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*