Contemporary praise and worship?

Adam Tracksler · From: Maine, USA

Anyone playing psg Ina contemporary praise and worship setting? I've mostly played bass at church, fell in love with the psg, and thinking about throwing it at my worship leader.... Wondering if anyone else does/ did this....

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Duane Noom · From: Whitehall, Michigan, USA

I have for quite a few years. I love it!

Tom Cooper · From: Orlando, Fl

I play in a non denomination type church where the music director is also like me from the local indie scene. Very young and hip types. I am 10 yrs or more older than most of the other players and don't dress like them or listen to hip music but I get on real good there. They treat me real good, in fact the 3 campuses have me booked all the time. This church has multiple rotating bands, a dozen or so. I get to play with some really good people. One girl I backup is total pro level. I used to play for old time country gospel group. I am more into old style music, but got tired of all the grumpy old political rants etc..don't hear any of that stuff at this church. I get to do some of that style plus lots more in the non denom church. Old hymns, r&b, Americana and even a beach folk/reggae type band. The key to playing in church like this is being versitial. I will need to go from big ambient, pretty sounds to opry style blocking to hard driven lap steel, Hawaiian style, plus I always have a dobro rig setup. Sometimes just the right thing for certain songs. I listen and lay out or step up as the situation calls. They tend to want me to play a lot since steel is so rare. I was shy at first. Had to really adjust. Was afraid to overplay. They let me do my thing. I love it. Nice to be appreciated and respected. Lots of variety and really nice people.

Adam Tracksler · From: Maine, USA

Definitely looking for more of a Contemporary Christian (Hillsong, etc) than Sacred Steel (I have a D10, and don't feel like changing that Smile

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Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

I did at my church. Is much fun. "My God is An Awesome God" kicks ass with the Boss Tone.
They kicked me out: not because I played in bars but because I enjoyed it.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

W. Van Horn · From: Houston, texas

I work for a church playing steel in Houston. Here's a record we did for advent:
http://advent.ecclesiahouston.org/
We just tracked another record which should be done soon.
Of note on the advent record would be life of man, featuring a lot of percussive/effected pedal steel, Justice will roll down, o come o come emmanuel(a steel instrumental), sweet comfort is a great tune and has steel as well

Scott Duckworth · From: Etowah, TN Western Foothills of the Smokies

When I sold my Marlen D-10, the fella that bought it was looking to play praise & worship with the C6 neck.
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Amateur Radio Operator NA4IT (Extra)
http://www.qsl.net/na4it

I may, in fact, be nuts. However, I am screwed onto the right bolt... Jesus!

Wesley Medlen · From: LaCygne,Ks

I have been in a cowboy church band for over 5 yrs. But we don't do contemperay we do old gospel and old country gospel I don't care for contemporary too much rock in it. We have picked up a good following and getting invited out to play a lot. Even got invited back to Missouri State Fair. It has also increased our church member ship substantially.
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Justice S10 Jr, Gibson Electra 6string, Boss Katana 100, Steelers Choice ,Gretsch 6 string lap, Hilton VP

Jack Stripling · From: Pasadena, Texas USA

I just started playing bass in a small church in Deer Park Texas.

My Pastor, who is also the worship leader knows I play pedal steel some, and Dobro...

we will see where it goes...

Tom Gorr · From: Three Hills, Alberta

A week ago I jammed with the church choir director / pianist... we played P&W repetoire.... first time for me... and it may well have been the nicest music I have participated in. Maybe the future of steel is to take over where the Hammond organ left off.

Darvin Willhoite · From: Roxton, Tx. USA

This topic has come up several times before. I played mostly steel in a contemporary praise & worship band for about 17 years. We got a new worship leader that didn't like the steel, and I was playing guitar and bass mostly, so I lost interest and quit. Here was on of my favorites we played. This was recorded directly off the board at one of our services.

https://app.box.com/s/l9833qsq36j5svbg2okh

There's more if anyone wants to hear them.
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Darvin Willhoite
MSA Millennium, Legend, and Studio Pro, Reese's restored Universal Direction guitar, a restored MSA Classic SS, several amps, new and old, and a Kemper Powerhead that I am really liking. Also a Zum D10, a Mullen RP, and a restored Rose S10, named the "Blue Bird". Also, I have acquired and restored the plexiglass D10 MSA Classic that was built as a demo in the early '70s. I also have a '74 lacquer P/P, with wood necks, and a showroom condition Sho-Bud Super Pro.

