Just hoping to get in touch with other forum members who are playing their instruments on a worship team at their church. I sing harmony with our team of 5 (and am the second of two vocalists), and am hoping to eventually add my mandolin and octave mandolin. Frankly, I am not sure how what I play fits in. For instance, I am learning the chords to “Majesty,” in G, and am wondering what on earth to do with the picking hand on the mandolin that would be tasteful? I would love to hear from others, or see videos of what they are doing. 
Worship Team Acoustic Playing
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There’s all kinds of things you could be doing that would add dynamics to the mix. Tremolos fading in and out at key moments can add flavor. Perhaps some scales during the pause of the lyrics?
There are plenty of things you can do to noodle around that will add to the song and sound really tasty. Pull up a recording and just start playing around with it. I bet you’ll find something pretty quickly.
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You might want to check out some of Ben’s build-a-break lesson (You’re my sunshine guitar probably.)
On that basis, I’d attempt something like this.
- Identify melody notes
- Identify basic chords
- Identify a rhythm pattern and create scale notes around the melody for the rhythm pattern. (See attached for example.) https://banjoben-discourse-upload.s3.dualstack.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/original/2X/c/c963466fadc4f3394903caa410aed39da78412b2.m4a
- Where the pattern does not fit, I’d noodle something else, try adding double stops etc.
Hope I don’t mislead. Experts, feel free to pitch in to correct!
@Mark_Rocka, if it is not too much of a hassle, if you could noodle and record something, that would help I think.
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Yay for worship music! I play worship regularly, mainly guitar. For guitar, the bass transitions between chords are often used on guitar, but generally without the blue notes. I also think the crosspicking and general precision translates well. On mandolin, most of the worship stuff I have done is pretty simple: strumming open chords (often only on the changes), little licks echoing or playing with the melody. Remember that the mandolin cuts really well. Choose your spots. One lesson Ben has that really has paid huge dividends for worship mando, I don’t remember what it was called (something about mandolin backup), but it was on playing arpeggios with little connecting lines for the chord transitions. If you can’t find it, I’ll go figure out which one it was.
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If you can provide a video or audio link to Majesty in G that is similar to what you’re playing, please post and we can come up with some approaches.
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