Guitar group

ghmus7

Okay folks, I may have to start a guitar group for our Spanish Mass where I am.
I know the guitar well, and was a classical guitar major before I was an organist, though very few of these members will be classical guitarists.
I would like to have some advice about how to manage such a group.
Any advice is helpful!

G

God help you in this endeavor.

Charles C should have some to-the-point advice, email him.

My, (less than expert, but quite experienced,) advice- NO STRUMMING.

Save the Liturgy, Save the World!

donr

What I would do is exactly what you would do with any choir. Assign everyone a part to play. Give one member the S another the A, the T and the B parts. Depending on how many you have in the group use different positions for different voicings. A little light strumming wouldn't be bad as long as it was done very quietly behind the other parts to fill the sound.

It could actually sound quite nice. I would refuse to just pound out christo-pop songs.

CHGiffen

From Mass sigh, "Ahh", Part the third:

Recit.
Behold I tell you of misery:
we shall have no peace;
but we shall be deranged,
in a moment, in the tinkling of the band,
at the last strumming.

Air.
The strummers shall strum,
and the drums shall be drummed,
be strummed and drummed incessantly.
And we can't be saved. (fine.)

For this corruption shall put down incorruption,
as these mortals shall attain immorality. (Da capo al fine.)

bgeorge77

People on here tend to hyperventilate about guitars, but I've found they don't sound bad if played in a more classical style. My parish uses them in the teen-choir Mass, to support the propers and accompany the hymns. They're really not so bad, just avoid the strumma-strumma style.

Chris Garton-Zavesky

BGeorge77:

Once, a long time ago, I hesitate to admit, I put my "folk" group, all serious musicians, to play for Good Friday. This was before I knew better. Now I do, I don't, and wouldn't dare do such a thing. My point at the time was to use the oboe and guitar together to create a mournful tone. Guitars don't belong at Mass. They "need" amplification to be effective, even if played classically, and that's contrary to the nature of the liturgy.
(The previous evening, when the "children's" choir sang for Maundy Thursday, was, in my mind, a better idea. We sang the Pange Lingua in Latin, and the children appreciated being treated like growing-up Catholics.)

God bless,

Chris

melofluent

http://youtu.be/_ihddJOsdzk

http://youtu.be/VmdWvTaZPlM

http://youtu.be/jdNBR6UHYAs

http://youtu.be/5cHthk-wOD4

ghmus7

Quite nice actually!

paulellen1960

I play guitar and organ. I am a better guitarist so I use the guitar on a regular basis. The key is to play in a classical style. It is quite different than the strum a strum style, obviously. I use moderate amplification to support the singing. During lent there is no amplifier. I have actually found that some of the classic hymns actually sound better on the guitar than organ (think harpsicord when playing them). I avoid the so called contemporary hymns from the 1960's and on because they do not serve any instrument well.

Spanish choirs need and ethnic but classical sound. The competence of the guitarists is obviously key. If there are rhythm guitarists, keep them in the background while the classical guitar dominates the music. Amplification can help this.

I have found that even people who hate guitar masses love classical guitar at the Catholic Liturgy. One retired well trained mucisian has even requested a blend of Organ and guitar. Just as you wouldn't play a 1960's rock organ at mass, the same mode of thinking applies to guitar - no bluegrass, no rock, no folk styles.

donr

I don't have a problem with strings at church, but I don't know how the combo will work with the organ.

melofluent

I don't know how the combo will work with the organ.

I do, donr, it does. (With the right four hands! ;-)

paulellen1960

I use guitar and organ separately. On ocassion I play the organ and my wife joins me on classical guitar. One organist I know has played the guitar with his hands and organ with his feet, using the just the pedals! I use the organ much more than the guitar because I do a lot of chant and the guitar does not work well with the vast majority of chant. In my book, the more chant the better. A hymn may be appropriate at the end of Mass when the priest recesses - it depends on the hymn as to whether or not I use the guitar or organ. I give the organ first preference. Old American hymns such as the southern harmony hymn What Wondrous Love works well on Classic Guitar. I also use my voice alone on certain chants because the chants are written for voice alone and no instrument lends itself to the chant like the human voice alone. I have found that to be the case with the Holy Thursday hymns Ubi Caritas and Pange Lingua - you really don't want to be using instruments after the Gloria on Holy Thursday anyway. Outside of Holy Thursday, the organ is great on Pange Lingua. I still do Ubi Caritas unaccompanied no matter what season it is - it is beautiful with just the voice.

redsox1

Classical guitar on occasion is quite lovely at Mass. My son, who is studying classical guitar, accompanied my wife (a fabulous soprano!) as she sang the Coventry Carol during the Christmas season. I have also had him play after the Communion antiphon or hymn on occasion as well. My tenor section leader is also a wonderful classical guitarist. He's played on a couple of occasions. The classical guitar has been wonderfully received.

bonniebede

thanks for the videos. trying to help our mass move forward and can share these with the guitarist who plays alternate sundays and for whom kumbaya is a favourite.

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