Having been in this situation myself, let me offer a 2nd alternative to manning1's suggestion:

Your description of the situation actually leads to an even more simple solution. From your description, your main issue is the drummer's inability to keep time.

The 'fuller/richer' may or may not be accomplished with embellished background tracks. Why not just use pre-recorded tracks altogether if this is the goal? Tons of this stuff is out there in the market.

The drummer gets a click-track in headphones for each song - pre-recorded, or a percussion track as manning1 suggests. We have done this many times.

However, what we have not done is play over a full or partial bed of orchestration. Unless it's just you playing along with the orchestration, I'll suggest that you are asking for more trouble than it is worth.

The drummer and the ability of the leader to keep the drummer in lock-step with the worship leader or band director is the only solution here. Consider even using the ever popular 'butt-kicker' to put the click track into the business end of the drummer. http://www.thebuttkicker.com/ButtKicker%20Brand%20Technology/index.htm

Get that nailed down first. Pre-record the click/percussion tracks as manning1 suggests. If you can get that far where you can get the drummer to keep time well, then possibly consider playing along to a pre-recorded track, but again, not a midi playback. If you can get that nailed then you might want to go to a BIAB route where you can add in sections, extra choruses, etc.

I'm guessing the main problem is really the drummer. You already have plenty of instrumentation and voices for a 'full' sound - remember the goal is to get the congregation to make it sound rich. They, after all are the performers, not the band. The band/leader are the prompters. God is the audience.

Perhaps it's time for me to climb on my worship leading soapbox just for a moment:

Wrong definition of corporate worship: God is prompter, Band is performer, congregation is audience.
Right definition of corporate worship: Band is prompter, congregation is performer, God is audience.

This definition doesn't necessarily apply to what we once called 'Special music', where there's a soloist or instrumentalist 'performing' - though the above definition should always be kept in mind so that these 'specials' don't merely become a talent show that runs over weeks.

-Scott

Last edited by rockstar_not; 11/25/09 09:07 AM.
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