Paul Baloche - Choosing a bass player for the worship team

[4dabottom]

I think the message here is to play what is required for the song you are playing, and the worship leader you are serving under. For Paul's music and others in this style the instruction he gives is on the money. Bass players can display excellence in how they execute 8th notes believe it or not. Does it mean we should not pursue jazz theory, classical etudes, or world music styles on bass, no. But overplaying can be a great distraction, in secular music, and especially in the church.

[Kuuuks]

Good tips but not in the world of Gospel music like Hezekiah Walker and Marvin Sapp etc, their songs don't usually use 8 and 16 notes.

[potatoman]

The ideal in this video is the reason why many highly skilled bass players are not taken seriously in contempo/modern worship. When they look for a bass player In a worship band, they will just get the first kid in tight pants who can barely hold a decent tune together, while the truly skilled bassist is deemed as unnecessary and ignored. I like Adam Clayton's bass playing (U2) but don't conform to his style. I say It's time to bring in the truly skilled bass players to contemporary worship!

[KicksAndSnares92]

I'm trying to learn bass for the team, barly learning the basics and practing

any advice fellas?

Glory all goes to the father :)

[gracefuladornments]

Not sure what to make of this. I am EXACTLY the kind of bass player he is describing (even though I'm a girl, lol), but the worship leader I am under is pushing me out of the "worship box". When looking for vids to help with that I came across this one. I think I prefer my worship leader to this because I want to glorify God more and more instead of playing a few different ways only. However, I wholeheartedly agree that too many bass players don't have the basics down when they should.

[denim98]

Here are GOOD traits of a bass player.

1. Must be able to sync well with the drummer.

2. Knows the various musical styles and their appropriate bass styles and applies them well into the songs.

3. Do not only play the root notes but also the triads and even dissonances if needed

4. Play with variations

5. Use the appropriate bass sounds e.g double bass, electric bass, slap bass etc

6. Knows when to soften and when to be loud

[Cesarpena]

jaco Pastoria, an old jazz guy? hahahahah

[MLBplaya64]

pause at 2:31 hahahaha

[tafxkz]

@imacman9

mmm, why would you think that?

[tafxkz]

the creator of heaven and earth really enjoys this formula music

[MLBplaya64]

@tafxkz I think the creator of the heaven and earth enjoys any type of music that is honoring his name, whether its amazing or not. there shouldn't be a formula to worship music. I love Paul and his music, but if we get stuck to one kind of formula for worship we hinder God's creativeness in us.

[chewyflea]

Hey Im a local bassist at churches here in Stl MO! God Bless! Hey where did you get that shirt? I want one!

[naikuu]

@coastaltrades i agree. the psalm says play skillfully on the strings. sometimes that means Keep It Simple, Son... but only sometimes. a good bassist can go into more musically complex things and still keep time and lay a solid foundation. of course keep it stylistically appropriate.

but the psalm says play skillfully!

[denim98]

Lots of church bassists ( especially the young ones ) do not realize that the most fundamental thing is to sync with the bass drum.

[alpheus94]

Most REAL musicians would agree that you should play what's right for the song. In this particular style of worship music................that's your job. What you think sounds good, and cool may only sound that way to you because you ARE a musician. On a worship team your JOB is to lead the congregation (who a very few may be musicians) What is awesome to you may just be a distraction to the people. Just some thoughts.....

[efrabassplayer]

@coastaltrades AMEN!!!!!! GOD BLESS YOU!!!!

[GuitarLessonSarasota]

This is were the serving aspect really shines through. If you are the greatest bass player in your city, your state, yet go and serve your brothers, sisters and Lord with simply holding the low end down. Doing what you are called to do, this is excellence. Remember "He who is the greatest must become the least, and the servant of all." With music ministry we really have to step back and make sure we are not doing it to serve and edify ourselves. This would be profane fire. I feel you though.....

