Do liberal Catholics have to like guitars at mass?

[tadoflamb]

Mariachis excepted, of course.

 

[Mountain_Girl406]

Not too much at our parish, although it happens a few times a year. I've played guitar once or twice at Mass myself . I've played violin more at Mass though.

 

[tadoflamb]

Not too much at our parish, although it happens a few times a year. I've played guitar once or twice at Mass myself . I've played violin more at Mass though.

Uh oh.

We have a guitar at one of our masses. She does a very good job, but I find it distracting.

I prefer traditional music and liturgies. For some reason, it becomes a more meditative and transforming experience.

Maybe I'm a liberal traditionalist.

 

[Martinius]

What do you mean, no mariachis? I went to a mariachi Mass at a mission church near San Antonio which I thought was wonderful. I enjoy ethnic liturgies. Unlike an older man there who looked like an Iowa or Nebraska farmer. He sat stone faced with his arms folded.

I played at guitar masses when I was a teenager back in the sixties. At my former parish we had, at the Saturday Mass, a woman playing the piano and her husband on the guitar. At the church we go to in Florida they had the same arrangement at one Mass. Sounded good together. At my current parish, every Mass has keyboard and guitar plus several other instruments, which varies but can include strings and reed instruments. These players are pros or as good as pros and play beautifully together.

I think guitar is fine, but not usually just by itself. But keep in mind that "Silent Night" was written for and first played on a guitar, due to a broken organ at Christmas.

 

[tadoflamb]

What do you mean, no mariachis? I went to a mariachi Mass at a mission church near San Antonio which I thought was wonderful. I enjoy ethnic liturgies. Unlike an older man there who looked like an Iowa or Nebraska farmer. He sat stone faced with his arms folded.

I played at guitar masses when I was a teenager back in the sixties. At my former parish we had, at the Saturday Mass, a woman playing the piano and her husband on the guitar. At the church we go to in Florida they had the same arrangement at one Mass. Sounded good together. At my current parish, every Mass has keyboard and guitar plus several other instruments, which varies but can include strings and reed instruments. These players are pros or as good as pros and play beautifully together.

I think guitar is fine, but not usually just by itself. But keep in mind that "Silent Night" was written for and first played on a guitar, due to a broken organ at Christmas.

You misread me, I love a mariachi mass. We have them around our pastor's birthday and feast day of Virgin de Guadalupe. Mariachi masses are evidence of how Catholicism can adopt other cultures. We're not monolithic.

Coming to think of it, the masses I've been to at the mission San Xavier de Bac had a guitar with a couple of vocalists. The liturgies at the mission are always very nice.

I'm sure guitars at mass can be done well, and I've got nothing critical of the guitar player at my parish, I just can't get into the liturgies with guitars like I can with liturgies with traditional or no music.

 

[Martinius]

You misread me, I love a mariachi mass. We have them around our pastor's birthday and feast day of Virgin de Guadalupe. Mariachi masses are evidence of how Catholicism can adopt other cultures. We're not monolithic.

Coming to think of it, the masses I've been to at the mission San Xavier de Bac had a guitar with a couple of vocalists. The liturgies at the mission are always very nice.

I'm sure guitars at mass can be done well, and I've got nothing critical of the guitar player at my parish, I just can't get into the liturgies with guitars like I can with liturgies with traditional or no music.

I think in the U.S. guitars got the image of being linked to youth Masses or "hippie" Masses from the sixties and seventies. They are common in liturgies in other cultures and places. At my current parish the guitar is one of several instruments and blends in very well. The music they play at Mass is the same as what we would have without the guitar. Now the youth Mass has one keyboardist and a couple of acoustic guitars, and the music is more contemporary, so the guitars stand out more. The musicianship and singing and the energy at those Masses is very uplifting. Even though we are seniors, my wife and I attend that Mass periodically.

 

[Landon Caeli]

I prefer electronica and flashing lasers during Mass. Anyone else..?

 

[Mountain_Girl406]

Uh oh.

We have a guitar at one of our masses. She does a very good job, but I find it distracting.

