Building Your Band

A better conversation about music, with David Loftis and Peter Bulanow

Peter James | Clashing With Every Single Person

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We’re joined by legendary Hillsong keyboardist and sound designer Peter James. Peter has been playing piano/keys for the last 25+ years, and has been heavily involved with Hillsong Church as a volunteer on the weekends, as well as being employed by Hillsong United and Hillsong International Leadership College as a lecturer for the past 13 years. Additionally, he has played on 40+ Hillsong albums.

In this episode, we get inside Peter James headspace on everything from Sound Design -> Writing Parts -> Arranging -> Synth Bass. We hear how he pushes himself to continually try something new, the relationship of keyboard parts to sounds, a trick for coming up with parts, and how to incorporate synth base into your band. We hear about the influence of Hillsong producer, Joel Houston, and the reference material he pushed out ahead of tracking, such as: M83, Passion Pit, & Radiohead, that influence modern worship music today.

Go to Peter James Productions, check out his stuff at Multitracks (including his sounds for Oceans), don’t miss his Youtube Channel, and follow him on Facebook, and Twitter.

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher and support the show by rating us and leaving a comment. Have a question or thought? Leave a comment below or connect directly with us!

Dan Cuomo | Something’s Wrong With That Click Track

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Dan Cuomo joins the show to share his thoughts, wisdom and experience playing rock drums, getting signed to a major label (40 Records) and touring Europe, and then deciding what’s next. Today you will find Dan playing modern worship drums in churches all over the DC/MD/VA area.

I hold Dan up as an example of exactly the kind of drummer you should see in your local church. By Dan’s own admission, he isn’t a technical drummer – which is precisely the point: you don’t need a technically trained jazz fusion drummer with intricate grooves and insane chops to sound great. Rarely do I see a situation where I think a musician needs more skills / more chops for the band or song to sound better. Rather, I often think a musician needs to better understand the essentials of what needs to be played, and needs to understand their role with respect to keeping time and creating space. Dan is your encouragement that you don’t need better players, you just need to find folks willing to play less and listen more in order to serve the song.

He must become greater; I must become less. John 3:30

For more of Dan Cuomo, find him on Facebook & Twitter, and pick up Steph Cuomo’s latest project on iTunes.

Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher and support the show by rating us five stars and leaving a comment. Please leave your questions and comments below!

Toto Masterclass

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When we hold a workshop, we start out by talking about the roles for each instrument. Knowing the role of each instrument goes far to inform what everyone should play.

But even without that understanding, we have clear examples of the kinds of things we should play all around us: original studio tracks. If your playing doesn’t line up with basically the kinds of things you hear on records, you may be overplaying.

Session players are the ones that get the call to play in the studio while the tape is rolling and there are a bunch of people sitting around charging by the minute for their time – when you need to get it right the first time. Toto is a band that formed out of session players – so in many ways, they are a textbook.

This is a breakdown of a famous song of Toto’s from the 80’s called “Rosanna” which you can read all about at the wikipedia page. Other than the fact the announcers talk too much over the tracks, this really does go far to break down just how little is needed, yet how significant each contribution is. If your playing is significantly different than what is on here, it’s time to rethink some things.

A couple things jump out at me listening to this:

Jeff Porcaro on Drums – he is famous for just playing the groove and not playing a lot of fills. My kind of drummer, and exactly what you need most Sunday mornings.

Steve Porcaro on Keys – This really is textbook keyboard playing. Something as simple as a roll down at the right time can shift the whole song.

Steve Lukather on Guitar – Note just how tasteful his playing is when called to play rhythm. Don’t be afraid to step out a little when asked to solo.

Vocal Harmonies – Everything should start out with melody. You build harmonies slowly. Blend is everything. You can actually get away with a lot of harmonies if you’re tasteful and intentional.

Finally, everybody uses contrasts to make certain things speak, and other things lay back.

What jumps out at you?

Dave Tauler – Not Enough Bassoon Gigs

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Youtube | Facebook | Twitter

Dave Tauler: Youtube | Facebook | Twitter

In this podcast episode, Dave talks to us about how playing wind instruments informs the way he approaches singing and composition, and warns us about how solo instruments can conflict with vocals. He then gives us his formula for using these instruments in a band setting, describing not only where to play but where not to play.

Along the way, we discuss the difference between Handel’s Messiah, Watermusic, and Fireworksmusic, as well as the difference between Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos and his St John Passion, and Dave gives a big shout out to the Bach Collegium Japan (Amazon | iTunes) version of the latter.

If you’ve ever wondered about how to incorporate note-readers into the (chart or ear-based) worship setting, this podcast is for you, as Dave gives practical steps toward this and points us toward the free notation software MuseScore 2.0.

Connect with Dave Tauler on Facebook, Youtube, and Twitter.

Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes & Stitcher

 

Love Ran Red, a few production notes

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Here are my production notes for translating Chris Tomlin’s (Amazon | iTunes) Love Ran Red to a live Band.

  • This is a piano record. I would personally enjoy playing songs from this album, partially because it uses so much piano (and that’s my first love), and partially because it comes across as a movie score (which is how I like to think about music).
  • There is room for your classical-pianist and your keyboardist-pianist, as well as your synth/programming guy on different songs, so be intentional about booking the right person for the right song (or call me up). There are lots of different piano sounds on this record that you’ll want to be aware of. There’s a standard Steinway or Yamaha grand, a more muted grand with the highs rolled off at the board, a compressed acoustic piano (Michael English’s Finally Free being a particularly egregious example of a compressed piano), and a plain-Jane keyboard-piano.
  • There are also plucked sounds on this record that could be covered by acoustic guitar, but I’m not sure they were originally acoustic guitar on the record (if so they’ve been highly produced), so they could also be covered by a keyboard or programmed.
  • The electric guitars are actually pretty understated on this record – standard U2/Edge delayed guitar – but one could elect to mix the guitars up to create gutsier renditions.
  • Lots of cinematic toms are present, which I personally love, but they require some special preparation from your sound engineer to get them sounding big and awesome.
  • There are some EDM influences, like four-on-the-floor kick, synth appreciators, and filter sweeps not usually found coming out of Nashville (maybe some Crowder influence?)

Greater

  • These opening lines are right out of a Hans Zimmer score, so you’ll need your gorgeous string pads handy to not waste this moment. Maybe you’d want to consider doubling the intro. You’ll want your synth guru booked for this day.
  • Programmed synth bass would be cool, but a decent live player can do this.
  • This song has some of those plucked sounds on the first verse that could be covered by acoustic guitar or a 2nd keyboard guy.
  • A modern piano/keyboard sound with some delay on it plays the thematic element on verse 2, or this could be covered quite nicely by some delayed guitar and simply layered with some acoustic piano (the latter being my preference).
  • Make sure you have your guy who loves playing toms booked for this day.
  • Starting at the 2nd chorus, you’ll want a few additional harmony vocals to join.
  • If you have an old school choir at your disposal, have them waiting in the wings and enter Fortissimo at the bridge, and then again echoing the bridge part over the final chorus. This is what the kids call “epic”.

How to get this right: let it be relaxed, sweeping, even cinematic.
How to get this wrong: overplay it.

Waterfall

  • Opens with electric piano and quickly gets into EDM synth dance sounds, so you’ll need to be playing to a click track to keep the arpeggiators in sync. Season with filter sweeps.
  • Acoustic piano on chorus is compressed (ask your sound tech do to this) and should be played live by someone with strong (classically trained?) hands. I can see a case for two keyboardists this day, one on the grand, another doing the synth work. Pads on verse 2 can be string pads or synthier square waves.
  • On that note, think about having another vocalist that sounds like you to do sound of the random overdubs. There’s room for a little extra vocal goodness if they want to run with it a little.
  • Make sure you have your guy who loves playing toms booked this day.

How to get this right: preproduction, keep it tight.
How to get this wrong: fail to give it enough rehearsal time and it’ll fall apart.

At the Cross (Love Ran Red)

  • Use compressed piano with some delay on it.
  • Plucked sounds could be covered by acoustic guitar or a 2nd keyboard guy.
  • Bring all your vocalists online for the bridge.
  • It’s OK to build to a wall of sound on this one 😉

How to get this right: keep it relaxed, create some space.
How to get this wrong: rush the kick.

Jesus Loves me

  • I would probably play this ballad on the house grand, even though it sounds more like a sample on this recording.
  • Electric guitar can cover the quiet tremolo pads, and all other tasteful / big / ambient parts.
  • Piano and Drums propel this one.

How to get this right: be passionate.
How to get this wrong: let it drag.

Boundary Lines

  • Your sound tech is definitely going to need to listen to this recording. You’ll need a second vocal mic for the intro vocal that has the highs and lows rolled off to sound lofi, run through a tap delay, and then your sound guy will play the low-pass filter live and open that up.
  • Book your synth/keyboard person who knows what filter sweeps are. They’ll also have access to vintage Rhodes sounds and compressed pianos, besides all the warm pads and undulating sounds.
  • Everything should happen to a click track so the band stays tight and in sync. You’ll probably want all those 16th note delayed claps to be programmed ahead of time and a nice click going to the drummer.
  • Ask the drummer if they want to play the tambourine or have that programmed.
  • Program the hand clap on 2 & 4 and four on the floor kick.
  • Play the toms, snares, fills, live and wail on that hi-hat like any good EDM song does.
  • More of that plucked stuff that could be played by a 2nd keyboardist or acoustic guitarist.

