SEARCH FOR THE "WHY" NOT JUST THE "HOW"

A quick thought of advice to all musicians and vocalists, beginners and intermediates.
This has been a huge problem to alot of musicians out there, you keep wondering why you do not grow despite the hard work you put in to practice. This is one of the major reasons, you keep blindly copying what you here from the advanced musicians / vocalists without knowing the reason behind so you end up accumulating alot of stuff in your mind that you can not apply when needed, or apply where not appliable . You should know that knowledge without revelation brings about destruction. Don't just cram anything new you learn instead go and research about it, read of its application and trust me it will totally change your music.
* BLESS YOU AS YOU MOVE TO THE NEXT LEVEL *

ELECTRIC GUITAR TIPS

TIPS FOR WORSHIP LEAD GUITARISTS

1. Different approach to acoustic

When acoustic players pick up an electric they tend go one of two ways. They either strum it just like an acoustic or play pentatonic bluesy lead lines. If you strum with an electric you basically need to play it a lot less than an acoustic. So strum the essential groove and work with the natural sustain of the solid body rather than against it with too much rhythm.

2. Play rhythmically

The typical job for an electric in most worship band settings is not so much a lead guitar but mainly to add color and dynamics to the rhythm of the song. So try picking out the notes in the chords, use different voicings further up the neck, use combos of fretted and open strings but above all make it sound like a part that backs up the main groove of the song.

3. Use CAGED voicings

The CAGED system is based around the major and minor open chord shapes of C, A, G, E and D moved up the neck sometimes in conjunction with a bar chord. CAGED will give you a complete framework of how to play any chord in any position up and down  the neck.

4. The capo is your friend

Some people say the capo is a crutch. Think of it more of a tool that helps you make new voicings. If you play rolling jangley parts then use a capo to put the open strings in key and then the combo of open and fretted notes can create some great drone sounds.

5. Don’t clash with the keyboard

You play in the same octave spectrum as the keys so be careful not to clash with their parts. If you can’t hear them then watch their fingers to compliment their rhythms. Try to play in different spaces, with different tones and in different octaves. Also remember you don’t have to play all the time so if they are doing something nice, give them space!

6. Play texturally

Think about using your electric to add textural parts to a song a bit like in the way keyboard players use pads and filters.

7. Effects

You can use two overdrives, one for general and one for big out there sounds, a delay, some compression for tighter cleaner sounds and the occasional bit of modulation like chorus or tremolo to add some texture. The key things are really drive and delay. Delay can thicken up tones, add a sense of sustain to ringing chords as well as rhythmic textures like dotted 8th notes for U2 type sounds. However the golden rule is the delay time must be in synch with the songs’ tempo. Too slow and your notes sound indistinct and muddy and too fast and they sound like they are running away from you. Generally the more delay and reverb type effect you use the more your sound will seem to place itself at the back of the mix. So don’t overdo it unless you are specifically trying to create a texture or a wash.

8. Don’t use as much distortion as you think

Listen to the guitars on some of the quintessential classic rock tracks and many have much less distortion than you think. In fact too much distortion will lose you clarity in the mix. So practice playing with less gain, and executing each chord more clearly. Also great distorted tones are often quite dry so be careful of adding too much rev or delay as it can accentuate the high frequencies in a not too pleasant way. Again using both of these ideas will help you cut through the mix much better.

9. Play with volumes and tone controls

Guitar volumes are really designed to work best fully open. Backing them off can loose treble, same with tone controls too. However for some sounds this may be exactly what you want and there are many players who can create a variety of great tones just by playing with these controls. For overdrive with my Telecaster I’ll back the tone off to 8 and then adjusting the volume gives me more or less distortion.

10. Use more mid

If your motifs and lines don’t cut through the mix then use a little more mid to add punch. This is exactly why the Eric Clapton Strat has an active mid boost control. Pedals like the Ibanez Tubescreamer also have a natural mid ‘hump’ in their inherent tone and if your amp doesn’t have a mid control there are various drive pedals that will give you a dedicated mid pot.

