Tag Archives: drums

Working With Youth Bands: Point and Play

March 27, 2009   Russell Martin   1 Comment

switchHere is a little exercise we use with our youth band to work on playing together, keeping rhythm, following a leader and learning to listen to other parts. We took a repetitive section of a song, in our case we used the first part of “Undiginified” and we made sure everyone knew it. Then I told them that I had an on off switch. When I pointed to them they should play if they weren’t playing or stop playing if they were. I started off pointing to the drums and bass, then added guitar, keyboard etc. Then I switched off the drums to see how the rest of the group would keep beat. We played for about 10 minutes with this and I let my vocalists take a turn at telling members when to play or not.

It was something simple to do, but they really had fun.

What fun exercises do you use with your youth praise team?

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Just a Glimpse

October 08, 2008   Russell Martin   1 Comment

For the past several years I have been working youth worship teams. Every year is different, mostly because with youth you have a constant flow of kids in and out. Some graduate, some get jobs and cannot particpate, and then there are some that join for the first time. Every year though with your group there comes a point where you hear it. What is it? It is a glimpse of what can be. It is when they aren’t just playing music but playing musically. It is when you see, that they see, that there is more to doing ths than just strumming, drumming, playing and singing.

Today we I saw it, and heard it. We came out of  the chorus of “One Way” and into the bridge. The band dropped out, the keys kept playing and the singers came in on the words. The electric slowly built in, drums slowly got more intense and it just clicked.

2 minutes later the monitors weren’t working right, the singers didn’t understand their part, and it was time to go. The moment didn’t last long. It wasn’t all better after that time, but it did happen.

My encouragement to you is to listen to and identify those moments. Celebrate them and show the youth in the band what they sound like, so they can begin to hear what they sound like and strive for them.

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How Do you Lead and Play Drums

October 02, 2008   Russell Martin   No comments

Leading a youth band is hard. It’s even harder if you are having to lead from the drumset. My friend Jason Huffman who has guest posted here before is looking for some advice in this area. Check out his post and leave a comment.

Jason’s guest posts include

Buying a Drumset

Working with Drummers

Embracing Technology with Youth Bands

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Youth Worship Bands: Buying a Drumset

August 25, 2008   Russell Martin   1 Comment

So, you are ready to invest in a drum set for the youth room because your drummer is tired of lugging all 48 pieces of his kit to the church every Wednesday night.  This is a move I would recommend if your drummer is a consistent part of your youth program and if you foresee his/her presence in the group for a while.  If your drummer in your upstart program is a senior who will graduate in 6 months, this may not be a wise investment.  If you decide to proceed, I would like to offer some suggestions in buying that youth building drum kit.

  1. Don’t’ be afraid to buy used.  Buying used is often better than buying new.  An intermediate level drum kit can be purchased used for what an entry level kit can be purchased brand new.  Often these don’t have any cosmetic issues.  If they do, that just knocks the price down even more.  As for cymbals, little can be done to make cheap cymbals sound good.  Buying quality used cymbals online or from a pawn shop is a much better investment than buying cheaper new cymbals.  With a little cymbal polish, they will look and sound a lot better than the cheaper new ones.
  2. Don’t overlook the cymbals.  Let’s say you have a budget of $700 for drums, cymbals, and hardware.  Often what happens is people will spend $550-$600 on drums and hardware and get cymbals with what’s left.  In worship drumming, cymbals are played as much or more than the drums.  Therefore, it stands to reason that they should be as nice or nicer.  Many times drum manufacturers will offer kits with cymbals.  Typically drum manufacturers don’t make good cymbals.  Avoid these cymbals…they are little more than shiny sheet metal.  Cymbals don’t really wear out, unless they get cracked or broken.  As mentioned above, a used quality cymbal will sound much better than a new, cheap cymbal.  I would check pawn shops, ebay, or online music sites that sell used cymbals and look for Zildjian A series, Sabian AA or AAX series, or Paiste Sound Formula or 2002 series cymbals.  Usually a little cymbal polish and they will be sounding great.  If you can’t find any of these or still can’t afford them used, look for bronze cymbals (as opposed to the standard brass ones).  Zildjian’s ZBT (Zildjian Bronze Technology), Sabian’s B8 series, and Paiste’s Alpha series.  These often come in packs that include high hats, a ride, and a crash, or high hats and a crash/ride, a dual purpose cymbal for entry level kits.
  3. You can make a cheap drum set sound good, but you can’t make cheap cymbals sound good.  What I mean is that with drums, you can put new heads, muffler rings, dampening materials, and other items into the kit to customize the sound.  You may not have the highest quality hardware (screws that won’t stay in place or lugs that back out, etc) because of your entry level investment, but you should be able to make the drums sound decent.  As for cymbals, aside from putting some tape on them to cut down on the ring, you can’t do much with a bad-sounding cymbal.  Pearl, Tama, Ludwig, Yamaha, Mapex and many other brands offer entry level kits that are made to the same specs as their intermediate models, but with cheaper materials to defer cost.  If you can get one of these, do it.  Most of these start at around $500.  Some brands such as Pulse or Percussion Plus can be purchased for around $300 but quality may be an issue if you want this kit to be in the youth room when the next youth minister arrives.  Regardless of what you buy, a new set of drum heads should be a part of your initial purchase.  Resonant heads (bottom) are less important than the batter (top) heads.  If your drummer plays really loud, I recommend Remo Pinstripes or Evans EC2 heads.  For lower volume, smaller venues, I recommend Remo Ambassador heads or any other single-ply head.  Heads that come on drums from the factory are not quality heads.  They will not sound right and after a few sessions they will sound even worse!

