First Praise Band rehearsal tomorrow with my Esquire.

I've asked to join the praise band at my church as they want to include some electric guitar there. I've rehearsed with them before with my acoustic but the Bass player told me they wanted to incorporate an electric guitar in the mix. So tomorrow is my first time practicing with my Esquire. I am super stoked to finally get the chance to play it with other people with the same common goal.

The band as it stands consist of 2 acoustic players, piano, sax, bass, djembe/cajon and my electric.

Any advice from the seasoned worship players out there for someone just starting out.

Thanks.

BTW this is what I'll be using.
http://i859.photobucket.com/albums/ab156/drunkin_miner_esquire/SAM_0953.jpg

I like the 100% rule. Divide 100 by the number of instruments (excluding rythem section, and that's the musical space you have to operate in.

Listen

Never step on the singers.

Listen.

Less is more - think Count Basie - the dude could play whatever he wanted - he choose to only play the notes that mattered.

Listen

Keep central in your mind your purpose for being yjere.

These are the things I try hard to be intentional about. Others probably have other suggestions - likely better.

+1 on praisebass

Note the word your bassplayer used - "incorporate."

Play what's need to add to the music, support the vocal and contribute to the song. This includes laying out for sections, it'll make the re-entry count for more. Play chord fragments rather than 6 string strums as you already have 2 acoustics doing that.

Esquires are great, but be careful not slather treble and upper-mids into the mix. They are great for cutting through and making statements but can be very detracting to everyone else onstage if that frequency range is not handled with taste. This is especially important as you don't have a full drum kit and cymbals - your esquire *will* be the most inherently bright instrument onstage. You can use that to your advantage if you don't go overboard.

Find out what songs are being played, and try and cop as much electric guitar parts as per original if they are present. This goes a loooong way.

Be in tune, in time and on time. Always.

Above all, you're onstage to serve. God, congregation and the others in the band.

Don't forget to have fun! Making music is a blast, a gift and a privilege.

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I'll be sure to take it all into consideration.

tjalla

Thanks for the suggestion about the treble and upper mids. I hardly use the treble knob on my amp as it is but have been playing around with it as of late to see what other sounds I can get.

Whenever I play electric in P&W, it's in a setting such as you describe.
I let the acoustics do the heavy lifting and simply add color and texture. By doing it that way, you'll have a huge tonal impact on the song and not step on any toes. A volunteer band is different in that people vary in levels of musicianship and past habits and temperments come into play. Lay low.

The band as it stands consist of 2 acoustic players, piano, sax, bass, djembe/cajon and my electric.

With your instrumentation I think of this style:

k8knab7UZt8

The electric in this example really shows how much the "less is more" approach adds to the song in a huge way. I've always loved the solo that starts at about 3:16 :cool: