4 Quick Tips for Church Bass Players

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Playing bass in a worship team is a joy! Here are some ideas to think about the next time you play at church:
1. Don't Play
2. Start High then Go Low
3. Use Space!
4. Lead the Lyric
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Mike O’Brien has served as a worship pastor, speaker, record producer and songwriter for over two decades. For over 18 years he served one church (VCC Marietta GA) training up hundreds of worship leaders and musicians. He holds his Masters of Worship Studies from the Webber Institute of Worship and is currently serving the church at large in worship team training and worship leader mentoring. Mike, his wife Susan and their son Ezekiel live in Atlanta GA. You can find out more about Mike at www.themikeo.com

Опубликовано:

29 июн 2024

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Комментарии : 138

@JWu-jt7fz 5 лет назад

Also additional tip, as a bass player, if you can, try to support the keyboardist. Instead of playing random riffs in between chords, play the riff together with the keyboardist; not the entire riff but just a short part of their riff. So technically you're following the drummer's beat for most times, then when the opportunity comes, latch on to the keyboardist's melody, then go back to following the drums. As a bassist you bind the band by playing both the beat and the melody simultaneously. Therefore, use the melody to your advantage. When you've successfully pull off a short melody with the keyboardist, don't forget to smile. All eyes will be on you because that hardly ever happens and when they see that you're happy, they'll get the same vibe.

@threestreamsworship 5 лет назад

great reply! thank you

@losely451 3 года назад

Er yeah but some keyboard players love to play the bass keys which can end up swallowing you in the mix, which makes you sort of redundant and pointless for even being there.

@JWu-jt7fz 3 года назад

@@losely451 if the keyboardist plays the low octaves when you're playing the bass, throw a rock at him 😂🤣

@losely451 3 года назад

@@JWu-jt7fz Believe you me I have wanted to multiple times but I can't. So for some of us playing with the keyboard player just doesn't work.

@JWu-jt7fz 3 года назад

@@losely451 if they're playing the bass keys, then you should move higher on the fret on the bass

@Seize_The_Karp 3 года назад

I’d actually argue that modern worship music heavily underutilizes bass. There’s a reason it is the meme instrument. Melodic bass lines can and do fit very well into worship music

@threestreamsworship 3 года назад

all good brother! Lot's of ways to approach this - I prefer the simple, less is more approach in my context.

@INbassman78 3 года назад

@Nathan Smith you’re absolutely right in many instances. These are good tips he gave but most contemporary groups way underutilize the bass.

@toddburanen8414 3 года назад

Absolutely! Dead on!

@threestreamsworship 3 года назад

@@LeeKobe1 thank you sir!

@maraviyoso8473 2 года назад

Modern worship music is too. . . "WHITE." And bass is not a "white" instrument and sound.

@aceofbass8710 5 лет назад

I've played bass for over 2000 worship services and numerous concerts (and still learning). Your "4 quick tips" are perfect! Thanks for the post.

@threestreamsworship 5 лет назад

thanks so much Ace - super encouraging.

@1AndAQuarterBlokes 5 лет назад

I've been playing bass at my church for about a year now and I've only just realized how powerful finding the space is. "Way maker" is one I used to struggle with but this really helped me. Thank you God bless

@threestreamsworship 5 лет назад

Pappa Zappa - great encouragement! Find that space

@wcvalentine5996 4 года назад

support of the song is very important . know the melody, what the message and lyric of the song is in the arrangement so you can choose your notes accordingly

@teymyneytor 4 года назад

hi everyone ,if anyone else needs to find out about christian music guitar lessons try Worship fixer formula (Have a quick look on google cant remember the place now ) ? Ive heard some incredible things about it and my mate got cool results with it.

@busterfoxx Год назад

We do not have the keyboard/bass wars in my church. The keyboard player's instructions are to play the chords in his left hand and the lead lines on his right hand. It's so much easier to find my pocket and also come through the mix without needing to turn my volume up. We do soul, funk, rock... many genres..

@cbpeddie1 4 года назад

Brilliant! All good stuff, but my favorite line is, “there are 50 to 60 to 100 inches of space just dedicated to your instrument.” Yeah, baby!

@thaddeusfields4360 2 года назад

A tip I give to my daughter is to explore her bass lines and chops in practice and play in her comfort zone during live sets.

@alecwesterbur2977 4 года назад

Recently switched to bass guitar on my church's worship team. Thank you for these tips. It really is much simpler than I thought.