How to get this right: preproduction!
How to get this wrong: expect a live version to come together quickly.

Almighty

  • This song is one of those sit-on-a-stool-with-a-spotlight solo tunes, at least to start. Not too much rocket science here, even though it feels a little complicated. Eventually it builds with lots of vocals on the chorus.
  • A nice classic Yamaha or Steinway grand anchors this song. I love the bridge that drops back to solo piano. Whomever you give this solo to will thank you.
  • For the signature figure that seems to go through a 5/4 measure followed by a 3/4 measure, don’t count it that way – just play straight through with a 4/4 count.
  • More of those wonderful U2 guitars on the chorus.
  • There might be room for a second keyboardist to do some pads on this, just don’t overdo it.

How to get this right: tight transitions.
How to get this wrong: telegraph your transitions (with fills) or not choking your cymbals.

The Roar

  • There are nice pads and compressed piano on this one.
  • Four on the floor kick, but play it live.
  • Crazy backing vocal on the chorus! Never fear, the electric guitar can cover this.
  • Nice half-time feel on the bridge. You booked your choir for this right??

How to get this right: 16th note hi-hats keeps the momentum.
How to get this wrong: That’d be pretty hard.

Fear Not

  • The intro is a lo fi variant of the chorus. I don’t think it’s critical to try to sound like the record. Maybe have a 2nd mic tuned up to sound like a megaphone…or use a megaphone!
  • Mechanically, this song is straightforward. One guitar playing the arpeggios, and another something – could be guitar could be keyboard – holding down the chord. Add that and solid drums.

How to get this right: Bring in your youth and kids choir to yell out the bridge!
How to get this wrong: Fail to drive the song with all those 16th note hi-hats, or hold back even a little.

The Table

  • Grand piano, electric guitar doodling, nice drum groove. This song just comes together.
  • You may or may not want to go up a step after the bridge, especially if you’re shaky and may not nail it a capella. Either way this is another one where you want your choir coming in at the bridge.

How to get this right: Get everyone snapping on two and four before you start the song.
How to get this wrong: If you’re not having fun, you’re doing it wrong. It’s a celebration. It’s about community. It’s about relationships: vertical and horizontal.

Psalm 100

  • It’s cool to see some of that EDM influence. You’ll be playing to a click, but a tight live drummer should be able to cover all the drums parts. Live bass is the way to go. Straightforward Edge electric guitars.
  • In fact, you may be able to play this entire tune live with your synth guy running arpeggiators, as long as you’re playing to a click. If they want to program it, that’s cool too.
  • The piano arpeggiation on the bridge would sound pretty awesome if it can be played tight on a grand. Better be practicing your Hanon for the finger strength.
  • P.S. Those are some great mellotron strings at the end!

How to get this right: Preproduction!
How to get this wrong: not play to a click track.

I Will Boast

  • This is a beautiful rubato grand piano song.
  • If you have some live strings, violas, cellos, this is the time to let them sing out. Some of this could be augmented by keyboard pads, or covered by mellotron-type samples.
  • There are some tasteful guitars, but I’m not sure you even need ’em – give your strings a chance to shine!
  • There are some really nice harmony vocals in a few spots. The whole tune might be really nicely reconfigured as a male-female duet.
  • Ends with Rhodes electric piano, which I don’t get the point of, other than to facilitate a transition to a coda of “At the Cross”.  I would label this an album artifact and ignore it live by sticking to just the piano and ending the song, particularly unless you actually did “At the Cross” earlier in your service.

How to get this right: Have a gorgeous well-mic’d, well-tuned, grand piano.
How to get this wrong: Rush it.

Jesus, This is You

  • This is the guitar song on the record. It sounds like it’s from a recent U2 album.
  • Keyboards – use atmospherics – maybe some keyboard / piano / melodic-chime sounds, but don’t get in the way of what your particular guitarist is doing. This is a guitar song – listen!
  • There is room for lots of vocals on this. The choir can possibly come out for this. Let it build to a wall of sound. Maybe add an extra chorus.

How to get this right: Book The Edge (U2) to play guitars and sing that thematic part for you.
How to get this wrong: Let it get too big / full / muddy / wall of sound (looking your way, keys).

