Here's a link to a song from Dani by Hillsongs - give it a listen and we'll try to learn it in the New Year. Have fun!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSjNod4LXFE

No praise band practise on Thurs. 15 Dec. due to staff meeting. Sorry!

Welcome to the GCA Praise Band Page. Thanks for stopping by.

Here are a couple of things to work on when you have time.

First and most important LISTEN to all the praise and worship music you can find. Buy, borrow, download and go to Youth and sing. Simply put, if you don't know the songs, you can't lead worship. The good news is, they're simple songs and anybody can learn them if they put in the time! Here are a couple of tunes to start with. Listen to them until you are familiar with the arrangement and feel of the songs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQGJdTpMUcU Hosanna by Hillsongs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAQ61KH7qRc The Stand by Hillsongs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXIeSfaOPdo Here For You by Matt Redman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uKvfXOIy2Q Not Be Shaken by Vineyard (we do it a lot faster than this version) 

Second, EXPERIENCE COUNTS, so get involved with the music makers at your church. Sit in and hang out with the musicians. Ask for opportunities to listen, learn and take part when possible. Get involved.

Third, WORK ON YOUR MUSICAL CHOPS. Everybody, including singers, needs to be committed to getting better. We're not just playing for people. We're giving God back the music He gives us right? So we want to do it as beautifully as possible. That does not mean perfect. But it's good to take it seriously.

A few other things to think about over the break...

Guitar, Bass and Piano people must know how to play the ROOT, FOURTH, FIFTH, MINOR 2 and MINOR 6th in the following keys: G, C, D AND E.

This means you need to get comfortable changing quickly from chord to chord in each key. Here are the actual chords which you can find in any chord chart book or site:

Key of G : G - C - D - Am - Em

Key of C : C - F - G - Dm - Am

Key of D : D - G - A - Em - Bm

Key of E : E - A - B - F#m - C#m

that's what we call the Root - 4 - 5 minor 2 - minor 6 in each of the main keys we'll be playing songs in. Of course there will be more chords. Thousands of them. Your job as a musician will be to learn the easiest way to play the chord that sounds best in the situation. Sometimes a chord can be 2 notes, so don't be intimidated by chords with big fancy names. Whatever key we're in, a chord is basically a very simple thing to find. Trust me. (and practise!)

We don't have regular charts for the songs, so EVERYBODY NEEDS TO LEARN THE SONGS BY EAR OR BY (H)EAR(T) - get it? In other words, we have lyrics printed out with chords at the appropriate places. And that's it. You are welcome to develop your own chart/chord system, whatever works for you as a musician. But nothing is better than knowing the songs and playing them from the heart. It just makes it much easier to worship when you don't have to worry about what's going on musically.

Finally, if you have some ideas for songs that you think are powerful, beautiful and not too complicated, then email the titles or links to me at bruce.robertson@pallisersd.ab.ca or bring them on Thursday.

More to follow after the break.

We'll be practising every Thursday morning in the Band room before school. All are welcome. You are never too young or too old to praise your Maker with music.