PRS In Church?

Forgive me for just finding this forum and haven't begun to start reading everything previous but 75% of what I play is for my home church-5Twelve City Church here in Austin, I also lead worship for the local Celebrate Recovery Ministry, and I'm so honored to be in the regular monthly rotation of churches here in Austin who do Church Under the Bridge for the area homeless every Sunday.

Here's where I get lengthy and a bit deep so if you wanna stop here, I completely understand.

Also, I believe the very first post referenced a Praise and Worship Bass Players Group (which I wish I had known about). Even though I have a PRS guitar addiction, the only reason I'm even a slightly above average guitarist now, is because I chose to play bass as my primary instrument 31 years ago when I was 13,

So I started Piano when I was 4 and after of what seemed like years of begging my parents to learn guitar, at 12 years old, they finally gave in under the following condition: I could learn guitar as long as I still played piano. Very begrudgingly, I agreed not having the slightest idea how valuable that has been my entire life as a musician. I was also extremely fortunate to have an instructor (who I owe any shred of musical ability I have retained) who taught guitar and piano .

After 2-3 years of Guitar lessons where I did find the transposition from piano to guitar extremely comfortable, I noticed that there's never any bassists. I also realize now that the structure and theory that had been branded into my brain via classical piano theory, I was extremely uncomfortable and lacked major confidence in being able to improvise and "color outside the lines'. Realizing I wasn't going to be the next Eddie Van Halen, I took up bass because the structure and staying in the pocket is the primary role of playing bass- unless you're Wooten, Marcus Miller, Jaco, or Les Claypool. I also knew I'd always have gigs as a bass player and that guitar players are a dime a dozen

Being a lefty was a heavy influence on my decision to take up bass. In fact, the first couple of bands I was in I played a right handed bass upside down and played backwards.

But again playing structured bass lines for 30 years while becoming a solid rhythm guitarist and always having piano theory no matter what instrument I picked up, turned me into the Swiss Army knife for every kind of music project imaginable.

And IDK if any of you guys had this experience but it was only within the last couple of years (thanks Covid) into my forties that it was like a light bulb just went off or I was struck by lightening, but all of the sudden all of the artists and bands that I thought all my life that their material was so complicated and unique that I'd never be able to play to their levels, all of the sudden became so easy to pick out and realize it was basically 3 chords just like every song. I find myself saying almost daily "That's all they were doing?! It's so easy!"

All of this long diatribe to say that now I'm the guitarist I always wanted to be since I was a teenager but even better My ability to play by ear and by theory thanks to my parents (who weren't musicians at all beyond my dad playing trumpet in Junior High), I'm figuring out EVH riffs and tapping runs, recognizing the common structure and riff stylings of Hendrix, Gilmour, EVH, The Edge, Andy Sommers, etc, etc, and having the confidence to at least get the structure- not the technique necessarily and replicate and adopt my guitar heroes techniques and stylings- all while my biggest idols and influences are multi-instrumentalists like McCartney, Sting, Peter Gabriel, Prince.

Again I'm sorry for such a lengthy 44 year recap of my musical journey. I will say, as a man of faith, who has no problem playing at bars until 2am on Saturdays and showing up Sunday mornings to play in the worship band, I've always recognized that what musical abilities I have are blessings and gifts from God that need to be used via outreach and ministry as a calling while still having fun playing party and drinking standards at bars, parties, weddings, etc

Again, sorry for the lengthy intro and I don't blame anyone if they don't read my post beyond the first few sentences.

I am looking forward to catching up on previous topics throughout this forum and am grateful to have fellow musicians who have similar passions.

Thanks

Chris Humphreys- Austin TX
 
Forgive me for just finding this forum and haven't begun to start reading everything previous but 75% of what I play is for my home church-5Twelve City Church here in Austin, I also lead worship for the local Celebrate Recovery Ministry, and I'm so honored to be in the regular monthly rotation of churches here in Austin who do Church Under the Bridge for the area homeless every Sunday.

Here's where I get lengthy and a bit deep so if you wanna stop here, I completely understand.

Also, I believe the very first post referenced a Praise and Worship Bass Players Group (which I wish I had known about). Even though I have a PRS guitar addiction, the only reason I'm even a slightly above average guitarist now, is because I chose to play bass as my primary instrument 31 years ago when I was 13,

So I started Piano when I was 4 and after of what seemed like years of begging my parents to learn guitar, at 12 years old, they finally gave in under the following condition: I could learn guitar as long as I still played piano. Very begrudgingly, I agreed not having the slightest idea how valuable that has been my entire life as a musician. I was also extremely fortunate to have an instructor (who I owe any shred of musical ability I have retained) who taught guitar and piano .

After 2-3 years of Guitar lessons where I did find the transposition from piano to guitar extremely comfortable, I noticed that there's never any bassists. I also realize now that the structure and theory that had been branded into my brain via classical piano theory, I was extremely uncomfortable and lacked major confidence in being able to improvise and "color outside the lines'. Realizing I wasn't going to be the next Eddie Van Halen, I took up bass because the structure and staying in the pocket is the primary role of playing bass- unless you're Wooten, Marcus Miller, Jaco, or Les Claypool. I also knew I'd always have gigs as a bass player and that guitar players are a dime a dozen

Being a lefty was a heavy influence on my decision to take up bass. In fact, the first couple of bands I was in I played a right handed bass upside down and played backwards.