[blanchard25]

Bass Player should play in the pocket but, not be afraid to play as lead but God not a overcofident worship lead, I cry out to a Higher Being.

[tornmask]

throughout the yrs i've learned to take alot of heat from lead musicians ie. do this do that & then some also during worship or performances was chastise by them & it frustrated me for a long time w/ tears SCHOOL of HARD KNOX but as time went by i had to learn the hArD way & w/ prayer i thank JESUS! HE is always there w/ me. jus hav a humble heart even though u may not agree w/ the worship leaders rememeber u r honor'n ur service to JESUS the rest will fall in place..bassist/drummer

[Scorpo900]

@tornmask AMEN!!

[lrdeldric]

I agree with the premise. Going out on complex riffs all the time is like crowd surfing - there's gotta be more people providing support underneath than people up surfing. Same with a band.

[lockcutter]

As a bass player.. i do feel contemporary Christian music has become just that..a mold. More often than not, song these days seem to sound the same ala 8th note bass lines with deafening guitars overdrives..and therein lies the appeal as it requires minimal skill to execute. In my humble opinion, the golden age of worship and musicianship was with ron kenoly and the band (abe,justo,alex). But then again, no worship band i know has ever managed to pull off his songs anywhere near that quality.

[chunkymunkyy]

so agree! it's sad because when i try to find inspiring music to listen to to improve my skills for worship, i find i have to look outside of christian music to get that. the leadg music nowadays...hillsongs, paradise, planetshakers... it's nothing exciting or new.Worship bands seem to take bassists as a backdrop to what the guitarists do. if we keep stickg to the tried and tested, what will we tell the next generation of bassists when we pass the baton?will they be inspired by us?? :( :(

[efrabassplayer]

@lockcutter I'm with you man. Now every worship and praise sound the same, that is exactly why we have MOREEE LAZY MUSICIANS in Church. Ron Kenoly Music and Old Hossana Music was perfect to make you a Excelent Christian Musician!

Why now every song has to sound the same???

[denim98]

@lockcutter basses for the new worship songs are basically root notes. They don't even play the fifths.

[denim98]

@lockcutter haha thats because every 3-chord musicians wants to 'write' songs without going through formal training.

[biscuithead44]

Well, I will disagree. That may be what worship is now, but why encourage people to fall into a cookie cutter mold of everyone else? I agree that the fundamentals have to be in place first, (ie. tempo, groove, etc.) but it's time for worship to evolve and not be continually stuck in the same rehashed songs. I say, if you wanna step out of the mold, and it works for the song and is not distracting, go for it! Give God your best. Let your praise come out through your instrument.

[weldon29]

I don't really find most of those bands interesting,

Plus I said most, and most of the time you don't really hear about those bands.(well maybe besides Switchfoot)

[carolannej]

my son is just leaning to play bass and he loves U2 so hopefully he will take heed to what you are say ing - thx

shalom

[apertama]

what? how about abraham laboriel? oh wait.. he's a bass god.. so he can do whatever :)

[hopezer0]

Please listen to the whole thing and comprehend what he's trying to say.

1. Learn the basics of bass first: Tempo.

2. Don't distract the worshipers with your bass playing.

3. If your an advanced bassist, go ahead, just don't distract the worshipers.

4. Keep in mind what the mood of the song is suppose to be and stick to it. Playing funk in a slow song is gonna be distracting and you FAIL as a musician.

[weldon29]

From what I saw from the video, it just seem to be to play as simple as possible, if what you say is what he is trying to say, then I guess I agree! :P

[hopezer0]

dude said "at first". If you know how to fit in the music without distracting worship to others, then by all means, it's great. If by any chance you're distracting them from worship, then it's a problem.

[hopezer0]

elaborate please

[weldon29]

The nature of most Christian music requires them to be simple. And since I usually pay as much attention to the instruments as the lyrics and vocals, it is boring to me.

