"How to Run a Rehearsal" Video Transcript

Video Transcript: How to Run a Worship

Steve Elzinga  

All right, so the worship leader, we're still in this mode of trying to help the worship leader and what the worship leader does. Last time, we talked about how you prepare as a worship leader for the rehearsal. And now we're going to talk about how to run a rehearsal with the whole worship team for the next worship service. So I know this is how you do it. You start with a time of devotions. Sometimes you may read a scripture passage. We, in our church, we have a scripture reading for every day for everybody. So I know sometimes you have each one in the group share briefly one thing that struck them in their own devotional time, since the last rehearsal so you know, for that right now, we're in the book of Ephesians. So,

Marie Elzinga  

right, and that's just a way of also holding people accountable to actually doing devotions in their own home. We don't want to be the substitute for that.

Steve Elzinga  

So in a way, I mean, you have a time you have a rehearsal for the music and so on, but you really spend a half an hour. Like, this is your small group, right? Some ways. And it's, it's like, the whole vision of the church is to get people walking with God. And so we don't just ignore that you spend a considerable time actually trying to reinforce that, like people make sure you get and doing from

Marie Elzinga  

and seeing from the example of others around them that this is what's expected of you, right. And then we have a time of prayer. So people are encouraged to share something that we can all pray about when we're there, but also you remember it during the week for each other too, because we're a team

Steve Elzinga  

so that yeah, that the whole business sort of makes it It puts the focus on God and focus on this is churches and just some band right together, but we're, you know, we're trying to wear a church right and and egos and all of that and, you know, leave those things. behind. Okay, pray for each other. So the end by praying for is okay, so then all right now, you know, I started the official sort of rehearsal and you have sort of a song order, make sure everyone has the lead sheet for each of the songs, you're going to practice. I mean, they should bring him have them there, but you know, you know, to check. All right, does everyone have the thing as an order?

Marie Elzinga  

Okay, suddenly there will be a new song that right at the end, I'll be like, okay, here's the new lead sheet, maybe you've heard it a couple of times, let's run through it once because that also helps them know what they need to work on. So

Steve Elzinga  

have everyone put them in the order that you're gonna be playing at the service so that you know the practice goes well, but also okay, they're ready for the service and someone isn't fumbling with their papers. So you're actually working on a song.

Marie Elzinga  

So if we go over how we see the song going, so it will be Just the expectations, I don't expect you to be playing there. I expect this to just be acoustic guitar, that sort of thing which they can write in into their sheet. So I know oh, this is when the basement drums comes in on this bridge or whatever.

Steve Elzinga  

So he plays when he sings one when we're unison harmony because people you know, they're singing, you know what we're like. So you have to go through the whole thing. Okay, this is where you come in with the harmony. And know, we're only going to do unison there or, you know, the the lead singer is going to sing pretty loud here. And all of us are going to be just background or you know, all those different things.

Marie Elzinga  

The dynamics where the sauce amounts go,

Steve Elzinga  

yeah. You answer any questions, not how do you do that? So someone has a question. When do they answer?

Marie Elzinga  

Well, usually, like seven people have a question all at the same time. 

Steve Elzinga  

But I mean, is it how do you arrange that or what are the rules on questions? Anyone can ask anytime

Marie Elzinga  

Pretty much  Okay, just speak up.

Steve Elzinga  

So that's, I mean, yeah, I think you have to establish those kinds of things. Somebody say, No, I only have questions at one time. Your method is or preference is, you know, you have a question ask it,

Marie Elzinga  

right. I mean, it usually comes in a break, we've gone through it once, but then especially with the singers, I have some that are that have a very good ear. So they're maybe not even looking at their music very much because they've heard it on the radio so many times, let's say, so then I'll specifically ask them, okay, do you have a problem with a harmony, you have to let me know exactly where it is. So follow along with the music and, and stop me when we get to that spot and we'll spot work on those or whatever. So,

Steve Elzinga  

so then, you know, you kind of go over this is how it's gonna go. If you questions and he just do the best he can maybe just run through it one time. And then what I noticed is you tend to work first with the instruments, you know, if we don't have that, right, the whole thing sort of falls apart. So, you know what instruments you know, the lead guitar doesn't know what he's doing or he's in the wrong key or, or someone's playing wrong chord or you know, the loud and soft and sort of getting it right. And, you know, then that this is where patience is needed because then the vocalists are just sort of sitting there and they might be chatting a little bit if they do it silently or softly. You know,

Marie Elzinga  

and some people have two practices, some people have just a vocal practice and just an instrumental practice. We don't so that does mean lots of patients on both sides.

