This is My Story

“This is my story, this is my song” – Fannie Crosby

“We recite the story;
We proclaim the story;
We sing the story;
and
We are called to live out the story.”
– Robert Webber

This is one of my stories. It is a true story. It is not easy to put in writing.

I Dig Hymns

I wasn’t always into church music, especially Contemporary Christian music. If anything, in the context of worship, I dug hymns. I was into God and praising and glorifying Him but music was just a tool to do this. It was part of my Sunday worship routine. I sang hymns in church and I listened to popular secular music when I was home. I separated the two musical worlds and I was happy.

My world has since changed.

Wake Up!

I started playing guitar somewhere around age 14. But once a job, a house, a marriage and a child came, the guitar playing stopped. At some point in my mid to late forties, God shook me from my musical slumber by using a Synodical instrument known as “Parish Assistance”. After all, He gave me a gift that I was not using to His glory.

Some What?

In retrospect, our congregation was floundering, at least in terms of growth and that bugged us. I wouldn’t have said it this way back then, but that’s what was happening and that’s what caused us to reach out for assistance. Among other things, one recommendation (from Parish Assistance) was to try some contemporary music. Some what? Good Heavens!

The word went out looking for anyone who knew anything about Christian Contemporary music. I did not respond because I knew absolutely nothing. Zilch. Zed. The Bagel. Hymns –yes, contemporary Christian music – no. But God can work in mysterious ways. He used someone else in our congregation, who knew that I was a closet guitarist. I had long since lost my fingertip calluses but as most musicians can attest, I did not forget how to play.

Sign, Signs, Everywhere a Sign

“Faith means trusting in advance what will make sense only in reverse” – Philip Yancy

Looking, back, I can now see God’s handiwork throughout my church life. Too bad I didn’t realize it when it was happening right before my very eyes. Doesn’t this always seem to be the case?

The First Sign – Who are these Musicians?

So, two guitarists took on the task of accompanying a pilot contemporary worship service. And in this first service I received what I can only refer to as a “sign”. As I was playing, I heard other instruments carrying the song along. Piano, drums and bass. It was so real to me; a sign only for me; a confidence booster; a reminder of His presence, a gift and a blessing. My over active imagination no doubt, but perhaps manipulated by the Creator.

The Second Sign – Welcome Ruth!

At some point, guitarist number two left the congregation and I was alone to lead worship with an acoustic guitar. It was scary and I didn’t do a very good job. There were a lot of prayers for an accomplished keyboard player gifted in contemporary music. Very quickly thereafter Ruth enters. A music teacher, a vocal coach, and a gifted keyboard player who came to us from the “Sure Foundation” Mission church in New York City. She had been transferred to CT to work as a music teacher in Granby Middle school. Guess where I live. Granby, CT; a sleepy farm town with more horses, cows, llamas, goats and chickens than people, and, 40 minutes from our church. No one relocates to CT to work in Granby! But God pieced this odd coincidence together. The first thing Ruth told me was that she was not an organist and that she enjoys playing contemporary music. Hello sign number two and welcome to Messiah Ruth.

What if Church Rocked?

I still remember exactly the first time that I played a song with Ruth. We were singing “Forever” by Chris Tomlin. I stand while I play guitar and I am located right next to her as she is seated at the keyboards. I was amazed when I looked down at her and I vividly remember two things that I had never seen in my 5 decades of attending church. Namely, she was singing into her mic with vigor as she was playing and the entire keyboard was moving around as she hammered on the keys. She sang and played with such passion, focus and intensity. I wasn’t brought up this way. Could this really be church?

After the service, a member approached and said “I really enjoyed that song Forever. Where did the lyrics come from?” My answer – “Psalm 136.”

The Third Sign – Songbooks!

We desperately needed songbooks but had no budget. Out of nowhere comes a memorial donation. A member’s relative passes, happens to have been a guitarist, and requested that her memorials be used towards church music. But we are still short, and two retired ladies in the congregation approach me and say “We love hymns and we always will, we’ve been singing the same hymns for over 60 years, but we see a passion in you and we want to pay whatever your shortfall is.” What an awesome display of Christian love. So, song books arrive. The third sign. More prayers answered.

The Forth Sign – Off to Appleton We Go!

