Worship Musician October 2019 | Page 124

GUITAR
ARRANGED TO ENHANCE CONGREGATIONAL SINGING:
“GREAT ARE YOU LORD” FOR ELECTRIC GUITAR | Grant Norsworthy
Is it just me, or are most church electric Using “Great Are You Lord” as the example For a closer analysis of the electric guitar
guitarists - especially of the amateur, volunteer song, Nashville-based guitarist, engineer and employed in our congregation-friendly version
variety - playing way too much, way too much producer Evan Redwine displays a simple-yet- of “Great Are You Lord”, watch and play along
of the time? effective approach to electric guitar that can be with Evan’s static camera video.
applied across many songs in the repertoire:
My
observations:
Many
church
electric Fewer notes using fewer, higher strings, tasteful
guitarists tend to play most or all of their six use of reverb, delay, gain, volume pedal and
strings constantly and pretty much for the tremolo bar, repetition and a luscious, rich tone.
duration of every song. They will generally slab
out every note of every chord from the chart in Before digging into the electric guitar tutorial
front of them. Constant (often badly out of time) video, first watch my Nashville band’s whole
rhythmic, “down-up-down-up” strumming is song rendition of “Great Are You Lord”. Listen
the norm. There is often very little difference for the wonderful, expansive textures from
between how they might play an acoustic Evan’s Strat, how few strings he uses, how
guitar and their electric. They often seem to much space he leaves and how his parts work
feel the need to fill a much bigger sonic “space” so well to complement the overall, dynamic rise
than is necessary. They may lack the ability to and fall of the band’s sound.
the ensemble and leave appropriate, amounts Listen especially for Evan’s gorgeous arpeggios
of musical real estate for others. in the earlier choruses. That’s the sort of electric
guitar part that I like to call, “diamonds in the
Unknowingly and unintentionally, their electric dewy grass”. Close your eyes! You might see
guitar playing can actually make it tougher for what I mean in your head.
- sing along - with the songs of worship that the
true
installments for this congregational favorite.
If you missed the earlier episodes for musical
director, bassists/drummers and vocalists, look
for them in your previous issues of [WM]. Watch
for articles focusing on keyboard and acoustic
videos is not to provide yet another version of
paradox
when
Are You Lord” - and also to share them with
Just a heads up: The objective of these
band is presenting.
especially
Music and We Are Worship for the song “Great
guitar in future issues.
the church congregation to actively participate
wonderful
instructional videos in partnership with Integrity
you through WM. This is part four of seven
listen - really listen - to the other instruments in
The
I’m honored to have produced a series of
of music
leading a
this wonderful song for listening enjoyment.
rings
Instead, we have worked to produce a
Church
rendition that is highly singable for the typical
congregation to sing worshipfully to God: Less
church congregation and within the musical
really is (almost always) more! Electric guitarists
(and all musicians) would do well to focus on
the fundamentals of musicality: Tuning, tone,
timing, dynamics and the intentional crafting of
song-serving parts.
capabilities of typical Church instrumentalists.
In this video, I talk with Evan about the parts,
effects and tones he has utilized for our rendition “Great Are You Lord”
of “Great Are You Lord”. He demonstrates each Words & Music by David Leonard, Jason Ingram, Leslie
of them. Jordan (© 2012 Integrity's Alleluia! Music)
The purpose of this article - with its embedded
videos - is to help church electric guitarists
grow in their musicality, equip them to make
better musical choices, make a more positive
contribution to the overall sound of the band
Grant Norsworthy
Founder of More Than Music Mentor, providing
online and onsite training for the heart and the art
of worshipping musicians.
www.morethanmusicmentor.com
and do a better job of inviting the participation
of the congregation. I hope it helps!
124
October 2019
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