WORSHIP LEADERS
HOW PREPARED IS “ PREPARED ”? | Matt Miller
“ Practice , we talkin ’ bout , practice . Not a game . We talkin ’ bout practice .” ( Alan Iverson )
I have to admit , every time I hear someone say the word , “ Practice ,” I think of that interview with Alan Iverson . ( IYKYK ).
PRACTICE MATTERS . But there is a difference between Practice and Rehearsal . Practice is our own individual preparation time prior to rehearsal . At WorshipTeamCoach . com we use the phrase “ Practice is Personal , Rehearsal is Relational .” Rehearsal is where we put together the combined efforts of everyone ’ s individual Practice and develop a unique & unified sound .
You ’ ve probably either said this to your team or heard this from your leader : “ Everybody needs to practice and come to rehearsal prepared !” But how prepared is prepared ?
Well , we use the Practice By Numbers system . ( Some of you probably just thought of the Paint By Numbers system for Van Gogh paintings ; this is a little different .)
The Practice By Numbers system gives everyone on your team a clear understanding of how prepared they should be for each song . Below is a snapshot of the system .
During the LEARNING phase ( 1-2 ), “ we know that we don ’ t know it .” You ’ ve received a new song and you ’ re preparing it for rehearsal .
1 = You ’ re starting to learn it .
The song ’ s chord structure , the lead riffs , what the harmony parts are , where the drum fills are , what the arrangement is , etc .
2 = You can sing / play most of it with a few mistakes .
It ’ s important to recognize when you ’ re still in this phase . As musicians , we often overestimate how well we ’ ve learned a song . If a player / singer is still in this phase during rehearsal , the unlearned areas of the song will be obvious ( to themselves and to others ).
Tip : Just because you can sing / play it along with the recording doesn ’ t mean you ’ ve moved to a 3 . The real test is playing it with a click or guide track , without the recording as a crutch .
The KNOWING phase ( 3-4 ), “ we know it , but we ’ re still thinking about it .” Early in this phase , you can sing / play the song with few mistakes , but you ’ re relying on the chart . By the end of this phase , you ’ ve nearly got it memorized .
3 = sing / play with the chart ; no mistakes .
4 = sing / play without the chart ; still consciously thinking of the notes , lyrics , and / or chords .
Achieving a Level 3 by rehearsal allows you to sing / play with the band , contributing your part to the whole .
Practice By Numbers 1 2 3 4 5 LEARNING KNOWING MASTERY
CONSCIOUS INCOMPETENCE
CONSCIOUS COMPETENCE
“ I know that I don ’ t know it .” “ I know it , but I ’ m still thinking about it .”
UNCONSCIOUS COMPETENCE
“ I know it , and I ’ m not thinking about it .”
Working towards a Level 4 before rehearsal allows you to listen more freely to the other players and singers . This lets you adjust your part to complement the rest of the team .
The MASTERY phase ( 5 ), “ we know it , and we ’ re not thinking about it .” Mastery moves beyond basic memorization . You not only don ’ t need the chart , but you don ’ t even have to think about what you ’ re playing or singing . It ’ s second nature . You know it so well that while you ’ re playing it on the platform , you can be thinking about what you ’ re going to have for lunch after the service ( not that you should be thinking that , but you get my point .)
Most worship team singers and instrumentalists won ’ t achieve a Level 5 until they ’ ve played or sung it during several services .
Level 5 Mastery and Level 4 Memorization will likely be imperceptible to the congregation . However , it takes significant work to move a song from a 4 to a 5 .
It ’ s probably better to spend your time focusing on moving Level 3 songs to a 4 , rather than trying to move a Level 4 song to a 5 . Again , you ’ ll accomplish Level 5 Mastery with repetition .
So , how do you determine your practice number standards ?
A few questions to consider : 1 . Do you have a memorization standard that your team adheres to ( i . e . no music stands during services )? If yes , go to question 7 .
2 . If you don ’ t have a memorization standard , what are your guidelines you have for music stands or iPads ? ( Examples : “ Low and off to the side .” or “ Only to be glanced at .” or “ Only used by instrumentalists ; vocalists memorize or use the confidence stage monitor .”
34 September 2023 Subscribe for Free ...