We all know that music isn’t everything.
Worship has much more to do with our hearts than it does the skill of our hands. But that’s not the whole picture.
No one will argue the fact that a great band can enhance a corporate worship experience.
When a band plays skillfully, people are engaged. When a band worships with intensity, utilizes dynamics, and creates a sense of flow, it’s almost like they can disappear as people are lost in the knowledge of God.
What Is Musicality, Really?
Today we are going to talk about musicality – that essence of music that is more elusive.
It’s not about the notes you play, it’s how you play them.
It’s not about how many scales you know, it’s about how you interpret them.
It’s about what goes on in your mind and heart as you play music.
Two guitar players can play the same guitar solo with the same speed and precision. But the one who has musicality will move people. He may even have inferior gear to the other player.
But his music arises from a deeper place than just his hands on a fretboard. And for we worship musicians, our music arises from a place of worship – from the core of our being as a sacrifice to God.
5 Tips For Improving Your Musicality
Here are some uncommon tips for doing this:
1. Internalize the Message – As an instrumentalist, you are telling a story. You are communicating a message. For example, if you’re playing a worship song on Sunday morning, make sure you know what the song is about and you believe it with all your heart. Trust me, it changes the way you play music.
2. Interpret the Message – Now, go a step further. After you’ve internalized the message of a song, interpret it on your instrument. Allow the truth of a song to inspire your playing. “Preach” the Gospel with your sound and style.
3. Get Lost – When was the last time you “got lost” on your instrument? Isn’t it easy to get into a rut of just learning songs and playing music when you have to? You need to get lost on your instrument and express yourself creatively. Otherwise, you will grow stagnant.
4. Study Music that Moves You – Inspiration comes at the strangest times. It’s unpredictable and elusive; however, if you listen to a steady stream of music that moves you, it’s bound to happen more often. Listen, dissect, and learn from the music you listen to.
5. Practice Technique – Remember all those seemingly pointless hours you practiced scales or rudiments? Well, they are the foundation of musicality. Great musicality happens when a musician takes their scales and exercises and makes them musical – when it’s not about just clunking out notes but telling a story. Are you there yet? Give it a try.
6. Practice Without Your Instrument – If you’re a drummer, practice beats on your lap. Guitar player? Try some air guitar. Keys? Play on a table. Seriously. The goal here is to visualize sound in your mind without seeing it or hearing it. It trains you to think about musical possibilities rather than just placing your hands where they always go on your instrument. Think creatively. Visualize something new.
OK, musicians. It’s time to speak up.
How have you developed your musicality?
How have you gone from a place of playing notes on a page to creating music that moves people?
A+ on this one. I feel fired up!
I foresee some very “musical” music being played today, huh?
Gonna share this one with the team..love it!
Great Post Dave managed these thoughts:
An Uncommon Way To Improve Your Musicality As A Vocalist
When I was young I remember my mom and dad would say things to me in which I responded by saying the very same thing they said, the very same way they said it. That was usually followed by a “Don’t mock me” and paired with a spanking. I remember, as a kid, imitating sound after sound just for fun. I would occasionally get on my parents nerves, but I never realized that it would be my adolescent quirks that would help launch me into my gifting. As a vocalist I’ve come to realize that a key exercise in finding and developing YOUR voice comes imitating what you hear. TRY IT OUT!
Really great, David. I would have to agree with you. Most of my musical development has come from imitating those I look up to. I would try it and try it and try it until I got it.
number 3 and 4 are big ones for me…
Getting Lost is so crucial…there are even moments in live worship where the spirit allows you to do it…and then brings you back…so awesome when it happens…
listening to music that inspires me is a big one! Everytime I hear a song I can’t get enough of, and it makes me go directly to my room grab my guitar and try to imatate that feeling on my own…and it works…it’s called getting inspired.
Good stuff, Arny. What music is inspiring you these days?
Excellent, as usual. I first started down the musician path in the 6th grade, playing baritone in the school band. I picked up the trombone and played in the jazz band as well, and continued with both instruments through college. In a lot of ways, jazz is very similar to Christian music, as it is very personal and should come from the heart, but you must have the technique and fundamentals. Jazz players have very little tolerance for musicians with bad technique! So to me, #’s 3 and 5 are crucial. In fact, I would say you can’t full accomplish #3 without being full competent with #5. Just my opinion though.
One of the things I’ve always liked about jazz is the lack of vocals. There are some tunes with vocals, but for the most part, it’s just instrumentals. Have you ever done that with your worship band? Just sit around and play? Not even a particular song – just pick a key, start playing and go around the room letting folks have a chance to play something, anything. It’s one of those ‘safe’ moments where the band is together by themselves, with people they trust, where they can “show off their chops” without anyone thinking they’re showing off. We know each others hearts so a little showing off just makes us laugh. It’s always a sweet moment, and I think it helps us have more musicality between us. We learn each others style and tendencies, which makes transitions in the actual music a little easier and a bit more smooth. And it’s just downright fun (don’t tell anybody that we have fun though).
D
Damon, I have done this in the past but not enough. Another idea might be to bring in a skilled jazz musician to do a workshop with your worship team. Might be interesting?
So true…and I’m telling my wife that you told me to drum on my lap. (I drum on EVERYTHING, constantly). 🙂
The story of my life 🙂
I have to laugh at myself as sometimes when I’m driving my wife will ask me what song I’m working on. When I ask what she is talking about she tells me my hands were “playing” the steering wheel.
When I was 13/14 years old I had no idea at the time how scales/arpeggios would make me so much more comfortable with a guitar and music later in life. I started out playing guitar and later learned how to play music.
I want to create a steering wheel that wires into the sound system and functions as a drum pad 🙂
Two friends commenting to each other:
Did you see how terribly that man was driving?
Yes, but didn’t he have a nice sense of rythm?
Hey David,
I am a bassist and drummer. I have a very strong background in gospel music and jazz. The jazz side of things really help me during worship because of the improvisational factor that we jazz musicians use so often. In jazz 90% of the music is improvisational…split second decisions made because of a reaction to what another musician contributed to the song. You’re always listening in jazz or you will be left behind. I also get so lost in the music because everyone is coming from such an honest and spiritual place. I’m in worship whether I’m playing jazz, gospel, or “worship music.” Transcribing has played a big part in how I hear music. It really allows you to get inside of the music and the musician you are transcribing. You start to analyze a melody or phrase and break it down onto staff paper…really helps me to understand and appreciate the music so much more! Thanks for listening…
Jemar
Jemar, that’s great insight. While not a jazz musician myself, I’ve dabbled in it and I love its improvisational nature. I try and apply a lot of those concepts to worship music.
When you know a song so well that you can close your eyes and still play or sing it, just going with the flow of the song and the worship team, then you can “let go” and let the Holy Spirit move through you without worrying about the nuts and bolts of the song. The song just flows and moves almost without effort. The song’s mechanics operate and flow so that the music becomes like riding a well-oiled machine with a feeling that lives and flies nearly effortlessly, and takes on its own life flow. It can ebb and flow and becomes a vehicle carrying worship, not containing it, to the Throne Room of God and the throne of hearts.
#6 is great because when you work on hearing a phrase or groove in your head before you play it, you are playing intentionally. I think getting to the point where you can do this is a big milestone in musical maturity. Less experienced players will noodle and play a lot of notes… Mature players will wait for the right second and play a couple notes that just make the song – (the Miles Davis approach). His whole idea was “play only the best notes”.
I’ve always been told that if you can’t sing a lick back to yourself, it wasn’t worth playing. It’s always fun and really helpful to try singing your parts as you play them… Whatever instrument you play. It totally changes how you play! It makes you play with clearer melodic phrases which is always a good thing.
Someone beat you to it …
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57580738-1/steering-wheel-music-pad-lets-you-drum-and-drive/