A contemporary worship team only looks like a rock band.
In reality, it's far more than that.
Every member is a minister more than a musician and together the worship team plays a variety of roles in the modern Church. This also means not everyone would fit in, requiring an attitude of discernment when we invite musicians to be part of a worship team.
What qualities to look for in musicians is an interesting question with many lists of answers. Here's what I believe are important to become must-have worship musicians:
The 7 Unmistakable Traits of Great Worship Musicians:
1. They make it look easy
I remember playing with an extremely talented guitarist who once showed me a different strumming pattern he had worked out for "My Redeemer Lives". It sounded cool and looked easy enough...until I tried playing it and ended up sounding like a dork. What looked like a breeze when he played it, was actually a pretty complex and challenging strumming pattern! Great musicians have this ability to make things looks easy even while playing difficult music.
2. They play on time and in key
Sounds basic right? But timing and key are probably the 2 most important concepts of playing an instrument. When practising, great musicians have the discipline of using a metronome or a click-track to maintain correct and consistent tempo throughout the song. They are careful to learn the chords in the right key, taking and storing notes to ensure mistakes related to timing and key are killed.
3. They give space for others in the team
Lousy musicians are obsessed with being heard the most. They play in a manner that overpowers and suffocates the overall sound. Whereas great musicians are team players - they support the song and the team, sharing musical space for everyone to play their part; they are concerned with what each instrument can contribute to the worship, not just their own cool musical chops.
4. They know when not to play
Lousy musicians start playing during the intro and won't stop till the song is done (some play on even after that!). They lack a sense of song or worship dynamics. Great musicians on the other hand play to serve the song and the worship. They know how to blend their instrument's sound into the song and stop playing at sections where their instrument is not needed.
5. They love to stay updated
Great worship musicians stay hungry...for more. If it's open chords today, it's inverted chords tomorrow, then different voicings, then a capo, maybe a cut-capo after that and so on. They love to pick up new concepts, improve technique and strive to stay relevant all the time.
6. They listen to the worship leader
Great musicians submit to the worship leader's authority - even when the worship leader is a lesser musician. They are willing to die to their own opinions to fulfill the worship leader's requirements. They make music out of a disposition of servanthood.
7. They worship
Being a musician in a worship team is actually less about music and more about Jesus. You could be a gifted musician with the highest levels of expertise, but it counts for nothing if you are not a worshipper first and foremost. Great worship musicians are grateful to be on the worship team and consider it a privilege to serve God with their music. They play worship music out of a love relationship with the Lord more than anything else.
