Interview: Worship Guitar Guy

Gerry Leslie runs a great web site called Worship Guitar Guy: Random Thoughts From A Worship Guitar Perspective.  He covers everything from effects to tone to his own thoughts on worship.  He recently started a blog series called Worship Chords Exposed.  I asked Gerry a few questions about acoustic guitars, sound systems, and sound operators...

1. When playing acoustic guitar, how do you apply effects?

Most of the time, the only effect I use on acoustic is reverb.  If it’s available I’ll have the sound tech mix it into my signal from a rack based or console effect since they better hear how it sounds in the house mix.  If not I can run a reverb pedal between my guitar and my DI.

For a DI, my acoustic signal is run through an L.R. Baggs Para Acoustic which gives me a bit more control over the warmth of the signal I send to the console.  It also helps suppress feedback somewhat.

2. When playing acoustic guitar, how do you like to EQ the sound (heavy on the high's, etc.)

It really depends on what other instruments I’m playing with.  Personally I love naturally warm acoustic sounds, like those produced by my main Martin acoustic.  If I’m playing in a stripped down setting, I try to have the sound team match the natural tone of my guitar in the house mix.

However, if I’m playing with a full band, (one or two electrics, bass, acoustic, keys, and drums), I’ll have the sound tech mix my tone with a bit more highs, so the sound cuts better.

One thing many guitarists can do to help their sound team with the EQ is modifying how they play when they’re with a full band.  If I’m in a song where we’re going full on with all the instruments, I’ll play fewer notes, and focus on chord structures that emphasize my high strings a bit more.  That way I’m not putting out as many frequencies that sit in the same EQ range as the bass, keys, or electrics.  

3. What is the most common mistake acoustic guitarists make regarding their quality of sound through the house system?

The most common mistake I see acoustic guitarists make has nothing to do with sound gear, it involves the technique they use with their hands when playing.   I find changes with technique can make huge differences in sound quality.  A few things acoustic guitar players can do to improve their sound is to focus on is how hard they hit the strings with their pick, whether they can effectively “mute” strings to create definition in chords, and whether they can control the number of strings they hit when strumming.

4. What does the sound guy do best for you?

There are three things that really stand out for me.

First, I love sound techs that are students of good tone.  I enjoy working with someone who has studied up on what makes good tone and bad tone for each instrument in the band, and can work with band members to get EQ’s and levels sounding as good as possible considering the equipment they’re working with.   A great indication of this understanding for me is how a sound tech EQ’s a drum kit, the bass, and electric guitars.

Second, I love sound techs who are creative problem solvers.  In my years of playing, it seems that technical issues are more the norm than the exception, even with great teams.  I love a sound tech who thinks on their feet when there’s a problem and comes back with good workarounds when situations aren’t ideal.

Third, I appreciate a sound tech that can keep volume levels under control.  In my experience with worship, instrumentation isn’t as much a roadblock for people as is the overall volume level.  (In fact, I once attended a “traditional” worship church with piano, organ, choir and orchestra where volume levels would regularly run around 100 db!)  A sound tech who has a natural feel for appropriate decibel levels for an audience keeps volume from becoming a distraction.  

5. What mistakes do you see sound operators make when it comes to EQ's and mixing guitars?

With acoustic guitars, over mixing the highs to the point where they’re shrill.  With a full band playing at once, this isn’t as noticeable, but once an acoustic player is out front all alone, shrill tone is like fingernails on a chalkboard.  Interestingly this is a problem I’ve even seen with notable Christian artists in concert.

With electrics, the problems I notice are not finding the right levels, (too cranked or too soft) or having too much of the low-mid/low frequencies that make the overall sound extremely muddy.  I absolutely love sound guys that understand how an electric guitar works, and can communicate what changes need to be made to get the sound quality as good as possible considering the environment being played in.    

6. Worst movie you ever saw?

Any movie with the words “legally” and “blonde” in the title… ;)

7. If you could create your own band for a worship set, what instruments would you have?  How many singers, etc.

I’ve changed my thoughts on this topic over the years.  Right now, I prefer to shape my team around the environment I’m playing in.  For instance, in a smaller, more intimate room, I lean towards a more “organic” team with acoustic guitar, bass, a clean electric player, and either a stripped down drum kit played with brushes or a variety of percussion instruments, (hand drums, bongos, a cajon drum, etc.)  For singers, I’d prefer either just a lead vocalist, or a lead and backup doing sparse and subtle backing vocals.

If I’m in a larger, higher energy setting, I love to go all out with drums, bass, keys, acoustic guitar, and two electrics playing distinct parts.  Again I prefer to have one dominant leader out front with one or a couple of background vocalists.  For background vocals, I prefer having them mixed down a bit from the leader’s levels.

8. If someone new to running sound for a worship team asked you for advice, what would you say?

Study what good tone sounds like for each instrument in a worship team.  A great way to do this is to attend live concerts and listen to live recordings of shows.  Listen to the sounds of things like the kick drum, snare, cymbals, the bass, and electric guitars, and begin to work to understand how they are EQ’ed.  Also, listen carefully to what instruments seem to sit “out front” or stronger in the mix, and what instruments aren’t.  Of note, studio recordings can at times be a bit misleading, since what you hear on an album is very different from what you can actually get in a live room.  Live rooms tend to have more “energy”, and as such can be mixed very differently.

A second thing is to always make sure that your instruments are not overpowering your vocals.  Clarity in vocals probably the number one thing on my list of priorities in mixing a team.  Since the words of your songs often reflect a message we are confessing to God, it’s crucial that a congregation can hear them.