Becoming a good acoustic guitar player on a worship team takes time, dedication, and practice. Here are some tips to help you improve:
1. Buy a good acoustic guitar: (new or used) Having a solid instrument that plugs into your church sound system is a must. I rented a number of different guitars to find one that sounded great in our front of house sound and in our in-ears system. My personal choice is a Taylor 214CE. Also buy a great tuner. Some guitars come with tuners but for my Taylor I ended up buying the D’Addario Soundhole Tuner.
2. Practice regularly: Dedicate time each day to practice playing the acoustic guitar. Start with learning all the basic chords in the keys of G (G, C, D, Em7, Am7) and D (D, Em, G, A, Bm) then move on to practicing fingerpicking and strumming patterns. Learn the importance of strumming lightly. I usually try to memorize the music that we are doing that week so I can worship and sing while I play.
Below is a guitar chord chart with some great ways to play all the main chords in the keys of G and D.
My goal is to show up to music rehearsals with my part already perfected. This often includes putting the songs into a capo friendly key (i.e. if the song is in F, I’ll put the capo on fret 3 and play the song in D or Capo to fret 1 and play it in E).
It is also important to learn to use a capo so you can play in the most guitar friendly keys. (Keys of C, D, E, G & A). Below is a capo position chart to help understand where to put your capo. On the left is the key you play in. On the right is where to put the capo so it sounds in the correct key.
3. Listen to music: Listen to worship music and other genres that feature acoustic guitar. Pay attention to the way the guitar is played and the different techniques and strumming patterns used.
There are great how-to YouTube.com videos for specific worship songs. If your team uses Multitracks.com you can also solo the specific acoustic parts and listen and practice with them.
4. Learn new chords and techniques: Continuously expand your chord vocabulary and learn new techniques to improve your playing. After learning the major and minor chords in the keys of G and D, I suggest learning to play in C, E and A. This will help you add variety to your playing and make your contributions to the worship team more interesting.
Here’s a great chart with the usual chords that go with each key.
5. Play with others: Practice playing with other musicians, both in informal settings and with the worship team. This will help you develop your timing, listening skills, and ability to play as part of a group.
6. Be a team player: As a member of the worship team, your job is to support the other musicians and the overall sound of the band. Pay attention to the needs of the song and avoid overplaying or distracting from the vocals or other instruments. Learn to worship while you are playing your instrument.
7. Attend workshops and lessons: Consider taking guitar lessons or attending workshops to learn from experienced players. This can provide you with new techniques and insights that you can use to improve your playing.
Remember, becoming a great acoustic guitar player takes time and practice. Be patient with yourself, stay committed to improving, and enjoy the process of making music with your worship team. Remember, it’s a privilege to lead your church in worship.
