GUITAR
[ PERFECT YOUR PRACTICE | Jeffrey B. Scott ]
You’ve heard the saying, “Practice makes POSTURE MATTERS your feet, how you adjust your guitar strap. All
perfect!” And we all know there’s truth to that. Learning a piece of music or a particular solo these things add up to be potential distractions
But the WAY you practice actually makes a passage is one thing, getting it right every for you as you lead.
difference too; you have to make the effort to time is another, but practicing something once perfect your practice. you’ve learned it should be yet another step in HEART MATTERS
the process. Yes, at tempo, but also, I’d like When you’ve prepared your fingers, hands,
SPEED MATTERS to challenge you to practice like you’re going and mind, don’t forget to prepare your heart!
One of the first really impactful lessons I to perform. I learned for myself that if I don’t I have always been a fan of my team coming
learned, after I had played guitar for years, play through my sets for Sunday standing up, in with songs learned and ready, but I’m also
was that of practicing things at a tempo that it’s going to introduce a new challenge when I a huge fan of people who come in prepared
you could master without mistakes before show up for the rehearsal. The angles change to actually lead worship! I challenge my team
you attempted to move up to original tempo. between sitting and standing, your hand to not just learn the songs, but also come to
While I understood the concept, I never really position changes, you introduce the weight rehearsal with their hearts pointed in the right
thought about making sure I could play a of the guitar on your shoulders, the angle of direction already. You don’t have to wait for
passage without mistakes before I moved your feet if you’re changing pedals - so many the first notes of the song to start before you
on. I got a reminder of this recently as I was variables! can put your heart in a posture of worship
teaching my daughter a melody on the piano.
toward Jesus. And being fully prepared
She didn’t want to try it at a slower tempo; she If you’ve read my column for a while, you know musically and spiritually to lead is what we’re
just wanted to power through and try to play that I have a definition of a worship leader that supposed to be all about. Don’t neglect
something she hadn’t even learned at tempo, includes two basic tenets: pointing people in the heart prep as well as the physical prep!
but it was full of stops and starts and mistakes the right direction, and limiting distractions. because she hadn’t mastered it yet. When we This second point is where practicing how Your assignment this week: practice the songs
slowed it down, she had time to think through you’re going to play comes in. There are so at home like you’re going to play them on
each piece and didn’t fumble nearly as much. many variables, it can be a challenge to focus Sunday, and see what happens!
As we gradually increased the tempo, she kept on what we’re there to do, which is lead people getting better and better. to worship God. So, as you prepare, practice Connect on social media and let me know if it
everything - how you stand, where you place worked for you! Twitter: @jeffreybscott
Facebook: fb.me/jeffreybscottmusic
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October 2017
WorshipMusician.com