We’ve all been there. Rehearsing for the worship service and it’s just not working. The music isn’t what we hear on our favorite worship albums. We’re not sure what’s wrong with it, but we know something is up. The musicians on the team are playing parts that sound great alone, but together, the music just sounds messy. It sounds less like music, and more like a “wall of noise.” Or maybe you’ve had the “loudness war” where everyone on the team keeps turning up, because they can’t hear their instrument in the mix. Does any of this sound familiar?
We’ve all been there. It’s a struggle I had for a long time with one of the first worship teams I started. Then a brilliant musician and friend showed me something I’ll never forget. Spatial Awareness. A very simple concept that makes a huge difference in the sound of a band.
In music, we have a range of sound, tone, volume, and frequency, from the lowest bass notes, to the highest upper harmonics of a piano or guitar, to the percussive hits of a snare drum. We want to fill this “space”, and at the same time be cautious as to not overfill it. Often times, musicians like to occupy the same middle frequencies, which feel great alone. This creates a problem in that the sounds start to cover each other, to the point of becoming indistinguishable. This would be the same as an artist just placing endless layers of paint over the same spot on a canvas, instead of utilizing the entire canvas to create a masterpiece.
We are aiming for a 100%, and that means we have to do some “math”. We never want to go over that 100%. If a solo pianist is playing these big chords and hammering the low notes, it can sound awesome; 100%. But add in an acoustic guitar strumming huge open chords, and you are reaching above that 100%, and the music begins to sound cluttered. To solve that, both musicians must think about that “sonic space”. Perhaps the pianist can play less notes, and the guitarist can capo at the 4th or 5th fret, to move out of that sonic space. Now, add in a bassist. The bass will be handling that low frequency in the same space as the left hand of the piano. So the piano can focus on the right hand, and play less in the left, or take out the left hand altogether. Always be spatially aware of what everyone in your band is playing, and decide, together, where each musician needs to be.
This goes for sound engineers too! Think about the frequencies each instrument is sending you, and mix to blend. Vocals occupy that sweet mid-range everyone loves, so to help get some clarity in the vocals, rather than just turning the band down, try scooping out the mid-range on the guitars and keyboards a bit, to create room for the singers. If the Keyboard is hitting that low end hard and its muddying up your bassist, try pulling the lows off; see how that changes the blend of your mix.
Response to A Worship Service