But I do listen to Chinese worship songs, I guess that when using my native language, it feels more close I guess.(Even if it is simple)

[choofish]

I have to agree, having played in bands for over 40 years. If a bass player can't keep it simple and be right there when you need it , the group will suffer. Most worship teams don't need a Chris Squire. Too many bass players are frustrated lead guitarists. Listen to Dusty Hill, without his BASIC bottom zz would be nowhere. I have been there and done that and I say from much experience, "kiss", keep it simple stupid.... this applies to worship teams also!

[humblebum75]

There's a lot in what Paul is saying here. I think he likes to keep things simple, but I think there's something for us all to learn from. Yes, let's think outside the box, but you can only do that AFTER you've learned to hold down a solid groove. You've got to learn how to play less and play together as a solid rhythm section before you can mix things up and work out your acid jazz or offbeat reggae grooves. Trouble is lots of bands have bedroom virtuosos that haven't learnt how to be a band...

[leadworshipdotcom]

What Paul is referring to is what is needed in many U.S. churches on most Sunday mornings and on most worship teams playing modern worship music such as the songs listed in the CCLI 500. During those times, a bass player is fulfilling an important supporting role in the band, one that requires great consistency and skill. In those situations, there is little need for long bass solos or "jazz fusion" type playing styles. There are churches throughout the world where different principles apply.

[kimjoshua91]

@leadworshipdotcom I agree with pauca's comment on incorporating different styles in a praise band. However, i think it is really important that the bass player can play consistently with skill as a supporting role.

[h3quit0r]

I believe you feel a bass more than you hear it. And its true music is evolutionary and I do believe God desires change and adjustment to the times. Jesus never approached someone the same way so I believe as His people now, we sohuldnt stick to tradition all the time either.

However this is his style so its fine. Whatever allows you to worship to the best you can. God allows that. So its cool!

[DavcomBass]

Ok, your talking about some bassist and I'm taking about Jaco Pastorius. Believe me he would put the absolute best most musical bass part to any worship song and bring it up many levels and I'm not saying that means playing more notes, just more musically while keeping the whole band in mind. Peace

[jsutton414]

playing in a group and playing in a band setting = two completely different things. If you can find a pocket, sure, do a fill, but only if it compliments what the rest of the band is doing, and ONLY IF IT'S IN TIME. Most importantly, listen to the drummer. The key to a solid bassist is just marrying your bass to the drummers kick. DON'T STOP LISTENING TO OTHER BASSISTS!!!

[DavcomBass]

With all do respect, Jaco would put the most musical bass part to your music.

[chanders0]

i dont think paul means that an amazing bass player should restrict his creativity but rather just stay united with the band...

[bassguitarman1959]

This is to Goldensleeves. I hear what you are saying and respect your stance on bringing glory to God. May I say that as a bass player myself who has played for some 25 years, we are told in scripture to play skillfuly on the instruments. This means not only to know HOW to play a given instrument but also to know how to play within a group setting.

[goldensleeves]

Thanks for the comment bassguitarman1959. But when you play "skillfully" it would never be "good" to an omniscient being. It is only "skillful" to minds with limited perception, such as humans. When you hear sound, your brain interprets the relative frequencies within the hearing spectrum and makes preferences. It's like light waves except through air and if you put on a light show, an omniscient being wouldn't say "that was a great distribution of electromagnetic waves". Only people would

[goldensleeves]

amg123191, thanks I think you see what I mean. I'm just saying an omniscient being wouldn't care how the bass player sounded. Only people would. If it helps PEOPLE stay in synch then PEOPLE may benefit from "good playing". An omniscient being wouldn't have a preference for the way the sound was distributed through the air because one needs ears and limited intelligence to form preferences. Nobody is actually "good" - it's a relative, subjective, human preference.

[jeremygweber]

Dude, that's Paul Baloche.  He knows Worship Music as well as anyone......