11. Small tube amp

Most churches play at a volume WAY below the level most classic tube amps sound best at so there’s no point in buying your ultimate 100, 50 or even 30 watt weapon if it’s just for church environments. However nowdays amp makers have cottoned on to this and there are now loads of good quality 5-10 watt amps that sound great at low volumes.

12. Amp positioning

If you stand right next to your amp you’ll only hear a very bassy tone but the people in the front will hear all the treble. So try to place the amp 6-10 ft away from you if possible. Speaker stands to get the sound up towards your ear lifting it away from the floor can lose bass and low end. Angle the speaker up towards you but keep it locked to the floor.

                                  *BE BLESSED AS YOU MOVE TO THE NEXT LEVEL*

VOCAL RUNS!

10 VOCAL TIPS TO SINGING A GOOD RUN.

Singing runs in music, (a group of notes on a vowel), can be tricky.  You encounter them a lot in both classical music and R & B.  The goal with a run is to make it sound effortless, have it be perfectly in tune, and create a smooth legato tying the notes all together to sound like 1 phrase.  Regarding the word legato, you want the singing to be smooth, not short and choppy.  You don’t want to hear each note being created rather a succession on notes all eliding together.

1. Take the run apart and play it repeatedly.  Play the run out on the piano or guitar if you can one note at a time. Really listen to the relationships between all the notes involved.  Are they all half steps?  Whole steps, two whole steps? etc…

2. Put numbers to the run- if there are 6 notes in it sing each note with a number, eg. 123456.  (each note having its own number).

3. Break the run up into sections- if there are 12 notes in it, break them up in groups that naturally make sense according to the rhythm it is written in.  So you may have 3 groups of 4, you can count these out as well 1234,1234,1234 instead of counting straight through to twelve.

4. Learn the end of the run first- Just like memorizing the last page of a song first, if you conquer the end of your run first, you will have more confidence as you go through it.

5. Practice your run on a staccato (short and choppy) vowel- Of course, your end goal is to sing your run legato, but breaking up the run into a staccato will help your muscle memory learn each pitch precisely so that when you sing through smoothly your pitch will be spot on for every note involved.  You want to sing it smooth not sloppy, using a staccato to practice it will help with that.

6. Separate the runs into little syllables such as bi di bi di be, or mi ni mi ni mi.  Adding the consonants in practice will also help you to solidify the correct pitches of the runs.  Sing with the consonants and then take them out and sing on the vowel.

7. Practice the run on different vowels.  -You may have a vowel you prefer such as ee or ahh, use which ever vowels you like and are comfortable with to learn your runs.  Each vowel will give a slightly different flavor to your run depending on how they resonate.  You can pull a little bit of oh into an ee, or ah into an i to create the best sound.

8. Listen to recordings of the runs- Some of us learn really well through ear.  If you have a good recording of your runs listen and learn.  Then envision yourself singing them just the same or better and do it.

9. Clap or stomp the rhythm. This will help you to get the beat and rhythm into your body.

10. Do body motions to help create a phrase- bend your knees through the run, do large eight motions with your hands, bend at the waist and pick imaginary flowers off the ground. (sounds crazy but lots of singers do these odd things to distract their mind from concentrating on every note so that they may attain a freer result in the run.

Once you have done all of the above, remember to relax into the run and sing it smoothly.  Each note of the run needs to blossom and be beautiful with its own spin on it.  You need to be prepared with a good breath and make the run sound effortless.

*BE BLESSED AS YOU MOVE TO THE NEXT LEVEL*

VOCAL BLENDING

HOW TO BLEND VOCALS

Blending is the art of combining different and unique vocal sounds and make them sound like one. Blending involves mixing, merging and integrating individual voices, tone quality and even accents into one sound! It all begins with recognizing that no matter how good singers can be as soloist they’ll have to yield some individualities to obtain a blended sound! That takes willingness and a bit of education. How to blend:-

-  POSTURE. Your posture can either free u or bind you up; balanced, upright, athletic posture allows good breathing, resonant tone and a physical appearance that doesn’t distract from singing and the message.

- VOICE TYPE (TONE). It’s not possible for a group of singers to blend their voices if everyone will be singing their own preferable tones! Here am talking about the Head voice, Chest voice, Mixed voice and Nosal resonance. Before singing a song it is important to chose which type of tone you would like to use for that particular song and either with or without nosal resonance.

