3 Keys to a Solid Sound Check

Sound checks can be an area of contention and, let’s face it, frustration. Let’s take back our sound checks and transform them into a time of honoring God and each other. Here are three ways you can improve your sound-check experience:

1. Come prepared

This may seem obvious, but with everything else going on, it’s easy to forget to warm up your vocal cords or tune your guitar before you absolutely have to. If you are a vocalist, start your vocal warmup in the shower or during the car ride to church. If you play guitar, make sure your strings, batteries, and pedals are ready to go the night before. This way, during the sound check, you can perform at service level.

Are there things that have consistently caused trouble in past sound checks? Take the time to work out those kinks during the week. Record your rehearsals or have someone else listen in so you can hear where you can improve as you develop your craft. These days are great for taking advantage of free online resources.

For all you singers out there, make warmups easy with apps like VocalizeU.

2. Communicate with love

Take the time to listen to your worship leader and support the direction they are taking the service. This isn’t an appropriate time to voice disagreement, criticize, or question decisions. When interacting with the FOH or monitor engineer, be clear and speak their language. If they don’t understand what youֹ’re trying to describe, catch them before or after the service, or at another time when you have a chance to have a more complete conversation.

This is an important relationship to build, and it’s crucial to develop a shared vocabulary so sound technicians and musicians can stay on the same page. The time you invest into these relationships can go a long way toward avoiding frustrating communication breakdowns.

3. Keep things in perspective

The reality is that with every sound check, there is an opportunity for frustration and distraction. This might sound cheesy, but keeping our focus on the real reason we are coming together on a Sunday morning, or any day for that matter, will do exactly that—keep things in perspective.

At the end of the day, all that matters is that we give our all to glorify God and help others do the same. This can be achieved by taking the time to pray as a team before you get started or by reading a Bible verse as a team. However, there is no substitute for a continual commitment to personal growth in God’s Word.

Take the time to invest in your relationship with God—both individually and as a team.