Leading worship with just an acoustic guitar can be a great experience. There's a certain atmosphere that it creates that's different than having a full band lead worship. At the same time, it can feel like you're at a disadvantage when it's just you and your guitar.
It can be scary, so here are 3 tips for leading worship with just an acoustic guitar:
1 | It's all in how you arrange the song
Acoustic arrangements are so important when it's just you and your guitar. The arrangement of a song is simply the order you put it in, what parts you play, and the dynamics of each section. Beginner musicians usually play a song at one dynamic the whole way through playing the same parts in each section. If you want to take your acoustic leading to the next level, mess around with the order of the song, incorporate lead lines into your playing, and change the dynamics in certain sections.
It can be difficult to get a wide range of dynamics with only your acoustic and that's why it's important to utilize the next tip.
2 | Utilize right-hand and left-hand techniques
Using different right-hand and left-hand techniques allows you to get a huge range of dynamics in a song.
Some right-hand techniques to consider: finger-picking, hybrid-picking, palm-muting, open strumming, and scratching.
Some left-hand techniques to use: it's all about chord shapes! Typically the higher you play on the neck the quieter the chord will be. The lower you are - the fuller it'll sound. (for over 40 different chord shapes - check out my "New Chord Wednesday" posts I put out every week).
3 | Embrace the intimacy
That energy that you feel when leading with just an acoustic is called intimacy. You feel closer with the people you're leading because there's less to get in the way. It can be a vulnerable position but that's what people long for. They want that "campfire/kumbayah" experience. So don't back away from it, embrace it!
If you want more info on how to lead worship with just an acoustic guitar, I did a whole livestream training about it this past Saturday. I uploaded the replay to Youtube.
How To Lead Worship With Just An Acoustic Guitar Training:
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