How do you play with other musicians

[Virtuenow]

There is already a keyboardist at my church and I just started playing again.  He plays organ style, and very loudly.  I can hardly be heard.  I basically stopped playing for a while b/c of this but I feel motivated to play again.  I see churches where multiple musicians including keyboards, organs and guitarists play together.  How do they do this so effectively w/o one person dominating like at my church?

[GospelEngineer]

Everybody simply has to play less. There's a guitarist at the church I'm playing for so with him there I don't play as many runs. Since there's a bass player I stick to playing rootless chords. There's also another guy who plays 2nd keys and he'll usually use organ or strings and does simple pads.

As far as volume everyone just has to find a good level where they can all be heard and hear themselves. It takes some humility.

[betnich]

I think part of it (besides everybody playing less) may be discussing the situation with the sound people. If they can turn the organist down, good. If not, other players may have to be turned up (not reccomended, as this may lead to a "volume war" among the musicians).

IMO, many keyboard players, including myself, are used to playing alone and 'covering all the bases' (playing melody, chords, bass lines, rhythms). It may take a while for them to get used to a guitar, bass, second keyboard, etc., hearing what they play, and ceding that sonic territory to them...

[Virtuenow]

Thank you!  This is great advice guys.  Right now I feel like we are in a volume war...and a run war.  Who can do the most runs and play chords.  I don't want this, but refuse to be pushed away from the piano again!  I will pray and talk to him using these suggestions.  Do you feel less musician like when you have to play less?

[betnich]

I am more of a chord player, so would lose a run war...

[dwest2419]

Now the organist where I attend he goes on runs even when they already have a guitar player. For that just shows you the lack of respect the organist have toward the guitar player there. Because sometimes the organist can be loud and often tells the guitar player turn his amp up so that he can hear.

[betnich]

At a Gospel concert I attended last week I noticed that often the B3 organ was overwhelmingly loudest on the Bass end - can anybody else relate?

Also the volume/balance seemed to differ with different players and groups. All had singers, organ and keys, yet I noticed the more pro groups with bass and guitar players were more balanced in sound, letting the vocals and instruments have their own space...

[T-Block]

Like betnich said, you need to discuss that with the sound people and with the organist. If need be, talk to your pastor about it and see what kind of solution you all can come up with.

Next thing is yall have to practice together as much as you can. Start to learn each other's style and see who's better at what type of playing. See if yall can blend ur strengths together to make a cohesive sound.

[KeyofB]

Another suggestion would be to practice together without the choir and not within service. That way, you don't have to say you're playing over me. You all can just rehearse with each other and add suggestions. Also, I don't know what kind of music you're doing, but when I'm working with a full band, I try to stick with everyone playing what is recorded. Then, everyone will have a part.

One of my pet peeves is bass players in my area when I have to play in other churches. They are stuck on trying to play quartet style for every song (that ain't gone work), which limits that transitions and chords I can play. My solution: I bite down and listen to where they are going and follow them.

SN: The funniest thing I just saw a bass player was doing to same thing. The keyboard guy keep trying to tell him the changes. (I think he was intentionally trying to make the band follow him.) The organ player got on them foot pedals and you know when you play them foot pedals you will over power a bass player. Maybe, that was just funny to me.