Vineyard East Worship

6

Another thing that my husband does so well, is change key with a good strong passing chord progression – nothing brings a song ‘up’ (if that’s where its taking you) than moving the key up once or even twice. You need to have a really good progression though, so the congregation can hear the change and be prepared.

5

fleet foxes
bon iver
beirut
sufjan stevens
mute math
avett brothers
jose gonzales

those are some of the people that are getting my creative juices flowing at the moment.

i also like to change a song up a bit every once in a while, maybe play a chord with a little different styling that gives a different feel, which in turn lets me hear different melodies to sing and can create a whole new presence with a song.

i usually like to spend some time, usually at practice for starters, just marinating in a chorus or verse (instrumentally) and listen for new melodies that i can sing a simple blessing from or to the Lord, something simple that people can grab onto if its right, that can freshen things up for us sometimes.

4

Hey Beth, That is so true, about drawing in the congregation
by prepping the song. I have also been doing more bridging of one
song to another, by singing a kind of prayer, sometimes only
a line or two is needed, to help people continue in the conversation
they are having with the Lord. For example, after singing “How Great
Is Our God,” to transition into “Take My Life and Let it Be,” I ended
up singing something about “what can we offer you…”. It was
spontaneous, so I don’t recall what it was, and I don’t plan it out
usually, but in just being aware of facilitating the transition, it turns
out I am doing it more.

Seth, I’m finding it challenging and inspiring to try to learn from
people who play music radically different from mine. I am enjoying
listening “outside the box,” and hope more people post suggestions
of groups/people that I might not have heard of, and lend some new
splashes of color to creative palette! Thanks for the Ting Tings!

3

I have taken to having whoever is leading the singing to take a moment and prepare spiritually for a song – to make it a prayer, and sing it as such. It is amazing what taking a song a bit slower with that mental/spiritual prep will do for not only the personality of the song, but the drawing in of the congregation to the prayerfullness of it. The meaning has more punch and touches hearts. I will actully stop someone in practice and tell them, “That was boring” (I have the kind of relationship with my team that, that comment wouldn’t offend them – we ‘get’ each other). They know what I mean by that, and get their hearts into it.

2

Spring,

I was sitting in my living room and came across this free Live Concert deal on TV one evening.
Up popped a band called the Ting Tings.
It was way past a “great show”. It was one of those moments where I got to see
how others articulate music! I am always amazed at how sometimes a “track”
can be played right on the click, but it can sound sterile or mundane, compared to something that
is played with feeling. Watching people that “feel” what they are playing really gave me
some new ideas. Great
Thread!

1

Beleive it or not, keeping it fresh can sometimes putting a new
sound on an old song. I find that taking an old hymn and re-styling
it, or an older worship tune and re-tempo-ing it, makes eyes light
up in the congregation.

Hymns may be ‘passe,’ but they are ‘comfort food’ to those who have
come back to church after years away. So just take one and re-style
it, add a chorus, perhaps, or combine it with a current tune on the
same theme! (my experience is they’ll think it’s a brand-new worship
song!!!) lol.