What the heck does "Filling Space" mean in Worship Guitar?

[@theaaronimal]

Really great advice!! I bet you could do a part II!

[@JustinMuncy]

@@theaaronimal thank you!! Any suggestions on other filling space topics?

[@theaaronimal]

@@JustinMuncy Yeah! Would love to know how you come up with parts to fill space, like either in down moments or when there are no actual guitar parts. And/or how you learned to solo! Thanks per usual!

[@JustinMuncy]

@@theaaronimal Thank you for the suggestions! Those are some really great ideas! I actually have a video on how I come up with parts to play when there isn't an obvious guitar part if you want to check that out: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bHjbqJ1-g6yCm5Y And I'm not sure I consider myself an excellent soloist haha! But, I am decent at coming up with melodic anti-solo, solos haha! That would definitely be a cool future video.

[@theaaronimal]

@@JustinMuncy ohh! I must check that out! Thank you!

[@erhnam]

Since I am the only guitar player at our team, the part when you said, play the part that is driving the song is invaluable. I’d rather play the rhythm parts than the lead. Thank you so much. I learned a few tricks in this video.

[@JustinMuncy]

@@erhnam Oh awesome! Thank you! And definitely, play the main part you are hearing. Sometimes it’s the lead, sometimes it’s the rhythm!

[@LYLOCrafts]

Great stuff! Love all the tips! Your tone is incredible! ❤❤❤

[@kwillis911]

Good stuff! I’ve been experimenting going back and forth from swells to drone sounds with varying degrees of tone knob. Especially when trying to create the wall of sound before a big chorus or whatever.

[@JustinMuncy]

Thanks!! Sounds awesome!

[@danielgrubb9496]

Helpful, well done

[@JustinMuncy]

@@danielgrubb9496 thank you!!

[@georgemavimbela]

very well said.

[@JustinMuncy]

Thank you so much!!

[@meowitzzer767]

Playing electric guitar is such an interesting tight rope balance. My first 7 years was just worship, then branched into playing all kinds of performances (house shows, concerts, bar gigs, etc) for the next 13 years. It’s funny how on the one hand we need to be playing to create color, fill space, and drive the song. Yet also don’t color over what others are doing, don’t play just for the sake of playing (playing numb), and follow the flow. It’s a challenge I love getting to tackle. The stuff you’ve laid out is phenomenal advice, and reminds me why I need to get a TRS cable so I can hook up my volume pedal to my QC lol I forgot the power of swells!

[@Ambergoo532]

Your “color over” comment👍👍 I find it particularly annoying when musicians forget there is a thing called a “rest” in music. That part of a song where they don’t play!!

[@meowitzzer767]

@@Ambergoo532 100%! And I’ve found even seasoned songwriters/bandleaders will say to not play all the time, and yet in the music set get addicted to always having electric guitar noise. Trust us, if we’re taking a rest, it’s for a purpose to make the song better.

[@JustinMuncy]

@@meowitzzer767 Well said!! It’s all about finding the right balance!! Thank you!

[@usornaym9034]

You clarified so much about our role as guitarists in such a short video. Super useful-thanks!

[@JustinMuncy]

@@usornaym9034 Thank you so much!! Glad it was helpful!

[@jash500]

One of my favorite “tone knob down” sounds lately has been stacking the line 6 plate (legacy) w/ 3s trail, into the big sky Hall with the low end and mix at 3 o clock. If you tweak the settings right and you’re playing above the 12th fret it sounds like someone taping a crystal glass from a quarter mile away lol. Very nice 👌🏼 very close to hillsong’s newer “Team Night” album.

[@JustinMuncy]

@@jash500 That crystal glass sound is what we’re all after hahaha! I bet it sounds awesome.

[@peeckle1657]

Great Video, great advice !! I'm a keyboardist for my church and an occasional guitarist, i'll make sure to send this video to my lead and rythm guitarists

[@JustinMuncy]

@@peeckle1657 Thanks so much!! I appreciate it!

[@eldriveperu]

Hey man, great info!

[@JustinMuncy]

@@eldriveperu Thank you!!

[@asterios5010]

Thanks brother!

[@JustinMuncy]

@@asterios5010 I’m glad it was helpful!!

[@musicafteroldage]

Excellent tips, specially for someone just recently "forced" (thanks wife!) into listening to worship style music. However, remember that "only more is more" (YJM) hahaha

[@JustinMuncy]

@@musicafteroldage More is more LOL. That’s not incorrect haha.

[@musicafteroldage]

@@JustinMuncy Can't miss the opportunity to quote Yngwie lol

[@IsidroRabacca]

I've really thought that pads are only for keys hehehe i love this topic brother

[@JustinMuncy]

@@IsidroRabacca Hahaha the guitar can be used in so many ways!

[@Ambergoo532]

Great vid! Good advice, especially on picking the part that “drives” the song. But you mean to say that “filling space” isn’t just the acoustic guitar banging away every second of every song?!?!😉🙄

[@JustinMuncy]

@@Ambergoo532 I mean, banging away on an acoustic will fill the space LOL!!

[@KevinVagen]

As a bass player, I find the "filling space" phrase both a bit offensive and explanatory of why the bass guitar is so boring in most worship music. Any of this atmospheric stuff can be across keys/bass/guitar, but it usually is a guitar player assuming the bass player is not even touching his instruments :) for me

[@JustinMuncy]

@@KevinVagen For sure! Bass in many ways creates the foundation of a song! While CCM bass might be boring to play, if it drives the song in the right way, it can still be pretty awesome.