How does your praise team do it?

[Wahwax]

Do you have a small core of songs?

How often do you repeat your songs?

Is there a rhyme or reason to the song selection? Key, sermon, tempo?

How often do you practice?


Our praise band is in dire need of major restructuring as far as the way we do things. I'm looking for ideas.

 

[noellejoi]

Most of the time we just do whatever we feel like we are led by God to play. We could have a song list and not follow it at all or follow it. It all depends on God. Then we practice once a week and about a half hour before worship starts.

 

[reidwwall]

I keep a core of songs, and I throw in an oldy occasionally. I try to keep things familiar to people, but not old and dead.

 

[delirium_86]

In our praise team, we usually practice after worship service for the next sunday. Initially, I was pushing for more practice time but everyone comes up with reasons like they have too much work, some are single Mums and things like that. It was only recently that I started accepting them as reasons rather than excuses.

Anyway, all of the songs we sing are from the Hillsong and Hillsong United albums. Hopefully, in a few weeks we'll be singing from the Hillsong London album as well.

We chose Hillsong because not only are the songs very easy to sing, but they are really good worship songs as well. They are the type of songs that put into words what my heart wants to say.

Also, seeing as we don't have much time for practice, we can just pass out the albums and people can just listen to it and (hopefully) practice on their own.

Lately, our songs have been mainly from the For All You've Done and More Than Life album and we can sense that the congregation has moved on from finally getting the songs down to feeling that it's overplayed. So, as we wait to learn the songs from the new albums out this year, we're going back to the much older albums.

To fit the timeframe we're given, we usually have a short, usually just piano prelude, and then we go into 4 songs. And the we have one last song for the closing.

We pair usually songs up by chords so we can transition between them easier. If a chord finishes in E, we usually choose a song that starts with an E.

But during special occassions where we know what the message will be about beforehand, we try to match at least one song to the subject which will be spoken about.

I hope this helps.

 

[foo-oswald]

Do you have a small core of songs?

How often do you repeat your songs?

Is there a rhyme or reason to the song selection? Key, sermon, tempo?

How often do you practice?


Our praise band is in dire need of major restructuring as far as the way we do things. I'm looking for ideas.

Dude, I know that's a painful place to be in. I remember it well. Trust me, it'll be something you giggle at later on.

Anyway, I think delirium86 gave quite a few good answers, but, I'd encourage you to add some tunes by David Crowder to your "core" tunes. Which answers your first question. Yes, everyone should have a core of songs.

I've found that it's generally okay to repeat a song two, or even three weeks in a row. Especially if it's a new song you'd like the congregation to learn.

Putting together a set-list for a worship service can sometimes be difficult when you're trying to parallel the sermon topic. I've had to stretch it a little sometimes to make a song fit. :o

Once again, I agree with delirium86 on putting songs in the same key together if possible. That minimizes the awkward empty space between songs.

As far as tempo in concerned, I'm one of those guys who say, "Go for it!" Don't worry about following the tired routine of "fast songs first, then slow it down before the sermon". Try doing that in reverse or something, ya know?

Lastly, and most importantly, spend time together as a praise team in prayer. Seek God's leadership and direction...

 

[Snuffy]

hehe.. i'm gonna stir the pot here..

Not showing off..... but our P&W band isn't bound by keys or themes or topics, old skool, new skool, ancient skool.... we do have song lists for Sundays, but we're still free to let the HS work....

we don't work on the idea of a core list of songs... we work on a core group of four musos.... keys, drummer, bass (me) and a guitarist.... we'll always have two if not three of this core group on (and all 4 for special services).... and between the group, we're pretty flexible with key changes, variations in chords and songs thrown in at the last minute...

of course, it's not that easy... was lots of hard work in the beginning and we've been playing together as a group for maybe 8 years now(?)... we can just connect musically without really lookin at each other..... plus we've all got strong theory backgrounds (even the drummer!!) which is probably why key changes within and between songs isn't too painful..... we all know our parts well individually before we play as a group.... this is where a lot of individual commiitment comes in....

so maybe this is more of a long-term view of things... cos it's not something that can happen overnight...even with brilliant musos......

 

[we5frogs]

My son is on our praise band (he plays bass), and so I know most of the answers to the questions you asked.

Our praise band practices once a week on Thursday night from 6 to around 8 or 8:30pm.

There is a core group of songs they sing, with pastoral approval needed before a song can be added. New songs are not introduced more than once a month, in order to keep the older folks from the congregation from getting lost and feeling uncomfortable, since we have quite a few who have chosen to attend the more contemporary service. For the most part, songs are not repeated more than once a month, either, and as the list grows and there is more to pick from, how the songs fit together is more important than how often we sing each song.

Pastor chooses the song list each week, which he revolves around his sermon series theme, and his message for the day. He even makes reference to the lyrics in his prayers and sermon, to tie it all together. Tempos vary among the songs he chooses each week.

I will put your praise band on our prayer list. Let us know how things progress.

