The Portion Concept is, possibly, the most crucial band-arranging principle any musician, prayer leader, or arranger can execute right away to make their songs start seeming 100% much better.

I initially read about The Portion Principle from my master arranger/co-writing friend, Bruce Ellis. He spoke in regards to the “Layering Concept” (which includes The Fraction Concept, plus other ideas on building a band’s noise from scratch).

After that I heard Brian Doerksen, popular praise leader and also songwriter, mention a similar suggestion he called The Fraction Concept.

Whatever you intend to call it, this is THE video game altering concept for worship leaders arranging bands, and also musicians attempting to make attractive songs.

What Is The Portion Concept?

The expression, “The Fraction Concept” is unpacked in below, as well as highlights the truth that the noise of every band ought to add up to “1.”.

In other words, if there are 7 people playing in the band, each band participant just plays 1/7 of what they could play if they were on their own.

To put it simply, all artists are playing a fraction of what they might play, based upon the variety of other musicians included.

If the sound amounts to 7– i.e. everybody having fun willy nilly what they would certainly play if they got on their own, the songs is dense, mad, as well as often totally stressful to pay attention to.

Ever listen to a classic pianist join a praise band who has no training in developing space for the various other tools? Their skillful hands are going all over, and there is no need for the various other instruments.

Or have you ever before heard a band where the acoustic guitar is being played by the praise leader like it’s going out of style (or like they were leading the group without a band supporting them). Or 4 singers are all overdoing the microphones with complete vibrato? Or the bass gamer is playing active bass lines to ensure they obtain all their chops turning up in every tune?

The old proverb holds true. Excellent music promotes worship. Negative songs distracts us from praise. It’s simply true.

Using The Fraction Principle In Your Setting.

Here is The Fraction Concept practically uses in a band setup:.

The key-board player is no more needed to batter out bass lines with his or her left hand given that the bass gamer is already covering that component.
The electric player, while he can play every Jimmy Hendrix lick he recognizes, pulls back as well as creates area for the other guitars, keyboards, mandolins, and also other instruments.
Have 4 vocalists? They are currently not all singing at the same time. They are selecting parts, and if they are mixing, they seem like 1 voice– not 4 (see this blog post if you are a singer or arranger of vocals in a prayer context).
The guitar gamer does NOT strum full out, every one of the moment. They do downstrokes, periodic strums, lightly pick, as well as a lot more according to what the song needs.
Musicians who discovered characteristically, or alone in their bedroom, do not need to fill all the music area if a band exists. They play mainly with their right hand (to make room for the bass to do their point), and they play much more sporadic notes and expressions to complete the spaces.

I.e. Every person plays a portion of what they might play when in a band.

Make Room For The Other Instruments.

When musicians are making room for each other, the songs starts to breathe.

And breathing room in the music is stunning.

Apply this straightforward principle the next time you play or practice, as a band.

And when the songs begins appearing too thick, remind each other to use The Fraction Concept.

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Question: How is your band at using The Portion Principle? Have you heard it function?

Source: This is covered completely in Fundamentals In Prayer in the Complete Worship Leader Training Handbook (page 38) in the arranging and also set-building section.