KEYS
IMPROVE YOUR IMPROV | David Pfaltzgraff
You know a song that has a killer piano intro ? ‘ King of Kings ’ by Hillsong Worship . That simple piano melody in the right hand as the left holds out that powerful , low tonic chord makes sure everyone knows which song is coming up . It ’ s instantly recognizable , and when you listen to the original and hear it repeat two times it ’ s the perfect way to kick off a great song .
But you know what ’ s not as great ? Picture this : the piano player kicks into that intro , everyone knows what ’ s coming , and then the worship leader or pastor decides to take that moment to offer an encouragement , a prayer , or a scripture . As they speak you can see the keys player slowly realize that each repetition of that simple , two bar phrase feels more stale than the last . They begin to sweat , realizing that while departing from such an iconic prerequisite to kicking off the song may feel out of place , their ninth time through the phrase isn ’ t a very compelling option either .
It ’ s in these unscripted moments that the keys player ’ s true mettle can be tested . It ’ s time to improvise , my friend , but are you ready ? You can be . Let ’ s talk about it .
IT ’ S NOT A SECRET
Improvisation isn ’ t some magical skill that a select few keys players are born with , but depending on who you talk to it can sure seem that way . I ’ ve had many conversations with church keys players who just don ’ t know how to start flowing before or after the chart ends .
It makes sense . As worship musicians we do put a lot of stock in practicing along to the original arrangement of a song and many rely on a chart or lead sheet to help make that practice as efficient and accurate as it can be .
Improvising to cover times that don ’ t make it to the chart , then , must come from somewhere else , and to the beginner , it ’ s a mystery .
But if you ’ ve ever been around a keys player that appears to just ‘ have it ’, ‘ it ’ being some deep reservoir of creative inspiration they appear to be able to pull from at a moment ’ s notice , rising to any occasion , meeting the needs of any song , prayer , or transition , and if you ask them ‘ what ’ s your secret ’ I can guarantee they ’ ll answer there ’ s no secret at all .
TIME TO PRACTICE
The answer is ‘ practice ’. I know , not the silver bullet any weekend warrior worship keys player wants to hear , but true nonetheless .
You see , those keys players with that deep reservoir have built up just that- a reservoir , a reserve - of experience , confidence , musical associations , and muscle memory that enable them to come to those moments in real-time and go somewhere appropriate .
The good news ? You don ’ t need to invest years of disciplined study before you can do this too . How ? By starting with a focus on digging a ‘ little well ’.
The next time you are at home practicing for an upcoming worship set , challenge yourself with a single hypothetical . Try to imagine something that could go differently , off script , or even ‘ wrong ’ based on what your experience tells you . Maybe you have a worship leader who tends to forget the first line of a verse so you often have to fill some space , or a senior pastor who ’ s prone to popping up on stage in between songs three and four to share something on their heart .
Whatever it may be , try to base it in the reality of your local church context . Got something in mind ?
Now , you have identified a likely real-world scenario , but with none of the pressure . You ’ re not on stage , it ’ s not real-time , it ’ s just you and your instrument . This is where you can start to dig a little well . Give yourself time to explore , the chords , the melody , the timing , put it all on the table . Maybe even write yourself some notes or an expanded chord chart . There ’ s no hard rules around how fast or when improv needs to happen . By putting in this work at home , you ’ ll be able to more easily tap back into it when you need it most at church .
LET IT FLOW
Once you ’ ve dug your first little well , you might be tempted to immediately start digging another . But you can get a lot more return on your time and effort by doing something else first . Ask yourself ‘ where else could this be used ?’ Imagine more contexts , apply it to different songs , intros , keys , or tempos . Get comfortable taking your chord progression idea , or fill into as many different scenarios as you can . Not only will it strengthen the core concept , but you ’ ll make sure the time you put in will be likely to apply in some real-world scenarios when you ’ re at church .
It ’ s that broad application that lets you flow in and out of these moments of improvisation . As you gain experience and start to build towards that deep reservoir , it ’ ll probably look a lot more like digging a bunch of little wells for a time . Eventually they ’ ll begin to connect together and if you keep on , practice for the unexpected , and make sure each little well is utilized fully , you ’ ll find that depth just continues to grow .
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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80 September 2024 Subscribe for Free ...