Chapter 4: Church Music
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This section on church music contains practical guidelines for directing congregational worship, coordinating special music, and working with a volunteer orchestra.
Directing
Worship
How Long Should Worship Last?
Don't
Try To Improve on the Old Hymns
Projecting
Words onto a Screen
Who Is Directing Whom?
You're not singing a solo!
Carry
a Tune and Sing on Pitch
Understand Time Signature
Understand Pickup Notes
Give
a Strong Down Beat
Give Consistent Motions for
Each of the Major Time Signatures
Give Clear Indications
of Volume, Holds, Cuts, and Repeats
Pick the Right
Songs
Set the Right Tempo (Speed)
The
Value of an Evangelical Pianist
Providing Special
Music
Make and Post a Schedule
Serve
As a Resource Person for Your Special Singers
Put
Words with Your Instrumental Music
Working with a Volunteer Orchestra
Pick
the Right Song in the Right Key
Gospel Music
and Contemporary Music
Who
Is Directing Whom?
As a worship leader, you know you are directing the piano and organ, and
maybe the choir. They, in turn, are directing the congregational singing. Therefore,
it is important that the song leading guidelines included in this chapter are
clearly understood by the pianist, organist, and the members of the choir. It
might be a good idea to download this chapter and print it out. Of course, you
can import it to your word processor and make your own modifications first. When
you have it the way you want it, make copies for key people in your music program.
Waving your arms aimlessly can be good exercise. In fact, there is a theory that symphony conductors grow to such a ripe, old age because of the exercise their upper chest receives. That may or may not be true. However, this is true. Unless all persons directly involved in the music program have a common understanding of the signals you are using, the most you are doing is getting exercise. The worst you are doing is looking foolish, and perhaps bringing discredit to the cause of Christ.
You
don't need to know how to read or write music to become an effective worship leader.
You don't need to know how to play a musical instrument, either. However, there
are some things you do need to be able to do, and these absolutes are listed below:
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How
Long Should Worship Last?
Can you remember when the song service consisted of a couple of songs out of the
hymnal plus a couple of choruses, known well enough to the congregation to make
the projection screen unnecessary? I can.
Now, the song service, known as "worship" may seem to be a test of the endurance of the worshippers. Worship leaders and worship teams tend to be young and energetic and surely exceed in endurance many of the us more senior worshippers.
Years ago, I learned a rule in a physical education course I was taking that went something like this: Always terminate an activity while the students are still enjoying it and wanting more. Worship leaders: this rule may apply here, also. Terminate the singing, clapping, and hand-raising while the worshippers are still enjoying it, not when they show signs of being tired of it.
Of course, the clock has something to do with it, especially if you have a large congregation with limited parking and more than one consecutive service.
If you have invited special guests to participate in the service, make sure you don't allow the worship phase to detract from what the special guests have been invited to come and do. This is especially true if the guests are going to present a musical package.
Consult with your guests before the service. See if they would like to be the worship leaders. If there will be live music, see if their organist/pianist would like to participate in worship. [My wife and I sang in a regional gospel singing group for several years. Our preference was to have the local leader sing a "warm-up" chorus and then turn the service over to us.]
The absolute final authority on how long worship singing should last is not the clock, or the musical guests, but the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Don't
Try To Improve on the Old Hymns
Don't try to spice up
the old hymns with strange tempos and chord progressions. When you've been singing
a traditional hymn for fifty-plus years, you won't take kindly to a new tempo
full of syncopation and other surprising breaks in the original tempo. And when
you're used to singing along with the congregation and harmonizing as you go,
strange and fancy chords won't be much fun, either.
Attention worship leaders: When a major segment of your congregation is older and used to traditional worship, save the strange and fancy stuff for a worship service that is made up mostly of younger people and newer Christians.
Projecting
Words onto a Screen
Many churches are now singing lyrics projected onto a screen, instead of singing
from hymnals or chorus books. This practice brings up some practical and legal
issues:
Now there's an easy and affordable solution for churches which reproduce songs... or would like to.
It's called the Church Copyright License. It can loose your music department from the rigid demands of the copyright law and leave you free to legally copy over 150,000 songs and hymns. Here are just some of the ways the Church Copyright License allows you to copy songs:
Project songs from your overhead, slide projector, or computer software such as PowerPoint].