I get real close to our Pastor. It’s that Pastor/Worship Leader relationship that I posted about a few weeks ago. He in fact encouraged me to start this BLOG. But shortly thereafter He takes a Call to serve a congregation in Appleton, WI. Incredibly, I get a business trip to be in Appleton WI on the very Sunday of his Installation service so that I could be at a manufacturer in the area for a Monday morning meeting. My first and only trip to WI, let alone to Appleton. Coincidence? Perhaps not. It could be the Master Weaver. Again.

;

Growing!

There were a few stumbling blocks along the way but God provided and we have been growing ever since. From about 50 attendees per Sunday when this all started to a bustling 100+ right now. We have had to expand our worship sanctuary, have had to order additional contemporary songbooks on two different occasions, and have had to order additional sanctuary seating to accommodate the growth. I know that this growth is not due to the start-up of the monthly blended service. It’s in fact probably more accurate to say that we have grown in spite of my fumbling efforts. Make no mistake, the primary instrument that God used in our church for growth, has been our Pastor working through Word and Sacrament and staying faithful to that Word. It is the Gospel and the work of the Holy Spirit. It is not me, never was, and never will be. I am just grateful to be a part of his ministry team.

It’s Not Me!

Everything that has happened of significance to shape our worship of Him has been His doing. He just used me and people around me to accomplish His means.

He meant for us to reach out to Parish Assistance.
He meant for Parish Assistance to shake us up.
He meant for me to be nominated and to start strumming again.
He meant for me to hear other instrumentalists when they obviously weren’t there.
He meant to bring a keyboard player into our midst.

These signs may all seem minor or just coincidence to you.
They do not to me.
I lived through them.
I prayed through them.
I’ve sensed God’s prodding and blessings through them.
I continue to experience it.
I BLOG about it.
This is my testimonial.
This was my start.
This is my story.
This I believe.

There are no Accidents

Every single thing in history is interlaced in a million infinite number of ways. I do not have the wherewithal or the wisdom to make these decisions or to alter the course of history as God has done throughout my life. God overrules everything. He alone is sovereign. Nothing happens by accident and very seldom do we get the tiniest glimpse of how He is working in our lives for the good of those who love Him.

I am blessed.
I have seen.
I have felt His power.
I have seen Him move.
God is changing my life.
His love is not abstract to me.
It is real.
It is influential.
It is operative in my life.
God chose me.
I did not choose Him.
God persists to love me despite my pushing Him away.

Thanks

I am thankful for my Savior
Who continues to bless me though I do not deserve it
for my church which I do not deserve
for my Pastor who I do not deserve
for my family who I do not deserve
for my friends who I do not deserve
and to my Synod who I do not deserve.

To Him alone be the glory. Amen.

The Spirit Continues the Work of Christ

He determines itineraries|
Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. – Acts 16:6

He distributes spiritual gifts
Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.  To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines. – 1 Corinthians 12:7–11

He selects church leaders
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. – Acts 13:2

He teaches
But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. - John 14:26

He guides
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.  - John 16:13

He comforts
But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.  -John 16:7

He dwells with you and will be in you
the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. - John 14:17

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.  Used by permission of International Bible Society

22 Essential Traits of a Great Worship Musician

22 Essential Traits of a Great Worship Musician

These are in no particular order but are all important when auditioning a new potential band mate:

1. Is a member of the church and attends regularly
2. Takes direction well
3. Humble
4. Easy to work with
5. Skilled at one or more of the following:
   a. Playing an instrument
   b. Lyric writing
   c. Singing
6. A worshipful heart
7. A thankful heart
8. Prays regularly
9. Positive outlook
10. Caring and sympathetic
11. Loves the Lord, the team, the Pastor and the congregation
12. Views the music as much more than a gig
13. Has integrity
14. Loyal
15. Devoted
16. Authentic; is the same person off-line vs on-line
17. Dependable
18. Consistent
19. Reads the bible regularly
20. Serves with gladness
21. Listens to Contemporary Christian Music in their free time
22. Embraces change and all things new

New songs, new day, new start, new hope, new mercy, new possibilities, new ideas, new ways, new people, new heaven, new earth, new covenant, new self, new heart, new command, new creation … new, new, new! Everything is new!

Related articles

• Pastor vs Worship Leader (sjbrown58.wordpress.com)

You Matter to Jesus

You matter to Jesus.

He knows you. By name. Every little thing about you.
He loves you.
He listens to you. Better than anyone else.
He values you. Enough to die for you.
He desires to be with you. Forever.
He gave His life for you.

