How to Play the Guitar at Mass Appropriately

  • Thread starter Thread starter jclangfo
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
I play the guitar and think of it as a harp with frets. And that is how it should best be played at Mass. As I do not consider myself quite good enough for the purpose, I do not play at Mass.
 
Wandile said:
Don’t… that’s how
Click to expand...
Replies on this thread critical of contemporary Catholic music have offered no objective criteria for why the USCCB was wrong in exercising the authority granted to them by the Vatican II document Musicam Sacram to allow such instruments in the liturgy. If you like traditional music, go for it. But please, don’t make baseless statements about how the guitar doesn’t belong in the liturgy - this leads to a tyranny of emotional preference. To those on the other side of the aisle, realize that you would probably not appreciate posts about how the organ has no place in the liturgy because some people don’t like it.
 
We have several people who play acoustic guitars at Mass but it does not happen often. They usually play alongside other instruments with the choir and pianist but there are rare times its a guitar or 2 with the pianist. The guitarists also sing at the same time.
 
jclangfo said:
The guitar has become a common instrument at mass across the U.S, and its appropriateness has been hotly debated. I suggest that much of the controversy is a result of bad guitar playing and that the guitar is capable of sounding sacred. I think that we need to insist that guitar players are qualified before we let them play for mass and educate people on how the guitar can be used to sound sacred. This includes:
-outlining the melody on the guitar using some finger picking rather than strumming the whole way through
-when strumming, be subtle and support the singer, not overpower them
-Use sustain and clean channels on the electric guitar to model how the organ produces a continuous sound

Silent Night was written for the guitar. Sacred guitar is doable, we just need to educate people!

Here’s a post I wrote about this that goes into greater detail, and also discusses how the church documents on the liturgy support appropriate contemporary music.

contemporaryorthodoxy.weebly.com/blog/guitar-in-liturgical-music
Click to expand...
That was a very good article that you wrote. I would say that, based on church documents, the guitar could be used to play sacred music.

So the question is what are some examples of instruments that would not be acceptable and referred to in the Church Document **Musican Sacram **? “63. In permitting and using musical instruments, the culture and traditions of individual peoples must be taken into account. However, those instruments which are, by common opinion and use, suitable for secular music only, are to be altogether prohibited from every liturgical celebration and from popular devotions.”

I think the banjo would be one. I can see the guitar playing beautiful classical style suitable for sacred music. I can see the possibility of even a drum or drums in the classical style and other instruments as well. But in our country, the banjo is one that comes across to me as being suitable for secular music only.
 
As a musician myself, I lead worship for the mass at 3 catholic churches in my area. Personally, my approach to the question of what instruments should be used in mass is not to discuss the instrument, but rather the song.

I find some songs really suited for guitar, some more suited for piano/keyboard/organ, and some best sung a cappella. In other words, if a song has a more upbeat or praise feel, I would play with guitar, like “The Canticle of the Sun”. If more slow tempo, or worship song, I play with the keyboard, like “Be Thou My Vision”. And some prayers, like Tantum Ergo, would be best done as a chant.

Of course, any of these songs could be played on any of those instruments, but as the only musician when I play, I will alternate these instruments to help me get the mood I am looking for.

In my personal opinion, any instrument could be used for the mass if played correctly. Its all about understanding the purpose of the music in the mass and using your instruments to bring glory to God.

The purpose of music in the mass is to aid the congregation in lifting their hearts up to God. If your music, you, or your instrument distracts from that purpose, it should not be used. If you fulfill that purpose, then it should all be fine. 🙂

My rule of thumb…I want my music to aid the people to a point where they don’t really notice me or my music. They are in such a state of worship that I could stop playing and they would be able to continue their prayer and not even really notice.

Remember, the music should be assisting the liturgy, not distracting from it.
 
cstheriot said:
As a musician myself, I lead worship for the mass at 3 catholic churches in my area. Personally, my approach to the question of what instruments should be used in mass is not to discuss the instrument, but rather the song.

