KEYS
A LOT, A LITTLE | Ed Kerr
A lot of you probably use Planning Center Online simplicity I’m presenting these examples in A I just realized that I’m taking the lyric of the song
or a similar website service for planning your rather than the recording’s original key). literally and applying it to my chord choices.
worship services, scheduling your volunteers
The song says “Who the Son sets free, oh, is
and organizing your songs, chord charts and FIG 1. This melodic figure is played over an A free indeed”. I encourage you to discover what
recordings. In my work with Planning Center I chord. That chord is held for two bars, then can result by exploring the freedom you have to
find it handy to use categories so I can search verse two is sung. One of the first things choose different chords to accompany familiar
for songs based on parameters like style, you might try in an effort to freshen up the melodies.
tempo, theme, etc. Do you do that? arrangement is to use some different chords under this melody. No need to change the Invite one of your worship team’s vocalists
I’ve discovered that the site also allows me to melody. That’s a very recognizable hook that to sing along with you as you play through
create reports that tell me how often I’ve used your congregation is probably used to hearing these options. Maybe even have your whole
my songs for a specific period of time. If you’re from the band. Look through the entire song. team play. Involving the whole band will really
like me, you probably have a number of songs What chords are used? A, D, E, F#m, right? reinforce the impact of these new chord
that you sing a lot and some that you only Using some of those chords, here’s an optional changes under the melody.
sing a little. At my church in Seattle, Hillsong chord progression to use below the melody, Worship’s song “Who You Say I Am” has been FIG. 2.
It’s okay if some of the chord progressions you
our most-played song for the last couple of
try don’t work so well or if the rest of your team
months. We used it every week of a recent Try this in context. Play the last line of the says “Meh” when you play through them. Part
sermon series and we’ll use it again soon. chorus “I’m a child of God, yes I am” and then of the delight of practicing with your worship
head into the pattern shown in FIG 2. team, though, is exploring possibilities that
Once a song has been heard many times by
exist within the music you’re playing. Creating
your congregation and played many times by That example started with a D2 chord, the new chord changes is among the things you
your worship team, there’s a chance that the chord being played as the chorus ends. Rather can do to breathe some fresh life into a song
song and its arrangement become so familiar than use that chord, you could instead go to you’ve played a lot.
that the congregation might not engage with it F#m first, like in FIG. 3.
like they once had. AND the band might begin
Though your congregation isn’t likely to note on
to play the song a bit mechanically since they’ve As originally played on the Hillsong recording, their comment card that the reharmonizations
played it so many times exactly the same way. this figure was only two measures long. What in the worship set were awesome, they might
Hmm. How can we keep a song fresh, or at if you decide you want to lengthen the pattern, respond differently to lyrics they’re sung many
least keep our attitude towards playing it fresh? perhaps before the bridge is sung? You could times before because of your creative efforts.
play F#m, D and then A. FIG. 4. I’ve experienced this myself many times with
Have the team drink more coffee before the
service. Simple. That was easy.
Next topic. Nope. Same topic. I’ll use “Who You
my teams and I hope you’ll try this with yours.
Ah. I like that one. Might have to use that this You might be truly energized by what you
weekend at church when we sing the song create together.
again.
Say I Am” as an example and show you a simple
way to make a few harmonic changes and, One more option here. Start with the A chord,
perhaps, revitalize your approach to a song. the original harmony recorded, followed by
After the first chorus in Hiillsong’s first recording F#m, then D2. FIG. 5.
of the song this guitar line is introduced. (For
148
November 2018
Ed Kerr
Ed Kerr lives in Seattle with his family. He serves as
worship arts director at First Free Methodist Church,
teaches keyboards in Paul Baloche’s leadworship
workshops and is a clinician with Yamaha’s House
of Worship. He also manages the Yamaha Worship
Facebook group and invites you to join the group.
www.KerrTunes.com
WorshipMusician.com