Leaders, Ministry Leadership, Worship Planning
10,000 Reasons Why Your Rehearsals Are Not Improving (Show #35)
#RehearseWhatYouPractice (Video Below) Having a good rehearsal is key for allowing God to move freely as you lead your church in worship.
However, if your time in rehearsal is filled up by talk, people arriving late, missing music, endless sound checks and the songs constantly feel like they are not coming together, then your rehearsal is not truly free. There maybe 10,000 reasons for pitfalls, but we will show you top ten solutions to help make long-lasting improvements.
1. Rehearsal Space
Preparation for a rehearsal starts long before the actual rehearsal. First you need to get a good rehearsal space. Depending on the size of the group, that could be your house, a recording or rehearsal studio, a church or a hall auditorium. Things to consider include good lighting, ventilation, acoustics and musical and sound equipment. The best place to practice is usually the place you lead worship. Be sure to show up early and make sure the space is organized, clean and ready to go. Do your own personal set-up ahead of time.
2. Musicians Next, you need to organize the people you need to come to the rehearsal. That usually happens weeks ahead through email, texts and phone calls. People are busy. Make sure you give all involved the necessary lead time for them to be there, preferably at least 4-8 weeks in advance. A good rule of thumb is that if a musician is not available to rehearse midweek, then they don’t play Sunday. This rule gets the best results in the long run.
3. Songs Picking great songs is a crucial step in the process. Questions that you should ask include: Are these the best worship songs for this situation? Will these songs works for your congregation? What does God want? Can the band and singers successfully perform this style? Is this the best key for this song? What is the best tempo and metronome marking for this song? “I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to God as long as I live.” Psalm 104:33
4. Charts Next you need to prepare the charts. Different bands operate with different charts. The best kind of chart is a full vocal chart with notes, words, form and chords. The more time you spend working on a great chart and arrangement, the less time you need to work on explaining those details to the band in your rehearsal. Practice happens before rehearsal; rehearsal is not the time to practice.
5. Distributing Charts Once the charts are written, put them online and send the band links to download them. You can also send notes to the players about which areas will probably need their attention. Be sure to email/download/photocopy all the charts and bring them to rehearsal.. Your band members may also bring their own copies or download their charts to their iPads so photocopies may not be needed.
6. Pre-Rehearsal The sooner the band gets the charts and links to the music (i.e. MP3’s and/or Youtube) the more chance they have to rehearse. Distribute the list and music for Sunday at least on the Monday before. Some people send out the lists weeks in advance. This is great, but realistically people won’t rehearse until a day or two before the rehearsal. “This has been my practice: I obey your precepts.” – Psalm 119.56
7. Leader’s Preparation The next most important step is the personal preparation of the leader. After the leader has spent time with God, then their next responsibility is to know the music inside and out. Take time to know what the drummer’s groove should be, the basic bass patterns, what each vocalist should be singing and the form of the song; including the intro, ending and exact tempo. Other areas to know would be the lead lines for the keys and the lead guitar and the basic strumming and playing patterns you want each player to play.
8. The Rehearsal The next step is the actual rehearsal. Start and end on time! If the start time is 7:30 PM then the downbeat (first notes played) should be at 7:30 PM. Be highly organized and keep the rehearsal moving. Make sure everyone tunes their instruments ahead of time. Start with the new material when the energy level is higher. Know the potential problem areas of the music before you get there.
One possible rehearsal schedule could be: Greet the team members as they arrive, do a quick sound check, pray, learn the new song, go through the rest of the song list in order, do one final run-through of the new song, prayer, thanks & goodnight. Also, expect and foster a Christian attitude among the band members. Treat others the way you want to be treated. Communicate clearly. Spend time worshipping God as you sense His Presence in your rehearsal. Remember, your actual goal is to worship God, not just do music well. “Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt His name together.” Psalm 34:3
9. Listening As a leader it is important to really listen. Don’t get so caught up in your own playing and singing that you don’t listen to the whole arrangement. Is something out of tune? Is someone playing the wrong chord or note? Is that the right tempo? Is someone dragging or rushing? Is the groove for that song correct? How is the vocal and band balance? Is someone too loud? Is the band too busy? “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” – Rom 12.13 Great music has ebbs and flows, learn the dynamics of the song. When should the different players be sitting out of a section of the music? Generally speaking, the band will only get to the level that you expect from them.
Don’t be timid about talking to the band and singers if you hear something out-of-place. Also.. an important part of listening is getting a sense of what the Spirit of God is doing in that service. Is the Presence of the Lord resting on a particular song? What do you sense God is doing? The better you know our team, the better you can get the best results.
10. Excellence Don’t be afraid to challenge the singers and players to play to the best of their ability. People want to be part of something good. Learn to speak the truth in love. Challenge people to practice the music and memorize the music. Expect excellence! Here are some final tests for your worship, music and rehearsal:
- Is this song really working at a musical level?
- Does this music minister to people and work for your congregation?
- Is the band and singers just playing music or are they also worshipping God?
- Does this music glorify God and do you sense God in this music?
“Rehearsal time is not practice time. Practice what you are to rehearse and rehearse what you practice.” – Branon Dempsey
@BranonDempsey @WorshipTT