Maybe this will help you get the right kit for your youth building!

Jason Huffman is the Director of Youth Ministries at First United Methodist Church, Palestine, TX

www.reachyouthministries.org
www.fumcpalestine.com

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Youth Bands: Working with Drummers

August 18, 2008   Russell Martin   No comments

For a young musician, drums can seem deceptively easy.  After all, all you have to do is beat on things, right?  What often happens is you get a kid who learns a basic 4/4 beat in his cousin’s bedroom and the next thing you know he wants to be in the praise team, which may or may not be a good thing for the group.  So in this first practice, he plays the same “BOOM, BOOM, CRACK—BOOM, BOOM, CRACK” beat through every song of the set…after all, it’s all he knows.  How do you help this young player harness his enthusiasm yet still make an artistic contribution to the group without overpowering?  I see three things we can do to help the player and the band.

  1. Encourage the young drummer to keep time on different elements of the kit.  In a typical 4/4 beat, 8th notes are played on a closed hi-hat with snare beats on the the 2 and the 4 count.  Add color and texture to the songs by challenging the drummer to play those 8th notes on maybe the ride cymbal (the large 18-20” cymbal that is to heavy and large to make a distinct “crash” sound), or on the floor tom.  This doesn’t require any extra effort on the drummer’s part, but will drastically change the feel of the song.  Maybe have her play those 8ths on the floor tom on the first verse, open hi-hat on first chorus, closed hi-hat on 2nd verse, and ride cymbal on 2nd chorus.  This is no more difficult on the drummer, but will give much more character to the songs

  1. Help him move the snare beats around within the measures. In a typical rock beat, the snare is played on the 2 and 4 counts.  An easy way to let the song breathe is to play the same beat with no snare at all, or maybe just on the 4 count.  This is especially effective on the verses where the song is less intense.  Then, when you bring back the 2 and 4 backbeat on the chorus, it seems like the song is really rockin’ out, but all you did was hold back on the verse.  This requires a little more practice than step one, but it shouldn’t be too difficult for Ringo, Jr.  Another thing that can be done is to move the snare count from 2 and 4 to the 3 count.  This actually gives the illusion that the time of the song is being cut in half, even though it is going the same speed.  This will take longer for the new drummer to master, but when the skill is mastered, it will have a lot of possibilities.

  1. Teach your drummer when to play and when not to play.  A common mistake among many young praise bands (and adult ones, too) is that the musicians don’t begin with the end result of the song in mind, but rather just focus on what part they have to play and making sure they successfully play it throughout the entire song.  With the exception of the rhythm acoustic guitar or maybe piano’s lead which are often played all the way through, the song’s intensity is determined by not only how the instruments are played, but also by whether or not they are even played at all.  This applies more to drums than anything else.  Have your drummer (and maybe your bass player) sit out on the first verse and come in on the chorus or maybe the last 2 lines of the verse and see how much more that chorus seems to scream because it’s contrasted with the silence of the first verse.  Then have them cut out on a bridge, or maybe cut all the instruments out on a verse and do it a capella, then really come back and nail the chorus.

