1st time playing a service

[lawst1forlyfe]

I'm the drummer for my church, only been playing for three months, but I'm pretty decent.  My real passion is the piano, I've been on that for about three years.  Well our pianist will be out of town for a few weeks, so I get to play piano for a few services.  I want to know what everyone's first service experience was like.  How long had you been playing before you did the service?  And would you recommend practicing extra extra hard in the days before the service?  I'm still pretty shaky on a few of the songs I'll have to play, so I've been putting in at least four hours a day for the last week.  Is that overkill?  Is overkill possible?  My bad for all the questions, but I'd like answers to as many of them as possible.  thanks for the responses

[BimmerFan99]

When I started playing for church, I never played the service alone.  I always played piano alongside the organist (pipe).  The first time I played and held the service on my own was actually an accident.  The music director thought the main musician was supposed to be there but soon remembered it was his week off (10 minutes before the service started). 8O   He told me to go up and play.

I was excited but horribly nervous at the same time.  I had been playing and learning my music at that church for a few years before that happened.

I would focus on making sure you know the basis for all the regular songs they sing there.  Don't try to add any special licks or things to the songs until you are most comfortable with them.  Be strong and confident and lead with the piano.  Playing piano and holding a service are two different things.  Your congregation will look to you and expect you to drive the music, so I'd say it's best to be comfortable with the basics of every song.

Lastly, meet and practice with any and all songleaders before service.  Ten minutes to go over what's comfortable, what's not and how you both are going to do each song will make an incredible difference.

Holding down a service on the piano is an art, and you will only master it through experience.