KEYS
HOW TO MAKE ‘ JUST PLAY A PAD ’ MORE FUN | David Pfaltzgraff
‘ Why don ’ t you just play a pad there .’
Quite possibly the most dreaded phrase for any worship keys player .
A single phrase that for many will elicit memories of years of boredom , making space for overly reverb-drenched guitars , and the worship leader not having bothered to acquaint themselves with the real key ’ s parts .
But even though that phrase is loaded for many of us that doesn ’ t mean ‘ just playing a pad ’ is always the wrong thing to do . In fact , sometimes , maybe even oftentimes , it ’ s just what a song , service , or particular band configuration may best be served by .
So rather than stewing in our ‘ probably too touchy , definitely moderately pretentious ’ ideas of what we ’ d rather play let ’ s identify a few ways we can make the most of the times when we need to keep it simple and lay down some ‘ glue ’ for everyone else to stick to .
Here ’ s a few ideas for how to make ‘ just playing pads ’ more fun .
SOUND IT OUT You can often make a huge impact on your team by choosing the right kind of pad for the right song . There ’ s a huge difference between a subtle , warm string pad and a blazingly bright and powerful super-saw pad and inbetween are nearly countless different flavors to choose from .
When you simplify your note placement and parts to leave room in the mix for others you ’ ll often gain some freedom to choose more interesting , animated , or big pad sounds that bring their own sort of power and energy to the band .
The next time you know you need to dial back your playing style , focus on filling the role of both ‘ glue provider ’ and ‘ dynamic shifter ’. Experiment with modulating the brightness of your pad sounds at key moments or pay special attention to the frequencies being occupied by the lead guitar and purposefully play voices directly below them . Doing this can provide a clean , complimentary foundation that will both give you a musical challenge of dynamically staying ‘ just below ’ and give them some extra lift and contrast that will make them sound full and dialed-in .
RAISE YOUR VOICE I ’ ve been in a few bands where ‘ just play a pad ’ was code for ‘ hold the one and the five in the correct key above middle C and don ’ t do anything else for the next four minutes .’ I won ’ t lie , as a musician this was deeply frustrating to hear , every single time .
I eventually found that even in contexts where the norm or expectation was to keep things that simple all it took was a few open conversations with the team ’ s leadership to get permission to step outside of that and experiment with more interesting chord voicings and note placements .
After those conversations there was still an understanding that ‘ just pads ’ would still be expected of me at times . What I brought to the table was a push to be more creative with what I played with those pad sounds and a request for permission to try new things .
When you ’ re playing a secondary sound like pads your ability to try more unique voicings goes up a great deal , especially in rehearsal contexts since anything that doesn ’ t quite work won ’ t be as far forward in the mix . Those rehearsals are the perfect time to experiment with strategic shifts from closed to openhanded positions and unique chord inversions to see how much you can add to your band ’ s overall sound with simple , strategic ‘ glue ’ applied in just the right places .
Sometimes you might even find sonic space above what everyone else in your band is doing , adding a layer of energy and brightness to the more intense moments of a song that if done well can define the upper and lower limits of the band at the same time .
FOR THE TEAM One of my favorite contemporary examples of pads done ‘ right ’ is the album X & Y by Coldplay . Over their career this arena-filling band has redefined their sound several times but in my opinion they ’ re at their best when they balance a ‘ wall of sound ’ with maintaining precise definition and separation between their instruments at the same time .
No album is a better example of this than X & Y . This album features big , spacey guitar lines , tight bass and drum parts , and soaring vocals . But the glue that binds it all together are the shimmery , swirling , angelic synth pads . You might not always notice the presence of these pads on every song , but trust me you ’ d definitely notice if they weren ’ t there . That ’ s when pads are at their best , in my opinion . Deceptively simple , but bringing definition and strength to the band that would be sorely missed if absent .
So the next time you ’ re asked to ‘ just play a pad ’ I challenge you to view it as just that . A challenge to see how much better you can make your bandmates sound by staying out of their way , supporting them sonically , and using your ear to make sure you hold it all together and push the band to the proper heights , when needed .
David Pfaltzgraff Founder and Lead Sound Designer at SundaySounds . com , a site that resources worship keys players and guitarists around the world . David currently resides in Des Moines , IA with his wife and two boys . He enjoys volunteering in his church ’ s worship ministry , old synthesizers , and a good super-hero movie .
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