MANDO
[ “SINGING” WITH A MANDOLIN | Tyson Bryant ]
Gotcha! I’m sure you read the title and assumed Some of the nicest moments in songs are be heard on the final chorus and outro of
that this was going to be about using your voice when a background vocal comes in with a tight Chris Tomlin’s song “Greater.” The background
while you play your mandolin. Not even close! harmony on a verse or bridge. If you decide to vocals do some off-melody accent parts that
I mean, sure, it is cool to sing while you play, go with this approach as a mandolin part, make bring back familiar themes from earlier in the
if that is your thing, but that’s not what we’re sure that you are just as tight with the harmony song. If those elements aren’t being added by
talking about today. you play on your mandolin as the vocalist would your vocalists (they probably aren’t) claim them
be if they were singing the part. The effect is as your own.
The worship team’s mandolin player is forever lost if you don’t match the lead vocal meter
trying to find parts to play in arrangements that movement for movement.
VOCAL DELAY EFFECTS
never originally intended to have a mandolin
This category requires an even more carefully-
part. So “stealing” parts of the arrangement has CALL/ANSWER, BGV ACCENT PARTS listening ear than the previous one. Most of
to become second nature to him. One creative These types of vocal parts seem to not be as the time effects are enhancements to a track,
way to do this is to listen for opportunities to frequently used as they once were, but when not particularly part of the arrangement—but
steal parts from the most organic instrument on you do hear them on a studio recording they some exceptions are out there and can be
stage: the vocals. are a great source from which you can steal leveraged for mandolin purposes. My favorite
parts. These are background vocal parts that effect to listen for is a prominent vocal delay.
You always need to be sensitive to worship don’t actually follow the melody or attempt to Sometimes artists use such a prominent delay
leader’s intent for a given song’s arrangement, be a harmony. Instead, they are accent or lead- on their vocal that the effect itself actually acts
but here are four potential ways you can use in vocals intended to provide some flavor to as an arrangement element. Heavy vocal delay,
studio vocals as inspiration for mando parts. those spots in the song. however, is another one of those things that
DOUBLE LEAD What makes them such a great source of parts Doubling the lead vocal line is the most obvious for a mandolin is the reality that very often your starting point. This is a good option during vocal team is going to be too small or too So again, you have a pleasing musical element
times when your worship leader would like to timid to add those types of parts to your live in the arrangement that is free for the taking on
subtly layer in extra parts to build dynamics, but arrangement of the song. I love all of my vocalist your mandolin.
doesn’t want to bring in extra vocalists just yet. friends out there, but it is a fair observation that I tend to use my mandolin to double the lead most of them have not studied the arrangement For a perfect example of this check out the
vocals on verses—especially those songs that of songs the way that one needs to in order to bridge on the song “This Is Amazing Grace.”
have two verses before going into the chorus tease out these kinds of parts. Often it is difficult That heavy vocal delay you hear on the lines
for the first time. Let the lead vocal sing the first for vocalists to imagine their roles outside of the “Lamb who was slain” and “conquered the
verse by itself, then double that melody with a melody/harmony boxes. grave” are inspiration for some nice mandolin
you are virtually guaranteed to never see your
mando on the second verse.
worship leader use on Sunday morning.
accents.
Those types of parts are added on purpose to
TIGHT HARMONY studio recordings to be “ear candy,” but they are My approach to worship mandolin is all about
This is very similar to the above point, only, as almost always left out of the live arrangement finding elements in heavily-produced studio
you’d imagine, you’re going to play a harmony by the natural “instrument” that would be recordings that are unused on the worship
to the lead vocal instead of doubling the adding those elements (the vocalist). That is stage.
melody. This is especially nice to add to an a perfect scenario for the mandolin player on arrangement when your worship team is light the troll for available, musically interesting parts You’ve got a lot more options to pick from if
on vocalists—or perhaps when the vocalists to add to a song. you don’t just limit yourself to stealing parts
on the schedule for the week aren’t confident
with the harmonies.
44
from instruments!
A great example of these kinds of parts can
December 2017
WorshipMusician.com