Worship Musician September 2018 | Page 94

BASS WORSHIP BAND BASS 101 | Gary Lunn It’s always good to review the basics. A lot of situations where the drummer hasn’t done his to have perfect pitch to do it. You just have to the people that I meet don’t know some of the homework. It makes for quite a struggle that be a good listener and be familiar with intervals. basic requirements of being a bass player. It’s no one can quite put his or her finger on! When always good to be mindful of these things. the bass player has a good relationship with I am sure there are several books on the the drummer, in certain musical situations (i.e. number system, but if you have taken music As they say, old habits die hard. Consistency in vamping or free worship) they can both be led theory at some point, you probably already volume is a much-appreciated habit to develop. to spontaneously change feels, moods, etc. have the knowledge that you need. All you have You should always try to play at a consistent This can be quite inspirational to the worship to do is consider chord analyzation and you’ve finger pressure (+ or – 10%)! In situations leader and to the congregation.  learned the number system. Just change the where the front-of-house engineer really likes Roman numerals into numbers. For example: if to “ride” the mix, always give him 98% of your you are in the key of A, then A is  the 1 chord, loudest volume during sound check. One of the worst things that can happen to a front-of- house engineer is to have two or three beats of painfully loud bass notes during a service because the bass player was “holding back.” That will probably get you turned off in the house mix or smashed (compressed) beyond recognition from that point on. notes that we play is somewhere deep in subconscious, bass-part is unity in the composition process. Always think of a bass line as a part for the whole song. Keep in mind that a good, D is the 4 chord, E is the 5 chord, F# minor is the 6m chord (the 6 chord is always “minor” unless noted). So there is your 1-4-5-6m song. This is SO easy to learn. Once you practice this in all keys for a while it soon becomes second nature. foundation, All the musicians in the worship team share everything is An important part of choosing the bass our Whenever there the responsibility to pay close attention to going to ‘feel” signals given by the worship leader. You have to watch their eyes, hands, and body language to discern what he or she wants to do next. As you learn their hand movements, it’s pretty better. easy to tell where they’re going chord-wise (I consistent bass part can take almost any great like to be in a position where I can see their left worship song to higher emotional levels during hand). As for dynamics, if the worship leader worship time. One approach that usually works Learn to write charts! When you can, keep a wants to bring the music down and you’re not is to begin songs playing in a higher register, few extra pieces of paper in your chart book for watching, it may cause a huge train wreck or as songs generally start “small” and finish “big.” those times when an unannounced song that severely frustrate the worship leader. Either of Try saving your lowest notes for the last chorus. you don’t know is played.  When this happens, those mishaps can hinder what God wants to Lower notes used at the right time can really see if you can let the worship leader play the do at that point in the worship service.  move things in the Spirit. first part of the new song  by himself.  This will give you time to write a quick chord/number Remember, the worship starts at a “higher level” The drums and the bass have to be on the chart. If you are an iPad user, keep your apple when everyone in every position on the worship same page musically; the level of anointing in pen at hand and a sketch pad app running in team plays with excellence and sensitivity the music will be much higher. Whenever there the background. (especially the drums and the bass). Take the is unity in the foundation, everything is going to basics to heart and be a better musician! ‘feel” better. If the drums and the bass don’t Dictation (writing charts by ear) is a skill that agree on a kick pattern in a song it can cause a is rarely acquired without practice, but is an lot of confusion, which leads to a very unsettled extremely rewarding skill once it is developed. feeling for the worship leader. I’ve been in a few And, contrary to popular belief, you don’t have 94 September 2018 Gary Lunn Gary Lunn is a session player/producer/writer in Nashville, TN. Contact him at [email protected] for scheduling or questions. WorshipMusician.com