http://the49resources.org/forums.cfm Sat, 16 Jan 2010 01:00:00 GMT http://bandzoogle.com http://the49resources.org/forums.cfm?feature=1084794&postid=162181 "Our thoughts and imagination are the only real limits to our possibilities." - Orison Swett Marden My skill level as a musician is limited. I'm in a constant state of trying to expand it, but it takes time – more time than I'm willing to wait. So I've learned some tricks to overcome my limitations, as I'm growing in my gift. Many times I will hear melodies or rhythms in my head and I will try and play them as a musical bed, then use them as a launching point in the songwriting process. One problem – they sound great in my head, but when I try to play them, I sometimes struggle to find the right chords/chord progressions, or to create a loop mimicking what I'm hearing. In the past I would work, and struggle with it, to the point that I would lose the original feeling and creativity concept. My attention would be focused on getting the right drum sound, or synth patch to set the right mood and I would completely miss out on the main point – the song idea. Never fear, there is a happy ending to our story! These day I embrace the process of writing with my imagination. In my imagination there are no limitations – I can go wherever I want, the band sounds great, and I'm always amazing! ha... I have become a big fan of recording my song ideas on a little digital recorder, or leaving myself a voice message. I'll sing the melody and worry about finding the chords later. I'll sing out drum parts and describe what I'm hearing. It's amazing when we write something down or say it out loud how much easier it is to remember it later. The imagination is an amazing gift that God has given us, and is a very effective tool that can be used anywhere – at any time. I'll often write this way on the plane, as I'm traveling. So I encourage you, as you’re working to improve your technique and expand your skill as a musician, use your imagination in the song writing process and go beyond your current limitations! "Our thoughts and imagination are the only real limits to our possibilities." - Orison Swett Marden

My skill level as a musician is limited. I'm in a constant state of trying to expand it, but it takes time – more time than I'm willing to wait. So I've learned some tricks to overcome my limitations, as I'm growing in my gift.

Many times I will hear melodies or rhythms in my head and I will try and play them as a musical bed, then use them as a launching point in the songwriting process.

One problem – they sound great in my head, but when I try to play them, I sometimes struggle to find the right chords/chord progressions, or to create a loop mimicking what I'm hearing.

In the past I would work, and struggle with it, to the point that I would lose the original feeling and creativity concept. My attention would be focused on getting the right drum sound, or synth patch to set the right mood and I would completely miss out on the main point – the song idea.

Never fear, there is a happy ending to our story! These day I embrace the process of writing with my imagination. In my imagination there are no limitations – I can go wherever I want, the band sounds great, and I'm always amazing! ha...

I have become a big fan of recording my song ideas on a little digital recorder, or leaving myself a voice message. I'll sing the melody and worry about finding the chords later. I'll sing out drum parts and describe what I'm hearing. It's amazing when we write something down or say it out loud how much easier it is to remember it later.

The imagination is an amazing gift that God has given us, and is a very effective tool that can be used anywhere – at any time. I'll often write this way on the plane, as I'm traveling.

So I encourage you, as you’re working to improve your technique and expand your skill as a musician, use your imagination in the song writing process and go beyond your current limitations!

]]> Sat, 16 Jan 2010 01:00:00 GMT 05A24FAECDC6735A3C5C934D9028D0B1 http://the49resources.org/forums.cfm?feature=1084794&postid=162120 "The more we sweat during peace, the less we bleed during war." - Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit When we come to a rehearsal it's good to have a plan. What do we want to accomplish? Coming together with your worship team and playing the songs over and over can be fun, but generally the mistakes we make during those times are going to made again when we're leading people in worship, if we don't take time to address what's not sounding right. Part of our job as worship leaders is to create a clear sound (sonically and spiritually) making it easier for people to enter into worship. Most of the trouble spots happen in three parts of the songs. The beginning, the ending, and the transitions. It's important to ask ourselves these questions:      How are we going to start the song?      How are we going to end the song?      How are we going to get in and out of our transition points? How we start the song is important because we lock ourselves into a specific tempo. If we start the song too fast or too slow the song might not work. It's great to have a metronome, but if you don't have one, sing the chorus of the song in your head – this will generally give you a comfortable tempo for playing the song. The most important thing to communicate when ending the song is, “What note is everyone is going to end on?” Make sure you are direct when you communicate – there's a better than 50/50 chance that everyone will end on the same note during practice, but not everyone will get there on purpose.... I'm smiling as I write this, but it's oh, so true..... you always want to make sure that you’re communicating clearly – not assuming because it happened once, it will happen again. Transitions: solo sections, drum breaks, etc. Make sure that everyone knows which chord progressions are being played during each section. For example, if you’re supposed to be playing a chorus section during a guitar solo, but it sounds like someone is playing the bridge section? Chances are... you guessed it.... someone is playing the bridge section! Generally I play a song all the way through, and then spend time going over these sections. I'll start the song several times in a row. Then we'll go to the end and work on that for a few minutes. If most of the song is communicating clearly, but there's just one section that isn't sounding right, don't spend your whole rehearsal playing the entire song over and over, and just hope it will get better. Identify the trouble sections and spend your time on those sections. This will make for a more productive rehearsal, it will allow the band to communicate a clear sound, and will help the people connect with the Father. "The more we sweat during peace, the less we bleed during war." - Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit

