“Strumming” on the guitar is key, here. Too many people, in a number of settings, think that if they can strum a dozen chords, they know how to play the guitar. Makes me want to bang my head against the wall.
OTOH, church musicians have to start somewhere.
I started playing the piano in church when I was in 6th grade. (Protestant). I didn’t know how to sight-read yet (I didn’t start taking piano lessons until I was in 3rd grade), so the music minister would give me the hymns the week before and I would practice them.
I must have sounded quite awful, compared to the experienced gospel pianists who usually played in our church.
But the church allowed me to sound awful so that I would gain the experience and eventually sound awesome.
One of the things they did was schedule me to play during the Sunday evening vesper service, which even way back then was very casual compared to the Sunday morning worship services. Most of the people who came to Sunday evening services were elderly people who loved to encourage young people and who were willing to overlook a wooden style and a few missed notes.
Also, the song leaders made sure not to throw anything at me at the last minute, although eventually, as I improved, the song leaders would ask for requests, and when I stared at them with a deer in the headlight look, they would tell me to just play the right hand.
Another thing that helped me to learn to play for congregational singing is my piano teacher, who was the church organist/pianist/choir director for one of our largest Lutheran churches for over 30 years. SHE trained me to play in church and found opportunities for me to play. My first “job” was playing at a United Brethren Church on the other side of town–I was paid $5.00 a week.
My point is, everyone starts out with a certain lack of experience and expertise. Now I realize that perhaps the Holy Mass is NOT the appropriate place to “practice” and gain experience. But most Catholic churches do not seem to have a lot of other venues for children, teenagers, and new musicians to “practice.” There are no “Singspirations”–I think there should be. In the old days, the Catholic Churches created the “oratory,” during which music was played and sung without a Mass. I wish that Catholic Churches would do this.
Another possibility is that a child, teenager, or new musician with little skill can find a gig in the Protestant churches in the area, and learn how to play well, and then come back to the Catholic Church. Of course, there is quite a bit of risk in that approach.
What I’m saying here is that the ONLY way to gain experience and skill accompanying congregational music on ANY instrument is to accompany congregational music. You cannot practice this at home in your living room, or in an empty sanctuary during the week, or strumming the guitar down at the lagoon for a group of admiring businesspeople on lunch break.
You have to practice by actually doing it.
But what I’m hearing some of you say is that in order to please the liturgical requirements of the Catholic Mass, a musician must already be an “expert,” especially if they play the guitar. They aren’t
allowed to strum for awhile, and then gradually, over the course of months or YEARS, learn to add the plucking skills.
Is it any wonder that there are so few musicians who are willing to step up and say, “I’m not very good, but I’ll be happy to play the best I can at Mass to serve Jesus and His people.”
We drive them out.
Interestinly, at the beginning of the year, our parish (over 7000 people) hired a new organist who was frankly, awful. Just awful. He didn’t even know the liturgy and would blast out at the wrong time.
Some people in the Church were calling for his resignation (before he even had a chance to improve.)
I didn’t enjoy listening to him, but I tried not to criticize him. And you know something? He’s improved immensely as he’s gotten a lot of practice playing for up to eight Mass every weekend, plus funerals and weddings. He plays beautiful preludes and postludes, and is gradually learning to accompany not only a cantor, but also a congregation. Give him another year, and I think he’ll be quite lovely to listen to.
But we have to give him that year without complaining about his deficiencies. And frankly, I think that we need to compliment him more to let him know that his efforts are paying off.
)
), I’ll add that I’m also a self-taught guitarist. However, I’ve never really thought of playing the guitar myself at mass, as I’m mostly familiar with blues-rock and progressive rock styles of playing.