- DICTION. Agree on the vowel and consonant sounds that you want to use. Blending will be difficult if everyone will hold on to their own accents!

- FORGET YOUR INDICIDUAL SKILLS. Remember that you are not singing a solo instead you are singing as a team, there for this is not the time to show your vibrato, runs, tremolo and so forth unless you all agreed to do it as a team.

-UNDERSTAND AND WORK ON YOURSELF. Take time to study yourself if you have a very loud voice or a very low one, a very high pitch or a very low one and try to fit in so as to achieve the blending. For example if you know that your voice is too loud naturally you wouldn’t wanna use all of your energy when singing so as not to over shadow your fellows!

*BE BLESSED AS YOU MOVE TO THE NEXT LEVEL*

HOW TO ENHANCE ON STAGE-PRESENCE

HOW TO ENHANCE ON STAGE-PRESENCE.

As Worship leaders, or (lead Worshipers) our purpose is not to model a personal Worship experience on stage. It’s not even most importantly to perform well, but to facilitate corporate-Worship; to enable the people to participate and engage to what is going on and to direct them to the truth of the Gospel! When we remember that our role on stage is primarily one of servant leadership, that it’s not about us and what we do but about God, we are freed to serve and lead well! Thus the following are some tips:-

1. PRAY. We should know that God is interested in our relationship with him more than what we do for him! Therefore we ought to have a constant fellowship with God “EVERY DAY” and he will fill us with insights and revelation on how to lead his people!

2. WATCH WHAT YOU DO. Be (or become) aware of your body language and gestures. If you can, have someone take a video of you leading worship so that you can observe yourself and see what you might be doing, consciously or unconsciously, that is awkward, distracting or helpful. Our body language and gestures should be natural, relaxed and appropriate. Remember that you are seeking to invite and enable the congregation as a whole to engage and participate in what is going on, not to be the poster child for how a person “should” look when worshipping. Carefully consider whether what you would normally do in private worship or as a participant in the congregation–or even what you do naturally when you hear music–will be more helpful or distracting when leading from the stage.

3.SING LIKE YOU MEAN IT. Sing clearly and in such a way that people can easily sing along with you. We’re not being good leaders if people can’t follow! Reflect on and give an appropriate facial or bodily response to the words we sing. The intent is not that we “act out” each song we sing, but rather show, by our expressions and actions, that we understand and agree with what we’re singing. If a song is joyful, smile! When singing a true statement about God, I will often affirm and agree with the statement by nodding my head as I sing that line.  When singing a truth about our hearts, I often indicate that by placing my hand over my heart. When we lead songs, we are proclaiming that truth (telling that “story”) to everyone there gathered, inviting them in to sing it and realize what we’re saying with us.

4.CUT DOWN ON “DOWN TIME”. There are two things that commonly happen to a congregant or a vocalist during an instrumental solo or extended instrumental break in a song: either they disconnect (because there’s nothing for them to do) and stand awkwardly waiting for their next cue to sing, or they start noticing and admiring the skill of the instrumentalist. Is this always the case? No. Is it often the case? Probably. This is not to say that arrangements should be so simplified as to cut out all intricacy and beauty, or to deprive instrumentalists of using their skills to offer their sacrifice of praise. But it is a call to worship leaders and arrangers to consider what is going on for the congregation and the singers during those times. Are all the interludes, solos, instrumental transitions necessary? An overly showy arrangement with extended instrumentals and/or solos can be just as distracting and awkward as a song sung off-key.

5.USE READINGS AND TRANSITION WISELY. Be reverent, conversational and sincere, but use appropriate expressiveness and emphasis when you read or speak. Slow down a bit: don’t drag, but remember that not everyone in the congregation is a fast or good reader. With regards to readings, a seminary professor once pointed out that verbs are actually the most important part of any given text. Practice emphasizing verbs instead of pronouns, adjectives or adverbs. You’ll be amazed at how this highlights the truths of Scripture.

