Learning the cello for worship?

[ElizabethGould]

I'm wanting to take up the cello, with the hope of being able to play in a worship band, but I've got a couple of questions:

- Firstly, will a cello even be suitable? I play in a guitar/drums band, and I'm worried that I won't be able to hear myself, bearing in mind I'm going to be playing the bassline which is lower pitched.

- Secondly, does anyone know of any MAJOR worship bands who actually use cello in place of bass guitar?

 

[talitha]

Using a cello for the bass line seems to me like using a Manolo Blahnik stiletto as a hammer, but I suppose with amplification it would work. I would rather see a cello used as a cello. I think the only time I have seen a cello used in a worship band was at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, at a large event. It was amazing...... blessings over you!!
tal

 

[ElizabethGould]

Using a cello for the bass line seems to me like using a Manolo Blahnik stiletto as a hammer, but I suppose with amplification it would work. I would rather see a cello used as a cello. I think the only time I have seen a cello used in a worship band was at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, at a large event. It was amazing...... blessings over you!!
tal

Maybe it's just the sort of band I was in...I used to do services quite regularly on guitar and we often used cello. This was a small church too.

 

[pappastratos]

suitable in a modern rock worship band ? no, suitable in slower songs & hymns ? yes. Cello in place of a bass guitar on ALL songs? no, bass guitar adds character, espically if you 'spice' it up a little. Slides, runs, pop/slap. Just not low enough. (I play a 5 string)

church musician since 1980

 

[athenken]

Honestly, I am of the opinion that you can use any instrument in a worship band as long as you are creative enough to find a way to fit it into the pieces you are performing. Cellos are cool, but don't necessarily fit with every worship song, or they could. Again, depending on the arrangement and creativity of the band performing the songs. One thing you have to be careful about when incorporating the cello into a louder, harder song is to have it amplified enough so it isn't washed out by the other instruments.

Just my 2cents.

 

[joyshirley]

I've never seen a cello being played in a service before, but I do love the cello. My suggestion is to forget about playing the bass line all the time and to bring in your instrument in other ways. For example, in a slower worship song, many of which have an instrumental line or two in between verses or leading up to a bridge, you could play something appropriate in those parts of the song in conjunction with, say, keyboard or guitar. Even between lines of a song, there can be ample time for you to insert a few notes, especially at the end of a verse. In other words, instead of growling along the bass line all the time, let your cello sing and lift the song at appropriate moments.

 

[after5cst]

Firstly, will a cello even be suitable?

With a willing cellist, and a willing worship leader, it could be a valuable add. I would add a cello to our worship band if one approached me in our church, and would search out music that would work well.

I wasn't going to add to this thread (it looked like it was well covered), but ran into this link on YouTube:

www . youtube . com / watch?v=uwXHnbt9prc

(Sorry for mangling the link: the forum won't let me post a live link yet.)

The first couple of minutes and last few minutes feature a cello if I'm not mistaken. (I'm not personally wild about the song, but that's not part of this discussion.)