Problems when playing a different style...e.g pop -> Folk

music wasn't part of me

once a friend of mine asked me to accompany a P&W session w my guitar, but they asked me to play a more like Folk Church Songs, songs which were made to be sung together/groups.....and i felt a bit ackward trying to strum the rhytm of those songs... i wonder why?

Maybe it's bec i always sing rather more Pop songs, so basically I'm singing just with my guitar,not w a large crowd.....?

markm2553 · Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 4:52 am Post subject:

Playing and singing solo and leading praise and worship are two different things all together. Not everyone that sings and plays is cut out to be a worship leader. A worship leader is a calling all its own.
Not saying you’re not gifted to do both.
Perhaps you need to practice singing with another person, it can be easy for us solo guitar players to change our singing to match our playing, if you know what I mean. For me I see the instrument as background in P&W and your vocal being the stronger lead. That may just be my perception as I’m not a very gifted guitar player.
If I’m playing for someone else that is doing the singing, I still find myself mouthing the words; I think it is how I keep time?
Just pray about it, and practice, if it is something God plans to use you for, it will come in time. Wink

PunkStar · Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2007 12:43 am Post subject:

I think we all tend to get into a habit with our playing. We get good with one style, and when something different comes along, we still have our old style and habits coming through. It's nice in that it can lead to new developments within a style or a new style all together. Unfortunately, it doesn't help when trying to play originally. It's common, it really just takes practice and exposure to different things to get a feel for it.

I remember one time in music class, our teacher was trying to impress on us terrible rockers that we didn't have to fill every beat with as many notes as we can. Using more pauses in my own soloing is still something I'm working, and it's been years since that class. But I still remember the advice and still try to lengthen a few notes and add the odd bit of silence.

Anyway, best advice would be to get your hands on some of the music or just play along with others playing unfamiliar songs and you'll get the hang of it. I did when I started playing for God. It's a good way to go.

music wasn't part of me · Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2007 1:41 am Post subject:

Punkstar, we're only 4hours away huh....i noticed there aren't that many members active in this forum, the postings mostly dated years ago,did it use to be very active?

I listen to Hillsong music so much,Like you said,my style of playing is becoming like them..so can i put that people basically immitate musicians they often listen and play at first?did you?
I also listen to Paul Baloche a lot....now i notice i got a little bit of Ballad and modern country in my pattern.....

markm2553 · Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2007 4:32 am Post subject:

J Dan Brown · Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2007 4:32 am Post subject:

Mwpom, timing can be the most difficult thing about music. Playing solo, it's hard not to speed up and slow down and with other people without a drummer its hard as well sometimes to find that good speed. Me, I have trouble playing slow, when with some tunes, super slow is the most effective. I led P&W for several years on acoustic guitar at a little "full Gospel" church up the road, after the pianist left. (I live in the middle of a pasture, surrounded by neighbors' cows and horses) These people had their favorites and had become monotonous and repitiious with their program. Some of the songs they loved were trite and silly to me and reminded me of kindergarden playground singing. I introduced some Keith Green aand other artists of those days and some things I heard on local Christian radio, but I fiound myself forgetting to seek His face, and getting into ruts of repetition.

But I proved one guitar and people that loved God could praise and worship. We eventually left this church over theological differences and last time I visited, they were singing to CDs with the words (not backing tracks) and it wasn't very woshipful to me. And my daughter and son-in-law go to a large church where P&W comes off to me like a Broadway show and to me isn't very reverent. And we are going to a small Baptist church where I love the Pastor and the teaching, but they are frightened to sing "to" God and Christ, but would rather sing "about" them with these tired and trite 200 yr old hymns, most of them meaningless to me. It's like tradition has made them fear showing any emotion and fear the worship of the music rather than the Savior. They love it when I do worshipful medleys of praise songs as special music and everyone seems to know the words, but are scared to move to that "make a special songbook or project the lyrics" stage.