Jesus, true God and true man, was a warm relational person. This is how he acted toward people:

• met them where they were
• was compassionate
• acted out of an explicit moral context but was never condemning
• spoke with authority
• invited choice
• asked probing questions
• affirmed faith responses
• was scandalously inclusive
• dealt with each person uniquely and individually
• related in a manner that affirmed people’s value
• was never coercive or manipulative
• spoke in ordinary language
• didn’t minimize the costs of discipleship
• dealt at the level of motivation, not just behavior
• preferred dialogue over monologue
• respected, but wasn’t limited by, cultural norms
• demonstrated a holistic respect for the close relationship of body and soul
• never allowed his own needs to get in the way of meeting the needs of others
• challenged people never to settle for less than God’s best for them
• gave in proportion to receptivity and spiritual hunger
• invited engagement, not passive receptivity
• gave what people needed, not what they asked for
• identified embedded spiritual issues
• allowed people to ignore or reject his help
• gave himself, not just advice
• accepted the trust people placed in him

Source of bulletized list:
Benner, David G. Care of Souls: Revisioning Christian Nurture and Counsel. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1998, 27 – 28

Psalm 98 and “Shout to the Lord”

Image via Wikipedia

“Shout to the Lord” by Darlene Zschech and Psalm 98 go well together.  Here is a responsive reading that uses both pieces (play the music softly in the background during the readings):

P:         Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.
C:        The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations.

P:         He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
C:        Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn— shout for joy before the LORD, the King.  

Congregation Sings: (Shout to the Lord – BOB#189) Verse & Chorus

P:         Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.
C:        Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy;

P:         let them sing before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth.
C:        He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.

Congregation Sings: (BOB#189) Verse & Chorus

Related articles

• The Psalm of the Day (sjbrown58.wordpress.com)

A Gathering Litany – Revisited

A Gathering Litany

Here’s an example of what worship leaders do and how they put things together for use in the church.  You will note that the three contributors from this post live thousands of miles apart.  Today’s technology is amazing.  Thank you God.

Several months ago I posted a gathering litany for use as an opening to worship.  Heidi Martz, the organist and keyboard player at “Lamb of God” Lutheran Church located in Phoenix, AZ wrote to me to let me know that they are using the Gathering Litany in a special way.  They have combined my responsive reading with the singing of Tim Bode’s arrangement of “God, Himself is Present” (CW 224).  This is a very powerful and effective combination of music, song lyrics, and responsive reading to prepare God’s people for gathered worship.

Here’s how Lamb of God combined the two:

Musicians play softly in the background during the responsive reading:

P:         God is uniquely present as we gather to worship Him this morning.
C:        He is present in His sanctuary.
P:         He is present where two or more have gathered in His name.
C:        He is present to edify.
P:         He is present to save the lost.
C:        He is present to restore.
P:         He is present to open blind eyes.
C:        He is present to make friends from enemies.
P:         He is present to soften the hard-hearted.
C:        He is present to give life to the soul that is dead.

Congregation sings verse 1 to guitar/keyboard accompaniment
Musicians continue to play softly in the background during the responsive reading:

P:         He is present to welcome the prodigal and the lost back home.
C:        He is present to bless the poor in spirit.
P:         He is present to bless those who mourn.
C:        He is present to bless the meek.
P:         He is present to bless the merciful.
C:        He is present to bless the persecuted.
P:         He is present to feed those who hunger and give living water to all who thirst.
C:        He is present to forgive.
P:         He is present to love.
C:        He is present to build us up

Congregation sings verse 2 to guitar/keyboard accompaniment

You can find Tim Bode’s hymn arrangement here:

 http://home.comcast.net/~timbode07/musicdownload.html

Tim Bode is the Minister of Music at Christ the King Lutheran Church located in Southgate MI.

Check out his website at this link:

http://home.comcast.net/~timbode07/musicdownload.html 

Related articles

• A Gathering Litany (sjbrown58.wordpress.com)

 

 

The Rainbow

It came from nowhere,
As it stretched across the expansive sky
A refractive dispersion of sunlight mist
As glorious arched as it was high.

The heavens opened up,
As it poured on that sunny day.
It surely stopped me in my tracks,
As I tried to stroll along my way.

Noah would have been pleased,
As I stood in silence; with a strange feeling of peace.
Just to witness this breath-taking sight,
Which one day ended a horrific 40 day plight.