In the End

  • A neat little rhythmic device opens this tune on the riff. That could come from a keyboard guy (arpeggiator?) or a guitar guy (acoustic guitar with delay?). Since there is already a piano part, I would look to your electric guitarist to pick up an acoustic and run it through a delay.
  • The piano part would probably be a modern piano keyboard sound, not necessarily a grand. Be ready to layer a nice big atmospheric pad like Absynth.
  • Also that’s a pretty cool compressed drum loop on the second chorus, so you’re playing tight to a click, right?
  • Kick and a couple toms build at the Bridge. The drum kit is finally in after the bridge. It’s called building tension!

How to get this right: Rehearse.
How to get this wrong: Think this song will magically come together.

REMIXes

I really love that they are offering these. It shows the songwriting can stand up to reinterpretation.

Waterfall Tritonal Remix

  • I don’t know that I’d attempt this version live, but if you can it’s got lots of nice production. Vocoder on the harmonies anyone?
  • The programmed synth and snare stuff are epic. You can probably do a hybrid with the regular version and whatever synthy stuff you can come up with.

How to get this right: preproduction.
How to get this wrong: fail to integrate live sounds well with the programmed sounds.

At the Cross (Love Ran Red) [Acoustic]

  • This song utilizes picked acoustic guitar, and very minimal warm pad on the first verse.
  • If you have a second acoustic guitar that can pick, there is room for some tasteful layered harmonies starting at the chorus.
  • Use kick and shaker on the second verse. I would probably replace with a mic’d Djembe and shaker (and tambourine) instead, as I think a drum kit is too big for this.
  • Some gentle well-mic’d grand piano comes in at the second chorus.

How to get this right: show restraint, be tasteful.
How to get this wrong: overplay.

Let It Be Jesus [Acoustic]

  • This is an acoustic piano ballad.
  • There is a little extra acoustic guitar in the recording that I don’t know I would want in right away. Maybe hold off until the chorus when the tempo gets established. That way the instrumentation stays tight.
  • I get the piano dropping out on the second verse and switching to acoustic guitar before bringing the piano back in. We need that sonic break.
  • Personally I think this would sound so much more epic with some solo string lines. Somebody score something for this!

How to get this right: restraint.
How to get this wrong: let it get too big.

Do you hear things differently? Anything I missed? Leave a comment below!

What’s my motivation?

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This story begins with the one thousandth time I’m playing “This is the air we breathe” and a simple question that actors ask all the time: what is my motivation? The point being, a good actor (and by that I mean not Keanu Reeves or Tom Cruise – as much as I enjoy their movies) can deliver the same set of words a thousand different ways with a thousand different nuances. What should inform those decisions? Luck? Or outside direction?

Musicians can do the same thing with a song. There is so much nuance in music, that if all we have is a chart, precisely what we want a song to “say” is still totally up in the air. That meaning, that motivation, can be filled in by the musician and sheer luck, or can be informed by something more deliberate.

All the inspiration I ever needed was a phone call from a producer.  Cole Porter (1891 – 1964)

If we already decided we don’t want “throw away songs“, someone should be able to fill in those blanks and precisely describe why I’m doing this song and how it fits into the metanarrative of the service. That person is the producer (informed by the service planning process).

This past Sunday, my community did a “Hungry Service”. We were all asked to come to church hungry, having fasted for some indeterminate amount of time, even if it was just breakfast. (The beauty of this kind of thing is that we’re asking people to invest themselves in the service before they even arrive.)

Let me tell you, when you do “We are Hungry” or Crowder’s “Hungry”, when you really are actually hungry, you understand precisely why you are doing the song and it takes on a significant meaning. The longing becomes much more than theoretical and the metaphors are much more concrete.

Do you have any examples of where you didn’t know why you were doing a song, or even had conflicting ideas about it, or success stories?

Redeeming Oceans

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By now you’ve probably seen this version of Oceans getting bounced around the internets. I hope the people in that video have kept their heads held up high and aren’t shying away from playing, because that would be a real shame.

However, this scene is one that is repeated all over the nation, Sunday after Sunday. Musicians are getting up there and doing the best they can, what they think is the right thing, but there is no one stepping back to look at the big picture and make decisions. There is no one producing.

Just a couple weeks ago, I visited a church that had a couple play and sing during the sharing of the Lord’s Supper. The husband and wife duo brought in their own equipment – electric guitar, mics, ‘verb, mixing board – all great equipment, and they sub-mixed themselves down into the house system. What happened next may be accounted for by the fact that they didn’t have a monitor, so they were only hearing themselves being bounced back from the mains. Two things were apparent: there was way too much ‘verb on everything, and they were desperately pitchy. Much like these guys, the good folks involved are clearly good enough and gifted enough to be playing and leading church. But without someone who can diagnose what is going wrong and offer a suggestion, this kind of thing is going to continue Sunday after Sunday.