But again playing structured bass lines for 30 years while becoming a solid rhythm guitarist and always having piano theory no matter what instrument I picked up, turned me into the Swiss Army knife for every kind of music project imaginable.

And IDK if any of you guys had this experience but it was only within the last couple of years (thanks Covid) into my forties that it was like a light bulb just went off or I was struck by lightening, but all of the sudden all of the artists and bands that I thought all my life that their material was so complicated and unique that I'd never be able to play to their levels, all of the sudden became so easy to pick out and realize it was basically 3 chords just like every song. I find myself saying almost daily "That's all they were doing?! It's so easy!"

All of this long diatribe to say that now I'm the guitarist I always wanted to be since I was a teenager but even better My ability to play by ear and by theory thanks to my parents (who weren't musicians at all beyond my dad playing trumpet in Junior High), I'm figuring out EVH riffs and tapping runs, recognizing the common structure and riff stylings of Hendrix, Gilmour, EVH, The Edge, Andy Sommers, etc, etc, and having the confidence to at least get the structure- not the technique necessarily and replicate and adopt my guitar heroes techniques and stylings- all while my biggest idols and influences are multi-instrumentalists like McCartney, Sting, Peter Gabriel, Prince.

Again I'm sorry for such a lengthy 44 year recap of my musical journey. I will say, as a man of faith, who has no problem playing at bars until 2am on Saturdays and showing up Sunday mornings to play in the worship band, I've always recognized that what musical abilities I have are blessings and gifts from God that need to be used via outreach and ministry as a calling while still having fun playing party and drinking standards at bars, parties, weddings, etc

Again, sorry for the lengthy intro and I don't blame anyone if they don't read my post beyond the first few sentences.

I am looking forward to catching up on previous topics throughout this forum and am grateful to have fellow musicians who have similar passions.

Thanks

Chris Humphreys- Austin TX
No need to apologize. Very interesting stuff.
This thread is relatively new. I was kinda surprised that it survived, knowing that there is a good bit of opposing sentiment out there. I’ve already been chewed out on another thread for mentioning attributes I’ve experienced regarding my Lord.
Great to hear from you.
Are you still playing bass?
 
Today was an Ugly Christmas Sweater theme at our service today. We don't normally have a "choir" but praise and worship starts at about 5:30 in but at the end of the service just the worship band closes with "New Wine". I'm playing a Lawalin Starry Night Van Gogh custom lefty bass that has become a staple for Christmas services every year. I only bust it out for Christmas and our Church birthday. I usually play Foderas and vintage Fender jazz and p-basses.

Here's the first time I rehearsed with the light up Lawalin bass but this'll give you a better idea of what it's like. Carbon Fiber Composite Neck, Bartolini Preamp (which I have in several of my basses)


 
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Welcome aboard, Chris! Folks, sorry for the absence...LOTS of amp repairs and KLON-clone building/modding. I'm also happy to announce the adoption of my new "PRS to play in church"! Welcoming Angelus SE to the fold! :p Come to find out that Mark Lee used one of these on the entire Third Day Farewell Tour. He said it played and sounded nicer than his USA version!!:) I can say I really love it.

PRSangelus4.jpg


PRSangelus1.jpg
 
Welcome aboard, Chris! Folks, sorry for the absence...LOTS of amp repairs and KLON-clone building/modding. I'm also happy to announce the adoption of my new "PRS to play in church"! Welcoming Angelus SE to the fold! :p Come to find out that Mark Lee used one of these on the entire Third Day Farewell Tour. He said it played and sounded nicer than his USA version!!:) I can say I really love it.

PRSangelus4.jpg


PRSangelus1.jpg
Nice
 
In the musician pool for Praise Team at a church near Charleston, SC.
Actually scheduled 02/05/2023...

Play a variety of PRS and some other guitars.
Either use Fractal FM9 Turbo with FC-6 and two exp pedals.
Sometimes bring my secular rig, Fractal Axe FX III MkII Turbo with FC-12 and two exp pedals.
My days of toting around tons of iron, tubes, and guitar speakers are over. LoL!
 
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In the musician pool for Praise Team at Pointe North Church near Charleston, SC.
Actually scheduled 02/05/2023...

Play a variety of PRS and some other guitars.
Either use Fractal FM9 Turbo with FC-6 and two exp pedals.
Sometimes bring my secular rig, Fractal Axe FX III MkII Turbo with FC-12 and two exp pedals.
My days of toting around tons of iron, tubes, and guitar speakers are over. LoL!
Great to meet you.
If this grows like I hope it will, it will be a great source of info on songs, equipment and “stuff”. I am part of one like this on the Talbass site.

The Praise and Worship Band Bassists Club

 
Deepender, it'll get there! LOVE seeing an equipment-slant for worship band and needs we have that often are a bit different than many players...in some respects.

Lefty...that's an AWESOME bass! lol...a whole 'nother meaning of it being 'lit'!!!


brad
 
Sunday on guitar:
- son of heaven
- our father
- holy forever (flavor of the day bethel arangement)
- Jezus wij verhogen u (dutch song)
- this is my desire

The first and last song will be in dutch versions/translations
 
Just finished rehearsal. I knew we were in trouble when the stand-in leader said, “Tonight we’re just going to play whatever we feel on these songs and we’ll see how it comes together. As you can guess, it didn’t come together. One thing that didn’t help was that the percussionist hadn’t even heard the songs. …
 
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