6.SHOW AND TELL. Show or tell people how the song we’ve just sung relates to what we’ve just done or are about to do. Mention the Scriptural truth that gives us the basis for this action, song, or activity. Be honest about how our feelings may not seem to line up with what we’ve just sung or what we are about to sing, pointing out that truth is not so subjective.

7.PRACTICE. “Practice, practice, practice,”! One of the best ways to look and feel comfortable and relaxed and engaging on stage is to know what you’re doing. Learn the words and music to the songs so you can look up from the page and establish eye contact with the congregation. Practice your readings out loud several times so that you are familiar with all the words before the service. Run through the order of the set and service as a team before going up on stage so that everyone knows what’s happening when and where. 

*BE BLESSED AS YOU MOVE TO THE NEXT LEVEL*

VIBRATO & TREMOLANDO

VIBRATO AND TREMOLANDO.

These two vocal techniques are very important for a singer; they enable you to add flavor and life in your singing! However a lot of people mix these two terminologies to have the same meaning; it’s true that they are so much alike, but they are still different!

VIBRATO: Is a periodic variation in pitch of a musical note. It is typically characterized in two factors: the amount of pitch variation (extent of vibrato) and the speed with which the pitch is varied                    (rate of vibrato)!

TREMOLANDO: Now tremolando is not a periodic variation in pitch of a musical note, rather it is the periodic variation in amplitude of a musical note!

The following are some techniques that will help you develop your vibrato and tremolando skills:-

-         BREATHING TECHNIQUE. Now you should know that whenever you sing you ought to breathe from your diaphragm and not from your chest, and also remember not to squeeze your tummy. Breathing from your diaphragm will help you control your breath and play with your voice anyhow; this is in regardless of doing or not doing vibrato!

-         LOOSEN YOUR JAW. Don’t try to force the vibrato by twisting your jaw because in that way you surely won’t get it right; rather you just have to relax and let it come automatically from the diaphragm! Remember you might not get it in one day, but it will surely come gradually as you practice!

-         LOOSEN YOUR TONGUE ROOT. Make sure you release your tongue while singing. A lot of singers face this problem and they are already addicted to it thinking that straining the tongue root makes them sound better; well that’s not true however straining your tongue in any case would just cause pain to your throat and make your voice crack easily!

-         OPEN YOUR MOUTH WIDE. This is another important secret in singing. You should know that you will never get to sound better if you won’t let your mouth open wide! Opening your mouth wide brings a powerful and a better voice; trust me try it out and you’ll notice changes!

-         SING IN YOUR COMFORTABLE NOTE. As you're practicing the vibrato and tremolo you should try to sing in your very comfortable note so that you won’t be straining yourself or forcing anything!

*BE BLESSED AS YOU MOVE TO THE NEXT LEVEL*

MUSIC EAR

DEVELOP YOUR MUSIC EAR.

“A GOOD MUSIC EAR” simply means the ability to identify notes, pitch, chords, rhythm and instruments! A good Worship leader/ musician should have a good music ear in order to be able to coordinate music, arrange music and write good songs! It’s true that the best way to develop music arrangement and songwriting craft is to listen to the music of professionals; but if you are unable to identify what you are hearing it’s quite useless! Before you start trying to develop your music ear you should first understand that music ear goes hand to hand with music theory; Therefore developing your basic music theory would really help you develop a good music ear. You can also try the following:-

 1. Find somebody to play a major scale for you; for example, C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C= (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, do); Then have him/her play random notes from the scale while you  name each scale degree of the note he/she plays; eg. If “D” is played you name it “3” or “mi”, if “F” you name it “4” or “Fa” and so on! Mind you the example I gave was according to the major scale of key C (major) but you can do it in any key you want!

2. Get yourself some ear training software from different sites! It’s easy just type “online ear training” in a search engine! 

3. Use numbers when referring chords in a song; for example, if the song is in the key of G major and you find that G, C and D are the most common chords then you’d name them 1,2 and 3 consecutively! That will help you help you identify chords in every key!

I believe that will gradually help you develop your music ear and once your music ear is developed, you’ll find yourself writing better songs, arranging better music and even singing or playing better!

*BE BLESSED AS YOU MOVE TO THE NEXT LEVEL*