Worship Band Fundamentals
Worship Band Fundamentals Courses at CollECtive Arts offer group instrumental and vocal courses for youth group members, community members and aspiring musicians who would like to be able to serve in their community with necessary skills to be able to navigate musically in worship and other 'by-ear' environments, and serve the Lord in their community with excellence. Each course will hone specific skills through song study, teaching a practical application of the language of music in each instrument. Current classes in Spring of 2024 are listed below. Recommended ages are 7th grade to adult.
Courses
Rhythm Guitar 101: 02/01/24 - 03/07/24, 7:05-7:50pm
Pre-requisites: Students will need access to a 6 string guitar every day for 6 weeks, and have picks, tuner (phone app works, attachable is best), pencil, notebook, and folder for music and lesson sheets. Students need time to practice for 30 minutes per day.
Overview: This splash into Acoustic guitar will cover string care and tuning, various 8th and 16th note strumming in 4/4, 6/8 and 3/4 time signatures, contemporary voicings of first position chord shapes and families in the keys of G, A, D, C, E, using a capo, and practice techniques.
Piano/Keys 101: 02/01/24 - 03/07/24, 4:15-5pm
Pre-requisites: Students will need access to a piano or keyboard every day for 6 weeks, have ear-buds or headphones (not bluetooth), have a notebook and pencil, folder for music and lesson sheets. Students need 30 minutes per day.
Overview: This introduction to piano/keys for worship will give students a working knowledge of how to flow with a chord sheet using common modern worship songs. We will cover scale composition and picking out melodies, major, minor, and '7' chord composition, chord inversions, as well as basic texturing through arpeggios.
Drums 101: 03/14/24 - 04/25/24, 4:15-5pm
Pre-requisites: Students will need a set of 7A drum sticks, a creative mind for constructing a 3 piece drum set at home (example: could use pencils, pot, shoe on the floor, and piece of cardboard); access to a metronome (phone app works), 30 minutes per day to practice.
Overview: This introduction to drums for worship will establish a working knowledge on how to flow in 3 of the most common varieties of "time signatures" with basic transitions, textures and fills, and techniques for "open worship". We will also teach the basic language of rhythm.
Bass/Electric Guitar 101: 03/14/23 - 04/25/24, 7:05-7:50pm
Pre-requisites: Bass students will need an electric bass, instrumental cable, and practice amp and tuner for 6 weeks. Electric guitar students will need an electric guitar (acoustic is acceptable for 101 class, though will require more strength), practice amp and instrumental cable, as well as a pick and tuner. Everyone will need 30 minutes per day for practice.
Overview: This introduction will give bass and electric guitar players a basic knowledge of navigating their fretboard with movable forms and shapes in the upper neck. We will study power chords, basic texturing, reading chord charts, playing in multiple keys, and foundations for rhythm. Bass and Electric guitar players will see the similarities between the two instruments in the 101 course, to know the musical and technical relationship between the two instruments.
Vocals 101: 05/02/24 - 06/06/24, 4:15-5pm
Pre-requisites: Have access to youtube. Have 30 minutes per day to practice.
Overview: We will learn how to flow with worship vocally, and expand the tonal vocabulary in order to help singers sing with greater freedom. We will study the major scale vocally and on the piano, discerning entrance notes on a scale, discerning entrance rhythms, basic harmonization, "riffing", and using the voice in "open worship".
Wind/String Instruments in Contemporary Worship 101: 05/02/24 - 06/06/24, 7:05-7:50pm
Pre-requisites: Have access to your instrument of study. Know your notes and some scales already. Know how to tune your instrument efficiently. Have 30 minutes per day to practice.
Overview: This course helps the established player to know how to 'flow' in a worship band setting. We will be essentially learning how to improvise and "fill" in worship, expressing praise to God without stepping on other musicians or singers toes. We will be learning how to discern the key of a song, how to pick out musical ideas and compose your own on the spot.