Playing a little Gospel style of music this weekend.

[JayDawg]

At our church, we are having music guest Marcus Whitworth perform. His first concert was last night and I planned on attending it but not performing. I got a call last minute. Literally a little over an hour before he started and was asked to play. I brought my BFR Roasted Neck Bongo 4H and played it last night but I had no clue as to what kind of music it was going to be? I only knew he was a musician but was unfamiliar with his work. Needless to say, for last minute stuff, that consisted of one walk through of only some of the songs we played with him, it turned out pretty good. Last night was my first time ever playing Gospel music though. Tonight, he will be playing at our local halfway house and has asked me to sit in with him and tomorrow we will be playing the entire worship service together.

As a musician, this has been a real challenge and stretch for me as I have never played this style of music before, the common or popular songs Marcus does play, he has re-arranged them in a manner that is unique to how he plays them i.e. Amazing Grace and other popular hymns and all of his music is in sheet music form which I don't read so I am seeing what notes are played above the sheet music and ad libbing from there.

So now my question. For Gospel, what is the best Music Man to use? At church on Sunday mornings, I use mainly my Bongo's. Next month with be the Breast Cancer Awareness bass being used all month because October is breast cancer awareness month but for this weekends music I want to use the bass that will bring the most traditional gospel sound for the bass parts. The Bongo sounded killer last night and I was locking real good with everything but I am thinking for tonight and tomorrows stuff of either playing my Sterling 4H due to it's versatility, my Stingray 4H that is the traditional Stingray or the Breast Cancer Awareness bass that is a Stingray Classic 4H due to it having the more traditional Stingray tone of the older models pre- EBMM. And that bass also sounds so freaking good through our mix at church. I don't know what is different about our set up at our church but man that bass just sounds so good there.

Or I could still go with one of my Bongo's. a 4H, 4Hp or a 4HH.

Here is a youtube video of a few of his songs so you get the idea of his style.

2008 West Texas Fall Retreat - YouTube

 

[OldManMusic]

You can never go wrong with a Bongo 4H IMHO. That's a great opportunity. Enjoy yourself.

 

[five7]

I agree, my bongo covers everything at church. Let the spirit lead you!

 

[tunaman4u2]

Bongo at church for me & I'm an adamant Sterling supporter

 

[ivbenaplayin]

Bongo all the way.... if you have flats on one, bring that one...

 

[JayDawg]

No flats for me. I know many bass players love them, but they are just not for me.

The show at the halfway house went really well. Much better than I expected. He actually played a lot of Elvis songs and some older music too not just gospel but all I was told was what key he was going to play in and it was up to me to adlib from there. I brought my acoustic tonight just because bringing an amp was going to be an issue but tomorrow I'm leaning towards either the Roasted Neck Bongo that I played Friday night or maybe my 4 Hp that is candy apple red with the abalone pickguard as they are used a lot at my church along with the DDII 4HH Bongo.

 

[TommyK-Stingray]

I used my Stingray 4H at church for the first time in ages (have been playing acoustic and for some unknown reason a Jazz lately......??) Now I've remembered why I don't really like jazzes again...

 

[JayDawg]

For todays service, I went with my number 1. My Bongo 4Hp. Today ended up being more than just gospel music but a bunch of different styles that I was not expecting. Everything from Jamacan music to Gospel to Elvic Rock N Roll to old Hymns. Today was definitely a challenge though. Probably the biggest I have ever had to do. I had to play off of sheet music, which I don't read and totally suck at. I had to play styles I have either never played before or am not all that familair with, and songs that I have never heard before or ever played before and had to learn everything on the fly after only 1 walk through in the morning. Overall, I did okay. I certainly was not perfect and did make a few mistakes but I kept my bass lines simple and basic and had fun. Today was certainly a unique worship service that was definitely a blast. Definitely Spirit filled too.

Starting next week and through the month of October, the Breast Cancer Awareness bass will be played because October is breast cancer awareness month. In addition to my wife, there are a few ladies at the church who are also breast cancer survivors so whenever I play that bass, they have always told me it is a special service for them so I hope to bring awareness over these next few weeks with that bass! Thank you again BP too for building that bass. Now that Rochelle is getting out of the recovery of everything, we are now able to concentrate on raising awareness and funds. In addition to the church services, it looks like I have a few projects coming up next month with that bass.

 

[KevinM]

The Bongo was a good choice. If you're good with tone adjustments you can probably get just about anything you need for the different styles.
A church I used to play at had a few different services with different styles of worship music. Having grown up on Rock-N-Roll I lean more toward contemporary but I filled in with the Gospel group for a few months. It seemed really crazy to me because I had never played that style and all they had was the standard sheet music to work from. It's not as easy as it sounds but I tell you the Lord sure did stretch me during that time and now I have that style to add to my repertoire.

 

[OldManMusic]

I love the challenge of the "great unknown". Sounds like you handled it nicely. Great news about your wife too!