I find some songs really suited for guitar, some more suited for piano/keyboard/organ, and some best sung a cappella. In other words, if a song has a more upbeat or praise feel, I would play with guitar, like “The Canticle of the Sun”. If more slow tempo, or worship song, I play with the keyboard, like “Be Thou My Vision”. And some prayers, like Tantum Ergo, would be best done as a chant.

Of course, any of these songs could be played on any of those instruments, but as the only musician when I play, I will alternate these instruments to help me get the mood I am looking for.

In my personal opinion, any instrument could be used for the mass if played correctly. Its all about understanding the purpose of the music in the mass and using your instruments to bring glory to God.

The purpose of music in the mass is to aid the congregation in lifting their hearts up to God. If your music, you, or your instrument distracts from that purpose, it should not be used. If you fulfill that purpose, then it should all be fine. 🙂

My rule of thumb…I want my music to aid the people to a point where they don’t really notice me or my music. They are in such a state of worship that I could stop playing and they would be able to continue their prayer and not even really notice.

Remember, the music should be assisting the liturgy, not distracting from it.
Click to expand...
Well, I would agree that many instruments can be used for the Mass if played correctly. Many is not the same as all. The Church does have guidelines and documents on music in the Liturgy. I didn’t write them. It does say in Musican Sacram *"…those instruments which are, by common opinion and use, suitable for secular music only, are to be altogether prohibited from every liturgical celebration and from popular devotions."
*
 
zab said:
Well, I would agree that many instruments can be used for the Mass if played correctly. Many is not the same as all. The Church does have guidelines and documents on music in the Liturgy. I didn’t write them. It does say in Musican Sacram *"…those instruments which are, by common opinion and use, suitable for secular music only, are to be altogether prohibited from every liturgical celebration and from popular devotions."
*
Click to expand...
You are correct. It does say that. However, what makes an instrument ‘suitable for secular music only’? I would argue that if it is ‘by common opinion and use’, that a change of opinion, or a change in use would allow pretty much any instrument to be used. I mean, I can’t think of any that would be excluded. It seems to be certain ‘uses’ that would be excluded. I play several instruments, and I have played them all in the mass, at certain times when it would be appropriate.
 
cstheriot said:
You are correct. It does say that. However, what makes an instrument ‘suitable for secular music only’? I would argue that if it is ‘by common opinion and use’, that a change of opinion, or a change in use would allow pretty much any instrument to be used. I mean, I can’t think of any that would be excluded. It seems to be certain ‘uses’ that would be excluded. I play several instruments, and I have played them all in the mass, at certain times when it would be appropriate.
Click to expand...
a juice harp 🙂
 
I don’t think one can say one instrument is more sacred than another. :confused: I am sure people all over the world use culturally relevant instruments, and…I am sure it’s a beautiful thing.

We are not lucky enough to have a guitar all the time, but for special occasions we do and it’s great.

My son plays violin and there is nothing sacred about it, lol. It sounds terrible. He is a beginner. You can imagine. But an experienced violinist in church? Beautiful!
 
I am a (acoustic) guitar player in our parish music ministry. I try my best to support the other musicians rhythmically. I am not a folk player, not much of a fingerpicker and am not a “classical” guitarist. A lot of the influence in how I approach guitar playing comes from the punk rock world as rhythm and attack are very important. I have also been listening to a lot of CCM music since I joined music ministry a couple years ago and I have been consciously been trying to incorporate what their acoustic players do into my playing as appropriate. We have never had any complaints about the guitar playing … in fact the music ministry as a whole is very well received.