Record your worship service on tape.
Copy
songs in bulletins that you hand out before worship service.
You're
not singing a solo!
You may be a very accomplished soloist and often sing solos with a handheld
mike. However, don't "sing a solo" while you're leading worship. Resist
the temptation to suck up to the mike so that your amplified voice overpowers
the congregation and acts as a deterrent to their participation in the song service.
If you're using a handheld mike, when you announce a song, either switch the mike
off or hold it away from your face as the accompanist(s) finish the introduction
and you start to sing. If you're using a mike mounted to the pulpit, either step
back when you start to sing, or arrange with the people running sound to turn
you down when you sing and back up to normal levels when you speak.
I enjoy sitting beside my wife in a large congregation and singing harmony with her. She usually sings the second part [alto] and I sing the third part [baritone.] Since most people in the congregation are singing melody [lead; soprano], this gives us the illusion of singing in three-part harmony. We were married in 1956 and sang harmony for a couple years before than, while we were going together.
But when a worship leader starts singing loudly into a handheld mike, his/her leading is a deterrent to Nancy and my lifelong habit of congregational harmonizing. I usually just drop out and let the worship leader have sole access to the stage for a solo. I just don't care to compete with all that electronic bellowing.
An
exception to this rule is the occasion when you are teaching a new chorus to the
congregation and they don't have the words.
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Carry
a Tune and Sing on Pitch
If you can't do both of these, you probably aren't even reading this chapter.
However, since a lot of worship leaders are men, I need to talk specifically about
singing on pitch, as it relates to men.
First, find a lady who is a good singer and can read music, Have her check you out on singing on pitch. This may be your wife, mother, choir director, friend, anyone. I'll call her your helper. Ask your helper to sing a simple song, like "Jesus Loves Me." Now you try to sing the same song with her in unison. Singing in unison means you are both singing the same notes in the same octave. When I was teaching elementary school, I had a female music teacher come into my room who tried to teach adolescent boys to sing unison with the girls by having the boys sing an octave lower. This is wrong, and I tried to tell her so. Look at a choir arrangement that has men and women singing unison. The notes for the sopranos and altos are in the treble clef, and the notes for the tenors and basses are in the bass clef. However, the ABCDEFG values of those notes are identical. A man's voice quality has a different timbre than a woman's, but the pitch is not automatically an octave lower. It's different but not lower.
I
said all that to say this. Make sure you are not singing an octave lower than
the ladies who are singing soprano when you are leading the worship. You should
be singing in unison with them.
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contents
Understand
Time Signature
The time signature is given at the beginning of each bar of music, expressed
as a fraction, such as 4/4. The top number in this fraction tells you how many
beats there are to a measure. The bottom number tells you what kind of note gets
one beat. In the 4/4 example, there are 4 beats to a measure and a quarter note
gets one beat.
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Understand
Pickup Notes
Now things get a little tricky. The pickup note(s) is what's left over
from the beats that were used in the last measure of the song. In other words,
the pickup notes plus the last measure of the song must equal the number of beats
per measure, as shown in the bottom number of the time signature.
Let's use the old chorus "Give Me Oil in My Lamp" as an example. The time signature is 4/4. The last measure of the song consist of a dotted half note, that gets 3 beats on the word Day . . . Since the last measure doesn't have a full 4 beats, there will be a pickup note(s) equaling one beat. The first two words of the song are "Give me . . ." The notes for these two words are both eighth notes, and 2 eighths equal one quarter. This 1 quarter plus the 3 quarters in the last measure equal the full 4 beats that all measures in this song must have.
Now
the easy part: you signal these 2 pickup notes with a sweeping upward motion of
your hand, followed by a downward motion to signal the first beat of the song.
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Give
a Strong Down Beat
We had to talk about pickup notes so you could understand this next point:
the down beat. As the name implies, the down
beat is given with a straight-down motion of the hand. If should be your most
firm and distinctive movement while leading.
What
is a down beat, you ask? The first note of every measure is a down beat. In the
example of "Give Me Oil in My Lamp", the first 2 notes are pickups,
signaled with an upward motion: "Give me . . . " The next word, "oil",
is the first beat of the first full measure, and is a down beat. You will learn
a little later that each time signature is conducted with a specific motion pattern
of your arm. However, you can more or less do what you want to do with all the
other beats in the measure as long as you end with your hand at the top, ready
for a strong down beat for the first note of the next measure.