Steve Elzinga  

Yeah, and I, you know, I typically don't have a whole lot of patience, so then I'm goofing off and then sometimes that's distracting. So you know, as a team, you just have to, you know, you don't want it so boring. You don't want people to just sit there and do nothing. So if they chat a little bit, it's fine or if they're kind of Listen, or you know,

Marie Elzinga  

and we have a variety of skill levels. Yeah, and we're trying to be patient with all of those skill levels. You also have a difference of learning styles. Some people are very auditory they only get it if they've heard it and you know you're showing them others are you know 110% ready just because they have all the technical skills before they come so there's lots of patients involved

Steve Elzinga  

and some of you know I know for myself sometimes it was really difficult some harmony something and then I need a written out so that I had something to follow and so you know, your work with the instruments get it started working then work with the vocals You know, this is the melodies you know, we're seeing a lot of times we're not even singing the melody right? I mean, we all have a little because contemporary was especially, you know, the singer dips down a little bit there and then the next time he goes up or

Marie Elzinga  

or the rhythms, are just 

Steve Elzinga  

rhythms are just a little funny and you know, one verse might be slightly different than the other or the bridge and right and all these things and so to get everyone on the same page, requires a little bit of effort. Then finally, you know, you put the vocals and the instruments list together some basic things the worship leader will need to look out for and offer correction. So these just kind of broad things in general that, you know, as you're going through the song, you've worked on that now you play it, and you're sort of fine tuning. But this is kind of a general list of the major things, wrong notes and chords. Yeah. I mean, I noticed that. I mean, that's what you're really good at music major and all of that and you'll be able to stop. Someone is playing a wrong note, and you don't maybe know who it is. But you can hear that there's a did wrong note in here somewhere and a lot of people don't even hear that, or one guitar player is just playing the wrong chord. And so you stop and then you have to go Okay, play play the chord, play the chord and you find out who it is or the bass players playing the wrong note. It's not matched with the piano. So looking for that Any you just have to have a good year for that and over time,

Marie Elzinga  

especially if you're one of the participants to take yourself kind of out of the equation and be in here. Yeah. Listen pacifically listening for Are we all together on the same page,

Steve Elzinga  

listen, listening for wrong notes and chords, I guess that's what this section is about as a music director. Here's what you're listening, right? Number two timing, you know, the rhythms and sometimes the guitar player is doing something and it's a whole different rhythm than what the keyboard is doing

Marie Elzinga  

or bass and drums you know, they should be linked together on the same type of rhythm. So,

Steve Elzinga  

if one is kind of doing ching ching ching ching, and someone else is doing some slow, jarring, louds and softs you know when are we loud when are we soft so, some people just go full blast no matter what the song is. And it's no we're keeping this part soft and so you have to rain some people in, sometimes a drummer just has one loudness. And, you know, he has to learn how to hit, same intensity but not so loud.

Marie Elzinga  

Well, and again, I think the tendency of a volunteer group, everyone wants to play or sing all the time. And that makes every song sound the same. And it's a very boring. So to build a song, people have to be again in that humble seat where it's like, No, I do not play for the whole first first. There are songs that I literally as a keyboardist do not play at all. Right? And I have to be okay with that. And so does every single member of the team, right. So really hard thing

Steve Elzinga  

So this song might just be a guitar, just one guitar playing and everyone else on stage is just singing. They're not they're not playing a thing and people have to be okay with that. Or, you know, to build a song you don't play half the song and then you come in, but people you're like it right that he doesn't wanna I'm the bass player, I want to play every single note. on the keyboard player, I want to play every note, if I'm the guitar player, I'm the electric guitar player, I'm the drummer, and then boom, it's just and then every singer, the same thing they all want to sing. They all want to be in there. And it's like this cacophony of sound all the time, and then it loses its punch, because the punch happens when it was soft, and then they got loud. And so, again, don't be afraid to make louds and soft by telling people not this not the player not not to sing and then and then build this. Look for blend are the voices blending is someone sticking out as someone you know, their vibrato is like sticking out or they're singing a lot louder. It's like singers should be if you can't hear everybody singing, you're singing too loud. All you're hearing is yourself or the guitar player or, you know, a lot of it is just listen, you know, I think a lot of people on the stage just expect the sound person to just figure it all out but you Asking the person who's probably the least musician to figure all in all the volumes for everybody rather than you know what, just listen to what's around you. And, you know, try to hear every part try to hear the guitar is a guitar, there's the drum is the base, there's the alto is the soprano. If you can hear everybody, then you're at the right volume,

