Finding your voice in the mix!

[kewlpack]

Guys,

I recently talked with Reverbbb for his notes after going to a Paul Baloche P/W Seminar here in Dallas. He mentioned something that I have been learning from my guitar teacher.

That is: pay attention to the dynamics and the way they change with each introduced instrument. If everyone plays the same chords in the same way at the same volume as the drummer - you get mud. :hissyfit

So you have to find your voice in the mix and play within that sandbox.

Now that I've introduced the topic, REVERBBB please present what you told me the other day! We could all benefit from those notes. :popcorn

What brought it up for me: Last night I attended the P/W practice with Reverbbb and I brought in my latest iteration of gear - plugged in and began playing along with the keyboardist. AURHGH... everything was boomy and indistinct... so I tapped around on my GT8 to find a tone that would work.

The keyboardist was playing everything (bass, rhythm, fill notes) so it was IMHO pointless to play guitar with it other than some simple fill in leads where I could. But strumming along only worked if I used alternate triads and even then I was bumping notes with the keyboardist. It wasn't her fault, and I was learning the songs for the very first time - but the issue jumped right out almost immediately.

It just reemphasized what Rev had told me - dynamics and phrasing have to be considered and used properly when there is more than one instrument - moreso when you have a very adequate keyboardist playing everything. We can't all play the same notes in the same octave and be distinct - it no worky. :banghead

I think I know why I can't hear any guitar on Sundays now Rev - you are mudded out by keyboards and bass. I barely hear the acoustic guy too. :dunno

What say ye?!

[MrMike]

Without dynamics, all you have is noise. I've started rolling the low end off from my tone just a bit and it sits in the mix a whole lot better. Otherwise you're just sitting there competing with the kick drum and the bass for the same piece of sonic real estate, and you just end up with a bunch of low-end mush.

A helpful hint for guitarists is to remember that mids are your friends.

[stephen]

........ new keyboardist. He's from our youth group, he's about 17, and he is really good! But I dont think he has played mith many other musicians, cause he just plays as if he is up there by himself. Way too busy sounding.

I've been showing him how I am backing off a bit during certain sections of the songs since he joined to make room for him in the mix, and how he has to find his spot in the mix also. He has been really responsive to suggestions and directions, and its a nice work in progress.

Hopefully too, were gettin a new bass player. The one that is there is not bad, but I think he wants to return to the childrens ministry. The guy that would be coming, listens, and works with you a lot, and he has a good ear too!

I agree, when everyon in the group finds their voice in the mix, and sounds so wonderful!

[Ascension]

The key frequency for guitar and especially electric guitar is in the high mid range. When I was on the road and took a solo our sound man didn`t turn up the volume for my solos but rather turned up the mids to make the guitar pop out. One of the things that is the hardest to learn is when NOT to play :roll: for most guitarist it`s :hissyfit I WANT MORE GUITAR.What is not realized is if you play minimalisticly most of the time it really jumps out more when you DO go off :cool: .But most musicians are rather hard headed and self centered so it`s like :banghead trying to get the point across.

[Wally]

The keyboardist was playing everything (bass, rhythm, fill notes)

It just reemphasized what Rev had told me - dynamics and phrasing have to be considered and used properly when there is more than one instrument - moreso when you have a very adequate keyboardist playing everything.



So that pretty well describes my situation, except the pianist is even more amazing than you describe, clasically trained...etc, and it's just the two of us...and I'm not a lead player! Sort of humorous really... a classical pianist on electric piano and an amateur strummer on Tele & Strat :mrgreen:

So what would you guys do in that situation? At least I'm not tripping over the bass and drums, and in absence of those I see my role as being the rhythm section, so I focus on rhythm and "accenting" the beat. It usually sounds pretty good to me, but I really have no idea how it sounds to the congregation!

[stephen]

It usually sounds pretty good to me, but I really have no idea how it sounds to the congregation!

Both agree to record youselves during a service or practice. Play as you normally do. Agree to thruthfully evaluate the recordings, both yours and your partners, and the overall "orchestration". Go from there.