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Give
Consistent Motions for Each of the Major Time Signatures
Many songs we sing in church are in 3/4, or 4/4 time. I'll try to diagram
how the beats are signaled:
3/4 Time:
The down beat is a downward motion of the hand, from 3 to 1 on the diagram. The second beat is straight across to the right, and beat 3 is a curve up to the top, ready for another down beat at the beginning of the next measure. A pickup note is from 2 to 3.4/4 Time:
The down beat is a downward motion of the hand, from 4 to 1 on the diagram. The second beat is up and to the left. The third beat is from 2 to 3, straight across to the right, and beat 4 is a curve up to the top, ready for another down beat at the beginning of the next measure. A pickup not is from 3 to 4.
The diagrams above show approximate motions and can be reversed from left to right if you are left handed or have a preference. The important thing is to always give the down beat in exactly the same way. If you do this, any pianist, organist, choir member, or orchestra member in the country will know exactly what you are doing. It is not necessary to be flamboyant or flashy. Remember to keep self under control; your objective is to glorify God.
By
the way, there is one thing to avoid-- waving your arm in a figure eight pattern
no matter what the time signature. That is a sure sign you are just creating a
breeze, and don't really know what you're doing.
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to table of contents
Give
Clear Indications of Volume, Holds, Cuts, and Repeats
These signals tend to vary from person to person. The important thing is to be
consistent. As a general rule, these signals are given with the non-dominant hand.
(This would be the left hand for a right-handed person.) Here are some examples:
Increase Volume: Palm up, a little higher with each measure if you want more volume.
Decrease Volume: Palm down, a little lower with each measure if you want less volume.
Hold: Palm down, curved, and moving horizontally for as long as the hold is to last..
Hold to Hum: Starts similar to Hold. The Hum begins when the thumb and index finger meet. (This signal is used when directing a choir and is seldom used in congregational singing.)
Cuts: Sharp downward motion of both hands.
Repeats:
Wally Laxon (of Wally and Ginger Laxon) used to signal Repeat Chorus by
holding his left hand in the shape of the letter C so the choir and instruments
could see it. The worship leaders in our church tend to rotate the left hand in
small, low circles when they want to repeat.
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Pick
the Right Songs
The familiarity of the songs picked for the song service is important. It's nice
to learn a new song or chorus but it's better to do this when visitors are less
likely to be in the service.
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Set
the Right Tempo (Speed)
This brings me back to my first point. You direct the piano and organ and they
direct the congregation. Take charge of the song with the first down beat, and
don't let it get out of hand. Too fast a tempo or too a slow tempo can ruin a
good song. Remember you are directing. The piano and organ are following your
lead.
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The
Value of an Evangelical Pianist and Organist
The job of a worship leader is made much easier if you have the services of a
true evangelical pianist. The arrangements in the hymnal are very dull and unimaginative.
They consist of solid, four-note chords with few frills because they were written
to be sung in four-part harmony. However, evangelical singing has given rise to
a style of piano and organ playing that expands the basic melody and harmony into
a lively and vibrant accompaniment. This kind of accompaniment greatly enhances
the congregational singing and special music.
Such a pianist can play any song in any key by ear. Anyone used to hearing hymns played straight from the hymnal will be thrilled by great evangelical accompaniment. Some might call this kind of playing a skill. Others might say it is a talent. I am convinced it is a gift straight from the Lord.
Mom,
playing in her living room, in 1963 [Captured from 8 mm home movie film]
At this point, I'd like to honor my Mom, Madlein Fruchey Lint, 1912-1971. Mom was an evangelical pianist in the strictest sense of the word. She could play any song in any key, by ear or by note. After hearing a song once, she could play it with full improvisations, without ever seeing the printed music.
It's dangerous to start a list because I'm sure I'll forget someone who should be on it. But here are a few examples of this kind of evangelical pianist/organist:
Madlein F. Lint, Betty Masterman, Marceille H. Harrison, Brenda Reed, Pearl Culp, Jean Crissinger, Dan Conrad, Dorothy Passmore, Aletha Leatherman, Bill Wray, Nina Wislocky, Irene Kennedy, ad infinitum.
