5 things you hate about playing organ in service

[SilverForest]

I really need advice.  There's a musician in my church who thinks (I will use the word "THEY" instead of him or her) "they" can play the drum and guitar.  

When the drums are played "they" speed up, trip over, or slow down all in the same song.  When they play the guitar, they do somewhat ok.  It used to be awful because "they" would be picking and trying to find the right notes during the song.

"They" have gotten better at knowing which note to pick, however, during a "SHOUT" run, at first the rhythm is great then all of a sudden as we get deeper in to it their rhythm gets so off beat and their fingers trip all over the strings "they" totally throw the beat off course.  I get so frustrated.  

How do I explain to this person (who by the way "KNOWS" they can play cause Pastor allows them to do so) about their handicapped rhythm in a tactful way?

[will818]

i had a organist come and show off at my church and this cat LICKED the organ.

[BimmerFan99]

I have many gripes that are more general.  Here is what is specific to the organ:

1) When the organ is on the opposite side of the sanctuary from the piano.  

Most people who design churches or the pulpit area think about asthetics (symmetry) and not from the musician's point of view.  It's difficult to stay in communication with the pianist when you're on the other end of the sanctuary.  And, it's difficult to hear each other.  I don't care what anyone says, if I have a say in it, all the instruments will be on the same side.  End of discussion.

2) When the Leslie isn't right next to you so you can hear yourself.  I never understood the whole "putting the Leslie in the wall above you" fad.  If there are two, I need to have one right next to me.  If there is one, it must be next to me so I can hear.  They're only 40 watts and get quickly drowned out by the choir and piano that's being piped through the sound system.

Word of advice to anyone planning on constructing or rennovating a sanctuary: Consult your musicians!  They're important, too!!!!!

[ezekg21]

I got one, the funniest thing i ever seen. I was playing for my choir at Choir celebration day last week at this church and I couldnt believe what i was witnessing, the organ player had to keep kicking the leslie in order for the bottom drum to start spining, it sounded like gun shots in the middle of the song.  :lol: LOL I was laughing so loud, :lol:  people started looking my way. I told him i got WD-40 in my trunk if he needs. I wonder if he  knows about Hammond oil.

[sweetchord]

Hello everyone, I'm somewhat new to this website, but I get great joy comin here cause these type of message boards and forums are so interesting, but most of all it's HILARIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yall be telling the truth when explaining the trauma we musicians go through, when I read through this I thought I was gonna bust a gut from laughin so hard, I was HOLLERIN LAUGHIN and running through  my house, cause i found myself up in the same position and predicaments (if that's how you spell it), and the thing about me is that my facial expressions are hard to hide and I have a wierd laugh so Imagine my crazy behind on a sunday morning! some of things posted on here are so funny, but they are true in every degree that's why we laughin about it! I can't even begin to name crazy things that have happened to me.  I am only 16 and I play for 2 churches ( that don't mean Im tight though lol) but im gettin better and the things i think about during service are crazy!!!!!!!! Oh yeah since Im in this subject, five things i hate when playin for services is

1)freestylin on every song i play, cause folk don't like to sing songs I don't know and get mad when i try to teach them new songs that will flow the service much better
2)the pastor bringin in musicians without letting me know( He also brings in praise teams as well, lol I be looking crazy) so I can know whether to sing with the praise team or be on stand by
3)when the praise team leader tells to me to turn up the  keyboard, and its already on full blast and turn the organ down when the pastor is singin and its already down MY MIND CAN'T TAKE THIS MADNESS, IM A YOUNG BUCK TRYNA FIND MY WAY AND IM GOING CRAAAZZZZZYYYY!!!!!!!!!lololol ya heard?
4) the praise team wanting me to learn very complicated songs in five minutes and never wanting to learn songs i bring up, im very puzzled at this, cause i can't even them to rehearse 1 full hour and get the songs we do sing perfected 8O
5)on a serious note, not being able to flow prophetically in music like I have visions of myself doing, cause they are certain parts of the service where you really have to be spirit led and flow  a certain way and I lack that because first of all I haven't been playin that long and secondly i don't get the practice during the week cause i need a Keyboard and im working on that right now so every sunday i learn there, AND IT IS A CRAAZZZY ADVENTURE I've got so much to say cause this website enlightens me and I know i will be successful if i keep my head up so thanks for listening yall and i talk later peace representin LA and the I.E.
California baby oh yeah DID SOMEONE SAY THAT A DUDE CAME TO HIS CHURCH AND LICKED HIS ORGAN OH MY GOSH HAHAHAA HAA, LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL, MAYBE HE FELT A NEED TO TASTE THE ANOINTED OIL EXUDING FROM YOUR FINGERS HAHAHAHAHAHAHA PEACE YALL

psalms 122 " I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord"[/quote]

[thedrummerschoice]

hey im from the ie corona that is what church you go to what city in the ie you play organ i play drums lets find a bass and make some money lol holla at me yahoo larrylovesdrums@yahoo.com

[mt_spiffy]

when ppl say that u playin 2 loud n u really cant hear the organ

PREACH

[mt_spiffy]

I have many gripes that are more general.  Here is what is specific to the organ:

1) When the organ is on the opposite side of the sanctuary from the piano.  

Most people who design churches or the pulpit area think about asthetics (symmetry) and not from the musician's point of view.  It's difficult to stay in communication with the pianist when you're on the other end of the sanctuary.  And, it's difficult to hear each other.  I don't care what anyone says, if I have a say in it, all the instruments will be on the same side.  End of discussion.