Our steps are indeed ordered,
For only within minutes, could I adore.
This magnificent mist, and sign from God,
That He would flood the earth no more.

Pastor vs Worship Leader

Pastor vs Worship Leader 

In my circles, the term “worship leader” is still a relatively new thing, and actually not even used in the majority of our churches unless you are referring to the Pastor. But there are a growing number of churches in our Synod that are starting to use some blended styles of music which is very exciting, and as a result, a league of young musicians are finding themselves in leadership roles. Here’s my take on the role of the worship leader compared to the Pastor in our Synodical setting. 

Pastor	Worship Leader
Is trained and educated in theology	Is trained in music
Is responsible for the flock	Is a member of the flockResponsible for the band (musically)
Prepares and preaches the sermons	Listens intently to the sermon
Chooses the hymns	Sings the hymns with gusto
Approves the contemporary song choices and sings the contemporary music with gusto	Chooses the contemporary music
Prays for his worship leader	Prays for their Pastor
Is the worship leader’s friend	Is the Pastor’s friend
Respects and trusts the worship leader	Respects and trusts the Pastor
Brings people into membership by teaching God’s word (Holy Spirit brings them to faith)	Auditions members for the band
Practices his sermon for hours on end	Practices their music for hours on end
Reads the bible and musty old theology books	Reads the bible, devotional books, song lyrics and instrumental instructional books
Uses Logos or BibleWorks software	Uses Pro Tools, Sibelius, Noteflight, GarageBand, ForScore, and other musically related software
Can actually use these terms in a sentence: sacristy, narthex, unction, adiaophron, flagon, pericope and exegesis	Can actually use these terms in a sentence: trill, modulate, gliss, timbre, resonance, palm-muting and capo
Teaches bible class	Attends bible class
Knows Isaac Watt’s music pretty well	Knows Chris Tomlin’s music pretty well
Knows his scripture	Knows their scripture
Teaches God’s word to the flock	Teaches young musicians the tools of the trade, tips, tricks and secrets
Administers the sacraments	Is a grateful recipient of the sacraments
Writes papers	Writes lyrics
Is physically, emotionally and mentally exhausted after worship on Sunday	Ditto
Would like to meet Jesus, Paul the Apostle, and/or Martin Luther	Would like to meet Jesus, King David and/or their favorite contemporary artist
Is the worship leader’s Facebook friend	Is the Pastor’s Facebook friend
Know’s the original languages (Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic)	Know’s all the key signatures
Packer’s fan (because most of our Pastors come from WI)	Local sports fan to wherever the church is located

 

Contemporary Song Choices for Pentecost

Contemporary Song Choices for Pentecost

Scripture References:

Pentecost (Photo credit: Fr. Stephen, MSC)

Gen 11:1-9, Eze 37:1-14, Joel 2:28-29, Jn 14:25-27, Jn 15:26-27, Jn 16:5-11, Acts 2:1-21

Contemporary Song choices for Pentecost
Song Title	Author / Songbook	Comments
Days of Elijah	Robin Mark	Eze 37:1-14
Blessed are the Peacemakers	www.truevinemusic.com	Jn 14:27
Holy Spirit, the Dove Sent from Heaven	CWS 723	Jn 14:25-27, Jn 15:26-27, Jn 16:5-11
“How Shall They Hear”, Who Have Not Heard	CWS 778 especially verse 5	Jn 15:26-27
There is a Time for Everything	CWS 764 especially verse 4	Jn 14:25-27, Jn 15:26-27 and Jn 16:5-11
Do Not Let Your Hearts Be Troubled	CWS 759	Jn 14:25-27
Holy Spirit	Keith Gettyhttp://www.gettymusic.com/pentecost.aspx?aff=apr2010	http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DHO–lI6Rw

CWS = Christian Worship Supplement

These are all good sites to find music:
www.worshiptogether.com
www.musicnotes.com
www.sheetmusicplus.com
www.praisecharts.com
www.lifewayworship.com

How to Modernize a Hymn – Part two of a two part series

“Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow” by Michael Schroeder

Let’s consider the doxology put to music, “Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow” which is hymn number 334 in “Christian Worship” (the Lutheran Hymnal).

By looking at the hymn, it’s apparent that it is written in the key of G because it has one sharp.  This already is a guitar friendly key so we are off to a good start.

Next, from the chord tables presented in yesterday’s post, we see that the typical chords in the key of G are going to be G, Am, Bm, C, D, and Em.  Very important!

