The "pad" sounds on electric keyboards are incredibly useful and versatile, and particularly appropriate for praise and worship songs. Loosely defined, a pad is a smooth, unobtrusive sound that has a nondescript attack (meaning it starts soft and swells in volume, so you don't hear the exact moment the keyboard player hits the note), and sustains (holds) the note until you lift your fingers. It "pads" the other sounds the keyboard and/or band is producing, smoothing them out and filling in the gaps.
There are several different types of pads, including (but not limited to):
Synth pads: Smooth-sounding synthesizers. These were featured in many 1980's pop songs, and are still incredibly useful.
Voice pads: Sound like a choir, usually singing a vowel such as "ah." These are best used to create a musical "mood," not to imitate an actual choir or choir parts.
String pads: Sound like an orchestra. These are very common in modern worship and contemporary Christian music.
And the list goes on.
Here are a couple tips for using pad sounds in a worship band:
1. Try playing a pad instead of the piano. If you have guitar players and/or more than one piano player, pads can fill out the sound without getting in the way. This is a great place for newer piano players to start out, since playing pads can be as simple as hitting a particular chord or note and holding it until the chord changes.
2. Play the chorus an octave up. When playing pads, you should play higer notes during the chorus to raise the intensity. During the verse, keep your pad sound in the mid-range or drop out completely.
3. Try "layering" the pad sound with a piano sound. Most keyboards have a "layer" or "dual" function that allows you to play two sounds for every key you press. Layering pads and piano works very well because pianos have a strong attack and pads have a strong sustain, so they complement each other without getting in the way. Check your keyboard's user manual for details on how to do this. Not only does layering pads and piano smooth out and fill in the sound of the band, it's a great way to beef up an anemic piano sound, or make a solo piano piece sound nice and full.
There are many great ways to use pad sounds. Experiment and have fun--it's hard to go too wrong!
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Hi, This is a fantastic article but it is brief. I was wondering if you could go deeper? For instance, how to create the ambient swells and pad sounds found on most contemporary christian dvds. I know for a fact that most keyboardists don't use the 'default' sounds available on their keyboards but use virtual synths.
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