‚» Î _»
» œ »
» »
‚»
PERCUSSION
PERCUSSION IN THE SMALL / QUASI-ACOUSTIC / NO DRUM SET WORSHIP TEAM , PART 1
When thinking about the modern praise band , many of us get the mental image of a pop / rock instrumentation with electric guitars and bass , drum set , and keyboards .
There are times when a much smaller “ less electric ” instrumentation is desirable . Events such as memorial services , ministry training classes , gender-specific sessions , and prayer meetings often call for a small , quasi-acoustic worship team for reasons of limited space , budget constraints , or simply wanting a more intimate vibe .
Usually absent from these settings is a drum set . Although a small kit ( played at an appropriate volume ) can be suitable , a hand-percussion instrumentation seems to better capture the desired sonic ( and optic ) ambience .
I frequently play percussion for worship events as part of a scaled-down quasi-acoustic ensemble . The instrumentation is usually acoustic guitar and / or electronic keyboard , along with a small hand percussion set-up .
Playing percussion in these settings presents certain challenges and requires different preparation than when working within a larger rhythm section that includes drum set . I usually invest more time planning for the small ensemble than when prepping for weekend services with a large group of musicians .
In part one of this series , let us examine a few salient aspects of playing percussion in the small quasi-acoustic worship ensemble . percussionist will probably pick up a few extra duties in the small group :
• Triggering the in-ear click
• Knowing the beats per minute / metronome marking for each song and tempo change
• Starting songs upon cue from the leader
• Supplying the appropriate style-defining groove
• Playing set-ups and fills normally played by the drum set player
You might be handling all of those tasks while providing steady time and tossing in some tasty ethereal coloring . ( Consider growing an extra arm .)
THE RIGHT GEAR Musical needs and personal taste ( along with requests from the leader ) will influence your choices of instruments . My preference is to center my playing on an instrument with a wide frequency range . The djembe and cajon are my top candidates ; either can produce a thumping bass sound along with a crackling slap tone . Of the two , my go-to is a cajon equipped with snares . This “ drum set in a box ” works great for laying down the kick / snare part of the timekeeping groove . In addition to this versatile carton , I expand my timbral palette with an assortment of percussion such as tambourine , shaker , bar chimes , and suspended cymbal . With fewer musicians in the ensemble , it is easier to make use of subtle instruments and tones--and actually be heard in the mix .
An upcoming article will go into depth about selecting gear for your set-up .
from congas , djembe , or cajon requires study and practice . Make sure that you have the know-how before diving into this rather revealing environment .
Even though it ’ s called hand percussion , you are probably going to need some “ stick chops ” to roll a crescendo on a suspended cymbal with soft mallets , play brushes on a cajon , and color a moment with a few delicate notes on the triangle .
EXTRA MEASURES OF CREATIVITY When playing hand percussion in the small group setting , you will likely need to call up some creative juices to compose your part . When a recording is available , I use the drum set part to give me some basic groove ideas , but I still have to get creative and re-orchestrate that rhythmic material for the hand percussion instrumentation .
If the worship leader wants a fresh “ not-like-therecord ” version of a song , be equipped with a batch of precooked grooves in your hippocampus- -along with your improv skills .
Look forward to a future article in this series that will focus on constructing percussion parts for a cajon-based set-up within a small group setting .
As this article concludes , I leave you with notation for a four-part cajon-based groove that you can practice and perhaps use in a worship setting . Learn it and store it in your hippocampus .
ANCILLARY DUTIES In a praise band , there are certain responsibilities that are generally assigned to the drum set player . With the absence of Mr . Kit , the hand-
Shaker Cajon Slap ( Corner ) Cajon Bass Foot Tambourine
CHECK YOUR CHOPS With less musicians and a thinner texture , your skills ( or lack thereof ) may be on display more than in a larger ensemble . Coaxing the distinctive tones
=================== /
4 ¿ « « « « « « «
¿ ¿ ¿ ¿«
¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ « « « « « « « « « « « « « « « « « « « « « « « ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿«
¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ‚ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ‚
¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿
_ œ Î _ Î œ _ » » Î l _ Î _ » Î _ Î œ _ Î ”{
MARK SHELTON An active freelance musician , Mark ’ s percussion work can be heard live and on recordings with Gateway Worship . A member of the Texas Commission on the Arts Touring Roster . PercussionForWorship . blogspot . com .
Jan � Feb 2017 WorshipMusician . com
43