Next, by looking at the notes, we identify the chords and the best places for the chord changes.  We can see from the lead sheet below that the artist, Michael Schroeder, is using a chord progression consisting of G, D, C and Em which are all in line with our expectations cited above.  We’ll discuss the slash chords and extensions later.

First, let’s look at the intro.  This is the musical hook for the new arrangement.  It’s catchy, it’s a driving beat, it sets the mood for the song, it’s memorable, it’s identifiable, in short, it’s great.  The key to the hook is the chord change from the G(no3) to the Gmaj7(no3) and the transition to the C2(no 3) and the Gmaj7(no 3) / C bass.  These are not very well known chord voicings but once you know them, they sound incredible together.  This is “jazzing up the piece” as identified in step five in yesterday’s post.

Next, let’s look at the lyrics and the structure of the song.  The first and last verse are the same as the hymn verse.  This is great because who wants to mess around with the doxology?  But Schroeder adds two new verses that are biblical and support the overall themes of praise and thanks in the hymn.  He also does a fine job of bringing out our praises to all persons of the Holy Trinity.

He has also added a chorus that does all the things mentioned in yesterday’s post.  Namely, it is lyrically a response to the verse, it is sung higher and with more energy and it is memorable.  It also uses all the major chords (tonic chords) in the key of G – G, C and D.

The structure of the song is Intro, Verse 1, Intro, Verse 2, Chorus, Verse 3, Chorus, Verse 4, Outro.  You will also note that the “hook” established in the intro is used as a musical turnaround throughout the song.  The arrangement is nicely and thoughtfully put together.

Finally, Michael Schroeder has done a stellar job of jazzing up the chords.  He’s dropped the third from the G chord converting it to a power chord (essentially a G5 chord), he’s added slash chords to highlight a bass run to go along with the chord changes in the verse, and he’s using a Dsus and a few “2” chords, like the C2 for a real contemporary sound and feel.

All in all, a very fine job.  This is what modernizing a hymn should sound like.

You can listen to a 1.5 minute sound clip of this piece here (song #10):

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/worship/id363944033?uo=4

You can also purchase the CD from the Itunes site, or if you buy it from Michael Schroeder’s website ( www.michaelschroeder.com ), it will also include a free bonus CD with backing tracks, chord charts, lyrics, scripture references, commentaries and power points for each of the songs included on the disc. 

Here’s my recommendations: 

If you are a Pastor who has never tried anything like this before, but you are curious, I would propose to proceed carefully as follows: 

1. Buy the CD from www.michaelschroeder.com because the dual disc format and the extra resources will prove to be priceless to you.
2. Use the bonus disc with the backing track for “Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow” and try it first with your youth or teen group if you have one.  If not, try it with your choir first.  My guess is that your people are going to love it.
3. Have your choir or the youth group introduce it to the congregation by singing it on any given Sunday.
4. Get a copy of the lead sheet from this website to your church musicians (pianist and a guitarist are a must for this piece).  Have them practice it until they know it well.
5. Sing it as a congregation using either the above two-piece band or you can still use the backing track if you don’t have the musicians.
6. You might want to have a soloist or the choir sing the choruses because the E note is quite high for the average singer.
7. God be with you.  Email if you have any questions.

For a limited time, you can get the lead sheet by clicking on the following text:

Praise God – MSchroeder

 

How to Modernize a Hymn – Part one of a two part series

I don’t think there are many Christians, even those who use nothing but Contemporary music, that doubt or question the depth and the beauty of the lyrics contained in our wealth of hymns. But sometimes, they are difficult to comprehend or are just too musically foreign to those that we are Called to reach.

There is a process to modernize these hymns and to put chords to them but it’s not easy to do and there are a lot of subtleties that only come with experience and knowledge. In this two-part series, I will try to address one basic approach to do this.

In this first installment, we will consider a step-by-step approach written for a beginner’s level and the second installment will show an example where these types of techniques have been used successfully.