So, I think the best way to play guitar at mass is well and with all your heart while doing your absolute best to support the other musicians/cantors in whatever style of music they happen to be playing.
 
randomuser said:
I don’t see what the “controversy” is about, particularly when parishes need to keep expenses in check. A good guitar and amp average $200-$300, compared to thousands of dollars for…for an organ? Which is easier to insure for dioceses – that guitar, or an organ, which increases the diocese’s insurability considerably?
Click to expand...
Really? You think an organ adds that much to an insurance bill? Give me a break. Insurance on a big, beautiful church is surprisingly cheap. An organ doesn’t add that much. Even if its a huge pipe organ that’s worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, that’s probably less than 5% of the value of the building and land being insured.

And these days, there are good quality keyboards when matched with a good sound system (that many church’s have anyway) sound almost as good as a big pipe organ.

I will point out that the second Vatican council said that the organ should be the main instrument in a church.

Way too many guitars, IMO. Unless someone is a classical guitar player, leave it at home.
 
Classical guitar is beautiful. I have heard violin and guitar played together at Mass and it is wonderful.

I’m sorry-I don’t understand why the organ is given such precedence is the Catholic Church. I know the organ takes “pride of place” in Vatican documents; whatever that means. Most organ is played too fast, too loud and with the stops set incorrectly. It is horrible and distracting to the Mass. The Psalms, on the other hand, encourage a wide variety of instruments to be played to praise our Lord: harp, trumpet, strings, lutes and so on.
 
I knew there couldn’t be a thread on improving guitar playing without the hijacking of the thread. The topic is how to play, not if it should be played. People probably should refrain from trying to interpret Church documents if they can’t even figure out what this thread is supposed to be about.
 
DaveBj said:
For a couple hundred more one can buy an electronic keyboard with usable organ sounds.

Edit to add: Sooner or later someone is going to post that the best way to play a guitar at Mass is to leave it in its case. I didn’t say that, but sooner or later someone will.
Click to expand...
That would be me.👍
 
zab said:
That was a very good article that you wrote. I would say that, based on church documents, the guitar could be used to play sacred music.

So the question is what are some examples of instruments that would not be acceptable and referred to in the Church Document **Musican Sacram **? “63. In permitting and using musical instruments, the culture and traditions of individual peoples must be taken into account. However, those instruments which are, by common opinion and use, suitable for secular music only, are to be altogether prohibited from every liturgical celebration and from popular devotions.”

I think the banjo would be one. I can see the guitar playing beautiful classical style suitable for sacred music. I can see the possibility of even a drum or drums in the classical style and other instruments as well. But in our country, the banjo is one that comes across to me as being suitable for secular music only.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the shout-out! I largely share your opinion on the banjo. However, I did once hear a recording that I thought used it respectfully. Its a setting of the old hymn “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms”:
youtube.com/watch?v=zCp05y7OoeM

I’m interested in your opinion!
 
jclangfo said:
Thanks for the shout-out! I largely share your opinion on the banjo. However, I did once hear a recording that I thought used it respectfully. Its a setting of the old hymn “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms”:
youtube.com/watch?v=zCp05y7OoeM

I’m interested in your opinion!
Click to expand...
It is a beautiful hymn but I would have to leave that to the liturgical experts to determine if that fits into the category of sacred music suitable for Catholic Liturgy. I happen to like bluegrass and some Gospel music. I think there are some very beautiful moving old hymns that sound good with the banjo including this one that you provided that there is certainly nothing wrong with listening to them and singing along in gatherings outside of the Mass. And there has been some old popular hymns have made it into our hymnals, like “Take My Hand, Precious Lord”, written by the late Thomas Anthony Dorsey and sung my many of the great singers like Elvis Presley. I don’t know who makes that determination but we still have guidelines for sacred muscic that need to be followed.
 
Solomonson said:
I will add that some Eastern Catholic churches allow only the human voice to accompany the sacred liturgy and it’s beautiful The thinking in parts of the East is that only the human voice is beautiful enough to accompany the liturgy.
Click to expand...
That’s pretty much universal. To the extend that you encounter instruments (usually an organ), in EC and EO parishes, it’s within the last century, and an abusive latinization.

AMDG

hawk
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top