Archive for June, 2009

Who’s Driving?

June 29, 2009 at 9:37 pm · Filed under Music, Praise Band, Theory, Worship Music ·Tagged , , , , ,

As a musician in a church band, you need to know who’s taking the lead in each song so that you musically don’t step on each others toes.  In general, songs can be classified as being either guitar-driven or piano-driven.

 

Guitar driven songs are usually in the “sharp key signatures” such as E, D, A and G while piano driven music is usually in the flat keys such as F, Bb, Eb and Db.  We fight tooth and nail over the key of C (just kidding but they can go either way). 

 

Guitar driven songs usually have only one or two chords per measure and the guitarist is usually doing something other than strumming chords, while in piano driven music the chords are usually complicated and can even sometimes change on every beat.

 

An example of a guitar driven song would be “Everlasting God” by Brenton Brown and Paul Baloche.  You can hear Brown teach this song in the video below and pay particular attention to the driving rhythm that he describes, and shows, on the guitar.  This particular guitar part can also be played by a keyboard player but never should you both be doing it together.

An example of a piano driven song would be “Be Lifted High” by Leeland Mooring.  You can hear and watch it here:

During a guitar driven song, the keyboardist should be embellishing the song by adding runs, fills and doing some “donut playing” – playing some bass notes and upper keyboard notes but not so much in the middle range where the guitarist will most likely be (frequency wise).  The guitarist needs to be driving this song.  He needs to set the beat, the tone, the mood, the tempo and should also start the intro.

 

For a piano driven song, the pianist needs to set the beat, the tone, the mood, the tempo and should also start the intro.  The guitarist takes the back seat and adds support, maybe by picking some chord arpeggios or inversions or blending in the background by softly strumming or finger picking the chords or adding an occasional bass run between the chord changes.  The guitarist can get away with just striking the chord at the beginning of the measure and letting it sustain until the next chord change since he or she is not responsible for the main beat.

 

The bottom line is that it helps to know if the songs that you are playing are either guitar or piano driven before you start them and to set your support levels from each band member accordingly.  Remember that not every band member needs to be playing all the time. 

 

With just a little bit of practice, you should be able to listen to your favorite worship CD and identify the guitar driven and the piano driven songs.  One of my favorite albums, I mean CD, I mean digital download (come on Steve, get with the program) is Matt Maher’s “Empty & Beautiful.”  I do recommend this CD.  Here’s my assessment of the songs on this CD:

 

  1. Look Like a Fool – Guitar Driven
  2. Your Grace is Enough – Guitar Driven (we’ve used this one in worship; consider using it when you are covering the story of Paul’s thorn in the flesh)
  3. Maranatha – Piano Driven
  4. Leave a Light On – Piano Driven (beautiful song for Ascension)
  5. For Your Glory – Guitar Driven (based on Ecc 3:1-8)
  6. Lay it Down – Guitar Driven
  7. I Rejoice – Guitar Driven
  8. Empty & Beautiful – Piano Driven
  9. Unwavering – Guitar Driven (based on the Beatitudes)
  10. As it is in Heaven – Piano Driven (based on the Lord’s Prayer)
  11. Shine Like the Son – Guitar Driven (and WOW!)
  12. Great Things – Guitar Driven

By now, I may have angered a few church bass players and drummers.  We struggle without you guys; I know, because we don’t have either at our church.  The bass and drums establish and keep the beat and the groove going.  You guys are our backbone and our musical foundation.  We build our rhythms and melodies off of your back drop.  We rely on you to keep the timing throughout the song and to fill in some frequencies (especially the bass) that we would otherwise miss.  I miss the drummer so much that I’ve been known to strap a tambourine to my foot and tap it while singing and strumming in worship.

 

 

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Modulation

June 24, 2009 at 4:24 pm · Filed under Theory ·Tagged ,

Modulation:

1.  “an inflection of the tone or pitch of the voice ; specifically : the use of stress or pitch to convey meaning”

 

2.  “a change from one musical key to another”

 

This past Sunday we sang the song “You Are My All in All” by Dennis Jernigan.  It’s a song from our songbooks (the Best of the Best in Contemporary Praise & Worship), and the editors decided to modulate the last chorus from the key of F to the key of G.  It’s a nice effect, and I found that it drew my attention more closely to what we were singing.  Further, I came to the realization that we rarely, if ever, use this musical tool in the context of hymns, although it’s used often in choir arrangements.  It’s something that you might want to explore and use with your congregation every once in a while.