Many of the larger churches around here have addressed this problem by having 2 different services, but little of Fillmore Baptist's music could be called Praise or Worship and it breaks my heart, and I pray constantly that God will provide a miracle in this area. This is a very sore spot with me, and I know I need to replace my worry with trust in the Father, and I am working on it, but it's so hard. I was very vocal about it in the past, but it seemed to make many nervous, so I quit mentioning it and use the songs as my witmess, now. Please pardon my whining ramble! At least I get to be occaisionally "Live at the Fillmore," eh?

Punkstar was right though, much of this comes from prayer and practice. My wife has a habit of gathering her words into groups of little phrases, with pauses in between to keep time and it makes it very hard to play with her, and she needs to get her foothold on the melody before I come in with harmony or she will tend to follow me rather than the main melody. And hearing harmony is a very special gift the few appreciate!
Blessed, even with occaisional Brown-outs, Dan

jeff_osu · Tiger Joined: 17 Sep 2003 Posts: 838 Location: Oklahoma

I learned on metal and blues, I play my wife's acoustic often but just can't get interested in strumming chords, but that's only a half-truth because I'm also not very good at it. Mad

PunkStar · Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2007 10:41 pm Post subject:

music wasn't part of me · Posted: Thu Nov 22, 2007 2:55 am Post subject:

J Dan Brown · Posted: Thu Nov 22, 2007 3:54 am Post subject: Amazing!

I find it highly weird to find the term "sea monkey" attached to my reply above, as up until about 15 years ago, I was a culturer of freshwater angelfish as a hobby. (and a bit of lunch money, along with the marketing of fossilized wood to pet shops for decorating aquariums) The newborn angelfish ate newborn sea monkeys (called technically "brine shrimp") "Sea Monkey" was the old comic book name when you could order a few eggs and instructions for hatching by mail order. Me, I had to buy the eggs by the quart.
Blessed, to be reminded of Artemia salina, Dan

PS Can anyone steer me to some other websites aimed at Christian guitarists, especially acooustic. I'm not bailing or anything, just curious.

sharring · Tiger Joined: 04 Feb 2004 Posts: 815 Location: Texas

Bro. Dan...had to reply to your comment about those "tired and trite 200yo hymms". Sometimes i get real tired of playing "Open the eyes of my heart, Lord... over and over and an old hymm like Worthy of Worship or Be Strong in the Lord sounds real good. But playing in church for the Lord means you are not playing for yourself. I always try to remember that it's likely blessing someone. Smile

J Dan Brown · Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2007 3:47 pm Post subject: Forgive me!

I have so many Hymns I love and in no way promote what an old guy I play with sometimes calls all "7/11" tunes. (7 words sung 11 or 12 times) And there is a place for evangelical and teaching hymns, but few of them are addressed in the first person to the Father, Son or Spirit or could be called either praise or worship in the sense King David meant it. I know what tradition has done to the rural Southern Baptist church around here. We even sing "Happy Birthday" and "Happy Anniversary" (same tunes) as part of our Sunday morning "worship." I just think there could be a medium found that could please most and part of which still could be called actually "praise and worship." Forgive please, my hard-headedness.
Blessed, regardless of his trite bitterness, Dan

George E · Posted: Sun Nov 25, 2007 11:59 am Post subject: Re: Forgive me!

markm2553 · Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 5:09 am Post subject:

George, I would love to now more about your advent services, and what the meaning of each week is. Our new Church lights a candle each week for advent, we are planning a service Christmas day (evening service) and will light the final white candle then.

But the Church I can from did not really observe advent, I have no background. Was it Martin Luther that came up with the idea of lighting candles for advent?

Maybe you could point me to a good website, or...

Sorry to get off topic. Shocked

markm2553 · Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 5:18 am Post subject:

[/quote] Btw..are you guys the people who own the place?Why the effort? ...just curious[/quote]

None of us have anything to do with ownership of the forum, and we don't make any money from it. The guy that does own it took an extended leave a few months ago, work related, and he made some of us regular memebers mods. Many of the guys where already mods, and doing a fine job of it.

Everyone will have to answer for themself about why they put time in, but for me, I just really like the fellowship. You won't find any ego around here, I know a bunch of these guys would knock your socks off with their playing, but to hear them talk, you would never know it. And best of all; God and Jesus are not four letter words around here!