The Great Confusion – Arranging Guitars and Keyboards at Church

in

Kungpow Production Arranging Guitars at Church

Arranging keyboards at church

As modern worship music has evolved, the role of the guitar player has expanded, while the role of the keyboard player has diminished. Go back a generation and the piano and organ were the primary instruments used to accompany congregational worship. The piano could cover the entire range of harmonics and much of the dynamics an orchestra or band would provide to accompany a singer.

Modern worship is based on a alt/rock ensemble configuration, where each player takes a part, listens and interacts with each other, and when heard together presets a complete rhythmic and harmonic structure.

Arranging Guitars at Chuch THE PROBLEM:

The transition from piano accompanist to part player is tough for many keyboardists. Their classical training has not equipped them to play in an ensemble, how to improvise, how to play parts. We need a strategy to help the guitarist and keyboardist co-exist and compliment each other, on behalf of  keeping the sound uncluttered.

THE SOLUTION:

Let’s use bits of the design process to create a model for harmonious relationship between guitars and keyboards. It start with declaring the arrangement jobs the musicians in the band are performing.  For this model of thinking, lets divide all musical parts into 5 job categories: Foundational, Rhythm, Pad, Fills or Lead.  You’ll see a description of each job on the left. Notice how the guitar and keyboard strategies for each arrangement job are different and complementary.  Now here’s the tip to level up:  Work it out between the two of you, who is going to take what job in each section of the song.  The more you listen the more you’ll be able to dynamically adapt in the moment and keep the arrangement clean in the process!

ARRANGEMENT JOBS

 

 

My jobs model is adapted from Bobby Owsinski’s THE MIXING ENGINEERS HANDBOOK, Chapter on Balancing the mix.

MOST GREAT POP SONGS HAVE ONLY ONE OR TWO PARTS PER ARRANGEMENT JOB.

Whether declared or assumed, band members enter into a social contract to play together as a team, to compliment each other’s musical contributions. As a musical team we need to each play our part, just like a football team would fail if everyone on the team decided that they would be the quarterback. Moreover, as a musical team, we have agreed to listen to each other, to make space for each other, to play in such a way as to help the others to sound their best.

Great guitar players and keyboardists approach their jobs from the point of view of a music producer by asking themselves: What part could I play that will cover one of the core arrangement jobs in such a way as to create movement and beauty while complimenting the emotional center and lyrical development of the song? Like a puzzle, every musical part needs to fit into the bigger picture, to create a complete image with little to no overlap of adjacent parts. So how do we get this done?

Arranging Keyboards and Piano at ChurchKEYBOARDISTS:

Crank up the guitars in your mix and listen to them. Compliment them. Counter them. Play around or weave though their voicings. Challenge yourself to change your thinking about notes from one of abundance to one of scarcity. Imagine that every note you play is precious, a gem. Like words, choose them wisely, choose them frugally and you’ll put more beauty out into the world with less. Choose poorly and risk contributing to the chaos by adding to the noise.

Arranging Guitars and Keyboards at ChuchGUITARISTS:

Guitarists we need to clean up our act! Yes, we’ve been inspired by a lot of effects laden Coldplay and U2 music, but its time to stop and listen to all the sonic space we’re taking up in the band. Its time to hone in on how we can compliment the vocal, make space for other instruments and explore our own negative space to create contrast… then unleash our holy noise at the right moment to elevate and lift the music and our worship. I’m not asking you to turn off the effects. I’m asking you to stop and listen, then choose notes and effects that elevate the song and compliment the other parts of the arrangement. Guitarists, if you’ve got a keyboard player in the band let them cover the basic pad. You can swell and add all sorts of shimmery love in those in between moments, but let the keys take the core pad. And grab a boost pedal to run after your overdrives so you can punch out those fills and leads at a higher level than the foundation, rhythm and pad parts.

GUITARISTS & KEYBOARDISTS:

What we’re talking about here is taking our musicianship beyond simply playing the parts on the record. Worship is improvisational in nature, so listen to each other, compliment each other, play less and make space for beauty in your worship.

We would love to know what you think!  Join the conversation and leave a comment below !

Know someone else who might benefit from receiving our weekly insights?  Share this link with them so they can sign up. [http://mad.ly/signups/27988/join](http://mad.ly/signups/27988/join) We sincerely appreciate your referral.

Kungpow Production is on a mission to unlock creative freedom for artists, honor the commitment and energy of technicians and envelope and engage the community as they worship their Creator.  For help with your next project reach out to us at_ [info@kungpowpro.com](mailto: info@kungpowpro.com)