2) When the Leslie isn't right next to you so you can hear yourself.  I never understood the whole "putting the Leslie in the wall above you" fad.  If there are two, I need to have one right next to me.  If there is one, it must be next to me so I can hear.  They're only 40 watts and get quickly drowned out by the choir and piano that's being piped through the sound system.

Word of advice to anyone planning on constructing or rennovating a sanctuary: Consult your musicians!  They're important, too!!!!!

This is all sound advice.  You lose all your bass when the Leslie is off the ground and/or not against a wall, and you absolutely need it near the organ.  And not having all the musicians in one area is just painful.

[tario]

When people in the crowd try to get u to play a song that please them, fact 2 and theyre in the key of ZFlat, also people that dont know nuthn bout music tellin u how 2 play, when people say ur playn to loud and you can't really hear the organ.

[babyboygraham]

I don't know if this has happend to any other organ players but.... At my church at the end of service, one of our older deacons (he's pretty old... So sometimes his mind will wander) will get up to talk and sometimes he'll bust out singing an old song that NO ones knows and all you can do is guess!!!!

It's pretty funny sometimes because he'll start off in E (my favortie key) then jump all the way in Ab or A!!! It's so funny because the deacon at our church looks like Mr. Rolands from Big Momma's House!!! You'd have to visit my church because you'll have a good time every Sunday!!!! I guarantee it!!!!

[alquarles]

ay atleast it aint your organist turnin around tellin you"make sure you dont play it too fast" then er one get excited "speed up  boy!!!!" grrrrrrrr  :x but i feel ya some drummers cant play or keep time worth nuttin but my goodness when you tell someone to play a certain speed imma keep it there lol i hate when singers are singin and im playin organ and they come on tooo early or tooo late throwing the whole song off

LOL....LOL.....LOL  You got me in tears with this one, our drummer does the same thing.  I let him slide because he's my 9 yr old nephew but sometimes he act like he's the man even when he's totally slow.  And the singer that comes in too early, that's definitely my mother.  Bless her heart.....lol 

[Bronzee]

Statements like what u all made..keeps me laughing and coming back to this site. God Bless all yall musicians.

[Bronzee]

Its statements like what u all make that makes me keep coming back to this site..i had me some good laughs. Be blessed.

[c3hamby]

when I was playing in a contemperary worship church(white boy rock with praise God lyrics), I'd stand up to play and was always kicking the  power cord out-the one that came with it-it's real loose on the socket.

Now I use a regular extension cord and have no problems. 

[ES7Mike]

Most of the scenarios that were posted in this topic I have been through. I can remember at my church picnic, a guest deacon who was visiting the service was asked to bless the food. After he blessed the food, he began to sing an old hym. While he was singing, everybody dipped on him(including the pastor) and went to eat while me and the rest of the musicians were left to play.

[joeyd]

not to say hate but it sometimes get to me when i play my own thing going or try to set the mood and my fellow musicians are playing something completly different. plus at one church that i help at, the leslie is not strong enough because it problably needs a new tube and there is a bass and keyboard speaker surrounding the leslie. i cant hereeeeeeee aaaaaaaaaaa thingggggggggg what im doin. i cantttttttt standddddd thatttttttt. also if im playing bymyself ( not to be selfish) but a musician just come out of nowwhere and plays over me.

[ShadowPhace]

1.) When the bass pedals stick!
2.)  When the leslie won't come on or go off!!
3.)  When you are drowned out by everything else!!!
4.)  When you pick a song to play for offering and some older person starts singing some thing really old or traditional!!!!
5.)  Some body starts signing a song they made up that can't sing!!!!!

Number 5 I relate to the most. I play for an AME church that is full of old people who can't sang and love to make up songs from hymns.

[organ man1990]

5 things i can't stand while playing in service....

1.Everybody's drowning me out!!!!!
2. Someone who's singing is changing 8,000 different notes while singing their song.
3.Musicican sometimes like to act tone deaf and play a whole different notes than what is supposed to be played and nobody listens when i play the real note
4.Drummers luv 2 fiddle faddle loudly while testimony is goin' on, making congregation looking sour faced at musicians.
5.Someone singing a song can't keep their original tempo and start off too fast and blaming us !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[caisza]

5 things I hate about playing the organ in service is when

  1.  Someone is in a high praise testimony and I'm am playing fast praise music and the testimony leader breaks in with a slow worship song even though half the church is shouting.

  2.  When I am playing a slow worship song as part of the flow of service when the drummer won't cooperate and they are playing fast beats even though the service is at the slow worship point because they are ready for a fast praise song.

  3.  When a singer is singing out of tune to the 10th power.

  4.  When in choir practice we practice a song to sing and then the choir come up in service with something I have never heard of.  I be like  ???

  5.  When I am drowned out to the 5th power.
   

[mteekemp]

wow this is hilarious...you guys have some organ problems...but i got some organ issues. Here they are:
5) When the bass pedals stick or they don't play- You either have too long of a bass or no bass at all
4) When the preacher can't decide whether he wants to preach in b flat or b natural- have ya'll ever heard a preacher preach between keys
3) When the drawbars don't all work- man you be tryin to get them to play and there is a certain spot they work and a certain spot they don't
2)  When the special guest soloist says " I gone do this one accapella" then after church they ask you why you didn't "catch" them- like they really knew what acapella meant.
& #1) When the director of another group asks you to play The Presence of the Lord is Here in the key that it is in, but they sing it in another key and they don't do any changes and then they be looking at you like you don't know the song...-HUH...
  My bad for the last one, this church youth choir came to a service and they asked me to play and they jacked it up...I was really laughing...