The Missing Link: Why

Musicians, great and terrible, all play what they think sounds good on their instruments. But there's a difference between o.k. players and great players even though they're both doing what they think sounds good. Sure, skill, preparedness, technique, and experience all factor in that difference, but there's still something really small but really important missing. It just so happens to be something I have found to be incredibly difficult to explain. Simply put, it's why.

We all ask ourselves, "What would sound good here?" but excellent musicians take it one step further and ask, "Why would this sound good?" Have you ever bothered to ask yourself why the thing you want to play sounds good? If not, you're in trouble.

I love how there are so many types of music. You can get the same song to sound very different by playing it in a different style. With all the different genres of music out there, all of the different artists and songs, each of us are entitled to our own opinions on what we enjoy listening to and what we enjoy playing. Here's the thing though. Whether anyone admits it or not, there is a specific style of music that your church, worship leader, or other members of your band want to have when playing on Sunday morning.

Let's get back to "Why does this sound good?" If you've never thought of this question, maybe it sounds good because it's something you would enjoy listening to. Maybe you don't listen to a lot of music, and it sounds good because it's just fun to play. While those answers are innocent, they don't always work out. Sometimes music that is fun to play is not fun to listen to. And sometimes music that you like to listen to is not the music that your church, worship leader, or other bandmates have in mind for the song.

Let me give you a few reasons why I think something sounds good. I think it sounds good because it compliments what this other person is doing or because it doesn't clash with the rhythm of this other instrument. I think it sounds good because it is characteristically attributed to this style of music. It sounds good because it is what the song calls for or what the song needs. What all of these reasons have in common is a vision of a bigger picture. You have to know what other people are playing. You have to know what style of music you're playing. You have to know what's best for the whole song.

That's very different from "This is fun to play," or "I like how this sounds." An excellent musician can identify the desired musical style, put aside his or her own musical preferences, and play something in that style. That's not to say you're not allowed to have musical preferences. I'm saying the mature musician plays to the song and not to his or her preferences.

 

Sometimes this is less about the notes you play and more about the notes you don't play. That is my fancy definition of the word "taste." I want to play only the notes the song needs, which normally translates to me refraining from playing complicated fills and beats that prove to the world that I know how to play drums. In that sense, I've added more to the song by NOT playing what I want to play and letting the big picture speak coherently and clearly.

So why does what you want to play sound good? Is it because of your musical preferences or because of what the song needs? What style of music do you think your church would like to have? Is what you're playing fitting that style? Do you know what your bandmates are playing? Do you know what the song calls for? Does the thing you want to play contribute or take away from the big picture? Do you still think it sounds good? If you haven't already, it's time to start asking yourself these questions.