These are some simple, easy things that can make your new drummer’s experience in the praise band more rewarding and will help the group sound better.  Any time there is a positive result, it will cause her interest to grow and she will begin wanting to learn more and practice more.  What do you do to help your young musicians?

Jason Huffman is the Director of Youth Ministries at First United Methodist Church, Palestine, TX

www.reachyouthministries.org
www.fumcpalestine.com

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Who Do I Play For?

August 14, 2008   Russell Martin   No comments

Imagine this situation. You are part of a group leading worship. In your group you have a bass player, keyboard player, drummer, electric guitar, three or four vocals and you. It is Sunday morning and you are ready to go. Your songlist is set, your media in place and everyone tuned and geared up. Its time for the first song, the drummer clicks off, one..two…three and then everyone it happens. No one plays their instruments or sings the words, but the drummer plays his heart out. Your whole band turns and just watches the drummer while he pounds away on the drums.

No matter how great of a drummer you have that simply does not make sense for the whole band to turn and watch the drummer and not join in the song. You see the drummer’s job is to keep the beat so that the band can play, and the vocals can sing. But it doesn’t stop there. The whole praise teams job is to facilitate the congregation in singing the songs. You see the drummer doesn’t play for the band to listen, and the band doesn’t play for the congregation to listen and watch. The band and congregation together sing to glorify God.

So what does that mean for us as worship leaders? Maybe asking a few simple questions can help.

Question #1   What do you do to help lead the congregation in worship?

Question #1   What do you notice you do that possibly could keep the congregation from worshipping?

Question #3   How can you emphasise to your congregation that you do not play for them, but that you play so that they can join in and worship by singing?

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Is Cutting Edge Worship Necessary?

August 05, 2008   Russell Martin   No comments

I got the unexpected privilege of leading worship at a camp this week. A camp full of 8th grade graduates. I initially came and brought my guitar because 1) it was camp, and 2) they said they might do a beginner guitar course, and 3) they might need some help with worship. Well 10 minutes before the first worship service, the buck was passed to me to lead worship. There was no ace sound tech. The songs had been pre-selected for the worship services each night of the camp (and most of the songs were to be played on a CD). I did not have a direct box, chord charts on hard copy, or any of the worship stuff I normally take when I am leading. I had to “steal” a guitar amp from a guy who had planned on playing, but asked me to step in instead. (Side note: Any time a worship leader carries a guitar somewhere, if possible, he should take his direct boxes, a stash of cables and connectors, a laptop and a printer, all just in case! These items would have saved me later in the week!) The worship was on Power Point (that corresponded with the CD songs the camp curriculum had set up, so I was glued to the order in which the slides were set up. Also, we had a student from the camp who decided earlier in the day he could and would play drums. So, with no real sound check or run through, an unrehearsed rhythm section, we pulled off a hodge-podge of worship classics. Aside from “How Great is Our God”, the set was all standards from late 80s and early 90s. Almost all of the songs have been published in a hymnal already. But the most amazing thing happened. With mediocre playing, zero rehearsal time, no fancy worship software, and transitions with such awkward dead air that would make anyone uncomfortable, God showed up. You see, amidst our less-than-polished music set, the kids brought a powerful drama and some did a sign language set to a recorded song. At the end of the night, people could not quit talking about how powerful the worship was, and even how great the worship set was. It was evident that a full band was a luxury that was fairly new to the worshipers, let alone new songs that were less than 20 years old.

So my question is this? How contemporary is contemporary? Do we miss the forest for the trees sometimes in an effort to do the latest great worship songs, or use the latest great worship software program with the latest images and moving backgrounds? Or, is this strictly dependent on our audience? I believe 100% that in a changing technological world we should stay culturally relevant. In order to lead others to the throne of God, we have to be able to get their attention, right? And, as Kerri mentioned in an earlier post, it is not our job to make God show up. He just does it, in spite of our lacking. So where is the balance? What are your thoughts?

