[joshaber]

This year we will add a second guitar to our praise band, however I need advice as to how it should fit in and what its role should be. The new guitar player will be playing rhythm on acoustic, and we will also have a bass, drums, and keyboard.

The second guitar (me) can be either acoustic or electric. What should I be playing that will compliment the other instruments? The only catch is that I am new to electric, so please spell things out for me in that regard.

[Sean]

Depends on...

1. Your talent

2. Your style

3. Their talent

4. Their style

5. The song

6. The arrangment of the song

7. The audience

8. The section of the song

There is no simple answer to your question. Bands are organic things. the musicians grow together. Different people play together different. Different styles call for different things...different songs call for different things. So we really can't give the secret solution to your question. You guys need to practice a lot and discover your own sound.

[canucks1002]

in our worship band, we had the leader play acoustic and was the lead guitarist. The other guitar player played the catchy riffs and the fills.

[ryanspeer]

Generally speaking, the role of an acoustic is to lay down a more rhythmic layer (at least in a worship band type context). That would leave several options for you on an electric, while far far fewer on an acoustic. If you're intent on playing rhythm on an acoustic, you'll absolutely HAVE to play in a different part of the fretboard. Start using a capo liberally and experiment non-stop with different chord voicings all over the fretboard. If the lead acoustic player is playing more open chords near the nut, then start using some voicings up around the 5th-10th frets. By doing something like that, you'll be adding a layer of sound that, if used tastefully, will really add some cool effects to the sound. Absolutely do NOT, whatever the circumstances, play the exact same chord fingerings for anything more than brief brief moments in a song. You'll single-handedly contribute to horrifically muddy tone - unless you can play absolutely and completly in-synch with the other guitarist - a fat chance even with the best of 'em (unless he's playing bone-simple rhythms). Flatpicking is another option with two acoustics, but that can get a bit old sometimes...

The best choice (again, in a "typical" worship band type setting), would be to get really really comfortable with an electric. Get used to barre chords, get used to playing little fills, get used to flatpicking, etc... Open chords don't lend themselves very well on an electric. It's tempting to do so, but it just doesn't have the same sound as an acoustic does.

Like Sean said though, practice with each other as much as possible. That'll help you discover how others play and help you understand how to interract with them better.

[guitarfreak217]

we have 3 guitars in my church's worship team. but our third guitarist only plays every other week. but we didn't have this problem. somehow, when he joined the team, it was like he was meant to play in our team. and his style is quite insane. he's an amazing guitarist and plays very much like satch and vai, but has a very good knowledge of how to incorporate this. my suggestion to you is to sit down like once a month with the new guitarist and the lead worshiper and work out arrangements and such. this can also give you both a chance to learn how to play off of what the other is doing.

[TShafer]

The single most important thing (musically) you have to do with 2 or more guitarists is stay out of each other's way. If you end up with 2 guitars playing the same thing, often it will sound worse than if you only had one guitar playing. This isn't nearly as easy as it sounds, especially if both guitarists have similar styles, however if one of the guitars is an acoustic it becomes less of an issue, as the acoustic has such a different sound.

One other thing to keep in mind also is that music needs to be able to breathe. One thing I see alot in worship music is that too often every musician plays every note in every song. That tends to make songs boring and, worse yet, very muddy-sounding. I'm still learning when to play (and when not to,) but I've noticed that often less is more.

At Port City Church, our typical lineup is one drummer, one bassist, two electric guitarists, two female vocalists, one keyboardist, and one male vocalist w/acoustic guitar.

Tom