In this video, Fuller walks through exactly how to underscore live from keys. These tips and pointers work well to move from any element to the next in a worship service, especially under things like pastoral prayer, announcements, moving from one song to the next, etc. These moments are extremely important, and the keyboard is the best tool at our disposal to facilitate them well.
Gear/resources mentioned in this video:
- Pads (we used Pads 5 in this video)
- MainStage Patch (we used the Pads 5 MainStage patch, but substituted KeyScape for the keyboard sound)
- Keys sounds Fuller used – Spectrasonics Keyscape
- Keyboard: Arturia KeyLab 88 // More from Arturia
- Chord Number System (how to play in any key)
Table of Contents:
- 00:00 – Intro and setup
- 01:47 – Tip 1: Keep it simple (Less is more)
- 02:22 – Demonstration Tip 1
- 03:01 – Tip 2: Keep your chords diatonic
- 03:59 – Demonstration of Tip 2
- 04:53 – Stage presence
- 05:56 – Never play wrong notes (ever) (ever)
- 06:33 – Demonstration of how a wrong note will ruin the moment
- 06:58 – How different chords create specific emotional responses
- 08:16 – Demonstration of chord voicings
- 08:59 – How to use the IV and VI chords to change mood
- 09:19 – Demonstration of IV and VI changes
- 10:17 – Demonstration with a live reading (Psalm 23)
- 11:39 – Explanation of concepts in Psalm 23 reading (usage of the IV, V, and VI chords)
- 14:01 – Demonstration with a live reading (Good Night Moon)
- 15:53 – Final thoughts (are we manipulating people with music?)
Very helpful stuff here. I think the line between creating a mood/atmosphere and manipulation can be blurry sometimes; a lot of times it’s almost a question of degree rather than a clear distinction of definition. But it’s not like any of the other media experiences people have are emotionally neutral environments: movies, concerts, plays, etc. all use elements like sound, lighting, and staging to cause emotional responses in the audience, and unless they’re really ham-fisted, nobody accuses them of being “emotionally manipulative.” To me, the dividing line in worship is motive: are we using those elements just to evoke a particular response, or are we trying to remove obstacles and distractions that hinder people in expressing worship to God and encountering the Holy Spirit in a transformative way? Is our goal to free people up to glorify Jesus, or are we just trying to put on a slick, well-produced presentation? I’ve been in worship environments that were very similar in terms of their approaches and execution that still managed to feel totally different because that divide was clear.
Great stuff. Seriously dig what you all do.
Quick feedback for you as I watch your video and read your table of contents: Minor chords get lowercase letters, right? So a minor six is vi, not VI. “Get off the stage!” 🙂
-jeff
Worship and Youth Pastor
Pursuit Church, Fort Collins CO
Thanks guys – I’ll be asking all my keyboard players to watch this. I’d love to share with my band some videos with more suggestions for transitions between songs in a worship set.
This tutorial is great. Very helpful
to me as a keyboardist. Been hopeful to be able to do more transitioning in our worship service. Thanks for your help. Looking forward to more.
Great video! I have wondered for several years the secrets to underscoring…thank you for sharing!