BASS
IF THE BASS COULD ONLY HARMONIZE | Gary Lunn
Be nice . Be thoughtful . Think of everyone else before yourself . Harmonize not only musically , but outwardly with your bandmates as well .
Can you really do any of those things ? If you can ( along with skills ), you can probably play bass in a worship team ( or any band for that matter )! Let ' s break those down a little further and find out .
“ Be nice .” Some definitions are : polite , kind , agreeable , appropriate , virtuous , and respectable . There are more , but I think these are enough .
So , by definition , be polite , kind , agreeable , ( always ) appropriate , virtuous , and respectable to :
THE SOUND MAN . As a responsible musician , I want to be the “ last person on Earth ” who will make the sound man ’ s job more difficult . In other words , I don ’ t want to force him to mix everything around MY level . Typically , from my experience , it is the drummer or the guitarist ( s ) who gives sound men that challenge , but I usually play through an amp capable of competing with anyone else ’ s volume level . Still , I want to always be sure not to play too loud ( no matter how much I like it ). Be kind to the sound man . He is the MOST important member of the band . Ask him if your amp is too loud .
THE DRUMMER . The usually musical conversation that we have with the drummer is vitally important . We can play right with him , slightly behind him , or a little ahead of him , but the coolest part of that is that we can do ALL of those ! As far as actual conversation goes , be sure and ask him about the kick patterns that HE wants to play and then TRY THEM before you make your suggestions . A happy drummer is a fun drummer ( or vice versa ).
THE WORSHIP LEADER . It is “ nice ” if you have paid close attention to them and learned their body language for musical dynamic cues ( soft , loud , break downs , etc .), section changes off the chart , repeating a section , etc . Also , it may require an extra measure of study to be familiar with the instrument that they lead from . Many times you can tell what changes a guitar player is going to play by watching his hand from the back of the neck , only if you play “ some ” guitar yourself . It really helps ! Same with keyboards ( I watch my worship leader ’ s “ bass hand ” most of the time during worship ). At the very least , always ask them how you can serve them better . It can calm that bass-player-awkwardness feeling that they probably have . LOL ! Most importantly , know that while they are singing , that is usually not the best time to take a bass solo .
THE KEYBOARD AND GUITAR PLAYERS . The most respectable thing you can do for these vital positions is to listen intently and constantly figure out new ways to stay out of their way . Listen to the individual parts and think of ways to enhance what they are doing by not conflicting with them . It ’ s quite simple , really .
THE BACKGROUND SINGERS . Always try to have some of their presence in your monitor or headphones . You never know when they will be / feel called to add something to the song . You always need to be there to support them - not play over them . It ' s quite apropos .
YOURSELF . Last but not least , be kind to yourself and get your mix dialed in right in your headphones . If you are on wedges , at least consider my level choices as options . Having clarity and perspective between all instruments , the lead vocal , and the click is paramount to finding the groove to play with . My personal solution is this : Acoustic instruments panned to 8 o ’ clock and 5 o ' clock , electric guitar panned to 11 o ' clock , the piano panned to 9 o ’ clock and 3 o ' clock in stereo ( as well as the bgv ' s ), the aux keys panned hard left and right in stereo , the click panned to 2 o ' clock , the hihat panned to 10 o ' clock , the overheads hard left and right , the kick and snare at 12 o ' clock ( the snare is set substantially lower in volume than the kick ), and the bass at 12 o ' clock . The kick , bass , and click are the loudest elements in my mix . I like to hear a behind-the-kit drum mix . If you are using amp / wedges , be sure to take the bass out of the wedge . It will help you play with the drums closer and alleviate any phase problems . Also , never turn anything completely off in your mix . Please be agreeable and trust me on this . :)
The virtuous thing to do in a worship band is simply by definition : ( Be ) decent , ethical , good , honest , honorable , just , moral , right , rightminded , righteous , straight , true , and upright . Extend the harmony past the music into your relationships with your bandmates . May God truly bless the work of your hands !
Gary Lunn Gary is a session player / producer / writer in Nashville , TN . He plays for many recording session accounts , and does a lot of home recording and producing . Email him for questions , comments , or scheduling at ... garylunn @ me . com