Playing church music

[mandowood]

Hey all- I am a beginner mandolin player and am trying to play with a guitar in Chapel soon. We are playing hymns and I'm not sure what the mandolin part should be.

Do I just play the straight melody line all the way through? An octave higher? Is there a part on the piano music? Do I play a harmony line? I don't know much at all about music theory- any help would be appreciated...thanks guys

[Mike Handley]

I play in church quite often. #Try to mix it up. #Play the melody straight, then play an octave higher or lower in the next verse. #Maybe mix it up and play half a verse in one octave, then switch for the second half. #If your hymnal is written in a four part harmony, the alto part adds a nice touch. #That part would be the notes just below the highest notes, which are usually the melody.

As you get better at playing and reading, you can combine the melody (soprano) with a bit of the alto.

[goldtopper]

I do melody, harmony and some fills here and there. I guess it depends what the other instruments are doing. You don't all want to be putting fills into the same spots.
Tremolo is certainly the most noticed addition and really creates atmosphere.

[rixter]

I think you can do just about anything you can get away with. Shoot, half the time nobody even knows what it is ("Is that a b##jo?"), much less what it's supposed to be playing. As long as you're not too obnoxious about it. I've had times when I just showed up and had no practice beforehand and just played tremolo over chords and had people tell me it was great, sometimes even more so than when I did something that took real musicianship. Most times it's just the spirit of how you present it.

[mmukav]

I did a wedding in June with my partner----mandolin and guitar. I played melody. When I played along with the organist I strummed chords, played some arpeggiated chords and fills and that sounded real nice.
Good luck! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[WireBoy]

It all depends on what your instrumental ensemble consists of and how they approach each tune. #At my church, as the choir sings, we have a piano establishing typical piano accompaniment, our twin guitars pound out the rythym and my mando will do melody or fills or double up rythym parts where neccassary. #It depends on the tune too! #

Find a place to fit in the 'sonic framework' where you don't step on someone else's parts yet your 'voice' can be heard. #and you don't have to play all the time. #the piano and guitars might be fine for most of a tune, but then the mando will come in for emphasis on a verse/refrain/fill. #Experiment ! #That's the great joy in music. #trying something and having it work out !!!