Joe B. Long · From: Llano Tx USA

I have been playing in church for almost two years now. Almost every Sunday I try to find a way to work it into our contemporary songs, even though the vast majority of the songs don't have steel guitar on the album. However, I play it on all the "traditional" songs. Including the invitation. We use to do two service each Sunday, a contemporary and a traditional. After 7 years, the church decided to blend the services. It seems now that the congregation almost demands me to play the steel. I say go for it, I look at it as a way for me to put my style to the song. Not what somebody has already done on the album and we are just being a coverband...so to speak.
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Where do you want it?
Billy Joe Shaver

David Cubbedge · From: Toledo,Ohio, USA

I play guitar at a big auditorium church and have to beg the music team to let me play steel - they all love it when I do, but then it's another six months before they do it again.....
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Red Emmons D10 fatback #2246D with sweet Hugh Briley split cases, Black Emmons S10 #1466S, '73 Fender "Snakeskin" Twin Reverb, Peavey Nashville 400, Line 6 Pod XT, Fender 400, Fender Stringmaster Double-8, too many guitars, one bass!

Bill Ford · From: Graniteville SC Aiken

The most satisfying venue ever..Bill
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Bill Ford S12 CLR, S12 Lamar keyless, Misc amps&toys Sharp Covers
Steeling for Jesus now!!!

Stephen Rethmeier · From: Nashville TN

I play for a few churches in So Cal. I have found them to be very receptive to steel guitar and whenever a worship leader finds out that's what I do, I usually get an invitation to play any time I want. This may sound bad, but the musical bar at a lot of them is fairly low. Since I haven't played PS for very long, I use those venues as a forum for working stuff out in a live setting (stuff that I wouldn't try live in the bands I play in at night). Whenever I ask for feedback, they all always say something to the effect of "sounds amazing, play it more..."

One I play at about once a month is an Anglican church that likes me to play ambient, ethereal sounds over relatively contemporary worship songs. The music director has also written music to a series of chants called antiphons. They are well-written but short and they repeat several times. Pedal steel woven throughout those is pretty cool. I listened to Daniel Lanois for examples and inspiration.

I also play for a non-denominational church that plays top 40 praise stuff. For that I bring PS but I also bring 6- and 8-string lap slide. For a lot of this stuff, the 6-string in open D with OD and delay works good. In fact, I am writing this from outside Chicago where I'm playing for a church conference. For ease of travel, I just brought a lap slide, and only the 6-string because I guessed the songs would be standard Hillsong, New Wine, Bethel, etc. I was right and it's working well.
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Williams S12 Ext. E9 keyless, Williams S12 Ext. E9 keyed, Telonics TCA 500C, Quilter Steelaire, Magic Fender clone, 1937 Model 59 Rick 6, 1940 Epiphone 7-string Zephyr, Oahu 6, 8+/- regular guitars, Kawai baby grand, two cats...

Stephen Rethmeier · From: Nashville TN

Paul King · From: Gainesville, Texas, USA

I have tried it in more than one church. Some of the new songs have good words but the muisc to me is awful. So I kindly backed out where I attend. However, we still sing out of the hymn book and some old choruses. When they started wanted more practice time plus being ther an hour early on Sunday morning I just was not willing to put time into music I did not enjoy playing. Many others play it and that is great, just not for me.

Jim Mathis · From: Overland Park, Kansas, USA

I play at church once a month. We do contemporary Christian type stuff, Chris Tomlin, etc. I play mostly E9 because of the odd chord progressions. I love Jesus, but contemporary praise songs, not so much, but I still enjoy playing it. Every now and then we will do some old gospel things that are great.
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Jim@MathisPhoto.net

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