GUITAR
6 WAYS TO SERVE YOUR DRUMMER FROM YOUR GUITAR | David Harsh
Photo by Keagan Henman on Unsplash
Today , I ’ m going to help you find 6 ways to bless your drummer by serving him or her well as you collaborate . I ’ ve played my guitar alongside drummers of all skill levels , on stage , in the studio , and especially on the worship platform … sometimes for a single session , but often week in and week out .
If you play your guitar in any of these settings , especially as a worship guitarist , you ’ re going to gain some valuable insights today . I encourage you to watch the video that accompanies this article , especially for the bonus thought at the end , which is only in the video .
The video is here , and you can also click on the thumbnail .
Here are 6 ways to serve your drummer .
1 . MAINTAIN A SOLID TEMPO . This may seem basic , but if I don ’ t lock in my strumming and rhythms , I won ’ t be as much of a blessing , especially to my drummer . If I don ’ t have a solid tempo , sometimes my drummer will need to sort of “ babysit ” me by playing consistent quarters or even eighths on the high hat , which is ok , but it ’ s not sonically interesting over time , and takes him or her out of the artistic conversation and more into the maintenance role .
2 . PROVIDE AUDITORY AND VISUAL CUES . In terms of auditory cues , in organic situations where we don ’ t have a click track , I will literally count in a measure at tempo . Another auditory cue is to speak “ in code ” where I say a phrase or word to get the drummer to click in the band . These auditory cues give the drummer the signal to click in the band .
As for visual cues , there are lots of ways to communicate with your drummer without speaking a word . A few visual cues could include the following : wagging the neck of the guitar gives a tempo slowdown which we call a ritardando . Raising the neck of the guitar near the end of the song can signal a final chorus . Tapping my foot can provide some tempo visualization . Lastly , a simple look , perhaps with my eyebrows going up , can signal the end of a section or even a song .
And if you want to go deeper with this process , check out my article / video in Worship Musician Magazine from July of 2023 – “ 6 Ways To Communicate Well With Your Teams From Your Guitar .”
3 . CONTRIBUTE MUSICAL IDEAS . I ’ ve found that playing various strumming patterns can provide different opportunities for my drummer to play different grooves . In a way , I ’ m giving him or her musical ideas as I play . If I ’ m accenting beats 2 and 4 ( see the video ) my drummer will totally lock in with the snare on those beats .
If I ’ m syncopating , anticipating with the & of
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