This is a way to divide and conquer , because I don ’ t have to think about chords – I can just focus on the rhythms . Then , when the time is right , I can add chords into the mix , often starting with just a single chord , and then expanding from there .
Now , with a strumming pattern and a chord , we have our music bed . Over the top of this , we can offer some words of welcome , or a passage of scripture as a call to worship .
DEVELOP THE SPOKEN WORDS But wait for it – focus just on speaking the words first . Here ’ s an example of a spoken welcome and scripture , all by itself :
“ Good morning and welcome ! Psalm 95:1 says , ‘ Come , let us sing for joy to the Lord ; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation .’”
What would be the next level ?
MEMORIZE THE SPOKEN WORDS Yep , at this early stage it would be wise to memorize the words . Once we ’ ve got those memorized , then comes the next step .
STRUM AND SPEAK I recommend starting with the rhythm , waiting to include the chords .
This is where it gets tricky , because we just might want to speak in the rhythm of the strum . But … that makes the hokey meter flutter , right ? So , as you get more familiar with the words and the strum separately , the next step is to …
COMBINE ALL THREE ELEMENTS Finally , we combine the strum , the chord , and the spoken words . See how you do . The more solid each element is , the more easily they ’ ll weave together . Are we done ? Maybe not …
FOCUS ON THE ELEMENT THAT NEEDS THE MOST WORK This is where we can go back and zoom in .
Spend a little time woodshedding on this and you ’ ll know which element needs the most work .
NEXT LEVEL : CONVERSATIONAL WELCOME Ready for the next level ? How about just helping people feel welcome at the service or the concert as we strum ?
Does this need to be memorized ? Your call . Figure out what you want to say , maybe even write it down so you can read it out loud , and try this same process :
“ Hey , good morning . We ’ re so glad to have you here with us . I ’ d love to invite you to stand , as you are able , as we lift our voices in praise together .”
You can also think with bullet points , like : “ Good morning .” “ Glad you ’ re here .” “ Stand . “ Lift your voices .”
This is the framework to which we attach our artistry . Put another way , this is the form over which we lay the spontaneity .
NEXT LEVEL : IMPROVISED WORDS Now , before you say , “ I don ’ t know how to improvise ,” let me push back a bit . When we have conversations with people , we ’ re not reading from a script , typically , right ? We ’ re drawing from a vocabulary of words and phrases we like to use .
And when we walk , especially on level ground , we don ’ t have to focus on where we put our feet the whole time – we learned to walk a long time ago . And walking is very rhythmic , much like strumming .
So really , we ’ re just going for a walk and having a conversation .
So again , in your practice space , try strumming a pattern with or without chords , and just start talking .
Sometimes , as we strum and talk , our minds start to get hung up either on the guitar side of things , or the spoken side of things . That gives us a clear indicator of which side needs more work .
Try to keep your strumming pretty simple at the beginning , and once you ’ ve got a good rhythm , add chords and complexity .
BONUS LEVEL – STRUMMING AND IMPROV SINGING This is different from simply singing a song . This is actually welcoming people , typically to a concert , with a fun , inviting melodic figure with words . I ’ ve incorporated this element in my concerts over the years , and people have loved it . Please watch the video for my demonstration – and get ready to smile .
Now , I wouldn ’ t sing my welcome in a worship setting – that would probably be a little too distracting .
WRAP-UP Ok , so today , we talked about how to divide and conquer , and the process of gradually increasing the complexity of our presentation to where it looks and feels natural and inviting .
We could always go further by using fingerstyle , and that ’ s something I do as well . But pace yourself and gradually enjoy adding layers that test your limits just a bit . And keep showing up !
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David Harsh David is a nationally touring worship leader , songwriter and performing artist . He is passionate about equipping guitarists to discover their potential . Learn more and join now at www . GuitarSuccess4U . com .
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