Zach Nielsen, whom I’ve only met once but felt an immediate kinship with, hosted a Church Band Seminar a while back for church musicians. He invited three Nashville musicians (Tim Rosenau on guitar, James Gregory on bass, and Scott Williamson on drums) to talk about and demonstrate playing music for congregational worship as part of a band. While the video clips aren’t the best quality, you can hear what’s being discussed, and both the content and attitude of the players are worth checking out.
They cover topics including Listening to As You Play, How to Play a Chord Chart, Leading in Rehearsal, and much more. To check out all the videos go to Zach’s site. Here’s a sample where the band is talking about the universal problem of overplaying. The focus here is the drums, but it’s a universal problem. I know as a keyboardist, it’s hard to keep my fingers still when I have 88 keys sitting in front of me.
Cool, thanks for pointing us to this.
I especially like what was said about the space between chords and notes in the music. That space can be a powerful spiritual tool. For some reason, the spaces help me to focus in a meditative way on what has happened before and will happen next in worship.
this is unrelated to this video post… I hope to watch it later.. just a quick note to say that I have finished chapter 3 of your new book, Worship Matters, and have been greatly challenged already! To search my own heart, seek God about my own idolatries, to study more of theology and His Word, etc. I look forward to what the rest of the book has to offer!
i recently heard your session “Band on the Run” and I had a question: What day of the week does your worship band practice? (assuming you practice?)
Luke,
Yes, we practice. We practice Saturday night at 6:30 until about 8 or 8:30. Then we come in again on Sunday at 7:30-8:00 (depending on what’s going on).
Hi Bob
Do you really come in at 7.30 on Sunday – do you mean in the morning?!
Ha! Well, in my current church we come in at 8AM and don’t practice on Saturdays any more. Much easier schedule!