Marie Elzinga  

or there might be a song to where I want one specific person to take what we would call the lead. You're kind of the soloist on this, which means that I want the other singers to just pull off their mic. Be singing because we want the congregation this. So you're modeling singing,

Steve Elzinga  

we've seen that where a church didn't do that they had the lead singer sing, and then they didn't want the others. They wanted just that solo ish kind of sound. And the other thing is just sat there,

Marie Elzinga  

right? It didn't say we were confused

Steve Elzinga  

the congregation's like, are we supposed to sing or not? So you can have the other saying just not another mic? And

Marie Elzinga  

All right, so they're modeling both humility. Yeah, and participation is here to worship, right? It's not about me holding the mic which associated or also with that, if your instrumentalist can say another plan. That's awesome, because

Steve Elzinga  

then people know you're up there worshiping worshiping. Yeah. Is the worship team together? You know, the beat and we seen together. You know, I want to add another one. Number six. I think at least the thing that I often see is, especially with contemporary music, the people leading the singing come in late. I mean, you know, that, like they're not really sure about when they come in. And so then they wait and then the congregation waits and no one sings the first word. So that lead singer really has to be confident as to know. This is when I come and you know, temporary singing you know it's can be hard because it's so syncopated there's this song (Lord I lift your name on high, Lord I love to sing your praises)

Steve Elzinga  

now that you know this beat is helping us sing this song if I didn't play a beat, it'd be "Lord I lift your name on high. Lord, I love to sing your praises". Now the congregation isn't have a clue when to come in because it's like, because they

Marie Elzinga  

come in on beat two, which is

Steve Elzinga  

they come out on beat two and most people aren't counting in their heads anyway. I'm counting. Lord, I lift your name on high. "two three four one",  "Lord I lift to sing your praise" so what's helping in contemporary music is a nice beat. "Lord I lift your name on high, Lord I love to sing you praises"

Steve Elzinga  

as I playing, I'm keeping the beat and I'm well aware of the beat, but sometimes the lead singer because he's not playing, he's not really aware and he doesn't know what, and all of a sudden he's late and he's listening. So it's really, you know, contemporary music has that syncopation going on and you really have to be confident I see this in church after church after church, where the lead people that singers up front are not really leading, right? They're like kind of following and the congregation does. They leading who's leading, and then everyone's late and this

Marie Elzinga  

kind of leads us to the next, okay, The transitions between 

Steve Elzinga  

transitions between songs, words, scripture songs, that you can, you know, you can read or you can say something Between the songs and and transitional chords, we talked about that, right?

Marie Elzinga  

And this is something that I practice if I see our leaders not coming in when they should, okay, we will do the intro and I try and keep my intros exactly the same each time, right, because guitarist

Steve Elzinga  

that is a problem. It's like you're gonna do an intro, but I don't know when your intro is done. All right. And certainly the congregation is doesn't know. Yeah, they don't know what the intro is. So the pianist or guitar player is playing a little intro. And but the lead singers, they should know this little intro. And in fact, when I'm leading the singing, as the intro is getting towards where the people starting is singing. I'm getting you ready. I'm going to

Marie Elzinga  

you can use some handles. Yeah,

Steve Elzinga  

I'm going to let you know that it's coming. And with a new song, I do this thing where you know, the notes going up and what's going on. I want you to follow me, right.

Marie Elzinga  

In a sense you're almost a choir leader.

Steve Elzinga  

Yes. 

