Drums, the Holy Spirit, and Congregational Response

Have you ever been frustrated, confused, or saddened by a lack of response from the congregation you’re leading in worship?

What can you do about it? And how do you know you’re even working on what’s causing it? Well, let’s talk about two of the dynamics.

THE HOLY SPIRIT

First, there are those unexplainable moments when we, as worshipers (on and off the stage), are compelled by God’s Spirit in our encounter with Him. It has little to do with the music and much to do with either His divine moving or (very often) our choice in drinking from the Well and experiencing the spring described in John 4.

There’s a spiritual dynamic when our hearts are engaged, our spirits are activated, and our bodies choose to express this sense of God among us - the reality of Emmanuel. Sometimes, we deeply resonate with a truth we’re singing, we have a moment of intimacy and vulnerability with the Father, or we share the joy of being with fellow believers singing to our Creator. It’s more than magical. It’s so beautiful and delightful, and it seems otherworldly! I love that!

From a leadership perspective, to enable those transcendent moments, listen to what God is saying and then obey. I think this obedience almost always results in us activating people - calling them to draw on the faith and Spirit in them. In the words of my friend Daniel Hazelwood: “I’m peering into heaven, looking at that model of worship, singing to a God who’s not far off. The God I sing to is hovering in this room, and He’s giving me windows (revelation), so I know when to sing, what to sing, and why.” (You can listen to a podcast that goes more in-depth here.) This is the core of our calling as worship leaders: activating people.

Okay, so that’s one side.

ART

The other dynamic is art. Beauty. Things that take our breath away and cause an emotional response. There is a power in music that touches us where other things can’t. Don’t dismiss a conversation about engaging our emotions because you want to avoid emotionalism. Manipulating people (through any of our senses) is wrong. Creating a culture where worshipers “can’t worship” unless they feel something is not helpful or healthy. But how can we engage and celebrate with our souls and emotions as part of our entire beings?

I believe God has given us the power of music, the language of the soul, to engage that part of us. So let’s talk a little about how music works, how it does things to our emotions that are beyond reason.

I’ll focus this conversation on the rhythm section of our band: the drums and bass. What role do the drums play in the music we worship with at church? They signal sections and dynamics, help phrase the melody, establish subtleties of rhythm and tempo intensity, and reinforce the root rhythm/accent patterns. That got a bit complex, but the bottom line is they function as the railroad tracks (along with the bass guitar) for the rest of the band to ride on.

IMPLICATIONS

That we call the rhythm section “the railroad tracks on which the train rides” implies several things:

1. The rhythm section is essential and plays a core role, not a support role.

2. It must be mixed accordingly for the songs written in modern worship to sound and feel right.

3. The rest of the band must fit around them, playing melodic and harmonic roles. That’s why, in a band setting, the acoustic guitar plays an accent role, not a primary role, and why the piano shines as a melodic instrument rather than a rhythm instrument. (that was a huge statement...maybe reread it)

THE DREADED RESISTANCE

It’s worth spelling out some of the resistance we each feel in trying to implement this:

1. Sometimes, our rhythm sections are weak, and we don’t feel like they can carry it (or they really can’t carry it), so we carry it out of necessity (read: we overplay). If your rhythm section is weak, I’m a big fan of starting with one song each week and learning new ways of playing that one song. Take small steps, but take steps in this direction.

2. The feedback we’ve gotten from individual members of the congregation makes it seem they don’t want to hear the bass and drums (I contend that if we play the music well, either they will love it or it’s more of a commentary on the song rather than our arrangement).

3. The sound engineer doesn’t like the drums or too much bass (don’t look at me that way) :-D

4. The drums don’t sound good - they’re not tuned, they’re not quality instruments, they’re over-muffled, they’re not the right kind or size for the room, etc.

5. The drummer hasn’t realized he or she has elbows and wrists, and plays only from the shoulder...whack! (Drummers need to learn a combination of sensitivity and assertiveness)

6. The bass player thinks if he or she plays the right notes precisely what the kick drum is playing, then they’ve done their job. (This is not true – it’s more of an interlocking puzzle)

7. We’re just plain scared to change the way we play to be more musical. I won’t lie, it’s risky and can be downright brutal...until you crest the hill...then you’ll wonder why you ever played like that.

8. Part of why the drummers play “safe” is they haven’t been given the requirement or space to play their “railroad tracks” role - there’s not been a need for anything else (our “overplaying” actions speak louder than our “please play out” words). Once the rhythm section has taken its place, you may find yourself removing the muffles and storing the drum shield. (No, I didn’t just say that, did I?)

THE EFFECTS OF OUR CHOICES

These are not hard and fast rules, but as musicians creating art, we need to know the effects of our choices. We can each play three things: melody, harmony, or rhythm, each with a different priority. For example, if I pound the guitar or piano, though I am playing melody and harmony, I’m primarily playing rhythm. This effect is accentuated on the big, fast, or medium-tempo songs. And, of course, there are songs or parts of songs where things other than the rhythm section will take center stage, like the beginnings of some songs or the slower ballads.

I realize I’m swinging the pendulum a bit too far to overcorrect a common problem in worship bands. But ask any pro musician, and they’ll tell you what separates the amateurs from the pros: the ability to know when and what to play (and primarily what not to play). Restraint is king. There is no subtly and eloquence if you just say everything you know. Neither is there art if you play everything you can.

How does this challenge you? How does it encourage you? How does it give you language to take to your team and develop the band and techs?

-Dave Helmuth
(purchase my book, "Worship Fertilizer: (the first hundred)" HERE)

Drums, the Holy Spirit, and Congregational Response (Nº 33)