It’s now a couple of blogs ago that I began this series on music directing. Before, I called it an “Art”, and that’s true, but like many other aspects of worship, there is a “science” to it as well.
And what I mean by that is that there some practical things that we can put in place that will help us navigate through any song, and even segue into another. The list can be quite long, but here are some essentials…
- Know the song thoroughly. You should be able to play it without a chord chart. In fact, ideally, all the musicians should be able to play the songs without a chord chart.
- Make Song Charts crystal clear. They have to be written with the mindset that other people have to read them (and not read your mind!), and play together. You have to be clear with what the song requires and where the chords land in respect of the words (over the exact syllable is essential). You will need to consider…
- BPM (beats per minute). This should be clearly written on the top of every chart. (eg. BPM = 68). You can get all sorts of aps that will both store and give you the exact beats with a blinking light or beep in a headset.
- Time signature – how many beats per bar and what type of beat they are. This is important, because it refers to how you count for the song, and where the strong and weak beats lie.
- Key and capo setting (what fret do you put a capo on).
- Correct chords with correct bass notes (eg. C/E). Correct bass notes (the second note bolded) is very important for the song to have direction and create tension. Many of the songs online have incorrect chords. Make sure you check them before using them.
- Clear intro and outros. You may need to have more than one idea for these as you segue from one song to the next. You need to write these into the chart.
- (Optional but helpful) … a basic song structure or form. We understand that worship leaders need to change this in a moment, but a basic structure needs to be in place and maybe written on the chart somewhere
- Understand what instrument drives each particular song. If the acoustic guitar and the piano and the rhythm electric guitar all feel it’s their job to drive the song (which I’ve heard heaps of times) then you will have a rhythmic mess. Pick one – only. This may be determined by the person who is the most capable and reliable on their instrument, but make the choice!
- Be in tune with the leader of worship. Do your best to work with the leader of worship to enhance the ambience and create the best mood for that period in the worship set. I understand that if I use the word “mood” it may sound manipulative and many want to avoid that. The truth is, no matter what you play, you WILL set a mood, so you might as well be intentional to create the one that helps people engage with God, and helps draw them closer in adoration of Him.
- Have your own microphone. Even if you’re not singing, directions need to be made during rehearsal. It can be difficult to cut through the rehearsal to make a point or just give basic directions.
I know, for some of you, these issue may seem quite basic, but I have personally found in most church music teams, one or more of these to be missing to the detriment of their rehearsal.
Share below any other essentials you may wish to know when directing a team.
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