 

In fact, you can write your own modulations.  Here’s a simple rule of thumb.  Use the forth chord of the scale that you are moving into as the transitioning chord.   For example, in “You Are My All in All”, we used the C chord to transition from the key of F to G because the C chord is the forth of the G major scale (G1, A2, B3, C4).  If we were moving into the key of A, we would use the D chord (A1, B2, C#3, D4).  Just be careful that you are not modulating to a key that makes the highest or lowest notes unreachable to your congregation.  You will find that most people can sing from low C to high C, while enough people can reach from low A to high Eb to carry the congregation but a sparse few can reach beyond these limits.  Once you’ve decided on a modulation, you will also need to transpose the chords into the new modulated key.

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We will sing a new song today!

June 22, 2009 at 11:23 am · Filed under Old Testament ·Tagged

In this responsive reading, emphasize the phrase “new song” in each passage.  Also, consider letting your  musicians who play stringed instruments respond as indicated for the Ps 144:9 passage.

 

Leader:  Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.  – Psalm 33:3

 

Congr:  He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.   Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.  – Psalm 40:3

 

Leader:  Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth.  – Psalm 96:1

 

Congr:  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.  – Psalm 98:1

 

Musician(s) who play the strings in worship:  I will sing a new song to you, O God; on the ten-stringed lyre I will make music to you,  – Psalm 144:9

 

Leader:  Praise the LORD. Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints.  – Psalm 149:1

 

Congr:  Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you islands, and all who live in them.  – Isaiah 42:10

 

Leader:  And they sang a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.  – Revelation 5:9

 

Congr:  And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders.  – Revelation 14:3a

 

Follow this up with a new song for your congregation; whether it’s a hymn you’ve never used before, a contemporary song, or for us WELS people – something from our new hymnal supplement.

 

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

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Blended Worship Resource

June 18, 2009 at 10:23 pm · Filed under BLENDED WORSHIP, New BLOG, WELS ·Tagged

There is a new BLOG by a fellow WELS guitarist and on-line friend of mine named John Kehl.  John plays in a band known as “Joyful Noise” at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church in Appleton, WI and has been a dedicated reader, subscriber and commenter at my BLOG.  If you like the content of this BLOG, you will also enjoy what John is doing at “Blended Worship Resource.”  You can find his BLOG at this link:

http://blendedworshipresource.wordpress.com

God’s blessings on your website John!

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Using your guitar in the key of C

June 17, 2009 at 4:05 pm · Filed under Theory ·Tagged , ,

 Key of C

The key of C is unique in that it has no sharps or flats.  Shown above are three different configurations of the C-major scale drawn on the guitar fret board and a combination of all three scales shown in the right-most column.  You can use these scales to create improvised solos for use over a song played in the key of C major.  In our church, we don’t do much improvising except for the hymn of the day (the song preceding the sermon), for this particular song, we will often add one instrumental verse for congregational reflection during the instrumental break. 

 

Here are the notes for the major scale as well as several other popular scales in the key of C:

 

Chromatic Scale:              C Db D Eb E F Gb G Ab A Bb B C (not used much, except academically)

Major Scale:                      C       D      E F       G      A       B C (all musical styles)

Minor Scale:                      C       D  Eb   F       G Ab     Bb    C  (all styles in the minor key)

Blues Scale:                      C            Eb   F Gb G           Bb    C (blues, rhythm & blues)

Pentatonic Scale:             C       D      E          G       A          C (rock, Country & Western)

  

 

To use the scales, first, you need to practice playing through them.  Start with the scale in the left column (scale – I) and practice playing it ascending, then descending.  When playing this scale, keep your hand in one position, and follow the one finger per fret rule (first finger on the seventh fret, second finger on the eighth, etc.).  Scales II and III are a bit more difficult because they cover more than four frets so you will therefore have to slide your left hand accordingly to reach all the notes or stretch with your pinky.  Play through these until you have committed them to memory and until your movements are fluid.  After practicing all three scales, you can create your own solos using the right hand column which is a combination of all the scales.  Once you know this combination, you can move the same shapes up or down the neck to get the other major musical scales.

