Steven DeMott's Page

"I think good musicians are very conscious of volume & tend to try to self-mix their level with the rest of the band. The irony of my situation is that we went sans amps and sans real drums to be better able to control the volume level, and…"

"I highly recommend the Shubb capos. In my years of playing and using all types of capos, they are the only ones that keep the guitar in tune and don't absorb any tone. Along with the dropped D capo, they have a partial capo that replicates a…"

"We do it in Eb (yeah, not a popular key for most). That seems to be a good compromise. Lowest note is a Bb highest is a D. I really don't like to go any higher than a D...or lower than a Bb. There are some songs that span more than that octave…"

"Actually, our problem wasn't that the band wanted to be loud. We rely on a couple of volunteer HS students for our sound/tech team. It took a lot of training to get them to keep mix well enough that they could keep the volume down. Such is the…"

"can you find one that will travel to you? It usually costs a little more, but can be very convenient. You'd be surprised how far some of these guys will travel for a student. Some teachers also do Skype lessons. I'd do a little research…"

"We had an interesting experience that turned into some learning for us. When the band was loud no one sang along...because they couldn't hear themselves or anyone else singing. When we turned down so that everyone could hear themselves &…"

"Oh - and I have some downloads on my site that may help you along. Help yourself at http://www.stevedemott.com/music-instruction/"

"Everything everyone is saying is good. Here's my advice as a player of 28 years and a teacher of 17 years: Practice everyday - for at least 10 minutes...but build that up as it will build up your endurance for playing a 20 minute worship…"

"I find that most any hymn can be done as a contemporary arrangement...sometimes the language feels odd with a contemporary setting, but ones I find myself doing are: Take My Life All Hail The Power Of Jesus Name How Great Thou Art Come Thou…"

"I appreciate that. As with many, I'm sure, our main concern is spreading staff too thin (already doing that to an extent with 4 services each Sunday spanning from 8:00am to 5:00pm) and volunteer burn-out. But it has been a request expressed by…"

"I hadn't seen that before...very interesting. We typically have 7 in the band, but have been known to add an extra voice or instrument now and again (had 9 or Easter). I wonder if 2 units could be linked to add more (even as a DIY/hack).…"

"We've been contemplating this. We're hoping to have our first worship night this summer."

"I just don't agree that: no click = sloppy rhythm. I do agree, however, that: immature musician = sloppy rhythm. I've been a professional musician since graduating from music school and my experience has proven to me that a live…"

"We've been using Live Worship for about 5 years now. It's quite flexible & very capable of all we do. We also supplement Live Worship with Keynote for the sermons so the pastors can rough it out themselves & then the creative team…"

"It's a great idea to replace that piano. A mediocre piano costs a lot to upkeep (constant tuning, plus it may need other more expensive work too if it's not in great shape). Even a good piano, for it to be useable week after week will…"

"In addition to those scriptures mentioned, I also like to reference 2 Chronicles 5:11-13. A perfect example of many instruments being used to praise God but all joining together in unity."