When we come to a rehearsal it's good to have a plan. What do we want to accomplish?

Coming together with your worship team and playing the songs over and over can be fun, but generally the mistakes we make during those times are going to made again when we're leading people in worship, if we don't take time to address what's not sounding right. Part of our job as worship leaders is to create a clear sound (sonically and spiritually) making it easier for people to enter into worship.

Most of the trouble spots happen in three parts of the songs. The beginning, the ending, and the transitions.

It's important to ask ourselves these questions:
     How are we going to start the song?
     How are we going to end the song?
     How are we going to get in and out of our transition points?

How we start the song is important because we lock ourselves into a specific tempo. If we start the song too fast or too slow the song might not work. It's great to have a metronome, but if you don't have one, sing the chorus of the song in your head – this will generally give you a comfortable tempo for playing the song.

The most important thing to communicate when ending the song is, “What note is everyone is going to end on?” Make sure you are direct when you communicate – there's a better than 50/50 chance that everyone will end on the same note during practice, but not everyone will get there on purpose.... I'm smiling as I write this, but it's oh, so true..... you always want to make sure that you’re communicating clearly – not assuming because it happened once, it will happen again.

Transitions: solo sections, drum breaks, etc. Make sure that everyone knows which chord progressions are being played during each section. For example, if you’re supposed to be playing a chorus section during a guitar solo, but it sounds like someone is playing the bridge section? Chances are... you guessed it.... someone is playing the bridge section!

Generally I play a song all the way through, and then spend time going over these sections. I'll start the song several times in a row. Then we'll go to the end and work on that for a few minutes. If most of the song is communicating clearly, but there's just one section that isn't sounding right, don't spend your whole rehearsal playing the entire song over and over, and just hope it will get better. Identify the trouble sections and spend your time on those sections. This will make for a more productive rehearsal, it will allow the band to communicate a clear sound, and will help the people connect with the Father.

]]> Sat, 16 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT B26BA692D448FBD426B779A94086DCD8 http://the49resources.org/forums.cfm?feature=1084794&postid=144842 "Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes; art is knowing which ones to keep." - Scott Adams This quote has quickly become one of my favorites. To truly be creative you have to eliminate fear from the process. We have to realize that the process of creativity, in and of itself, is an act of worship. A lot of the time we get so focused on the end result that we miss out on the exchange of life with our Father - the relationship. We must remember that He is the Creator. When we create we are emulating our father. The creative process is a very precious gift. As we come in alignment with this process we’re releasing the nature of the Father – the very Glory of God. I encourage you to embrace the process. Breathe Him in and breathe Him out. Don’t rush through the process, but rather enjoy the romance. The joy truly is in the journey. Let us know your thoughts – what experiences/encounters have you had with the Father during the creative process?
"Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes; art is knowing which ones to keep." - Scott Adams

This quote has quickly become one of my favorites.

To truly be creative you have to eliminate fear from the process. We have to realize that the process of creativity, in and of itself, is an act of worship. A lot of the time we get so focused on the end result that we miss out on the exchange of life with our Father - the relationship.

We must remember that He is the Creator. When we create we are emulating our father. The creative process is a very precious gift. As we come in alignment with this process we’re releasing the nature of the Father – the very Glory of God.

I encourage you to embrace the process. Breathe Him in and breathe Him out. Don’t rush through the process, but rather enjoy the romance. The joy truly is in the journey.

Let us know your thoughts – what experiences/encounters have you had with the Father during the creative process?]]> Wed, 23 Dec 2009 21:35:00 GMT F17F3EDAA160724ADC0D3A44085F84F5