@oseirabor1467 3 года назад

These are very great tips and the importance of space cannot be overemphasised. It’s something I struggled with cause I always want to play but the more I recorded myself play the more I knew how much I needed to give space . And that brings me to an important tip, which is record yourself. It helps identify your weakness and strengths. Another important tip is when tuning your bass, try to use a tuner. Yea it’s good to use your ears to play and tune but when you want to play in church, you need the bass giving you the optimum tune and key. You don’t want to be playing and some notes are sounding flat. And cause we’re in church at times playing with other instruments, you may not realise one string of the bass is sounding flat. So it’s important to use a tuner with our bass.

@heidiedelman6840 5 лет назад

The tip about creating space used the same song Great Are You Lord that really demonstrated the power of intentional rests to me. One of my favorite songs to play now as my church’s bass player:) good stuff, thank you!

@threestreamsworship 5 лет назад

heidi edelman thank you so much!

@fitnessbyray417 4 года назад

Wow I’m am amazed, I am a drummer learning bass and this helped so much God Bless You 🙏❤️

@paulb8587 5 лет назад

I've just found your video. I had not thought about the "Start high and go low" so gave it a go on "Man Of Sorrows" - wow what a punch it provides when I drop down on the third verse! Thank you for that idea.

@tonymitchell2257 5 лет назад

Again Just found the video. Very good advice. Love your work Mike. From New Zealand

@RyanWright 4 года назад

Tip 2 can definitely have an effect, but the flip side would be for some songs, I find it works better to start low, and then go high when it begins to build up to a crescendo and as that peaks, you can go back low...

@threestreamsworship 4 года назад

good word! That's a great thought.

@Scorple1 4 года назад

Mike that was very helpful for me as a beginner. I like how you shared some concepts and strategies and then immediately demonstrated what it sounds and feels like and the purpose behind the actions. Thank you and God bless!

@threestreamsworship 4 года назад

thank you so much!

@azling_ Год назад

Playing seldomly, Finding space, starting high, taking leading tones, all very great tips, thank you so much

@terryp12345 5 лет назад

Just found your channel. I was just talking to a friend about "less is more" when it comes to bass. It really makes it more powerful when we wait until the right moment and then hit the bass at that right spot instead of just muddying up everything. I never heard the tip of starting high. I am going to work on that! Thanks for all the tips!

@threestreamsworship 5 лет назад

Thanks so much for the love T. :)

@johnjerickportillano159 3 года назад

Thank you for this, as a beginner I now know what adjustments I need to make.

@adamclark9588 2 года назад

That was super helpful. Reminded me of alot of things I learned playing bass at my old church. Thanks!

@spencergroup 3 года назад

Thanks for the tips. I will try to incorporate them into my worship bass playing.

@SubaruDave Год назад

Great tips I’m a lifelong guitar player just going bass player for the church, and I think these will be very useful. Thanks

@joedipento579 3 года назад

Much appreciated. Be a leader but also lean back to let the music count ! You're a great mentor

@derekdauchan2741 5 лет назад

These are great tips Brother Mike ! I'll be using them this Sunday ! Appreciate you !

@threestreamsworship 5 лет назад

Thanks for the love Derek!

@SilverStarSeven 5 лет назад

Wow. That. Was. Awesome. Some of this I felt intuitively but some of it was new. I enjoyed how you backed up how the techniques you talked about work and why to do them.

@threestreamsworship 5 лет назад

Thanks so much for the love !

@Sannypowa Год назад

I've started playing bass in a worship band and I'm having a lot of fun doing it. I play mostly Giuseppe Tranchida and Gen rosso's songs. It really adds a lot of depth to the music.

@cdub3088 2 года назад

Thanks brother. I kinda got thrown into a role with barely any experience before playing regularly in front of 120 people. I'm still learning every day but every service is getting better and I'm having a blast doing it. Worship Online tabs are great, but when they're lacking I find that just listening to the song and letting my own expression come through is much more in line with how our band plays. Learning when not to play has been the hardest for me, but you're right.. sliding in or up an octave right before the chorus and adds more than just following the keys.

@Bassplayer_1981 3 года назад

Agree with everything you are saying. Some great advice. Also your bass has a lot of fret buzz. I know it’s been a while since you posted this video and I’m pretty sure you realized that. Again great advice.

@threestreamsworship 3 года назад

thanks Ryan!

@edisonsilaban4965 4 года назад

MERRY CHRISTMASS... GOD BLESS YOU 🔥

@DanielGarciaArchitect 4 месяца назад

you're killing it Mike! Now get rid of that fret buzz! arrrgh!

@hertzclydedezir2891 6 месяцев назад

Thank you so much! Those tips were helpful.

