MANDO
[ ARRANGEMENT THIEVERY CASE STUDY: WHAT A BEAUTIFUL NAME ]
Tyson Bryant
Mandolin players are often asked to play on parts from either arrangement for our Sunday a rhythm strum, but be sure to keep it tight.
Sunday mornings when the set list contains morning worship. In the grid, I’ve indicated Don’t be that guy who plays sloppy, imprecise
precisely zero songs that were recorded with which parts you can hear that come from the rhythms; find the snare drum (it will be on 2
mandolin parts. How is a mando player to “fit acoustic version. and 4 on these choruses) and hit those beats
in” to the arrangement when a mandolin was
with precision.
never a consideration by the original artists?
I call the approach that I use “Arrangement
Thievery,” and outlined the concept in the Nov/
Dec 2016 and Jan/Feb 2017 issues of [WM],
but sometimes there is no substitute for hands-
on examples.
To briefly recap, there are four primary
techniques/roles that a mandolin can utilize, and
each corresponds to equivalent roles that other
instruments fill in the arrangement. Very often
there are so many instruments and elements in
a given song’s studio recording that a mandolin
player can “steal” some of those parts to play
them on the mandolin. Those techniques, and
How is a mando
The bridge of this song has a number of fun
options. First, you can hear the piano riff that
player to ‘fit in’ to plays on the prelude to the bridge and then
the arrangement have a piano covering that part, definitely play
when a mandolin notes or as a moving tremolo. If the bridge is
was never a copy the strings from the acoustic version. If
consideration by I like playing sharp, single hits on the beat (1-
the original artists? patterns, but nicely complements the vocal
continues on through the bridge. If you don’t
it on the mando. You can play it as either single
staying dynamically low, stick with that part or
you need to switch to a high-dynamic option
2-3-4). This doesn’t exactly match the drum
meter. You can either change with the chords
the most common instruments that they steal or find some appropriate drone notes common
from are, Tremolo (pads/strings), Lead (electric to the chords. To get the idea of what I’m
guitars/keys), Rhythm (drums, guitars), and Let’s start with the verses. As with many songs, hearing for that part, think of it as the same kind
Cross-Picking (piano, guitars). the instrumentation tends to layer in from one of accent a cow bell would add at the biggest
verse to the next. Listening carefully, I can hear part of the bridge, only...you know...it has pitch
For this month’s issue, we are going to step a bowed-string instrument--probably a cello and doesn’t sound dumb.
through the exercise of identifying the different or something similar. That’s an easy option elements of a song that we can “steal” from to match note-for-note (in a higher octave, of So, this grid becomes my palette of options.
other instruments to play on the mandolin. course). For a different feel, there is an acoustic Which specific options I choose for Sunday
This is identical to my typical Sunday worship guitar ringing out single, down-strums on the morning will depend on what the other
preparation process, but I’ve formalized it all chord changes, and you can mimic that as instruments on the schedule are playing and
into a grid in order keep track of the different well. In the acoustic version of the song the what the Worship Leader’s vision is for our
parts. The song is “What A Beautiful name,” guitar is playing some very lovely hammers and interpretation of the song. Sometimes I don’t
which has been at or near the top of the CCLI melodic movements through the verse. Odds know for sure which of these parts will be
Top 100 charts lately. are good that even if you are playing a similar available to my mandolin until I arrive at mid-
arrangement on Sunday, the guitar player isn’t week worship practice, but at least my palette
I highly recommend turning up your speakers going to be adding all of those hammers, so is prepared.
or putting in your IEMs to listen to the song as that’s a great source of inspiration for verse we pick apart the arrangements. parts. To start with I’m noticing that the Worship On a “quieter” chorus the same acoustic Leader at my church has uploaded both a hammers are an ear-pleasing option. For a mid- live version of this song and a more stripped- dynamic chorus try mimicking the electric guitar down acoustic version. This is super helpful picking pattern. And, of course, for both mid for Thievery because I can potentially use and high-dynamic choruses you are safe with
Listen carefully. Play passionately. Happy
Thieving!
42
January 2018
Tyson Bryant
From a family of bluegrass musicians, Has played
mando in worship bands for 20+ years. Also plays
acoustic & electric guitar, cajon, and just enough
banjo to make people cringe.
WorshipMusician.com