accompaniment track

Because Larry, most folks in church can sing, but not everyone has an adequate accompanist. Many churches have resorted to midi files and song tracks because there is no one to play or willing to do it.

 

You think your choir or soloists sound better than commercially recorded musicians?

If that is what you mean, then I am fine with that.

I can't buy that because I think issues of how we worship God are important, even though they don't keep us out of heaven. God gave us a lot of revelation about things that don't keep us out of heaven. He must not have thought they were moot points.

 

I guess that depends on how you define adequate. There is much that I would like to sing that we don't simply because our pianist is not adequate to play it. But she does fine with other things. I don't believe I should bring in a midi piano to make up for it. We just go with what we got ...

 

If you can play it, why not use it?

 

There are services I can literally remember in my mind where people got up to sing to accompanyment tracks, and it sounded real good. The singer was good. The track of course sounded *perfect*. They got polite applause.

Then someone else gets up and accompanies themselves on an instrument. They may not tbe the best in the world at it, but they can keep it going fine while singing. They may even miss a couple chords during the song.

But I find myself touched in a way that the 1st didnt touch me, and I notice after they finished that people are wiping away tears, it was so moving.

I believe thats because all of it, not just the singing, came straight from the heart, not straight from the CD player.

Again, let me repeat, I'm not against them in some situations, and TaterTots cantata might very well bring the whole place to tears from being so moving.(And I hope thats the case.)

But I just think that...generally...there is *something* there when its all real and from the heart, that is very hard to duplicate with the sterile perfection of a track.

God bless,

Mike

 

But isn't using artificial replacements compounding the problem? I, for one, would rather see us train and develop musicians. It takes time and effort, but it brings blessing and encouragemnt in those who are trained as well as those who are ministered to.

 

You mean God got a polite applause. You should never applause for a person.

I've seen God move in this way for both taped music and as you say. God's neither impressed if you are a great singer with a track or not so good without. God is moved by our hearts and not our choice of accompaniment.

So, if you use a CD player, you cannot sing from the heart. I know that's not what you said, but that's what it sounds like.

No. Churches throughout the world use electronic organs. They may have 3-4 keyboards, foot pedals, all the stops and look like an organ. But underneath it all, it's a cheap replica of the real thing, a pipe organ. Electronic organs look like the real thing, but they are made with modern technology. They sound like the real deal, but they aren't. I know, we have a very nice Rodgers Digital organ. Yet, most people aren't aware of it's makeup, they just want to hear the organ.

 

Gib,

I said...

Then you said...

No. That isnt what I said.

I said...

I clearly acknowledged that the singing was "from the heart".

Then why did you say that I said the singing was not coming from the heart??? You seem to be saying that you knew I didnt say that as you accused me of saying that.

But its....not...what...I...said.

Honestly, I dont see how it should "sound like" anything other than what I said. That with all live music it all comes from the heart, rather than just the singing, which is the case with tracks.

Mike

 

Mike, save the drama for you llama. I'm sorry if you misunderstood me. I did not accuse you of anything. You disected what I said and broke it down to make your point. Point taken. I do appreciate the breakdown.

Not true. Not all live music comes from the heart. Some live church musicians could care a less about playing from the heart. I would use a track any day, than to have heartless musicians.

The gist of the thread has been taken from it's original idea and turned into this. Sorry Tatertot. In my opinion, I would prefer not to use tracks and very seldom do. I use 2 live instrumentalist who I believe play from the heart. There's not anything I've laid before them that they can't play.

They've been playing together since they were children. It's almost perfect. Now, if I can just talk the church into buying a real pipe organ so we can get rid of the digital organ. It's pretending to be something it's not.

 

Gib,

I realise that. As with the entire thhread, I assume that all of us are speaking generally. There are all kinds of exceptions to just about anything under the sun.

I agree. But my point is not the exceptions, but the truth regarding the "most of the time" situations.

*Generally*, I believe that live musicians and singers who are both playing and singing from the heart...even if they arent as proficient as the studio professionals on a track...are much preferable to a live musician singing from the heart with a dead CD player that cannot produce anything from its heart for it has no heart, and can not do anything out of love for God.

There!

I hope that coveres all the variables and exceptions.

You know what, I probably would still go with the musicians, but I would pray that God would "light a fire" in them and give them the enthusiasm and love thats needed to be used instrumentally in the church.

Or I would find other musicians...or even go "accapella" like some of the churches of Christ do...until I find some other instrumentalists.

Personally, I would do just about anything but go with tracks, regarding the normal worship music during the service.

God bless,

Mike

I would use a track any day, than to have heartless musicians.

 

Tater said...

Ha ha! Bless her heart. Praise God! Keep on keepin on, sister.

Mike

 

There are a lot of churchs up in the mountains around here that still use the "shaped note" singing. I've never really understood what that means, but they like to stick with what they have always had. Here is a brief little bit about how shaped note singing developed, if anyone is interested...

"However, two seminal events occurred which critically affected the survival and form of the singing school and its music. The first was the development of a four-shape notational system by Little and Smith in 1801. This notational advance complemented the oral four-syllable solfege system already in place in the singing schools, and helped set off a publishing explosion of the genre. The other critical event was the spread, through itinerant singing school masters, of this institution and its music into the south--what was then called the west; Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, and Missouri.

Books such as Kentucky Harmony, Missouri Harmony, Southern Harmony, and Sacred Harp were published in four-shape notation and used widely by a people isolated from the tyranny of citified "experts". It was in the south where the marriage of the New England singing school music forms to the oral Celtic folk tune heritage was completed, and the folk-hymn was born. It was here that the singing school found a permanent home in the rural areas of the Appalachians and the Piedmont.

In the city and in many country areas the development of gospel music in the second half of the nineteenth century superseded the old fashioned four-shape folk-hymns. But in many regions of Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas there grew up a tradition of "singing conventions" where people would bring their harps or harmonies and sing for hours and days at a time, usually after the crops were planted and before their harvest. Potlucks at the singing ("dinner on the grounds") mixed socializing with the singings, and young singers fresh from recent singing schools were given an opportunity to try out their newly honed skills."

Link... Click here

God bless,

Mike

 

I sing solos at church and I always use accompaniment tapes. I usually sing Southern Gospel songs that are played on the radio. This is what suits my voice (I have a Pasty Cline sound). We have several talented musicians at our church but I sings songs that they don't have the music for and it doesn't have the sound I want. I also like to have background vocals on my songs. When I sing with our quartet, we use our church musicians and usually sing some old hymn.
I think we need to use what sounds the best for us and I don't think that is being deceptive in any way. Everyone has his or her own style of singing (kind of like preachers) and we need to use what works best for us. A person ought to feel comfortable with the talents God gave them. When you aren't comfortable, you don't do your best. If we want to sing accapella then we should but I've never had anyone tell me they thought I would sound better using the church musicians or singing accapella. I've never had any criticism of any kind of my style or my music.
I think it's a little nit-picking to say using tapes is deceptive. I think people are smart enough to know the difference.

 

delly,

Whew! That makes me wish I could hear you sing!

Mike