Feeling a bit overwhelmed

[dale_c]

So I have been playing pretty much every Sunday with the praise and worship team at my small church for the last 6 months. Prior to that I had only been playing guitar seriously for maybe 3 months. I have owned guitars for years but it took me a long time to get serious about it obviously. So now my dilemma. We play 6 songs every week. Every few weeks or so we might repeat a song or 2 but it is a pretty good rotation so we aren't always playing the same songs. So basically I am working my butt off every week to prepare for the 6 songs we will be playing the next Sunday and the next week repeat the same cycle. I feel like I have progressed tremendously in the last 6 months but on the other hand I am wondering if it might be better if I took a month or so off from the praise team to focus on some solid practicing rather than on 6 new songs each week. I spend so much time preparing for the next Sunday's service that I have very little time to practice much else. As the title implies, I am just feeling a little overwhelmed right now.

Hopefully this makes sense. Thanks in advance for your opinions.

[Tele Fan]

I've always felt that playing with others is the best practice anyone could ever get. The more songs you learn the more you be able to adapt on the fly. However, if your not enjoying the services because you feel it's too much a break may be a good idea. Just my 2 cents.

[Dababy]

I've been in that boat myself! We have a very large church and I KNEW there were guitarists who could give me an occasional break but didn't want to do it. It seems they were waiting for the band to get really good before they joined up. Well, we have gotten a lot better and now I rotate 3 weeks on and 3 weeks off. It's been a huge help to me because for 3 weeks I just play to have fun and practice my own stuff then for 3 weeks I play to have fun and worship! Here's the deal - if you don't have any backup to replace you maybe you could tell the person picking music how you are feeling. That's the place to start - if they understand, maybe they'll throw a little less new stuff at you so you can have more time to work on your chops. Oh, and pray about it!

[guit30]

I understand how you feel, but what kind of practice do you need? Is everything cool and fun with your praise band, I played in one praise band where we all got along and practiced every two weeks and it was great, and there was another one, you just need to pray about it
Jim

[getbent]

pray. and then listen very closely and very calmly. it will be clear what you should do and you will feel good about what direction to take. these ARE the kind of problems to take away from simple logistics and get some real guidance from above.

[Ptrallan01]

Talk to the leader about getting the songs for the next two weeks every rehearsal. This will allow you to work on them a little longer and less intensively so that you can work in practice time for other things.

I am in a similiar boat in that we 6 to 9 songs a week. We only rehearse 2! I have to play the rest from memory or on the fly as we go. No charts (i'm the only musician who can read any form of music). Not sung to the record and some songs are simply traditional and vary from singer to singer. (ever tried to play behind people singing the same song in different keys? LOADS OF FUN).

Hang in there it gets easier as you go along. I've been doing it for 5 years or so and you learn to adapt. After a year you will probably find that the songs follow similar patterns and the new ones will be easier to pickup and your practice time will return. As someone said the best practice you can get is playing with others so the year or 2 that it takes to get this under your belt will leave you with a great foundation for the next leap you make.

[Chris Clemens]

Originally Posted by Tele Fan

...if your not enjoying the services because you feel it's too much a break may be a good idea. Just my 2 cents.

+1

Yep, I've you do have fun. Enjoy! (and learn at the same time)

[admiralbob77]

I would hang in there. In another few months, you will be familiar enough with the material that you really shouldn't need to practice it.

I have been in a group with a similar rotation for ten years. I never have to practice the material: once you've done it long enough, the once or twice every six months that you do it is enough to keep you fresh on it.

[Saxguitar]

getbent, admiralbob77, Ptrallan01, and the others have summed it up pretty well, recently I was feeling overwhelmed with the praise set from this week at my church(see threadd The Good the Bad the Ugly) and what they have said is all good advice. The two most powerful things you can do is pray and try to get the music so you can learn it and have it good a few weeks in advance. Eventually you will be sitting there fingering chords and singing the melodic lines to songs in your sleep you play them so much, I have half of the songs my praise team does memorized by chords and most the time I don't even really need the music, it just serves as security blanket.

Don't worry about it I was in the same boat as you last summer, I learned to play a song from a gathering called MTW and when my youth group got back we shared with the congregation then next thing I know next week and from there on I am playing guitar everyweek. I learned more about playing guitar from the first few weeks on my praise band then I ever could have taught myself. It is amazing how quick you can learn when you need to. Just keep praying and I recomended a book to Praisecaster in his thread A Sad Day.... called the 40 Days of Purpose/Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren, that book is amazing and there is a chapter which actually talks about being overwhelmed and how to get through it, it is very good and it helped me when I was feeling overwhelmed when I first began playing guitar on my praise band. Hope this helps.

Ryan

[twangus]

You are there for a reason, que no?

The Lord wants you there. He wants to have covenant with you. Maybe right now you're feeling a little overwhelmed and frustrated, but perhaps it wasn't meant to be easy for you. Stick it out, show what you have inside of you. Work hard and get yourself to the point where it is easy for you.

It may take some time, and get to be even more frustrating before it gets better for you, but in your heart you know that a burden that you weren't able to overcome wouldn't be placed upon you.

