Ever get frustrated by another musician you work with? If you haven’t, you’re lying.
Think about it: musicians of different generations, unique styles, different preferences, varying degrees of skill, different goals – all placed on the same stage. There’s nothing like a worship team!
This weekend I was having a conversation with one of the drummers on my team, a great friend. He’s a good drummer – passionate, great feel, good sense of time, loves Jesus, and has the kind of attitude any worship leader would envy.
But even with all these positives in place, something was amiss. Something sounded off.
So began a great conversation that changed everything.
Bottom line – this guy wasn’t thinking of the band. He was mindful of himself. He wasn’t thinking like a producer.
And that’s what this whole post is about – why you and all your team members can benefit from thinking like a producer, a music director, the one responsible for the overall sound.
Subtle Sloppy-ness
After we rehearsed a few songs, I realized the whole mix sounded like a drum solo, accompanied by guitars, keyboards, and vocals (No, it wasn’t an over-the-top drum solo like the beloved Oceans drummer).
It wasn’t overwhelming. But most musicians don’t indulge in the crazy busy playing that ruins songs. It’s the kind of subtle over-playing to makes the music sloppy, unfocused, distracting.
This is a fundamental struggle that most worship leaders deal with – working with musicians who overplay and don’t serve the overall sound.
There’s this funny tension in music: you don’t want to overplay and dominate the sound, but you also don’t want to underplay and create lackluster music – monotonous, boring, lifeless.
A great musician knows when to simmer and when to soar; when to solo and when to support. But even in their support role, they aren’t bashful and bored – they are fully present, giving their passion to the simplest, most basic musical idea.
The Simple Truth About How Musicians Grow
But back to our drummer here: We had a great conversation that applied to every musician in the band. I wanted to break down our chat here in hopes that it will serve you as a musician in the band or as the leader of your band.
There’s no better way for musicians to grow than direct, honest, loving, confrontational feedback. Without it we keep doing what we’ve always done. Your busy musicians aren’t trying to sabotage your sound or draw too much attention to themselves.
They don’t have innate ill will towards what you’re trying to accomplish. They’re just playing the way they know how. They are trying to bring their best. Your coaching will help them see something new.
Think Like a Producer
Have you ever tried to have one of your musicians lead a rehearsal or arrange a song? It’s not a bad idea because an arranger doesn’t just consider what they are playing. They are thinking about the music as a whole.
It’s important for all your musicians to think like this. When a drummer is thinking about the rhythmic intensity of an acoustic guitar, they will temper their playing to create space for that guitar to sit in the mix.
When a bass player is mindful of the lead singer’s melody, they won’t feel the need to transition every measure with a fill – they are supporting something of greater importance.
When a BGV is viewing their voice as an instrument (and as a support to the lead vocal) they won’t feel the need to sing every phrase, improv all over the place, and overpower the mix.
So here’s my challenge to you, worship leader: Encourage your band to approach Sunday like individual producers and arrangers. If they were in charge of it all, how would they produce the sound so not one instruments overpowers but all work together to create a unified sound?
Be Intentional
Many musicians just haven’t been trained to be intentional with their sound. No sound should be made without it having a purpose. But what usually happens on Sunday? We have a stage full of musicians who are lost in what they are doing – doodling, figuring things out on the fly.
Wrong chords are played, riffs are happening from stage left to stage right, and nobody is looking around. Intentional musicians know their part and are mindful of the band. They don’t just strum, sing, or strike a drum because it’s right in front of them.
They ask the question, “How will this contribute to the overall sound? How can I play this with utmost emotion and energy?” The takeaway? Teach your musicians to listen more than they play. Teach them to enter into a song only when it contributes. Be patient and be present.
Diversify Your Sound
Probably the most important preparation every musician can do is diversify their sound – determine how to approach different intensity levels in songs.
You can always notice the pro from the amateur. Beginning players usually have the same sound throughout an entire song. A pro feels the song and interprets that feel in different ways throughout.
For example, a skilled acoustic guitar player may drop out entirely in a quiet moment. Or, they may fingerpick. On a massive chorus they may strum a massive, full, 16th note, down-up strum that fills out the sound.
Think this through on your instrument. What can you do on quiet moments? What can you do on build-up moments? What will you do on the biggest moment?
Fully Engage in the Moment
Whether you’re at a rock concert or a worship event, the best musicians fully engage in the moment. They aren’t just playing a well-rehearsed song. They are fully there, 100%, present with the people in the room.
They are in tune with the dynamics of what is happening – the response of the crowd, the moving of the Holy Spirit, the acoustics of the space. They take all of this into consideration with how they interact with the song. A professional will tell you – no performance is ever the same.
You may play the same arrangement of the same song, but when you consider these other factors, it’s just not the same. How much more, as worship musicians, do we need to be in tune with WHO God is off the stage, as well as WHAT God is doing in the moment.
Sing, pray, prophesy, open your eyes, notice the miracle that is happening all around you. Complaining that you have to play “that song” again is simply immaturity. Anything can happen in those moments.
What are your thoughts on this?
Do you think like a producer on your team? Why or why not? How would thinking like this change the way you lead your team or approach your instrument?
Let us know in the comments! You can leave a comment by clicking here.
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Great practical article David! I’ve been saying “think like a producer” to my teams for years and it makes a huge difference. The best musicians are sensitive to the spirit, the song and the dynamics of that moment. They will play what is musically logical.
Well done post!
As a record producer I throw bits away all the time, leaving only the parts that are important to the song. What isn’t played is often more important than what is.
Here’s another way for instrumentalists to think about this. Imagine if all the singers sang ALL the time. If you are playing when you need not, you are creating the same kind of cacaphony that would occur if everyone sang all the time.
Be known for playing the important parts really well, not for how many notes you can produce. Much better for you and the audience.
This is an awesome way to remind musicians to listen to one another by thinking like the producer. I especially love the most actionable statement in the post – “You can always notice the pro from the amateur. Beginning players usually have the same sound throughout an entire song. A pro feels the song and interprets that feel in different ways throughout.” Awesome post, David!
Excellent thoughts here. As an electric guitarist it is noted that there are times(and songs) to soar and times to simmer. Thanks for your thoughts.