CCM lately and the music director has even hooked me up with a couple of BG vocalists for an upcoming recording.
bd
bd
B
beaverbiscuit
New member
Major Tom said:
My experience is a combination of these two, I think. Our church went from having a young, hip worship leader (with a wife who is eight hours short of having a PhD in music as a pianist) to having a bunch of people involved in the selection and direction of the music. We no longer occasionally rock out, and my Digitech RP-3 stays locked pretty much on one clean tone throughout the services (half hour praise and worship at 9 a.m., more traditional setup for the service from 10:30 to 11:30). I play a Dean EVO Select through the RP-3 into a Randall head pushing an old Ampeg 4x12. It's been good in many ways, especially since I hadn't played in front of people in so many years, and it's helped me to start getting more serious about actually learning chords (I'm an old metalhead who lived and died by the barre chord). But my enthusiasm has diminished considerably, and I'm struggling to decide if I should continue to play and serve as best I can or rather find some other capacity to serve and stick to writing my own material at home like mixmkr. I think I'll continue to play, mainly because I don't want to jump the gun on the Lord when He may be teaching me a lesson.
Any of y'all ever go through anything like this?
eyeslikefire
I CAN SMELL EM!
I've had the priviledge of being the music director and guitarist in my church for the past 8 years.
It's been quite an experience...
ELF
It's been quite an experience...
ELF
King Elvis
New member
Wow this is fantastic...
I thought that some of you did play in church, I just didnt know how many. I love our church's band but I am really interested in being a part of it. Right now they have enough guitar players so I am gonna join the choir and work it from there. Maybe I can become a standby or something if they need me.
I thought that some of you did play in church, I just didnt know how many. I love our church's band but I am really interested in being a part of it. Right now they have enough guitar players so I am gonna join the choir and work it from there. Maybe I can become a standby or something if they need me.
dafduc
New member
Music director at my church from '97 to '02. Day gig got too hairy, had to quit.
Back at school now as a church music major (2nd bachelor's), struggling to learn pipe organ.
I used an Alesis QS-8 with a bunch of Q-Cards. Plus a Hammond L-100 with Leslie. 2 SM-58s, and 4 AXS-4s (like a BG-4.1 - maybe a special Guitar Center line?), into a Mackie 1604 and a Bose PA. We had a Boss DR-202 rhythm sampler for our teen choir, and a bassist for a while. My assistant (Caroline, the vocalist on most of my stuff in the mp3 clinic) played an Ovation, so did one of the other singers. Plus, from time to time, we had violin, trumpet, clarinet, and flute.
Teen choir was great - lots of enthusiasm. My successor killed it - she rescheduled it for a day in the week when the kids all had something else going on, no one showed, she folded it. Sad. Adult choir's still going, though. And she's a good pianist - I think the rest will come in time.
Daf
Back at school now as a church music major (2nd bachelor's), struggling to learn pipe organ.
I used an Alesis QS-8 with a bunch of Q-Cards. Plus a Hammond L-100 with Leslie. 2 SM-58s, and 4 AXS-4s (like a BG-4.1 - maybe a special Guitar Center line?), into a Mackie 1604 and a Bose PA. We had a Boss DR-202 rhythm sampler for our teen choir, and a bassist for a while. My assistant (Caroline, the vocalist on most of my stuff in the mp3 clinic) played an Ovation, so did one of the other singers. Plus, from time to time, we had violin, trumpet, clarinet, and flute.
Teen choir was great - lots of enthusiasm. My successor killed it - she rescheduled it for a day in the week when the kids all had something else going on, no one showed, she folded it. Sad. Adult choir's still going, though. And she's a good pianist - I think the rest will come in time.
Daf
Gidge
Lapdance Test Dummy
If I found a church I liked Id probably play there.......
F
Fusioninspace
New member
I'm a guitarist... But my role at church is the AV Ministry Lead. And I have to say it is one of the most fullfilling things I have ever done!
We do the contemporary worship on sunday mornings (drum, bass, keys, a couple of guitars, lead vocalist and 2-4 backups). Then on Wednesdays we have a youth ministry band.
I primarily run the board several times a month, train/schedule people and plan out/purchase equipment/improvements. I think every performing musician needs to learn how to run sound... Most don't have a good idea of what works for the audience vs. what sounds good on stage. So if they trust you, everyone is happy.
The biggest headache????? Stage Monitors!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Feedback, "I'm not loud enough", "I'm too loud if I sing louder - can you fix that?", etc.
But I love it!
Jam'n for Jesus! - Rick (fusioninspace)
We do the contemporary worship on sunday mornings (drum, bass, keys, a couple of guitars, lead vocalist and 2-4 backups). Then on Wednesdays we have a youth ministry band.
I primarily run the board several times a month, train/schedule people and plan out/purchase equipment/improvements. I think every performing musician needs to learn how to run sound... Most don't have a good idea of what works for the audience vs. what sounds good on stage. So if they trust you, everyone is happy.
The biggest headache????? Stage Monitors!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Feedback, "I'm not loud enough", "I'm too loud if I sing louder - can you fix that?", etc.
But I love it!
Jam'n for Jesus! - Rick (fusioninspace)
eyeslikefire
I CAN SMELL EM!
King Elvis said:
Perseverance my friend, believe me that when he calls you (and he will) it'll be when you least expect it.
King Elvis
New member
eyeslikefire said:
Thanks for the encouraging words. I believe it completely.
B
beaverbiscuit
New member
I can so relate to that. Our stage monitors are always a mess in terms of mix; most of the time I'm trying to hear what comes from my 4x12, since I can't usually hear myself in the keyboard/vocal-heavy monitor mix.Fusioninspace said:
Anyone else find it hard to adjust to contemporary worship when your own music is completely different? It's frustrating because, as much as I don't enjoy the musical style, I continue to play every week (no other guitarists to make a rotation, like we have for drums and bass), mainly because I don't want to sing this stuff and clap my hands to it. Don't misunderstand me, I respect the writers who put this music together (and their love of the Lord), and I love the message contained in these songs, but the music itself just leaves me feeling indifferent.
The one good thing about this situation is that it has given me the impetus to get crackin' in my home studio.
Similar threads