@losely451 3 года назад

I would also add that if you don't want to get swallowed up in the mix by the keyboard player that likes to play the bass keys, play your bass with a pick and a chorus pedal. It adds a unique texture and resonance to the overall sound that helps the bass stand out. This is especially helpful if the keyboard player doesn't know that there is actually such a thing as a bass guitar.

@sergeanttibs6345 3 месяца назад

These are good tips for playing bass in any genre

@quaysonjanice4480 3 года назад

Thanks alot next week is my first time to play bass guitar at church 🙏

@hoseajireh4408 2 года назад

This is really helpful.

@hartbrekid 4 года назад

Awesome tips, Thanks Bro!

@threestreamsworship 4 года назад

Thanks so much Dennis!

@pjnguyen90 5 лет назад

Great tips, brother!

@threestreamsworship 5 лет назад

Thanks so much Phillip!

@leenewsted9484 5 лет назад

Great tips! Thanks!

@threestreamsworship 5 лет назад

Thanks so much Lee!

@octabass86boyd34 5 лет назад

THANK YOU FOR THE TIPS ....MUCH NEEDED

@threestreamsworship 5 лет назад

thank you so much!

@octabass86boyd34 5 лет назад

@@threestreamsworship I subscribed 🙏

@daniellargosalinas 2 года назад

THANKYOU SIR FOR TIPS! IT ACTUALLY HELP ME TO BECOME BETTER BASS PLAYER

@threestreamsworship 2 года назад

yeah man! Thank you

@hudsonhancock 5 лет назад

Space. So true.

@nsalaza 4 месяца назад

Starting out high is a great tip. However, the fact is that most FOH engineers in churches seem to be oblivious to the bass guitar. Rarely do I ever hear the bass, much less feel it, in most church sound mixes. Therefore, in playing mostly the highs, you are at a big disadvantage because you lack the low end of the low notes. Couple that with a poorly mixed bass at the FOH and you get completely buried and/or decimated in the mix. As bass players, our job is to provide the low end and provide that foundation to the entire band. What I do is that I will play double stop octaves if I want to hit the high notes. That way, I keep low end and still get highs. Then, if I need to play just the low notes, I make sure I emphasize how hard or soft I want to play the low notes so that I give myself room to build tension and really bring some serious lows during certain build-up moments.

@DH-zs8cu 4 года назад

Thanks man! Will be playing in Church next week for the first time!!

@threestreamsworship 4 года назад

thanks DH!

@kenjohnston8173 Год назад

Keep it simple at first, dont try to complicate it w flowery stuff, just stick to root, 3rd,5th 7th, octave

@DH-zs8cu Год назад

@@kenjohnston8173 Hey man! 2 years later and it has been a journey. Turns out I learn pretty quick, i am now playing a lot of gigs as well as in church.

@Mr.C573 4 года назад

Thank you that was so helpful 👍

@threestreamsworship 4 года назад

thanks Ray!

@allghilliedup21 3 года назад

Amazing tips! Bottom line is, a bassist should be locked with the kick drum always. It sounds the best when both of them are in sync with one another. The fills, licks, and other stuff are just complements but bassists should never forget their foundational role.

@threestreamsworship 3 года назад

Thank you! You speak wisdom :)

@allghilliedup21 3 года назад

@@threestreamsworship I didn't mean to one-up you or be condescending! I'm sorry if it might have came out like that. Tip 1 actually is the hardest thing any musician can do in a band and I'm glad you stated it right off the bat. :)

@malcolmlindley4465 3 месяца назад

I agree - was it Nick Mason from Pink Floyd who said a band consists of bass and drums, with a few novelty acts thrown in?

@romeou4965 2 года назад

Tip #3 to make space and pocket can be accomplished by a plucking dry/staccato notes that overlaps exactly with the kick drum

@michaelfuria4257 2 года назад

great advice.....

@bolt4694 5 лет назад

Great video. But too much string rattle.

@christopherdavis2037 6 лет назад

Good vid! Let the spirit move.. less is more when playing.

@threestreamsworship 6 лет назад

Thanks for the kind comment Christopher!

@LeeKobe1 2 года назад

Actually great points for all bass players.

@threestreamsworship 2 года назад

thank you!

@StephenMcLoughlin262 Год назад

Hi Mike, loved your video - your passion shines through! I look after a worship team in a cathedral close to Belfast in Northern Ireland. How would you zooming in to do a training session some time with the team?? Would love them to share your passion!!

@threestreamsworship Год назад

hey Stephen, would be honred to serve your team. send me an email and we can discuss. I do zoom training for worship teams often.

