[telecasting]

Definitive answer is buy more guitars.

[boxman2000]

Just learn a few more chords or positions. The amount of guitarists who are limited by only using G, C, Em, D or a variation is sad as the guitar has so much more potential.

At the very least use a capo.

I often use a capo and play higher up the fretboard anyway when doing rhythm to give a variation in tone for the song.

Whichever way you cut it, there is no substitute in being able to transpose a song quickly or on the fly (just don't tell the keyboard player as the transpose button is all too easy!!)

[BillSPrestonEsq]

Originally Posted by tdk8709

So, some background to touch on this further. I play guitar for our main campus on Sunday and lead worship at one of our church plants Saturday. As a WL on Saturday, I encourage the band to learn their parts from the song as written, but whatever parts they do end up playing, I expect them to be prepared for practices and rehearsals with music that fits the song's style, dynamics, and intent. Then we figure out how to handle what may be missing or extra either with loops, writing new parts, or sometimes just practice. I try to stay close to the original key because a lot of times either a guitar hook or some other part of a song's identity relies on that. Even so, I'm actually quite open to creativity.

As a band member on Sunday, the WL wants it to sound like the CD which is no problem to us. However, I am bringing this back up because I just received the set and we are supposed to play 'Let the Praises Ring' in C. Now for those who haven't played the song, you won't see the problem, but the catching guitar riff that drives and identifies the song really only works in the original key of E. I will figure it out, but odds are it will not sound as alive as the song should (and hopefully he will let us cut out the instrumental, since that is impossible to play in anything but E).

All that said, try not to tell people to just figure it out and say that you shouldn't cover a recording, because a. it works VERY well when a congregation recognizes a song, and b. it usually IS NOT the guitarist choice, it's the WL who decides on the orchestration.

I disagree rather strongly that you have to play a song in one key to keep an identity. A tune is a tune if played in e or eb. Tuning the strings down a half step does not change the sonic identity of the song. Changing it to f, using a capo won't make a major change either. You just shifted a half step. Any song works to some degree in any key.

I have played on teams where the goal is to sound like the cd, and IMO, it gets kind of rote and boring. And, just fwiw, I usually can play things like a cd pretty well. But really, the congregation can buy a cd. I'd rather play with the band's strengths and personality. I find that then a group can shine. So you have a crazy jazz pianist and a swing bassist. That could throw a whole new twist on songs...

Say your acoustic player is a flamenco guitarist by trade... Been in both of those scenarios. Both of those lend a different feel to a song, and can make the song different and perhaps better than the original.

Personally I dislike pedals like the morpheus because what you are playing will be dissonant with what is coming out of the amp, and even if it is glitchless, I still find it extremely confounding. I can feel that something just does not match even if I can't hear it.

This is my opinion based on my experience, and I have one of the most over the top pedalboards I have seen, but really, technique > pedals.

[tdk8709]

I would completely agree with you all if the change is a half step down, or key change up, but that's not what I said. Changing from E down to C in a song that is driven by a droning octave line... it just doesn't work that way guys. Learning more chord forms won't help in this situation, nor a capo (which many guitarist consider cheating as well...) and neither will a drop tune (which I personally would never use, but it IS an answer to his problem).

Like I said, it's not your problem, and I'll figure it out (I've learned to not expect much actual help from these sites...) It was merely a relevant example to illustrate someone else's perceived problem.

[abock33]

If you're willing to spend 1500 bucks and wait a month or 2 to get it then look at the New James Tyler Variax guitars from line 6. It's a digitally moddeled guitar that does alternate tunings at the flick of a switch. It also has a thing called virtual capo that digitally tunes the guitar to what ever tuning you want. I have seen a video of it an octave lower like a 6 string bass. I have heard that the capo feature sounds realistic to about the 4th or 5th fret and the same going lower. Then they've said it starts to sound computerized. A side note to those who have heard about the variax guitars it's not the same as the old 700's it has pick ups and is a decent guitar if you choose to not use the digital technology. I am currently waiting on mine to come in from musiciansfriend so I don't have any hands on experience yet, but the reviews I have seen from third parties not just line 6 have been great reviews.

I understand the need for being able to change tunings durring a song our music minister likes to contemporize older hyms and I have to constantly change the caop position to change keys. I know the chords but can't transition from chord to chord fast enough to stay in time when we get into different keys.

I also like to play like the cd or live version of the artist but sometimes our Music Minister can't sing that high so we drop the key.

Hope this helps.

[BillSPrestonEsq]

Originally Posted by tdk8709

I would completely agree with you all if the change is a half step down, or key change up, but that's not what I said. Changing from E down to C in a song that is driven by a droning octave line... it just doesn't work that way guys. Learning more chord forms won't help in this situation, nor a capo (which many guitarist consider cheating as well...) and neither will a drop tune (which I personally would never use, but it IS an answer to his problem).

Like I said, it's not your problem, and I'll figure it out (I've learned to not expect much actual help from these sites...) It was merely a relevant example to illustrate someone else's perceived problem.

actually a different key with different fingerings might be able to do it, especially once you throw in different tunings. (and I occasionally even do use drop d, though right now solely for a couple classical pieces)

But if you come to sites not expecting help and accusing people, of course you won't get much out of them.

However, there are a lot of guys who will help you scheme outside the box and figure out a solution if you want one, but nearly always, if you need a solution that is not blatantly obvious, it is going to require technique and theory and sometimes people just need help overcoming irrational prejudice against capos.

Mostly this site is filled with people who will try to help you out.

[to_be_released]

TDK, I note from your signature that you have a micropog and a range of distortions/drives. Therefore, with your particular example (which is one I've come across myself), I'd suggest using the micropog to drop everything an octave, chucking a capo on the 8th fret, and with enough distortion it should be perfectly adequate for that song. Either that or get a baritone guitar and capo first fret.

Personally, I've long given up on replicating the sound from cd as a) it's just not possible with the music teams at my church (see the thread about size of music teams for more info) and b) I simply prefer doing my own take on songs, with due sensitivity to the congregation at my church. I also like capos, and use them all the way up and down my fretboard. One of the more memorable services I played in utilized two 12 string acoustics with capos in different positions to get two different chord shapes going at once, and it sounded fantastic.

[bradh716]

Well, thanks for all of the input. I will give more detail about my situation. I am a guitar player who has been playing bass for the P&W team. We have recently added a bass player. The P&W leader wants me to play the guitar, including the solo, on Today Is The Day by Lincoln Brewster as the opener...but two steps lower. I think I have them talked into lowering it only one step. If I hadn't been playing bass for the last year and a half instead of guitar, I would be more open to keeping the guitar in standard tuning and then improvising. But since I am going to be using this song(home practice) to quickly get my chops back up, I think it will be easier to use the same chord fingerings and just detune my guitar. The strings will be too wobbly at two steps down. I did play My Savior Lives a while back tuned one step down and it worked out fine. They are planning on using electric guitar more in the future(There is none right now) so I was thinking that a drop tune pedal would make things easier.

[tdk8709]

I think Brewster does it in D (?) Paul Baloche does it in C and the guitar parts are MUCH less "hey look how awesome I am!" than Brewster's and suit the worship environment better IMO. Maybe try learning those parts or incorporating the two songs (I use the Baloche intro, instrumental and basic song structure, then bring in that little riff Brewster plays going into the chorus). Good luck!

[Stereotap]

It's called octaver/whammy pedal

[abock33]

There's a video of Ben (Paul's lead guitarist) playing the whole song on his web page. Personally I like the Paul Baloche version. It's not as over the top. Which fits better in the p&w setting.

He even explains the delay settings.