For a few years now I’ve wanted to produce training videos for Sovereign Grace songs that would break down a song into learnable sections for guitar players. They would also serve guitarists who have a hard time translating a full band album arrangement into something that can work for their small group.
Matt Richley and Nathan Edwards (behind the cameras), two of three interns we’ve had this year, have been working on this project and finally finished the first one. In this video, Matt unpacks how to play the song “Jesus Lives” from our recent album, Risen.
We’re already working on more videos and in the future hope to produce a few for pianists as well. But you have to start somewhere.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this first video as well as any suggestions for songs we could do in the future. And yes, I already told Matt it’s okay to smile.
I had been wondering why you guys hadn’t done this sooner, so thank you for starting this! Yes, bring em on! We need to get Sovereign Grace Music OUT THERE and in Churches everywhere. So my question now is: when will you ever have a worship conference out here on the West Coast? There are a growing number of churches that sing your songs and have a passion for biblical content who I think would be eager for a worship conference. I want to take my worship team to a worship conference I can respect.
Carri, thanks for your meaningful encouragement! Praying about doing a conference on the West Coast. Please pray with us!
Wow, that’s awesome – bring ’em on! I’m sort of learning to play and taking over my church’s music team at the same time, and we have a number of Sovereign Grace songs on our set list. That should be really helpful! I’d also be interested in seeing the piano ones….I’ve got a few budding pianists to try to help with these songs, and I don’t play the piano that well. :-)
I second Carri. West coast is in desperate need of the brand of music you’re selling.
This is a great idea. It’s an intimidating standard on the recorded versions, a chance to help us mere mortals interpret the songs is most welcome.
Can I put in a request for an electric guitar breakdown in a future video, with tips on how to get a suitable tone and simplify some of the lead parts.
I also would like to see the conference come to the west coast, although my husband and I are going to combine visiting friends with this years conference.
It would be a great encouragement and training tool to post these videos. I know that people on our team would use them.
Looks very helpful. Shared it on facebook. Hope you get some really positive responses. Thanks for all your labors.
This is a great idea! I think this is very well done for a first attempt; I just have a couple suggestions for future videos. First, the explanation of the strumming pattern is probably not sufficient for a less experienced player (and seeing as the strumming is not explicit in the chord chart, it might require more attention). Second, not to be nit-picky, but it would be nice if the guitar was a bit more in-tune, simple for the sake of the viewer (for guitarists: most guitars have fret wear issues on the B string at the 3rd fret, something to listen for when tuning). Otherwise, this is very well done.
Thanks, Stephen!
This is a great resource and extremely helpful. For new guitarists, I think it’s helpful to overlay the chord diagrams. Just looking at someone’s fingers isn’t always the easiest way to learn.
I would love to see Sovereign Grace do an acoustic album of your more popular worship songs and perhaps a dvd with this kind of treatment for all the songs. I know I would buy it.
I would agree that a worship conference on the west coast would be a wonderful thing. I’ll be praying for you.
First off, great video! Simple, to the point, and well produced! Gotta love the Taylor sound :)
One idea that might help:
Putting a visual of the chord name and/or shape in addition to saying it. This would especially help beginners as they form the chord, and would free up the person making the video to possibly mention more on strumming or any other aspect.
You could even take this further later in the video by putting a full line or two of the song with chords over the vocals they are in time with, just like any standard chord chart in a song.
Thank you to everyone involved for taking the time to develop and pursue this idea, it will be a great resource r many!
Oops, that was supposed to say “great resource FOR many” :)
West coast! West coast! Would love to have you guys out here! I’ll ask seek knock with you. Thanks for all the blessing you guys @ SGM have been to my church and I.
Wow, I’m so blessed to hear all the amens to having a west coast Sovereign Grace worship conference. If you do, I will spread the word. I’ve already shared with many of my worship leader friends about SGM and they too are playing your songs in their churches. I hate the fluff out there and content is one of my passions. So thank you Bob and others for all you do to bless the Church at large.
Just this morning our team played the new song “Alive”. Our church is a new church plant so the songs are new to them. Our congregation comments on the depth of the songs we do. They notice the difference! How encouraging that is!
Bless, Carri
Awesome! I immediately picked up my guitar to learn and play!
I think these videos are a great idea and I think this is a great first video! Although I agree that some instruction on strumming patterns would be helpful, I think this is one of the best instructional videos I’ve seen. Matt’s explanations were clear, easy to understand, and well-paced. And I appreciated his emphasis on rhythm and counting – very helpful.
And I think his accent makes the video even better!
THIS IS SO AWESOME!!! i cannot WAIT for the keyboard videos. honestly, this is exactly the kind of thing we need help with in our group (besides killing our pride). so thank you over and over and over for your service to us.
and matt, it’s okay with me if you don’t smile. kinda reminds me of an organ professor i had in college…
This is wonderful!!! Thank you soooo much for producing this vid! Can’t wait to try it out.
-liz- canadian east-coast representing!
:)
This is a very well done training video. I am disappointed my guitar is sitting in another continent at the moment.
I agree with one of the previous comments that it would be great to have a graphic with the chord. While most are easy to see where you are fretting the chords, there are a couple where I was not sure if the pinkie was pressing the string or not.
Oh my goodness, I would DEARLY love to have a piano training video. That would be super-duper helpful.