Marie Elzinga  

that is what you need to do 

Steve Elzinga  

you need that lead person has to be confident and and you know even if you do it wrong lead confidently wrong because people need something to follow hymn. It was easy. You play the last phrase of the of the song and then here it goes and it's all very simple but contemporary music, a lot of different intros. A lot of syncopation and people don't know when to come so you really have to direct them and be you know, you can be looking at a stand. And you know, if you're looking at a stand, you're not leading me I have to be looking right at the crowd and god Okay, here we come, here comes the verse, then here comes the chorus, here we go. And then if people aren't singing, I am trying to Will you I'm trying to like,

Marie Elzinga  

try to make it easy for them. You want it to be a safe place that they can trust. Right? When he sings, that means I can sing so because otherwise

Steve Elzinga  

people I mean, the biggest fear people have is hearing themselves and in singing when no one's singing, so if I'm going to come in a little late to be sure, and that problem is our worship team is doing the same thing, right?

Marie Elzinga  

And if they're on a mic, their mouth is hidden by this microphone. Right? So that's why just even a bodily sort of indication is helpful.

Steve Elzinga  

So remember again, the whole point of a worship team and a worship leader is to lead the people in worship and if the worship team is like hesitant and following in their head in the stand and so on. Then why are they even up there?

Marie Elzinga  

Right I mean, they are not leading

Steve Elzinga  

not leading. Okay? intro line of each song, decide which instrument will do it as the piano going to do it. Decide how that instrument will do it is the last line of a song so if you haven't played like even a hammer or something or place on where you How would you introduce,

Marie Elzinga  

okay, so this would be holy, holy holy, which we've made a little bit less traditional. So I'm gonna do this (playing piano) I'm gonna do that phrase twice (playing piano).

Marie Elzinga  

That's it. They know I'm doing it twice and then you're coming in. Exactly. That's

Steve Elzinga  

how that would go. So, you know, what is that just a made up? little tune is right. So I would do it in the traditional way if you played the last line.

Steve Elzinga  

She played the last line of the song, and then she did a little run,

Marie Elzinga  

walked up to it so that

Steve Elzinga  

that's one way another way is the first line. Song.

Marie Elzinga  

You really don't well sometimes I guess. Let's say (playing the piano)

Steve Elzinga  

So now that was the first line, he just playing the first line through stop, and we're going right into the first line of the song. So he needs the last line, you can use the first line or the chord and then play a little made up thing. That's a little harder because people don't know exactly what you're doing or what the song is, right? They don't recognize it. But it's more interesting, because we don't kow what the song is. And then all of a sudden the song comes in, Ah I know this song and it is really cool. Basic chord progression of the song so you might just play the chords, right? And just play through

Marie Elzinga  

and that's what I was doing with the Holy, holy, holy. And those are the chords that are When you sing it

Steve Elzinga  

first melody line of the song intro. I already talked about that. So yeah, instead of the chords, you could just use the melody. Go through the whole service order from beginning to the end with all the transition. So you practice you get there already, you got to figure it all out. You went through the problems. Now give it a shot and see how it goes.

Marie Elzinga  

Right, which makes us transitions that much smoother, and I think that's a downfall of lots of bands. I know each individual song that how are you going to get from one to two?

Steve Elzinga  

Yeah, they didn't practice

Marie Elzinga  

then it is awkward. Yeah.

Steve Elzinga  

practice a few of the new songs that you've been working on or planning to work on. So you know, you got the service prepared, but you always got to be thinking about the future fine tune new songs you have been working on. So you've been working on some for a while, you know, you go to the The next level with it, or introduce a new song with the recording of it if possible, so hey, you know, you listen to it as the whole band, play it, and everyone gets a shot at hearing it before you send home the lead sheet.

Marie Elzinga  

And if I know that all the songs for the worship service are fairly familiar, we've done them lots of times before but there's a new song on the horizon that's going to happen in a few weeks. I might start with the new song while their brains are still fresh. Yeah, and go through that a number of times three, four times five whatever because I know that our our time on our set isn't going to it's not going to take any major tweaking and then when that's done do the new song again at the end, because the new Oh yeah, I forgot that or that was my trouble spot. It just helps reinforce it.

Steve Elzinga  

And you know, the new song is really it's like the candy for the right is your you're going to sing some songs and you've sang them before in the band after Oh yeah. I remember this, but you want to get it perfect and you want to get it good. And so we're working. And it's a little bit like work in some ways. I mean, it's good, but you know, it's okay, we know this, but then the new song is like it, you know, maybe at first it's a little hard because people aren't familiar with it. But as the band starts learning, it is like, this is fun, and they're discovering new things. And so, having something new to work on. You want to keep that going just to keep the band fresh.