[Jared] When I arrange for strings, a lot of kind of inner line. It’s something that’s moving melodic or has a creative idea and really works
the time I’ll write for four voices. It’s easy for through the part though we’ve got fairly stable with the song. This makes the whole band
me to do things on a keyboard that would chords around it. sound better. Nigel Hendroff from Hillsong is a
be impossible to do with real players. If I’m
real craftsman at this on electric guitar.
playing a string patch, I’ll try and voice it with [WM] Do you think it’s okay to take that a wide kind of voicing. I might have the third approach when you are using a lush pad [WM] If you’re playing primary piano, you
on top with the fifth a sixth below that and sound? could do lots of virtuosic stuff, but you restrain
then maybe the root note below that. So, the
yourself. What’s going through your mind then?
voicing is spaced out. It’s not played like you’d [Jared] Sure, especially when you have the normally play the keyboard. Or, if it’s a big part luxury of having two keyboard players. At our [Jared] I’m listening to what’s going on and
of the song, I’d move away from those voicings church, a Planetshakers Church, we’re at a making sure I’m actually contributing what
and do octaves, but a melodic octave line. suburban church plant, and if I’m playing in needs to be contributed. One of the cool
Something that soars over the top like one of the band, I’m the only keyboard player. So, things about what we do at church is that
those classical ballads. if I’ve got a pad, it’s layered with the piano. I we’re always on a click track, so even the song
can’t be too flow-y with my piano part because leader has the click in their ear. This means that
To me, worship music, stylistically, is a power the pad just blurs through everything. But if if we’re starting a song, and it’s a really gentle
ballad. I like to play something that’s a counter- I’m in the second keyboard player role, then start, there’s no responsibility on me to start
melody to everything else, not just some I can absolutely make my part a part. That’s pounding out the beat. I can sit on a chord and
chordal material. something I’m really passionate in any kind of just let it hang, and the song leader’s going to
music whether I’m producing in the studio or come in at the right time and the right tempo.
Another thing you’ll hear in strings sections is running a church band. I get frustrated hearing That can be a much nicer moment than me just
an inner moving voice. So, if I’m holding a C people who are just playing along and not playing some sort of very rhythmic pattern.
chord, I might have the alto voice go from a playing a part. Don’t just comp along playing C up to a D down to a B back up to a C, that the right chords. Carve out an actual part that’s
August 2019
[WM] If you’re underscoring a moment
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