I prefer traditional music and liturgies. For some reason, it becomes a more meditative and transforming experience.

Maybe I'm a liberal traditionalist.

I actually don't really like guitar masses, mainly because you end up strumming about three chords. It's kind of mind numbing. The only time it was fun was when I got to do some classical style guitar improvisation after communion.
That's part of the reason I switched to violin. ..10 years of training as a classical guitarist and the only group playing I could do was strum a few chords or sit in on rhythm guitar with my brothers band. Violin parts are much more fun!

 

[thehehe]

I'm not specially a Liberal (or at least I never considered myself as one) but I LOVE electric guitars at Mass, and I love to dance at Mass on catchy hymns (but I always love to dance). One of my brothers is even a member of one these bands: he is very engaged in underprivileged suburbs. Dance has always been an amazing way of expressing the happiness of being loved. Moreover I belong to a community in which a Mass is always a very dynamic and happy moment. This community (currently the most popular in France) wakes up the strait-laced Catholics in their countryside, thinking that the world is still living Monarchy.
Of course, a traditional liturgy also has its charm, but it's more difficult to dance and to jump everywhere on Nearer my God to thee

 

[Martinius]

I actually don't really like guitar masses, mainly because you end up strumming about three chords. It's kind of mind numbing. The only time it was fun was when I got to do some classical style guitar improvisation after communion.
That's part of the reason I switched to violin. ..10 years of training as a classical guitarist and the only group playing I could do was strum a few chords or sit in on rhythm guitar with my brothers band. Violin parts are much more fun!

OH, you need to come to our parish. It is not just chords there. At one Mass, my wife asked what the guitarist was doing, what he was playing, because it sounded different and wasn't just chords. He was playing sort of a counterpoint to the melody, and adding little flourishes and fills between verses and in the choruses. It sounded really good, along with the other instruments. We usually have a total of seven instruments playing, sometimes a little less. It seems they pick music for the musicians who will be there, such as a hymn that really works with a cello and violin.

In addition our cantors are excellent. One of them is my neighbor, and she and her husband are musicians. I would estimate they have around twenty musical instruments in their home.

I never answered the original question. No, liberal Catholics do not have to like guitars at Mass. It's the other guys that categorize and have absolutes. But a well played guitar, incorporated into the music and other instruments, to me is a nice addition.

 

[Mountain_Girl406]

OH, you need to come to our parish. It is not just chords there. At one Mass, my wife asked what the guitarist was doing, what he was playing, because it sounded different and wasn't just chords. He was playing sort of a counterpoint to the melody, and adding little flourishes and fills between verses and in the choruses. It sounded really good, along with the other instruments. We usually have a total of seven instruments playing, sometimes a little less. It seems they pick music for the musicians who will be there, such as a hymn that really works with a cello and violin.

In addition our cantors are excellent. One of them is my neighbor, and she and her husband are musicians. I would estimate they have around twenty musical instruments in their home.

I never answered the original question. No, liberal Catholics do not have to like guitars at Mass. It's the other guys that categorize and have absolutes. But a well played guitar, incorporated into the music and other instruments, to me is a nice addition.

Your parish sounds awesome!

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

Uh oh.

We have a guitar at one of our masses. She does a very good job, but I find it distracting.

I prefer traditional music and liturgies. For some reason, it becomes a more meditative and transforming experience.

Maybe I'm a liberal traditionalist.

Me too. I think the organ is the best. Our priest is also an exceptional violin player but doesn't play often as he is too busy.

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

Liberals love creativity! Not being slaves to our analytical, linear side!

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

a well played guitar, incorporated into the music and other instruments, to me is a nice addition.

as you said, if they add some flourishes and counterpoint, it sounds OK.
Recently, the Mass I go to, they've had no one doing the music ministry. Priests. have led the singing and someone just works on the projector flashing hymn lyrics up. But interestingly, everyone joins in more,so we get the whole church singing more than usual. partly due to the good voice of priests I thiunk.

 

[One Voice Among Many1]

My oldest son plays guitar in our churches praise and worship team. He is really good too.