[Nancy and I have first hand knowledge of their playing. We have sung or played instruments to their accompaniment.]
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You
may be doing the providing in the sense of doing the singing yourself. Or, you
may be coordinating the special music program by selecting and scheduling the
special singers.
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Make
and Post a Schedule
If you are the special music coordinator, the first step is to find out who can
sing specials. If you don't already know, schedule a music night and call for
volunteers to fill the entire program. You may find families and groups of friends
who will be able to sing in ensembles that you would never have known about if
they weren't invited to volunteer.
Back in the 70s, I was working part-time as a DJ at a local radio station. Every once in a while, I'd schedule a singspiration where I'd invite anyone who wanted to sing on the radio, and who didn't have a professional recording, to come to the local Church of the Nazarene [Mifflinburg, PA USA] and make a tape recording. I also recorded the worship services at this church for broadcast every Sunday afternoon, so I had a connection. People came from many churches to make their tapes so they could hear themselves on the radio the following week. My point is that the chance to volunteer brought out all kinds of hidden talent.
After
you know about the singers, make up a schedule for at least a month at a time.
Try to get a balance in your schedule in terms of the kinds of groups and type
of music. For example, you may prefer contemporary Christian music, but don't
forget that some of us like southern style gospel music, also. [If you don't know
about this kind of music, make sure you watch the Bill Gaither Homecoming Choir
special TV broadcast as they are heard in your area.] Make sure you have a good
mix. At this writing, this program is heard on the Independent Network Saturdays
from seven to eight.
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Serve
As a Resource Person for Your Special Singers
Use the following guidelines to help your special singers do a better job:
Singing
Harmony by Ear
Singing harmony by ear is more art, or a gift, than science. When two people sing
together, one sings melody and the other sings the first harmony part. When three
people sing, the third person sings the second harmony part. The trick is to stay
on your own part and off the other person's part. In a duet, the harmony singer
should be singing First Harmony most of the time. At times, the singers will flip-flop
melody and harmony, with the harmony sometimes above the melody and sometimes
below it in pitch.
A. The First Harmony Part. This part may be known as alto or tenor. However, it is defined by the fact that the chords it uses are based on thirds. A third is the third step on the scale..
B. The Second Harmony Part. This part is based on fifths, the fifth step on the scale.
C. Singing Bass. Bass is always the lowest pitched part, but it is never consistently the melody an octave lower. Here again, singing bass by ear is more art than science. The best way to learn to sing bass is sit next to a person who knows how to sing bass and just listen, singing along softly.
Stacking
Parts in a Mixed Group (when singing harmony by ear.)
As a general rule, men should sing the higher pitched parts and women the lower
pitched parts. As a man's voice goes higher, the timbre gets lighter. As a woman
goes lower, the timbre gets heavier. This fact increases the chances the voices
will blend.
The
Key May Be the Key
Singing harmony by ear in a mixed group can be effected by the key the song is
written (pitched) in. For example, a mixed trio will do better on songs written
in E flat, F, and G. This may be why the early Bill Gaither and Lanny Wolfe songs
are written in these keys. The first harmony part [sung by a man] will tend to
be above the melody with the second harmony part [sung by a woman] below the melody.
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Put
Words with Your Instrumental Music
An instrumental interlude may be very inspirational, but only if the congregation
knows the words to the sang that the piano, organ, or orchestra is playing. For
example, The Old Rugged Cross is always inspirational regardless of the
instrument being used. As the instrument is playing the notes, 98% of the members
of the congregation are singing the words in their mind because they know them
from childhood.
However, this may not be equally true of a newer song like Dottie Rambo's We Shall Behold Him. Those who know the words to this powerful song will be greatly blessed. However, those who don't know the words to We Shall Behold Him will hear it as just a pretty song, but not necessarily all that inspirational.
While
the congregation is hearing an instrumental rendition of a song like We Shall
Behold Him, why not project the words on a [overhead projector or character
generator] screen? Then everyone can be equally blessed by the music.
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There is a place for a trained and conducted orchestra that reads orchestral scores and makes beautiful music. However, this section is dedicated to the volunteer orchestra that plays along with the congregational singing on Sunday nights and plays the offertory as well. There may be a fair amount of freelance improvising as well.
