As a Second Keyboardist

[blessedhands80]

Sup LGM, as a second keyboardist, where do I fit in? What I mean by this is do I "chord" along with the Chief musician if I'm using the organ sound. I pointed out the organ sound because I use this most of the time. In my head Im thinking this might clash or maybe I'm wrong since we are using two different sounds.

Your Advice will be appreciated.

Be Blessed

[KurzLand]

Just use the organ sound as an organ. Use the effects it has, rotary speaker and the leslie should be enough.

You don't always have to use the organ. You can use a Pad or Strings or maybe some synth sounds, be creative.

There is another sound you could use while the main keyboard player plays piano, you can use the Eps. Not Rhodes but Ep. You know the sparkly Ep. Find one that is sparkly but not to sparkly and layer a warm pad to it. This sound shouldn't sound empty in a mix, just rich and full. Play whole notes with this sound, you don't want the other musicians to be getting mad at you.

[KurzLand]

I wanna know what you guys think too.

[Prophetic Remnant]

WELL IF YOU ARE ON ORGAN YOU DO AS MELVIN CRISPELL ONCE SAID, "BRIDGE THE BAND WITH THE CHOIR." THIS CAN MEAN "PADDING" (CHORDING) THE BAND'S HARMONY AND THE CHOIR HARMONY AND OUTLINING THE PIECES OF THE CHOIR'S MELODY AND SOME OF THE BAND'S CHANGES. YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE DEPENDING ON YOUR TASTE WHEN TO:

1. PAD WITH THE BAND
2. CHORD THE CHOIR'S HARMONY
3. OUTLINE A PIECE OF THE MELODY OR CHOIR'S PART
4. OUTLINE ONE OF THE BAND'S CHORD CHANGES

[blessedhands80]

I wanna know what you guys think too.

Just use the organ sound as an organ. Use the effects it has, rotary speaker and the leslie should be enough.

You don't always have to use the organ. You can use a Pad or Strings or maybe some synth sounds, be creative.

There is another sound you could use while the main keyboard player plays piano, you can use the Eps. Not Rhodes but Ep. You know the sparkly Ep. Find one that is sparkly but not to sparkly and layer a warm pad to it. This sound shouldn't sound empty in a mix, just rich and full. Play whole notes with this sound, you don't want the other musicians to be getting mad at you.

WELL IF YOU ARE ON ORGAN YOU DO AS MELVIN CRISPELL ONCE SAID, "BRIDGE THE BAND WITH THE CHOIR." THIS CAN MEAN "PADDING" (CHORDING) THE BAND'S HARMONY AND THE CHOIR HARMONY AND OUTLINING THE PIECES OF THE CHOIR'S MELODY AND SOME OF THE BAND'S CHANGES. YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE DEPENDING ON YOUR TASTE WHEN TO:

1. PAD WITH THE BAND
2. CHORD THE CHOIR'S HARMONY
3. OUTLINE A PIECE OF THE MELODY OR CHOIR'S PART
4. OUTLINE ONE OF THE BAND'S CHORD CHANGES

I appreciate it fellas. I will take your advice into consideration

[KurzLand]

I appreciate it fellas. I will take your advice into consideration

Anytime brother!

[tammyid]

I'm the backup keyboard player for my church.  I've been playing on the team for 2 months now.  We play by chord sheets.  On the praise songs, I play the piano and so does my worship leader.  On the slow worship songs, my worship leader has me playing strings, holding them down and changing them when the chords change.

My problem is I have a hard time hearing myself play the strings.  I can barely hear myself at times.  I started out wearing earphones but now I wear noise cancelling headphones and I have two channels in my monitor, one for myself and the other to hear my worship leader and the rest of the team.  I play sitting down.  My worship leader is on the lead keyboard about 5 ft in front of me.  He uses a floor monitor which is about 5 ft away from the both of us, which points toward him, but is at an angle toward me.  I can turn his volume down completely and still hear him, but I can hear myself.  If I turn his channel on, even just barely, it's very loud.

I know it can be a challenge being a backup keyboardist.

[blessedhands80]

I'm the backup keyboard player for my church.  I've been playing on the team for 2 months now.  We play by chord sheets.  On the praise songs, I play the piano and so does my worship leader.  On the slow worship songs, my worship leader has me playing strings, holding them down and changing them when the chords change.

My problem is I have a hard time hearing myself play the strings.  I can barely hear myself at times.  I started out wearing earphones but now I wear noise cancelling headphones and I have two channels in my monitor, one for myself and the other to hear my worship leader and the rest of the team.  I play sitting down.  My worship leader is on the lead keyboard about 5 ft in front of me.  He uses a floor monitor which is about 5 ft away from the both of us, which points toward him, but is at an angle toward me.  I can turn his volume down completely and still hear him, but I can hear myself.  If I turn his channel on, even just barely, it's very loud.

I know it can be a challenge being a backup keyboardist.

Thank You Tammy.

[diverse379]

I like this question

i like all the advice that was given i would just reiterate
that
for worship songs go with strings
for up temp dont be afraid to bless the congregation with some horns

finally stay in the pocket
when i played second in a church
i played in the holes
dont look to match the other guy chord for chord look for the gaps in the music to fill in
if you really concentrate on doing this you will be a blessing to everyone including yourself

i listened to a tape of me playing with another organist and i was amazed that was me
i just dropped in a chord here and there and it was awesome every gap there i was layihg some beautiful chord

but otherwiise being pretty in the pocket

[Prophetic Remnant]

I appreciate it fellas. I will take your advice into consideration

NO PROBLEM. 

[blessedhands80]

I like this question

i like all the advice that was given i would just reiterate
that
for worship songs go with strings
for up temp dont be afraid to bless the congregation with some horns

finally stay in the pocket
when i played second in a church
i played in the holes
dont look to match the other guy chord for chord look for the gaps in the music to fill in
if you really concentrate on doing this you will be a blessing to everyone including yourself

i listened to a tape of me playing with another organist and i was amazed that was me
i just dropped in a chord here and there and it was awesome every gap there i was layihg some beautiful chord

but otherwiise being pretty in the pocket

That is what i needed to hear "play in the holes" "look for the gaps" Thank You "diverse379"
that hit the nail on the head.

[tammyid]

You're welcome blessedhands!  Glad I could help!

[csedwards2]

Man this is great, I wonder if there are any more threads on the subject. This is totally new to me to play behind someone.


What if you don't improvise/solo well? My lines sound pretty basic

[csedwards2]

http://www.learngospelmusic.com/forums/index.php/topic,34338.0.html

[Wolfram]

When I am not blowing sax at church, I play Hammond...

The key for me is to listen.  Pay attention to what the piano player is doing.  He is the cake and you are the icing. Learn  how he voices so that you do not stomp all over extended chords.  I like to outline the choir...  Think like them.

Learn your inversions like no other...  Learn how the leslie can be your friend and how it can create tension and energy at times and soothe at other times...

For the most part, you are like sugar in this recipe...  Add a little until it tastes just right, add to much and you have to throw the mix out and start over again.

Wolfram