MULTITRACKS
WHEN GIVING 100 % IS TOO MUCH | Jesse Schaefer
We ’ ve all been there . You ’ re leading worship , giving it your all , focusing on the moment , focusing on the gravity of the words you ' re singing , when suddenly the electric guitar player decides to shred harder and faster than an industrial kitchen cheese grater . Everyone ’ s focus is pulled away from connecting with the message of what they ’ re singing and instead we ’ re all listening to see how many notes can possibly fit into one measure . This is not to say this occurrence is exclusive to guitar players ! Maybe your drummer pulls out a little too much of his metal influence , or your piano player decides to be Bruce Hornsby and his whole backing band all in one . We might be tempted to think “ that ’ s just the way it is , some things will never change ,” but that doesn ’ t need to be the case .
Don ’ t get me wrong , playing the most exciting thing you can think of and pushing your playing to the peak of your ability is fulfilling . It ’ s how we get better as musicians and raise the ceiling on our musical skills . Like so many of us , I spent hours trying to learn every song from the Guitar Hero soundtrack on actual guitar ! While I may not have mastered “ Through Fire and Flames ,” ( or even gotten close ) pushing my limits made me a better musician .
But so often our thinking stops there . We want to get as good as possible on our instrument ,
we achieve it , and that ’ s it . Maybe you pick up another instrument and learn to shred on that one too . That ’ s all good and well until you start to play with other people . Suddenly you ’ re stepping all over each other and things can get messy fast . And in worship leading specifically , unless you ’ re leading a Dream Theater stylized service , you don ’ t want anything to distract from the message you ’ re trying to communicate !
“ It ’ s not the notes you play , it ’ s the notes you don ’ t play .” - Miles Davis
Before we go too far here , what I am not trying to communicate here is that anything outside of singing words in worship is devoid of worth or expression . Music is art , and art expresses emotion , morals , and connection in ways that words could never express . Art frames the message we ’ re trying to communicate in a way that cuts to the core . I have often heard the idea that all instrumentals or lead lines should be cut as they may distract from the message of the song . However , I believe that if done well , these moments can have the opposite effect ! They can accentuate an ideal or moment in a way that transcends language . So , when I say “ don ’ t shred ,” it ’ s not a matter of whether it ’ s inherently good or bad , it ’ s a matter of knowing when to do it and when not to .
Miles Davis is famously quoted among musicians , especially jazz musicians , saying , “ It ’ s not the notes you play , it ’ s the notes you don ’ t play .” One of the biggest signs of a mature musician is knowing when to play what . When we learn our craft in a silo , we can play every part of every second of every song . But when we get with other musicians , it ’ s vital that we are able to listen to the role each instrument is playing and adjust our contribution to compliment the entire sound . Here ’ s how I like to look at it :
• The sound produced by the entire band is equal to 100 %.
• The band is made up of several musicians , each of whom are capable of playing their instrument at 100 % capacity .
• If every musician played even 50 % of what they could at any given time , it would still be way too much !
• Therefore , each musician should listen to one another and determine what