You are a conqueror. This is just one more way to prove it.

[dale_c]

Thanks for your opinions on this everyone. I have decided to stick with it and move forward. While playing yesterday's set I realized I enjoyed it way too much to step down, even if only briefly. I guess when I originally posted my question I was just having an "off" day. Yesterday was magical, everything came together perfectly and it reminded me why I was doing what I do.

Thanks again. These forums are invaluable.

[PraiseCaster]

Just blabbering here, so take it with a grain of salt...........

In all you do to prepare, make it fun. Have a blast with it when you practice. Dont just sit down and say to yourself, "OK, time to practice, so lets get serious.". No, Practice is the time you can try all sorts of different things out. And really go for it when you do. Thats why they call it practice, and not performance!

Hook up with someone on the P&W Team, and jam together as often as you can. Talk about gear with one another, and become close brothers/friends.

Start finding YOUR voice on your instrument, and start incorporating it into your playing. Small, judicious amounts at first, and then let your "voicing" find its spot in your playing.

The thing is I look at it like I am bringing a sacrifice to the altar. And I want it to be a joyful sacrifice (because we are after all, joyful givers......), and in a sense, with the best of my abilities, I want to lay myself down on the altar, and I do that with my music that I play for Him. So far, that has brought unmeasurable joy, and I really feel like God is blessed by this sacrifice of my humble, and meager skills, because I am pouring all I have out too Him, in Praise and Worship, and in my practice as well: My team mates laugh at me sometimes, that I get so into group practice, but its infectious with them, and they get into as well too!

Just a few ideas to make practice and playing more enjoyable.

[giantslayer]

If you've already been doing this for 6 months, I imagine that you'll start seeing more songs that you've played before. If not, then maybe you should talk with your worship leader about repeating songs a little more. Seriously, you can't do 4 completely new songs every week. The congregation can't keep up with that.

[WideAwake]

I went through the same thing. Had to learn six new songs a week for the longest time. That WAS my practice, and honestly, some of the best you'll have. You may not practicing scales and whatnot, but you are practicing what you will be playing every week, and that is just as important, if not more.

I too got a bit overwhelmed, but after awhile, your songs will start repeating themselves, you'll feel better and get to a point where you can start adding your own touch to them. For now, just learn them as they are, really listen when you are playing with the band, and you'll be ok. Some of the songs that gave me fits at first I can now play without much thought. And it's funny, now it seems like we play the same songs over and over, when at first it seemed like we'd never repeat any. I thought a couple times I needed to step down, and learn the songs better - but you'll never do that as well sitting home and trying to learn them, you need to play with people.

Stick with it, you'll be a better musician and person for it, I promise.

[mojito]

I know what you mean I have been doing the exact same thing for a year and a half plus an whole extra Christams and Easter program too. The rotation thing is a bit rough but after you have been in a cycle things do become easier the last 6 months for was much easier than the first year. We do 6 songs each week and they really bever get repeated for a minimum of 8-10 weeks. The saving thing for me is being able to use sheet music so my faculties have not been as taxed as memorizing everything.
All that said, the experience has been a blessing and my chops have improved. The music ministry is important to me and I am fortunate to be involved.

BTW, I still practice prior to the band practices.

[KajuJam]

I have been playing in our praise and worship band for 15 years and during these 15 years, music is constantly changing as we keep adding new songs. It does become easier with time. You are being challenged to learn more quickly and soon you will.

I have been playing for over 30 years and have had to adjust to playing with no music, on the fly. Most music we did just was not available, or at least to me, so we learned to play without any reference.

What I am saying is that if He calls you to do this, then He will always be there with you. You will learn to learn quickly, and His Spirit will guide you.
Bottom line is that this is normal and will pass. Keep your chin up and let all praise, honor and glory be to Jesus Christ.

[jb12string]

Most of my practicing is geared towards what I am playing. Try to incorporate new things you'd like to learn into the songs that you are playing.

[emiller45]

This sounds to me like a wonderful learning experience, although it may be a bit trying (most valuable learning experiences are). You might consider doing some work on mastering the Nashville number system. Once you get it down, it can expedite learning new material from any number of directions.

[sonserve]

I know what you mean I have been doing the exact same thing for a year and a half plus an whole extra Christams and Easter program too. The rotation thing is a bit rough but after you have been in a cycle things do become easier the last 6 months for was much easier than the first year. We do 6 songs each week and they really bever get repeated for a minimum of 8-10 weeks. The saving thing for me is being able to use sheet music so my faculties have not been as taxed as memorizing everything.
All that said, the experience has been a blessing and my chops have improved. The music ministry is important to me and I am fortunate to be involved.

BTW, I still practice prior to the band practices.
__________________
"So many guitars, so little time."

Me too. It is a lot easier after a year and a half. Man, I use the charts so I don't have to memorize anything. Our P&W leader changes arrangements dependeng on where he places the song in the order of worship. It bugs some of the guys, but I just make notes on my chart and groove right along...
This experience has been a huge blessing, I even picked a very sweet wife to be:)
Hang in there man. This is a good experience for a budding player!