 

If you are trying to figure out the chords to a particular song by ear, and the song happens to be in the key of C, you can use the following formula to determine the typical chord shapes that might be used:

 

1major, 2minor, 3minor, 4major, 5major, 6 minor (usually minor seventh)

 

In the key of C, the typical chords will therefore be: C, Dm, Em, F, G and Am7.  This knowledge is also helpful when composing your own music, and the formula works for all keys; i.e. chords go numerically like this: major, minor, minor, major, major, minor.  The key of D would therefore use: D, Em, F#m, G, A, Bm7.

 

Next, consider adding some color to your mix and obtain that “thick” contemporary sound by modifying a few chords.  You can typically change any of the major chords to a “second” chord and get a great sound.  Here are the chord shapes in the key of C:

 

C2 – x3203x

F2 – 3×3211

F2 (no 3) – x33011

G2- 30023x

 

These above chords work especially well with an acoustic guitar, if you’re playing an electric guitar, consider dropping the third of the chord and letting it sustain throughout the measure.  Here are the so called “power” chords:

 

C2 (no 3) – x30033 or x35533 (bar your first finger across the third fret)

F5 (no 3) – 133xxx

G5 (no 3) – 3×0033 or 355xxx

 

Similarly, you can usually change all the minor chords to a minor seventh:

 

Dm7 – xx0211 or xx0565

Em7 – 020030 or 020000 or 022030

Am7- 002013 or x02010 or x02213

 

Also consider experimenting with different chord inversions and voicings.  Here’s an alternate fingering of the C chord that I sometimes use:

 

C – 030050  (the chord is made up of E,C,D,G,E, E so it’s technically a Csus2)

 

Here are the notes that make up the two inversions of the C major chord:

 

Root version of the chord:                     C E G  (xx10 9 8 x)

First Inversion:                                        E G C  (xxx 9 8 8)

Second Inversion:                                   G C E  (x 10 10 9 x x)

 

I am depicting them high up on the neck.  Picking through these notes will sound nice if you have two guitarists; one strumming the C chord while the other player picks these higher notes.  In this way, the guitarists won’t be invading the same frequency domain.

 

Also, suspended chords are great at the end of a musical measure as you transition from one chord to another.  Here are the three major suspended chord shapes used in the key of C:

 

Csus – x33010

Fsus – 133311 (bar the first fret with your first finger)

Gsus – 300013

 

Other chords that you might stumble across in this key are:

 

C/G – 332010 or 032013

Cmaj7 – 332000

C7 – 032310 or 335353 (first finger barred at the third fret)

C9 – 33233x (jazzy sound)

G7 – 320001 or 323003

 

Now, how to end your song!  Try strumming the fourth chord of the key that your song happens to be in.  If you are playing in the key of C, that means ending on an F chord, or better yet an F2 chord (see above), which is the F chord with an added G note.   You can even alternate back and forth between the 4 chord (F) to the 5 chord (G) for a little variation; you might also want to resolve back to the root chord as the last sound (C).

 

Here are some contemporary songs in the key of C to experiment with:

 

Best of the Best Songbook (BOB):

24  Blessed Assurance

33  Change My Heart Oh God

44  Emmanuel

45  Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble?

170  No Other Name

233  We Bow Down

 

Let All the People Praise You (LAPPY):

38  Change My Heart Oh God

45  Clap Your Hand

59  Deep River

71  the First Song of Isaiah

114  His Eye is on the Sparrow

124  How Majestic is Your Name

154  It is Well with My Soul

168  Lamb of God

178  Let There be Light

188  Listen to My Prayer, O Lord

245  People Need the Lord

266  She Will Be Called Blessed

297  These Things Did Thomas Count

 

 

Copyright – “Using Your Guitar in the Key of C”, Steven Brown, June 2009, ©Kenaniah Music

“Worship Ideas You Can Use” – http://sjbrown58.wordpress.com

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Sources of Digital Christian Sheet Music

June 15, 2009 at 12:20 pm · Filed under Music, Worship Tools ·Tagged ,

Some of the following websites have been mentioned in a variety of my posts as resources to download Contemporary Christian sheet music.  They are listed again here for completeness and convenience:
 

Lots of music from all sources:

http://www.sheetmusicdirect.us/

http://www.praisecharts.com/

http://wordmusicnow.com/

http://store.emumusic.com/

 

Occasional free sheet music if you subscribe to the website:

http://worshiptogether.com

http://www.greatworshipsongs.com 

 

Music from Keith Getty & Staurt Townend:

http://gettymusic.com

 

