Music Technology in Worship

Electronic Percussion

Drums and percussion instruments have continued to grow in popularity in recent history, most notably with the introduction of electronic percussion. Technology has impacted the way drums are approached and played both in live performance, as well as in studios.

One can find all kinds of musical styles represented in today’s worship services, including anything from rock, jazz and blues to traditional gospel music with hymns and vocals. With such an eclectic mix, worship leaders should recognize the need for flexibility and functionality. This is particularly so in terms of the capabilities a church requires to truly provide for it’s congregation’s musical (as well as spiritual!) needs.

Electronic percussion is nothing if not flexible. One of the most obvious advantages it possesses over acoustic percussion is a volume knob! It seems a simple thing and yet volume is one aspect that can make the difference between using percussion in a worship performance or not. Traditional drum kits lack such control and without this flexibility they can often be counterproductive in a worship setting. In fact, a drummer needing to practice can simply plug in a set of headphones and not worry about waking up the neighbourhood!

Another benefit of choosing electronic over acoustic percussion is advanced drum modeling technology. What this means is that at the touch of a button, an electronic drum kit can literally change sounds so that a drummer can be as much at home in a jazz or rock session as in a pop, classical or contemporary environment. This sort of flexibility is simply not possible with acoustic drums which would require dozens of kits to match so many different sounds.