[goldensleeves]

If an omnicient being exists, it would not have a preference for what the music is like. "Music" is a subjective perception contingent upon how our brains interpret the relations between disturbances in air pressure. An omnicient being, however, would not perceive time or frequencies in a "preferential" fashion. In other words, the "quality" of music is a subjective human preference. Choosing a particular bass player satisfies a human preference, not an omnicient being's preference.

[bigbueno2]

hes gotta have groove, tact, the feel. listen to tenny from hillsong

[Biglusicousphil]

I see where he is coming from but is seems like hes talking to more inexperienced worship bands and musicians. My worship band has hardly any 8th note songs, more of the groove stuff. A worship band with a really creative bass player can sound absolutely amazing. I think this video is more of his way of saying, "I don't want a Flea or Victor Wooten in my band" which I would tend to agree with. Though I would be very careful when telling other musicians how to play their instruments.

[goldensleeves]

THINK ABOUT THIS! Who are you trying to please by deciding how the bass player should play, God OR people(yourself)? If "worship" is for glorifying God, there's no reason to assume God would have a preference for how the bass player plays. So, telling the bass player how to play is only to please PEOPLE with what THEY want to hear, not God. I'm AGNOSTIC but to worship through a bass (or anything), it's only relevant that it glorifies or brings others to God -- that is, if you're a Christian.

[amg123191]

I understand your take but it's all about principle of music. You want to carry the song so people can worship. They can't praise God if the bassist is playing every little run and chord. he's supposed to do his job hold down the bass line! It's all about pocket and carrying the song. God bless you.

AMG

[J90820]

At my church, I'm on the worship team. On the slower songs, say 'What Can I Do" by this guy actually:P, I keep it relatively simple, with just the odd fill or walk up to add to the piece. But on songs like "Here is Our King", I move around the neck and express my self a little more(while always hitting the root notes of the chords on time, of course). I sometimes play 2 or 3 note chords if i feel the some of the other instruments aren't filling the space enough.

[kzbass]

I'm agreeing with erinebald57. This guy's "concept" of the worship bass player is killing all creativity of that aspect of the music. I like to think of the bass as being the left hand of the piano. If you listen to that there is movement in the chord, but it is still laying down the basics. I'm really disappointed with this guy's ideals, and I hope his son, as a bass player, doesn't inherit them.

[toler777]

I think a little lick here and there is fine as long as it is tasteful and complimnets the music, other than that stay in the pocket.

[toler777]

Sometimes More is Less and the bass player drives the bus with a groove / bass line and stays in the pocket with the drummer, the Drummer and Bass player are married in a worship band and if either is going off on their own it becomes a solo and walks all over the rest of the band.

[toler777]

erniebald57..

I guess you know more about a pro worship band than Paul Baloche ??

I have been playing for over 30 years in touring bands, studio work and in many modern worship bands and he is pretty much on the money with the style of bass playing and what is NEEDED from a bass player in a modern worship band of this style.

[cheese1067]

Listen to the drums and bass in the music of a band called 'The Choir'. They have it MASTERED.

[erniebald57]

Have to disagree a little here. Bass should hold down the foundation and should be tastefully creative, but you can't squash expression and creativity, especially from someone who's crazy good like the bassist in my band. It's little more than an attempt to create music to sell to the congregation instead of being true to yourself and God musically. You can have the structure and the creativity at the same time. I'm tired of everyone putting worship music in this Nashville/pop box.

[dhebdheb]

all is nothing without the perfect timing..

well said!

[digbyte]

it's called bass for a reason!! Everything is built on it..it gives us the root notes for the songs...without the root notes, we have an atonal song...not conducive to congregational worship

[cooper91]

haha i love his way of explaining things!

[dyslexicdude]

that is partly true but you can be more inventive on the bass not just play like a beginner

[Reflectors]

Anything to say about electric guitarists?

[havlix]

thats soooo true :D /i play bass in a worshipteam too like your son/