So let’s start…

Step One – Put Chords to it

Here is the process you will need to add your own chords:

1. Identify the key signature by looking at the number of sharps and flats.

No sharps or flats – key of C or Am
1 Sharp – key of G or Em
2 Sharps – key of D or Bm
3 Sharps – key of A or F#m
4 Sharps – key of E or C#m
5 Sharps – key of B or G#m (rarely used)
6 Sharps – key of F# or D#m (rarely used)
1 flat – key of F or Dm
2 flats – key of Bb or Gm
3 flats – key of Eb or Cm
4 flats – key of Ab or Fm
5 flats – key of Db or Bbm
6 flats – key of Gb or Ebm (rarely used)

2. Know the typical chords used in each key signature (these are referred to as the harmonized scales):

MAJOR SCALE   R   -   2   -    3    4   -   5   -   6   -   7 
   C  maj.:   C   -   Dm   -   Em   F   -   G   -   Am  -  rarely
   Db maj.:   Db  -   Ebm  -   Fm   Gb  -   Ab  -   Bbm -  used
   D  maj.:   D   -   Em   -   F#m  G   -   A   -   Bm
   Eb maj.:   Eb  -   Fm   -   Gm   Ab  -   Bb  -   Cm
   E  maj.:   E   -   F#m  -   G#m  A   -   B   -   C#m
   F  maj.:   F   -   Gm   -   Am   Bb  -   C   -   Dm
   F# maj.:   F#  -   G#m  -   A#m  B   -   C#  -   D#m
   G  maj.:   G   -   Am   -   Bm   C   -   D   -   Em
   Ab maj.:   Ab  -   Bbm  -   Cm   Db  -   Eb  -   Fm
   A  maj.:   A   -   Bm   -   C#m  D   -   E   -   F#m
   Bb maj.:   Bb  -   Cm   -   Dm   Eb  -   F   -   Gm 
   B  maj.:   B   -   C#m  -   D#m  E   -   F#  -   G#m 
 
MINOR SCALE   R   -    2      b3  -   4    -       5      b6  -   b7
   A  min.:   Am   -   Bdim   C   -   Dm   -   Em or E    F
   Bb min.:   Bbm  -   Cbdim  Db  -   Ebm  -   Fm or F    Gb
   B  min.:   Bm   -   C#dim  D   -   Em   -   F#m or F#  G 
   C  min.:   Cm   -   Ddim   Eb  -   Fm   -   Gm or G    Ab
   C# min.:   C#m  -   D#dim  E   -   F#m  -   G#m or G#  A
   D  min.:   Dm   -   Edim   F   -   Gm   -   Am or A    Bb
   Eb min.:   Ebm  -   Fdim   Gb  -   Abm  -   Bbm or Bb (B)
   E  min.:   Em   -   F#dim  G   -   Am   -   Bm or B    C 
   F  min.:   Fm   -   Gdim   Ab  -   Bbm  -   Cm or C    Db 
   F# min.:   F#m  -   G#dim  A   -   Bm   -   C#m or C#  D
   G  min.:   Gm   -   Adim   Bb  -   Cm   -   Dm or D    Eb 
   G# min.:   G#m  -   A#dim  B   -   C#m  -   D#m or D#  E
 

3. Know what each line and space represent on the treble and bass clefs. (See below)

Image source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons

4. Now the hard part. If you know the key signature by the number of sharps and flats (item 1 above), then you know the basic chords to look for (item 2), and now you should be able to identify all the notes in each grouping of chords on your sheet music by using the chart in item 3. You will also need to know the notes that comprise each chord. Here’s a little help:

A…………….A-C#-E
Am…………..A-C-E
Bb……………Bb-D-F
Bbm………….Bb-Db-F
B……………..B-D#-F#
Bm…………..B-D-F#
C…………….C-E-G
Cm…………..C-Eb-G
C# (or Db)….. C#-F-G# or (Db-F-Ab)
C#m (or Dbm).C#-E-G# or (Db-E-Ab)
D…………….D-F#-A
Dm…………..D-F-A
Eb……………Eb-G-Bb
Ebm …………Eb-Gb-Bb
E……………..E-G#-B
Em………….. E-G-B
F……………..F-A-C
Fm………….. F-Ab-C
F# (or Gb)……F#-A#-C#
F#m (or Gbm).F#-A-C#
G…………… G-B-D
Gm………….G-Bb-D
Ab………………Ab-B-Eb
Abm……………Ab-Bb-Eb

5. Many hymns that don’t have guitar chords do so for a reason, and typically it is because every note in the melody line theoretically requires a different guitar chord. If this is the case, your song will sound too choppy with a chord change on every beat. Songs that lend themselves well to guitar accompaniment typically have a chord change at the start of the measures or sometimes at the mid-point of the measures. For example, a song in 4/4 time might have a chord change before the first and maybe the third beats. Even if you’re hymn requires a unique chord for each note in the melody line – don’t do it! If 4/4 time, stick to the chord changes on the first and third beats. Also, listen for the “strong beats” and put the chord changes on those particular notes.