Contributed by Jason Huffman

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Questions and Answers: No Drummer.. What now?

July 22, 2008   Russell Martin   2 Comments

With modern worship music being very rhythm-based, drums are almost an essential part of any youth praise team. The problem with a regular drum set is that it incorporates the feet as well as the hands. So if talent and ability is not an issue, coordination will be an issue for a young musician. If a young drummer is not very experienced or gifted, having that student play the same two or three beat patterns on a drum set may not be the best solution—it could cause the rest of your group to play around his limited arsenal of rhythm patterns and he will never expand his repertoire because the band has conformed to him. Another issue is that many students who learn percussion in a school setting are never taught to use their feet on drum set, and so even very talented players have a difficult time making the transition to the set. A few years ago, djembe drums became very popular and still are because they have a diverse range of low and high tones that can mimic a bass drum or snare without incorporating the feet. They are the perfect compliment to the acoustic guitar and can give worship sets that “unplugged” feel. Several years ago, though, at a Caedmon’s Call concert, during a more intimate set, I noticed their drummer sitting on this wooden box and playing it between his legs. It had the most amazing sound—a distinctively lower bass tone than a djembe and a more crisp higher “snare” sound as well. I asked him after the show what he was playing. He said it was a cajon (pronounced “ka HONE”).

Cajons are made several ways. Some are tubular and upright like a conga, others are more trapezoid shaped, but the square box style cajons have the nice low end sound that is perfect for acoustic worship. The distinguishing trait for a cajon is that it has a wooden head. Yes a wood head instead of a skin or synthetic skin head like other hand drums. Don’t let that fool you, though. You’ll be amazed at the tone you can get from that wooden head. They are available with adjustability options that allow you to tighten strings to modify the sound. One of the options they are available with or without a snare. The snare gives the drum a sound very similar to a snare drum when played near the top. A new cajon is available from Meinl that has an output jack where it can be plugged directly into a sound system. This link is to a nice, short instructional video on how to use the cajon. Small computer speakers don’t really do the low end of the recording justice, but you’ll get the idea.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=v-IMARby9gA&feature=related

You probably won’t find a cajon at your local mom & pop music store, but they are available from the large music retailers (Guitar Center, MusiciansFriend, etc.) from $150 up to about $300. They are covered with nice wood finishes, some in very nice burlwood or siam oak, so I think they are easier on the eyes than a djembe and when not in use, you can use them like a little table.

Jason Huffman is the Director of Youth Ministries at First United Methodist Church in Palestine, TX. For more information visit the youth website www.reachyouthministries.org Or the church website www.fumcpalestine.com

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How To – Youth Worship in a Small Church

April 08, 2008   Russell Martin   2 Comments

Wanting to start a contemporary worship service for youth in a small church with little resources? This was just the situation a friend of mine asked me about this weekend.

Here are some suggestions:

1. Use the talents that are in your church- Find out the youth who play guitar, or piano. Even those that think they can’t play well. It’s amazing what happens with a little encouragement. Also don’t just think of youth… do you have adults who could help out. They may be looking for a way to use their gifts with guitar, or drums that may not always find its way into the more traditional services.

2. Start Small- You don’t need drums, 2 electric guitars, a bass, keyboard and 4 vocalist to have a worship service. Small and simple is a great way to start. A guitar or keyboard is a good beginning, then slowly add things like hand drums, bass etc.

3. Start Simple- The latest worship band CD is great but your group probably will not have the instruments, or ability to play some of the songs that way. Choose simple arrangements of music. Preferably songs that use repeating chord patterns for the chorus and verse. Teach these patterns to the group and as they keep playing you will see that they reoccur in variations in many other songs. An example of a simple song can be found in my Free Song#1 Lord Let your Love.

4. Be Sensitive- If you are starting a service that you are inviting your whole church to be sure that you choose music that they may be familiar with. There are many hymns that work well in a contemporary setting. If you are going to do more recent songs then make sure that you provide words either by printing them out or by putting them up on a projector or overhead transparency.

5. Be Consistent- It takes time. It takes time to find musicians. It takes time to learn music. It takes time to build a service. Just be faithful to what God has called you to do. Encourage your participants and encourage your congregation. Be consistent in all you do.

I hope this atleast gives you a place to start

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