 

[woman.at.the.well]

Do you have a small core of songs?

How often do you repeat your songs?

Is there a rhyme or reason to the song selection? Key, sermon, tempo?

How often do you practice?


Our praise band is in dire need of major restructuring as far as the way we do things. I'm looking for ideas.

I am just the A/V person at our church and even though I do not participate IN the worship team I work very closely with them (during practice and in the Sunday service every week) so can give you my two cents on how they do it or what I observe happening with our worship team!

First of all, it has taken a few years to work out things like, a solid leader and then people who stick around on a regular basis to get it to start to mold and shape together.

We are a fairly new startup church (about 3-4 yrs old) so it's been a long road all the way around with getting people to step to the plate and become active servants in the church in all ways, not just the worship team.

Within the last 2-3 months we've just now got around to having the same people show up all the time, to practice AND Sunday worship time, and that I think, is honestly half the battle.

The next thing I see is a LOT of growth in our Worship Leader. He is fairly young (approx 24ish?) and I've seen this young man grow spiritually by leaps and bounds over the last almost two years since he stepped to the leader position. He is an amazingly humble young man with an awesome heart for the Lord, and you can tell by how he approaches his work as a worship leader.

What has really helped him, and the group in the big picture is . . .he is being mentored by our pastor. See if you can find a mature Christian who will sit with you and help you grow as a Christian and keep you accountable.

The first thing he does when they start to practice once a week (on Wednesdays) and on Sunday morning before service, is PRAY. That is very key in your worship team becoming a team and for things to flow like they should.

Next, he is very flexible and let's the other members have a say and input in what they do. In other words, he is not a control freak so they feel like a part of the team.

Ironically, it seems like even though it is not discussed between the pastor and the worship leader, the worship leader assist (who picks out the songs) usually picks at least one song that coincides with the sermon. Kind of "funny" how it works out that way. The pastor comments on that frequently.

We do have a core group of songs that is starting to enlarge. They are mostly contemporary songs but he is starting to add a few jazzed up old hymns like "Come Thou Fount," and "Be Thou My Vision." We have a flutist in our worship team so the songs sound beautiful - kind of Celtic.

There really is no rhyme or reason (that I can tell) as to how often they do the songs. We are careful not to repeat them too soon though. I can check on the computer when the last time was we did a song, like I had to last night.

Anyway . . .When he introduces a new song, he does it for 2 or 3 wks in a row so everyone becomes very familiar with it and then gives a little background on the song and its meaning.

Do you have someone to run A/V stuff and get the words up there for all to see? Do you have a sound board, etc.?

Is your church small, medium sized, or a big church? Not that matters, just kind of curious.

How long has the church been around? And how long have you been the worship leader?

I pray this is helpful to you and that you get the answers you're looking for. If I think of more to add, I will, later!

God bless you in your quest!

 

[squeak]

Urm, we don't really have a praise team. On Sunday service there is the organ and grand piano, as there just about always has been. Just recently I have started playing my flute in the services for the hymns, joing a lad who has been doing it for a few months.

 

[FiRePrOoF_bUnNy]

We have two worship bands at our church. The first does the older hymns and some other things added like matt redman, tim hughes etc. The 2nd (youth band)does more contempory stuff like p.o.d, pillar, hillsong, casting crowns...
I like the way this system works, because it gives the older members of the congregation security in doing the older things, but it brings youth to the church through more modern music. Im in both of these bands (i play sax) and the atmosphere for both are completely different, but i think that the most important part of it is having a short time of prayer before playing, it gets you focused on who your playing to, not what your playing...

 

[Wahwax]

... our P&W band isn't bound by keys ......

I'm going to share some advice I was given once.

When changing keys, never go down. It sets a "down" mood for the congregation. Always move UP. If there is a break where someone is talking you can start fresh on any key, but starting a second song in a lower key has a sad sound to it.

 

[Snuffy]

When changing keys, never go down. It sets a "down" mood for the congregation. Always move UP. If there is a break where someone is talking you can start fresh on any key, but starting a second song in a lower key has a sad sound to it.

Yah, I know what you mean.... that's what happens if you just tack the second song right onto the end of the first song without anything in between....

it can be done though... all you need to do is be a bit creative with an instrumental interlude..... it might make the time between songs go on for a bit, but the worship leader usually has something to say anyway.....

 

[Sword-In-Hand]

Our praise team (I'm the bass player ) practices two times a week, with one practice before the Sunday night service, just before we play. We are blessed because our singer can sing in any key he wants, ranging from Tree63 style vocals to Johnny Cash vocals.

We also have a core of songs and we try to keep fresh new songs coming to the congregation, but most times they like to hear a song that they enjoy. Many times we will play a new song, be done with our set, and then someone yells from the audience, "Play Rain Down! Days of Elijah! Blessed Be Your Name! Saved!" It's funny, but usually we don't play songs based on a sermon or anything, just how we feel God is moving at the time.