Here is a pretty fantastic drum tutorial for playing Oceans:

And let’s be honest – the guy on top wasn’t that far off was he? Ok, he got a little carried away with the triplet 16th note tom fils, but that’s kinda what the song does – come in like gangbusters. The drummer read at least a portion of the intent right. So what went wrong?

Let’s start with the electronic drums that are doing nobody any favors. It is really hard to control dynamics on those things. The whole point of those, by the way, is they aren’t supposed to be too loud. Where exactly was that most important musician, the sound tech who was mixing this? And yes, the drummer was rushing, so that didn’t help, but these are all things that can be dialed down.

Personally I’d be happy to walk into this situation and work with these guys. At least they showed up and were willing to bring it!

The price of a note

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Notes actually do mean something. They have power. I think of notes as being expensive. You don’t just throw them around. I find the ones that do the best job and that’s what I use. I suppose I’m a minimalist instinctively. I don’t like to be inefficient if I can get away with it. Like on the end of “With or Without You“. My instinct was to go with something very simple. Everyone else said, “Nah, you can’t do that.” I won the argument and I still think it’s sort of brave, because the end of “With or Without You” could have been so much bigger, so much more of a climax, but there’s this power to it which I think is even more potent because it’s held back… ultimately I’m interested in music. I’m a musician. I’m not a gunslinger. That’s the difference between what I do and what a lot of guitar heroes do.

U2’s guitarist pontificates about things so central to what we have been talking about here at BYB that what he says here is really worth contemplating.

In keyboard-land, there is a mythical figure in the progressive rock scene, well more than one, but since I’m not talking about Keith Emerson, I must be talking about Rick Wakeman. Rick, who by all estimates has a philosophy roughly opposite of the one described above, arguably considers notes much less expensive, and is often accused of lacking feel. Even though Rick’s playing doesn’t resonate with me personally, I bring him up because he has a storied career as an artist. So even if you think differently than me, you can still find much success. Ha!

But the point I want to make is that this kind of Wakeman-like-proficiency may not serve the song as well as simple playing can.

So that’s the good news, especially if you’re starting out. Yes, do work your way through a basic curriculum of getting all the chords and all the keys under your fingers. But once you do that, it’s probably more about what you take out than what you put in.

Serving the song as a… [worship leader]

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The worship leader has a unique role to play. In my perfect world, you need to be the focal point of a congregation and a band. You need to be comfortable in your own skin in that role. The congregation needs something to look at, so they don’t get lost or bored or confused. You need to channel that energy, being sensitive to the spirit of the room (as well as the Spirit in the room) and provide direction to the band about where things are going next.

The band has to have confidence in you, and you need to have confidence in your band. The more trust, the more opportunity for really remarkable things to happen. I mean things that you never could have scripted in a million years, things you simply cannot recreate from one service to the next (although you can try). Ideally, this person is willing to go there, to let it all hang out, because the band can never get in front of you. You have to be out front.

If you are comfortable in that spotlight, if you have trust in your band, if you can connect with the congregation, if you can let it all hang out, if you can stay open to the Spirit’s leading, you can truly help to bring things together in a unique and special way.

And if you can get out of the way for a few moments during the service – that’s even better.

 

Serving the song as a… [solo instrument]

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Michael Thomas Cello

Michael Thomas Cello

It is awesome to have you in the service this morning! We love the unique color that you bring, as well as the obvious proficiency you bring on what looks to be a gorgeous  instrument. Wow.

First things first – I hope you have a built-in pickup, or have brought a phantom powered mic that clips on to your instrument. Hopefully you know where it goes to generate a nice warm tone, because we’ve never really mic’d anything like you before and we don’t have time to experiment, and no one likes listening to mostly rosin or reed.

Also, I obviously haven’t had time to arrange anything for you, except you’ve hopefully heard one or two MP3’s that feature your instrument (planning!). So for sure, cover those parts. Otherwise, I’m not sure what to tell you to play. I hope you are comfortable feeling things out by ear; of course you are, or you wouldn’t be here.

Now, if you drone through the songs, especially in the upper register, you’re going to make it extremely difficult for the vocalists to be heard. Assuming we have a competent sound engineer, you’re going to get pushed way down in the mix if you do that, so obviously, don’t do that.

It makes so much more sense for you to play the intro, any riffs or hooks, and a couple of key spots or designated solos rather than compete with the vocals. Do this, and you will do what you came to do.

We’re totally open to any arranging ideas to feature you that you can suggest during the rehearsal. Ok? Great? Let’s do this!!