Sounds Way Better

There’s a few special elements

we believe rock solid,

and getting in tune

and in time certainly ain’t a bad start.”

— Billy Gibbons of the band ZZ Top.

We’d wait. We’d watch.

In garage bands, we’d wait and watch the ritual.

We’d wait and watch each other, one at a time, listen to the sustained keyboard note, adjust a guitar string up or down to match the note, nod at the keyboard player, and repeat five more times with the five remaining and differently-pitched strings.

Except for the bass player, who only had four strings to tune.

All of us at least somewhat in tune, the drummer would loudly count to 4 and we’d finally start rehearsal.

That was then.

Now it’s much quicker: each player has a tuner attached to the instrument, which makes for simple and more regular tuning.

No more arguing over pitch, over who’s right and who’s wrong, and who needs to change.

All because of the presence of the tuner.

Reminds me of this: “The Holy Bible, Old and New Testaments, reveals the Word of God so far as it is necessary for our salvation. It is to be received through the Holy Spirit as the true rule and guide for faith and practice.” (Article IV, The Confession of Faith, The Book of Discipline, sourced from http://ucmpage.org/articles/what_methodists_believe.html)

“As the true rule and guide for faith and practice,” Scripture is the tuner.

The music sounds way better when we’re in tune, and that’s true of churches as well as garage bands.