Piano Guidance
Piano Guidance
Photo: Karolina Grabowska
In most worship songs, the balance between rhythm, melody and harmony work like a pie chart. The more complex or larger one piece is, the easier or smaller the others are. Complex rhythms and lots of syncopation can be a stumbling block, but singing everything with a straight quarter note beat is monotonous.
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Read More »Songs that repeat the same note or two for large portions of the song will quickly bore the congregation. It doesn’t matter if the lyrics are deep and meaningful – if the music is lame, they won’t be able to get past it to the lyrics. Is it singable? On the flip-side of the above question, a song can be too complicated for Joe Churchgoer to pick up quickly. Most churches using modern worship music (read: not hymns) don’t use hymnals or printed versions of the songs with music. I’m not interested in debating the merits of having printed music or using a screen – that’s not the focus of this post. However, even if you are using printed copies of the song, remember that people are less musically literate than they used to be. Just because they can hold it in their hand doesn’t mean they know what to do with it! On the flip-side of the above question, a song can be too complicated for Joe Churchgoer to pick up quickly. Most churches using modern worship music (read: not hymns) don’t use hymnals or printed versions of the songs with music. I’m not interested in debating the merits of having printed music or using a screen – that’s not the focus of this post. However, even if you are using printed copies of the song, remember that people are less musically literate than they used to be. Just because they can hold it in their hand doesn’t mean they know what to do with it! Is it memorable? Another way to say it might be, is it different from your other songs or does it sound like everything else? One thing to keep in mind at all times: for every one time Joe Churchgoer hears a song, you (the one picking or performing the song) probably hear it five to ten times. It’s the nature of the situation. And just because he might hear it four or five times, it doesn’t mean he was actually listening and learning the song. (I’m talking here about hearing it in the car or on the radio – hopefully if he’s hearing it at church he’s listening!)
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Read More »Who are the songs being sung to? There are two directions that songs can go: they can be sung to God or to each other. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to tell where a song is going (look at the pronouns that refer to God – He/Him/His are to each other, You/Your are to God) but it’s important that you have a balance between each kind. Are the lyrics scriptural? They certainly shouldn’t contradict scripture (unless it’s a solo piece that you’re using to make a point and it’s not part of your regular repertoire) but not all songs need to contain direct scripture. Again, there should be a balance between those that are and are not direct scripture references. What perspective is the song sung from? Does it use I/me or we/us? This is more a matter of individual church taste. Some churches feel using the individual perspective downplays the importance of collective worship while others feel it makes the words more personal. Whatever your perspective, stick with it. Don’t edit the words to one song and then not another or do it one time but not another. Be consistent. At Journey, I don’t edit the words to songs – they stay the way the author intended and the way people are likely to hear them outside of church. How would a first-time guest feel singing this song? This is one of the most important questions that I ask at Journey. Christians tend to forget that not every one knows what we mean when we say certain “insider phrases” like washed in the blood, the lion and the lamb and others, so we intentionally look at the lyrics from the perspective of someone who’s new. Choosing good songs for worship is as much an art as it is a science. Through careful study, prayer and even trial and error, you’ll discover the styles and songs that resonate with your church and foster an atmosphere of worship and participation where God is praised and his people are built-up. Matthew Sterner is a guest blogger for Musicademy. He blogs at Beyond the Noise: Thoughts on Life and Worship.
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