Sovereign Grace Music (Kauflin, Altrogge, Schebel, Steve & Vikki Cook & more):
http://www.sovereigngraceministries.org/Worship/SongDatabase.aspx

 

Paul Baloche:

http://www.leadworship.com/resources/songbook.html

 

Pachelbel (FREE) Organ Music:

http://www.pachelbel.us/scores/

 

New Hymn Arrangements (most are free):

http://www.igracemusic.com/hymnbook/hymns.html

 

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A responsive reading based on the Psalm passage “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good”

June 10, 2009 at 4:29 pm · Filed under Acclaimation, Book V: 107-150, Thanksgiving ·Tagged , ,

P:  Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people, come to my aid when you save them; that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones.  (Ps 106:4,5a)

C:  O Give thanks to the LORD, for He is Good and His steadfast love endures forever.  (Ps 106:1)

 

P: for He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.  (Ps 107:9)

C:  O Give thanks to the LORD, for He is Good and His steadfast love endures forever.  (Ps 107:1)

 

P:  O Give thanks to the LORD, for He is Good and His steadfast love endures forever.  (Ps 118:1)

P:  Let Israel say:  (Ps 118:2a)

C:  His love endures forever.  (Ps 118:2b)

P:  Let the house of Aaron say:  (Ps 118: 3a)

C:  His love endures forever.  (Ps 118:3b)

P:  Let those who fear the LORD say:  (Ps 118:4a)

C:  His love endures forever.  (Ps 118:4b)

 

P:  Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good.  (Ps 136:1a)

C:  His love endures forever.  (Ps 136:1b)

P:  Give thanks to the God of Gods.  (Ps 136:2a)

C:  His love endures forever.  (Ps 136:2b)

P:  Give thanks to the Lord of Lords  (Ps 136:3a)

C:  His love endures forever.  (Ps 136:3b)

P:  Give thanks to the God of Heaven  (Ps 136:26a)

C:  His love endures forever.  (Ps 136:22b)

 

You might also consider responding with a song like “Forever” by Chris Tomlin.

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A Review of the Guitar Edition of the ”Christian Worship Supplement” from NPH

June 3, 2009 at 4:40 pm · Filed under Books and Websites, Worship Music ·Tagged

My church has recently ordered a copy the Guitarist’s edition of the CW Supplement for my use in worship.  Physically, it is a collection of 3-hole punched pages containing the lead sheets and chords of almost all of the new hymns and songs added to the new hymnal supplement.

Upon closer inspection, my smile grew bigger and bigger.  I am a picky guitarist.  I’m an old codger who’s been playing for almost 40 years now, and I know when chords have been simplified or when the guitar music has been written by a pianist.  This guitarist’s edition is first rate and extremely well done.  The chords are complex, but clearly illustrated, and the songs have been transposed into more guitar friendly keys where appropriate.  The editors and writers even knew enough to not transpose to a key above the third fret, which would force us guitarists to retune our guitars due to the intonation errors associated with such a high capo position. 

All of the chords are clearly defined in a graphical format under each song.  In fact, the editors have included the original chord shapes and the new chord shapes in the songs that have been transposed.  This allows for both a beginner and an advanced guitarist to decide whether to play the song in the original key or at the transposed position.  A very nice feature indeed! 

Another wonderful feature of this music is the fact that the chords have not been simplified.  There are some great slash chords such as C/E, D/F#, Bb/D, E7/G#, etc., suspended chords, major sevenths, and a liberal use of more intricate contemporary chord shapes (2s, 5s, +9s, etc.).  All of these chords are clearly identified in pictorial formats. 

Another great feature is the fact that they have typically put all the lyrics under the melody line and the chord shapes.  There are very few instances where additional verses are written below the musical score and without chords.  This only occurs on the few songs that have many verses. 

Lastly, I looked at a few of the hymns that were not put to guitar music and I can see why.  They are the types of hymns that would require a different chord for every note in the melody line. 

Bottom line, if you are WELS, and a guitarist, you need this resource.  Kudos and a job well done goes to everyone on the hymnal supplement committee, the Commission on Worship, and the folks at NPH on this product, and not only for doing such a fine job, but for having the foresight to even include guitar music to the hymns.  I can’t wait to play some of these songs in worship.  This is a night and day improvement over the chords, or lack of chords (grrrr!), printed in the “Let All the People Praise You” songbooks.

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