GUITAR
13 TIPS FOR HOW TO FOLLOW A WORSHIP LEADER ON GUITAR | David Harsh
Photo by David Libeert on Unsplash
Can you play guitar well? Can you play guitar well on a worship team? Those are different skills. Learning guitar is one thing; following a worship leader, reading the room, and supporting your team without overwhelming the sound is another. After 30 years as a worship guitarist, here’ s what I believe separates great worship team players from technically capable players.
You’ ll want to check out the accompanying video for some of what I’ m unable to cover here.
SERVANT FIRST, MUSICIAN SECOND Your job isn’ t just playing the right chords, in the right key, at the right tempo. That’ s the baseline. The real job of a worship guitarist is to serve the Lord, the worship leader, the team, and the congregation. Your playing isn’ t about you, your skill, or your favorite lick. It’ s about creating space for people to encounter God, and often the best way to do that is to play less. The best compliment you can get is when someone says they didn’ t notice your playing; they just felt God’ s presence.
GET THE SETLIST EARLY Ask for the setlist as early in the week as possible. Read team emails immediately and act on them. Never sight-read at rehearsal if you can avoid it. Practice is what you do alone; rehearsal is a combined effort. Learning a song from scratch at rehearsal isn’ t a blessing to anyone.
STUDY THE REFERENCE RECORDING Listen to the recording your worship leader is working from, not to copy it, but to absorb the feel: tempo, emotional arc, what the guitar does in verses versus the chorus, how much space exists in the bridge. Your ear is one of your most valuable instruments, so train it during the week.
KNOW YOUR SONG STRUCTURE Understand each song’ s form: verse, prechorus, chorus, bridge, tag, turnaround. Know where the emotional peaks and valleys fall, and which sections your leader tends to linger in live. This lets you anticipate instead of reacting.
ASK ONE QUESTION Before every rehearsal or service, ask your worship leader:“ Is there anything specific you need from the guitar this week?” It signals you’ re paying attention and serving, and the answers teach you more than almost anything else. At rehearsal, get up out of your music when you can, so you can watch for early cues,
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