Play a part, not a chart

I stole this phrase from a session by Bob Kauflin, entitled ‘Band on the Run’ – dealing with arranging worship songs for bands. You can download it for free here.

‘Play a part, not a chart’ basically communicates that what you do when you play an instrument as part of a band is different to what you want do when playing on your own and learning to play the chord ‘chart’.

Often the biggest problem with band musicians who are growing in skill is not that they need to play better (although obviously this will usually help). Usually a greater need is that they learn to play a simpler part much more confidently.

Playing a fraction, making a whole.

One of the transitions that anyone needs to make from learning or playing an instrument on their own to playing as part of a team, is how to only play a part of the overall whole. For music to sound good it’s not enough for you as a musician to just figure out how to play the chords in the right rhythm, or to add your cool melodies, harmonies and licks. You need to figure out how to play something that fits with everyone else so that it blends together to make an overall sound which is pleasant. This will inevitably mean that you end up playing less, and you take up less room in both range and dynamics.

The intent is that everyone plays a different and complimentary part that all adds up to a beautiful whole. Everybody needs to play a pleasing and complimentary fraction. If everyone’s going all out and covering all the notes they can then you’re going to get a big, loud, muddy mess. Just imagine how it would be if a painter painted covered every inch of his canvas with every colour on his palette. You wouldn’t have a painting you’d have a big murky mess. It’s exactly the same with music and sound.

If you listen carefully to a decent recording of a good band the most striking thing is how simple the individual parts often are. This creates space, dynamics, and allows each instrument to shine through, allowing their unique voice to be heard. Often the problem with less experienced musicians is not that they can’t play well enough. It’s simply that they play too much. In fact, even before thinking about how to play you need to ask the even more fundamental question of why you’re playing and whether it’s necessary and helpful. Every part should have a reason for being there. Only when you ask these sorts of questions first are you really looking at how your part can serve the overall song arrangement.

What this means in practice – the instrument parts

Think for example of how you’d play a song might be played on just acoustic guitar or piano. You’re making the rhythm, you’re bringing out the bass notes, you’re adding some top end – maybe some little fills if you can get your fingers around it.

Then all of a sudden a bass guitar comes along. You need to stop playing his part and let him play it. If you’re on piano you’ve got to stop playing all those bass notes and stick to the mid and upper ranges – or at least simplify your bass part and make sure it fits together. If you’re on guitar you stop needing to bring out the bass notes and can start concentrating on the upper strings.

Then a drummer arrives and he’s got the rhythm. All of a sudden you don’t need to maintain all that on your own. Let him provide the drive and take a ride on it. Less chords, sustained chords, fills. All these opportunities open up for you to play less and yet be so much more effective.

Then add in an electric guitar. You don’t want to be playing all the same stuff that acoustic guitar is playing. If everyone plays around that mid range it’s going to sound all mid heavy and muddy. Instead you can have fun with power chords for grit and emphasis, work the top strings only – or better yet, work your way up the neck and add in some top end. Maybe even some simple lead fills if you’re confident enough.

And don’t forget that piano/acoustic guitar. If you’ve got both then you can’t all be playing the same stuff. On the keyboard you could start working in more pad or strings sounds and less of the ‘playing the piano’ stuff. That can create a nice backdrop. Or try taking the same thing you’re playing (remembering that you’re already sitting on your left hand of course) and shifting it up an octave. Straight away that can work wonders.

Then a solo instrument might join in. Sax, violin, trumpet or something. You can’t have loads of different melodies and fills going on. You need to listen to people who might be in your range and work with them.

Of course, how you do this will depend on the song itself and which ‘building blocks’ you lay down first. A song might have an acoustic guitar led feel, or be driving electric guitar rock, or be a more ‘worshipful’ piano led song. All of this is stuff you figure out as you play it together.

And remember, a simple rule of thumb is ‘the bigger the band is the smaller the part you play is, and the more the part you play becomes an expression of your instrument’s unique voice.

The most important part – the vocal

And in all of this, remember when you’re playing a song, all of the music is there to serve the most important part of all – the sung lyrics. Is what you’re playing complimenting the vocal arrangement, fitting around the melody, making space for the vocal to cut through, communicating the same message as the lyric?

And remember, if you’re not sure what to play, how to play, if you can play. The answer is usually that you should just do less. And this in itself should free you up to worship more, and to lead God’s people into worship more.