example .
A keyboard sound with some delay built in . This sound might have arpeggiation that fits my song well . When playing sounds with delay the activity I play must factor in what the delay and arpeggiation is doing to the sound .
Also , I need to be confident of how I can set and save the beats per minute of the sound to match the tempo of the current song .
Be confident of how your controller is used to manipulate your sounds . For example , which fader is going to control the pad level ? Which fader controls piano ? Is there a tap tempo button on your controller that allows you to match any tempo on the spot ?
Put your most-used sounds together in your patch list . Save yourself the stress of clicking 15 times to get to the patch you need by storing patches in the order your songs are played in your set . To move up or down one click to get to a sound sure beats all those clicks that could be avoided .
Know how your audio is reaching the sound system . In my setup I have a snake that runs my four cables to our system . I use a Scarlett 4i4 audio interface that sends my outputs from MainStage and Ableton Live out . I need to be confident of how my tracks are assigned in Ableton so that they go where they should . We ’ ve been using click and guide tracks for a good while at my church but we ’ d found that it was not ideal having the click and guide on the same channel of our in-ear monitor mixers . So , my sound tech and I worked out how we can give click and guide their own channels . Working through the details of getting all of that working before my worship team is ready to run through the songs is essential . Not fun when you have to tell the band , “ Hang on . Let me see why click isn ’ t in the right spot .”
Be flexible . You may have studied the recording of a song your team is playing and learned every detail of a keyboard part featured there .
When you start running the song with your team you may hear a guitarist or drummer doing something that ’ s not like the recording . Maybe you ’ ll take some time as a team to finetune the arrangement so that it more closely matches the recording . Maybe not . Maybe your guitarist or drummer brings something effective that gives the song a unique flavor for your team . Listen well to what the team is doing and develop a keyboard part that complements what ’ s being created . Don ’ t force a part from a recording to fit something that has evolved into something different .
Learn by copying . As you listen to recordings of songs you ’ re learning , really scrutinize the keyboard parts featured . Are you able to very closely match a pad part that ’ s heard ? Can you play exactly the piano line that was played ? If you take the time to imitate keyboard parts from recordings you ’ ll find that your brain begins to create a catalog of well-crafted parts that begin to impact what you create when your team plays a new song that doesn ’ t have a recording you can reference . Maybe your worship team regularly writes new songs and you all contribute ideas to an arrangement of something new ? To have a catalog of ideas at your fingertips in terms of sound choices and keyboard activity is a fantastic thing , and to always be adding to that catalog is invaluable .
Learn what ’ s possible with 7 notes . The 7 notes in the scales our songs are based on can do so much more than simply provide the notes of chords for your keyboard songs . Experiment with what happens when you add notes to what your chord chart specifies . For example , if you ’ re in the key of D and a Bm7 is presented , try adding the 4 to your chord . That 4 is an E . So , you now have the notes B D E F # and A available . You might play the chord like this :
These “ color ” notes are often played on recordings but don ’ t always find their way to the chord charts for the songs . Learn to listen well and find these notes for yourself . What these
notes bring to your worship team are some of what sets apart modern worship arrangements from traditional arrangements . Again , there are 7 notes in the scale . See what they can add to your keyboard parts .
You could probably add some items to my list ot things you can be learning about your role as a keyboard player on your worship team . Whatever challenge you ’ re facing with the software you use or the chords you play or your ability to replicate keyboard parts from recordings , remember that none of us can “ cheat our way through this ”. I ’ ve got things I need to learn . I ’ m confident you do to . Let ’ s start somewhere .
Ed Kerr Ed Kerr lives in Seattle with his family . He serves as worship arts director at First Free Methodist Church , teaches keyboards in Paul Baloche ’ s leadworship workshops and is a clinician with Yamaha ’ s House of Worship . He also manages the Yamaha Worship Facebook group and invites you to join the group . www . KerrTunes . com