I recently found myself at the service of sharing some tips on leveling up Church music in terms of musicality. A few days after the talk, I found myself in Sunday mass listening to a Psalmist who had a grand knack for vibrato, a guitar player who wanted to play rhythm and lead at the same time—all the time—and hearing all these, through speakers that were built without clarity in mind and just low end and lots of reverb.
Of course, this is a general example as there are a lot more talented and skilled musicians out there who practice excellence. In the case of Church music, however, the divine seems fine with a pool of musicians who didn’t make the cut for gigs in the city’s top bars. Well, there is the issue of pay, which, more often than not, is taboo in the line of service. But in my humble opinion, I think musicians in Church—most especially those in the Catholic fold—have to step up.
Here are a few things Sunday musicians might want to brush up on for the next holy gig.
Tune your instruments. This is a very underrated thing that most set aside. It’s not just about turning those tuning pegs; it’s making sure those drums skins are not battered dry, or those guitar strings still give off some harmonics. Change strings regularly. And buy a decent tuner.
Work as a team. Stripped to basics, Church music is usually left with a keyboardist and/or the acoustic guitarist. When that happens, there are times both instrumentalists play individually together (because, they couldn’t find time to practice during the week) rather than playing together as a unit. Chances are, both would play rhythm instead of playing complementary roles. Find your role and play well.
It’s not opera. There are singers who treat every song like a solo. Sure, their voices are beautiful. But in the context of communal worship, it’s about “community” singing and not highlighting the Sunday Celine Dion. Refrain from belting out those high notes because not everybody can reach them anyway. And also, vibrato is a technique that, if used perfectly, can sound really great. But it’s not a default trick for hiding vocal sharps and flats.
Get the mix right. There’s the house mix to worry about. And unfortunately, most churches have no idea how to compensate the audio for the cathedrals and parishes that are built like reverb pools. The sound engineer’s role at the back is just as important as the musician’s role in front. Hopefully with a little practice and training, the team can find a mix that’s right for the venue and one that fits for the musicians playing in front.
Pray for purpose. Well, you can be the best team in the world. But if you play without purpose then some priorities need re-aligning.
That’s about it for today. Cheers!