@StephenMcLoughlin262 Год назад

Thank you so much!! Will keep in touch. 👍

@ericpiette2315 5 лет назад

Not your typical bass guitar tips... Brilliant. Creating dynamic should always be priority

@threestreamsworship 5 лет назад

thanks man! my favorite compliment so far :)

@charlesjolicoeur9770 2 года назад

Thanks bro

@cliffordsolomon3884 3 года назад

Be more blessed.

@user-ys1mb9ho2m 3 года назад

I want to join my praise team and just funk it out

@sumgpein9652 2 года назад

how do you play riffs? or how do you create one? im a bassist on our worship team and im self learning.

@dotnineteen.1962 5 лет назад

good tips

@threestreamsworship 5 лет назад

DOTNINETEEN .19 thank you!

@JWu-jt7fz 5 лет назад

4:34 Glad to know a fellow experienced bass player plays the wrong notes sometimes 😂 The struggle man.

@SanNjig 5 лет назад

If you dig in I believe you would have too much fret buzz. I would raise my action for a worship setting.

@fr8ghtrain 3 года назад

No truer words have been spoken. Excellent advice!

@threestreamsworship 3 года назад

Thanks for the kind works Frank!

@actionfigureflix2787 4 года назад

All true! Restraint is something us bass players have to keep in mind when it comes to worship songs. It’s fun to play a bunch of fancy stuff, but that messes with the feel of the song. That’s why I try to never do more than hammer-ons and pull-offs. It’s just sad when that puts people under the impression that bass is easier than guitar. 😣

@scotthall9098 Год назад

Solid advice and appreciate it, but man, your bass needs a setup real bad 😅 Cant provide that bottom end with so much buzz

@rdgipson Месяц назад

How is playing the bass in church different than playing it anywhere else???

@maximus3035 2 года назад

How do u structure up the riffs

@wcvalentine5996 4 года назад

space is the final frontier! not how much you play but what you don't play (miles Davis)

@thaddeusfields4360 2 года назад

If I have to listen to the Yousician commercial again I may start chewing concrete.

@sonkaldo 3 года назад

STRYPER.

@bolt4694 3 года назад

Good points. Fret buzz is painful to hear.

@walterkersting6238 3 года назад

The Spirit of the Lord inhabits the praises of his people.

@eliseolozano8236 Год назад

3d and 4d tips are Great. Church musicians sadly think they are in a show. The music guides people to intimate with God . I know the feeling been in front of hundreds, but is not about it. is ABOUT GOD. BLESSINGS

@zaazazza6555 3 года назад

I’ll just take tip number one and leave it there.

@tarasbulba3190 4 года назад

Most important...Don't play Black Sabbath in the house of God!

@m.hughes2521 2 месяца назад

As a preacher's kid, I had to choose between playing churches or roadhouse blues. I chose the latter and became an adequate bassist after 1500 road dates. I go back to my church and can't get a gig to save my life, everybody is a wannabe bass-player. They lock the drummer in a soundproof lighted booth and only use the wannabes that can kiss the most ass.

@marchangel7462 3 года назад

Outer space has no sound. Musical space has a sound.

@miketabb8318 Месяц назад

Keep it simple.....

@MarcG7424 Год назад

Don't play and start skinny and get fat later are the usual tips when playing in church especially when it comes to CCM

@adammartin8026 3 года назад

Set up yo bass

@simonverhoeven9059 3 года назад

Quick tip from me: mute your bass while talking

@threestreamsworship 3 года назад

Dude, start a channel!

@mchenryjeremy 3 года назад

He's talking while playing goofball... it'd actually be more annoying if he was muting and unmuting every 3 secs...

@wcvalentine5996 2 года назад

Learn to groove, lock with the drummer. That should be #1

@walterkersting6238 3 года назад

Not play is an excellent tip.

@bolt4694 Год назад

Your string spacing is way off. Horrible fret buzz.

@cashmandrummer2917 3 года назад

Hey! Jesus loves you! He died for your sins on the cross and rose again 3 days later! All you need to do to accept Gods gift is believe in him and what he did, And you need to repent(turn from sin and follow Jesus) and ask him for forgiveness in prayer. And remember that Jesus is God! He is three in one, the father, the son, and the Holy Spirit! Have a good day:)

@zany0945 3 года назад

Jesus Christ is coming repent from sins. ..

@toddburanen8414 3 года назад

Ridiculous. So don’t play. Just play your 4 notes. Every song sounds the same as the last. I’ve played bass for 30 years, worship for 12. This is just another dumbing down of the bass and from someone who doesn’t play bass. Better information out there. Move along and don’t be discouraged by this video.

@threestreamsworship 3 года назад

Todd. Dude. There’s lots a great bass playing that utilizes space and silence. Why the demeaning and hurtful language? Are we both believers in Jesus?