One of the questions I’m asked from time to time is… “How many people should I have (on stage) in my worship team?”
This is a very difficult question to answer because every church is different…
- Different cultures.
- Different sizes of congregations.
- Varying availability & capability of your musicians.
- Varying needs of the music (does it need an orchestra, or a single guitar to sound best?!).
It may also depend on a number of other factors…
- The size and nature of the room.
- The spread of the congregation (broad seating compared to tunnel seating).
- The place of the church in it’s journey (is it transitioning from a traditional style, to a contemporary style).
- The season the church is in (may need or desire a more intimate approach).
There’s a lot more considerations and you probably have your own combination or unique situation. As you can see, there is not a “one-size-fits-all” approach to forming your team.
Having said that, here’s what is common and requires careful consideration … [and I’m assuming you have or are developing a contemporary style of worship]
- Firstly, every team needs strong vocal leadership. Singers lead the congregation with their voices and so this becomes your primary concern. Have strong singers. They don’t have to be world class performers – you just need people who have strong, clear voices that are in tune (yep! that helps!) and are confident to lead.
- Secondly, the more musicians you have, the less each one needs to play. This is incredibly important, as I’ve heard tons of bands where each musician feels they have to carry the whole weight of rhythm, chords and melody themselves and it becomes very muddy and messy. More musos, less playing required. This is where mature musicianship is vital.
- Thirdly, the more musicians playing, the harder it is to have a “tight” sound – that is – playing in time. The smaller the band, the tighter the sound (generally speaking).
So if the band is smaller (say 2-3 people plus singers) you need to consider these things (in order)…
- Use the instruments that are vital for a good sound. These may bass, keys and drums; or guitar, bass and cajon (box drum with a snare in it) … whatever you have, but favour what helps to lead people. A harmonic instrument like guitar or piano, always gets to play in these situations.
- Play to your strengths. That means, play the instruments that you play best on, and not your second best instrument.
- Ensure that there is a good mix of rhythm instruments, and harmonic instruments (keys or guitar)
I’ve actually done a whole Christmas Carols program with keyboards, drums, and 5-6 vocalists (I played a bass-line, string pads and piano on keys, with the drummer. The vocals were 3 strong leads with 3 part harmony) and it was a big, full sound.
Be encouraged. It can be done! A small team can do a more than acceptable job.
I will pick up this topic again in the next blog, but there’s enough there to start with. If you have a small group of musicians, then there is always hope that you can build a strong worship team.
What do the rest of you think? Please add your comments and question below.
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