Such a group will tend to be made up of a mixture of high school kids who can read music and who may use the orchestra version of the church hymnal, more experienced players who can transpose music out of the hymnal, and a few old salts [like myself] who can play any part, including the melody and both harmony parts by ear.
Transposing. Some instruments, like trumpet, trombone, and clarinet, are pitched in the key of B flat, instead of the key of C, the key the piano and organ are pitched in. This means that players of such instruments must transpose their music up one full step to be in pitch with the piano and organ. When such a transposition is done, two flats are subtracted from the key and two sharps are added to the key.
The chart below shows what happens to the keys when music is transposed:
| SONGS WRITTEN IN | ARE TRANSPOSED TO |
| 5 flats | 3 flats |
| 4 flats | 2 flats |
| 3 flats | 1 flat |
| 2 flats | Key of C |
| 1 flat | 1 sharp |
| Key of C | 2 sharps |
| 1 sharp | 3 sharps |
| 2 sharps | 4 sharps |
| 3 sharps | 5 sharps |
| 4 sharps | 6 sharps |
Most
people who play by ear hate an increasing number of sharps. Some who read music
don't care for sharps, either.
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contents
Pick
the Right Song in the Right Key
If you're the Sunday night worship leader and have a volunteer orchestra, you
may be able to make or break them by the keys of the songs you pick. The keys
of 4 flats, 3 flats, and 2 flats are good, with 4 flats being the best. Don't
go above 1 sharp. The best songs of all tend to be 4/4 time and pitched in 4 flats.
Perhaps your orchestra members aren't as bothered by sharps as I am. If not, great! But if they are, just keep an eye on the key. You may be surprised how good they'll sound on songs like Such Love, Glory to His Name, When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder, and Leaning On the Everlasting Arms.
Gospel Music and Contemporary Music
Singing News, the printed voice of Southern Gospel music
CCM, the printed voice of contemporary Christian music
Attention: Ministers of music, Special music coordinators, Gospel radio Program Directors and DJs
Perhaps the sharpest division in church and Christian music is between Gospel and Contemporary music. [My father-in-law, the late Max L. Hile, used to call it contemptible music.] Many Christian radio stations fail to have a balance in their play lists between Gospel and Contemporary music. This fact is based on the personal preferences of the radio staff rather than the numbers of listeners that prefer one kind of music more than another.
This same kind of dichotomy may exist in the kinds of music your choir and special singers use in your church's worship services. There should be a balance in church music just as there should be a balance in a radio station's play list.
If you have difficulty distinguishing between the terms Gospel Music and Contemporary Music, perhaps a review of short lists of performers and recording artists in both categories will help. If you find yourself listening to and attending concerts in the first section, you are more likely to enjoy Gospel music. The converse is true. Or, you can click the websites of the Singing News or CCM Magazine above. Or, better still, pick up the current copy at your local Christian book store.
| Gospel
Music Allison Durham Speer Ann Downing Booth Brothers Bill and Gloria Gaither and the Homecoming Choir Ernie Haase and Signature Sound Gold City Ivan Parker Janet Pascal Jeff and Sheri Easter John Starns Karen Peck Squire Parsons Talleys |
Contemporary
Music |
These lists are examples only and are by no means complete. In the case of the contemporary list, this talent was on stage at the 2007 Creation Musicfest at Mount Union, Pa.
If you're having trouble telling the difference between Gospel and Contemporary music, listen to a TV broadcast by Bill Gaither and the Homecoming Choir. If you can't find them on TV, visit a Christian book store and buy a copy of a Gaither video.
Bill and Gloria Gaither have written many Gospel songs including the following: He Touched Me, Because He Lives, The King Is Coming, There's Something About That Name. The Gaither Homecoming Choir is comprised of many of the well-known names in Gospel music who recorded during the last three decades.
One word of warning: regardless of your preference in music style, make sure the music you use and enjoy brings glory to Deity. Many Contemporary songs tend to emphasize pronouns that have antecedents that are presumably Deity, but they often fail to use God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit by name.
If you have Internet access and speakers on your computer, you can enjoy Christian music on the Internet. Just click this link to get started.
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