Tips for Leading Worship Solo on Acoustic Guitar

When you find yourself leading worship on your own it can be a challenge to keep it creative. Here are my favorite tips and tools for leading worship solo.

Gear mentioned in the video:

Fishman Spectrum DI

Hohner Harmonicas

Atmosphere by Aerospace Audio

Start with the Basics

It’s hard to lead well if you aren’t confident in how you sound. First and foremost, do  your instrument and vocal sound good to your ears?  Compression, EQ and reverb make all the difference in the world. Take the time to dial those in before you add anything else to your plate. No matter how I’m leading I always use the Fishman Spectrum DI to get my acoustic guitar sounding its best. 

Rhythm

Every song needs to have a rhythm keeper. I’m very intentional to play more rhythmically so everyone can follow. That often means adding strategic muting or fingerpicking to add texture. If the song is upbeat I use a tambourine attachment on my kick drum pedal to emphasize the 2 and 4 in big moments. The important thing here is to use it sparingly and be consistent. There’s nothing worse than an out of time tambourine.

Melody

Hear me out: I typically use a harmonica on one or two songs in a solo set. It’s easy to play and can be used as either a pad behind some melodic playing (deep breath!) or as a melody on an instrumental. You don’t even have to be great at playing it. Just make sure you’re in the right key and a few intentional lines go a long way. I love Hohner harmonicas.

Pads

Basically every modern worship song has at least one  pad underneath the keyboard to help fill space. Guitarists can use pads as well . I love the Atmosphere by Aerospace Audio. Its simple form factor allows me to switch sounds and keys with my feet so I can focus on my guitar and voice. While it’s easy to lean on pads, my suggestion is to use it sparingly for instrumentals, chorus lifts and prayer times. Too much and your whole set starts to blend together.

Playing Style

Nothing influences your sound like the way you play. Being dynamic through each song section, adding melodic elements and responding to those you are leading are what really makes the music side of the worship set come together.

If you’re struggling for ideas, Worship Artistry has over 600 song tutorials and every acoustic lesson features a chapter on leading the song with a solo acoustic guitar. Sign up for a free trial here.