6. When you have finished putting chords to a musical piece, sit back and look at the song in its entirety, as opposed to the note-by-note study that you have just finished. Look for overriding chord patterns or progressions. Sometimes, you can delete certain chords that you have identified and use fewer chords that fit into an overall theme for the song. It also sometimes helps to replace the chord names with Roman numerals and then to look for repeating patterns.

This technique should get you started. There are other more advanced issues such as numbered chords (C2, C5, Csus, C7, etc.) and slash chords (D/A, D/F#, D/G, etc.) but these can come later.

Step Two – Consider adding a Chorus and maybe a Bridge

The Chorus:
Most hymns only have verses. Lots of verses. These verses tell a story. Sometimes it’s nice to respond to these verses with either a chorus or refrain and sometimes it’s nice to alter the musical accompaniment with a bridge.

When writing a chorus, think of it as an answer to the story being told in the verse. Also, the chorus is usually sung a bit higher than the verse and with more energy. Choruses are usually the “hook” of the song; they are the part that people will remember and sing throughout the upcoming week. The chorus will have a stronger chord progression than the more fragile verses and the chorus will typically use more of the tonic key notes than in the verses. Choruses can also talk about feelings, or how you should feel about the story being told in the verses. A good example of a hymn with a great chorus that you undoubtedly know is “Onward Christian Soldiers.” Another good example would be Chris Tomlin’s recent adaptation of “Amazing Grace” with his iconic chorus “My chains are gone, I’ve been set free. My God, my Savior, has ransomed me. And like a flood, His mercy reigns. Unending love. Amazing Grace.” - Wow!

The Bridge:
The bridge offers melodic, lyrical and even harmonic variation. Bridges can be a welcome addition to hymns because the verses and even the chorus can be very repetitive. Oftentimes, bridges in songs written in major keys start with a minor chord and vice versa, and they almost never start with the tonic chord.

Next you will need a formula for the structure of your new hymn. Consider something like:
Verse 1, Verse 2, Chorus, Verse 3, Chorus, Bridge, Verse 4, Chorus, End

But there are unlimited combinations.

Step Three – Consider updating the lyrics

Read through the hymn lyrics. If they are in our CW hymnbook, they will be pretty awesome. However, some hymns use too many churchy words, too many archaic words, phrases no longer in use, old English, phrases that just didn’t translate well into English from the original language the hymn was written in and what I’ll call reverse poetry. Keep all these things if the hymn sings well and makes sense to you. Only make changes if the lyrics require you to research and study them immensly before you get the picture. Our hymnal has actually already come a long way. There were massive revisions between our current hymnal and it’s predecessor so you might be OK in this regard.

If you change lyrics, make sure that you do not change the message, the rhythm, or the meter (the number of syllables per measure). You may find a rhyming dictionary and a thesaurus to be helpful in this regard.

Step Four – Consider adding a Musical Turn Around

Most hymns just seem to run into a musical brick wall at the end of a verse and then awkwardly go back to the beginning. Update this! Add a short musical turn-around, perhaps just a measure or two, but find a way to musically tie the ending back to the beginning.

I know that many of you reading this post are in my denomination and have probably heard the band known as “Branches.” They have a great example of a musical turn around in their arrangement of “How Great Thou Art.” Just listen to Andy Braun and the band use a few simple chords to turn the end of each verse into a transition to get back to the beginning and you will know exactly what I am talking about. Braun’s turn-around makes an incredible hymn even more incredible and that’s the point of this effort.

Step Five – Consider Jazzing it Up

There are many ways to do this. Consider modulating the last verse up or down a whole step, or even a minor third, depending on the mood of the song. Or, take an instrumental break in between verses or simply add an intro. Another idea would be to use some chord extensions like ninths, elevenths, thirteenths or even major sevenths. Another thing you can do is add a few slash chords with inherent bass runs to connect the chords together.

Step Six – Say a Prayer of Thanks; you’ve made it.

Whew! That was a lot of work; but that hymn you’re considering redoing is worth it.

Tomorrow we will consider an example. “Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow” that was redone by musician Michael Schroeder in 2010.