Middle C is C4. So if we aren't supposed to pick keys that have a lot of notes above middle C, then the range should be C3 to C4. I bring this up because C4 to C5 starts to favor high range singers. I was thinking I was going to be disqualified to lead in the C4 to C5 range. 😆
Assuming when you say a range between middle C and an octave lower, you are referring to men's voices. That range would be uncomfortably low for most women. But I wholeheartedly agree that many worship leaders choose keys that are too high for comfortable congregational singing. I'm a classically trained soprano, and I find a lot of the keys too high to sing without going into full blown opera mode, which is distracting to those around me. So I either take them down an octave (which is often too low), harmonize or I just don't sing.
Yep, and sounds like it's one big voice ,reaching to our father..I solo prelude, and post/. Originals,and lyrics are on the screen..such a blessing to hear when this happens.]...the praize band has a guitar,who is a bar room player 2.am) Comes late,doesn't tune,hungover.i have to pray and let GOD handle that + extra prayer always] thanks @. 🙏
When I started leading worship at my church 9 months ago, about 25% of people would sing. I lowered the keys, cut our song list down from 450+ to 80, stopped doing more than 1 repeat of a chorus or bridge, and very rarely do an instrumental interlude. Now about 90% of people sing 😊. Good video thank you!
Listening right now. Yes, good points. I'd like to echo #3. It bugs me when worship leaders will acknowledge that their people absolutely love hymns, while hardly ever doing any hymns. Why?? This just doesn't make sense. We do a pretty good mix at our church. I'm sure there are older people at our church who wouldn't mind doing all hymns, as well as younger people who would prefer doing all modern worship songs. But I have to give our people credit. They'll sing their hearts out on the old and the new stuff. It's beautiful. #4...yes!!! Very much agree. Before leading worship for my church, I got my start leading worship for a prison ministry. Early on, I had way too many songs that I played. And I wondered why the people just stared at me. I learned that they really wanted to sing along. They just needed a chance to get familiar with the songs. I'm not at all against teaching the people new songs. But you need to introduce new songs in manageable doses. Don't overload them by introducing a bunch of new songs at once. Give them a good 3 Sundays in a month to get familiar with a new song, while letting the rest of your current rotation be songs the people know really well. That will give you a fair chance to see how well the new song catches on.
Good points you raised. I take issue with point 4. Our main worship leader must watch your videos because he thinks very similarly to you about everything. He takes same view about having a smaller repertoire. I disagree with that 100% because many will remember songs we sung in the 80s, 90s, 2000s etc as well as some newer ones today. It’s good to have many songs so you have variety that can adapt to differing themes, keys and styles.
I agree with that! An assembly sounds MUCH BETTER!! One body...one church singing as one..verses having someone singing over you with a microphone 🎤 putting themselves up front and center stage
I have 34 songs in my set list for the next year - 17 contemporary, 17 hymns. It would have been 30, but I just couldn't pare it down any more without being sad. Each song still only has 5-ish plays in the whole year (because Christmas and Easter have their own music that is extra, but people still know).
The reason I don't sing is because I'm not a 'jump around a cheer' kind of worshipper. I tend to be quiet and introspective and giving thanks inwardly for all the blessings God has given and especially for His sacrifice. I will admit though that lately there has been some kind of loudness war that had put a damper on praise time because it physically hurt to endure without hearing protection. It also tends to be overstimulating at times but that's just an autism thing... not exclusive to worship time.
The church that I was just worship leader at in my fourth year they sit there and they stare at you like bumps on a log. No matter how much I would try to encourage them to sing they wouldn't do it. It makes you worship better, it makes you want to perform better when people are singing along. Fortunately they then got a vacancy pastor who would sing and one or two other people. The other problem with not singing is ig the singers are out in the worship team then what are we doing just playing music in the background. I like to be in churches when people open up their mouths and sing, it's what I'm used to from where I grew up is what I now have in my new church where I'm worship leader and that's one of the reasons why I'm glad that I left there, among other problems from the new person that took over the congregation. You've got to be kidding me coming and just standing like a bump on a log, really? The person that led the Saturday service she doesn't have a team just herself and her keyboard and so basically she's doing a concert for them every Saturday night singing and playing, is it a concert or is it church? Sing people to the Lord!
I’m not sure you can define a range that works best for a congregation due to the large variety in human voices. I think people mostly will change octaves as needed. It can be nice when the leader’s key matches your own, but that will only ever happen for a fraction of the congregation at a time. That’s one advantage to rotating lead vocalists.
My top five: 1: Too much new music I have never heard until the music service. I can’t sing a song I do not know. 2: Too many changes and embellishments to songs that I do know. Worship leading is not American Idol or time to show off your amazing vocal abilities. Just sing the song as written! 3: Please don’t make me lie by singing songs that make me out to be a super Christian. Or a lower than low miserable wretch. Story songs like much of todays CCM glorify the singer and not God. Many tell a story that is not my story. An example that would be a lie is singing I was so miserable, the devil had me down, I was ready to kill myself. Related to this would be the songs where I am singing as if I were Jesus or God the father. 4: The band is so loud I have no idea what I am singing or if I am even close to the right note. I could be shouting the Gettysburg address and nobody would know. Related to this is when the mix is so heavy on drums and instruments that I can barely hear the lead singers or follow them. If your snare and kick are louder than anything else they are too loud. 5: I’ve already repeated the same chorus eighty nine times and I’m tired!!😂 And a bonus number six for churches using videos instead of a worship team: All the above plus: No lyrics to follow! I’d much rather see the lyrics to a song on the screen than a music video. And some of these videos that put up a word at a time instead of a full sentence before it is sung…stop it! By the time I can read the word on the screen its already been sung and we are moving on to guessing the next word!! Great video, lots of solid truth shared! Thank you.
Point 1: A new song (can be a hymn) can't become an old favorite unless you have the opportunity to learn and sing it a few times. Especially if these "new songs" are much richer in scriptural truths that the old common favorites. A good music leader picks songs that remind people of God's word and richness in their hearts even if it is something new. Always playing the same songs all the time gets old after a while for many. On the other hand it is not good to always have a full set of new songs every week. there is a balance.
@@commandertim575 Gotcha. I have always thought that a quality new song should be added occasionally. But five new songs in a service might be a little too much. As would five old standards repeated every week. 👍🏻
@@mother24kmab no. Sorry, I didn't make that clear in the video. I was talking about male vocal ranges (c3-c4). I usually describe it this way "Fit the melody within a C to C range. That range is included in everyone's vocal range - men will sing one octave and women will sing an octave higher." Thanks for the clarification! 👊
Well somebody's got to do it, I've had mediocre singers and I'm not the top singer myself but I sing on key, but somebody's got to lead it and somebody's got to sing.
@@elaineajones8499 I would be very happy if praise bands did not exist. My preference is for choirs with a director and quality instruments like at least a piano. The beauty of church music is my memory. There is no beauty in praise bands . It's a shame the Christians are not being introduced to music that truly points to Jesus.
@@alicecoulson3711 I hate to tell you but praise bands aren't going anywhere. I myself am a classically trained pianist and I play keyboard and lead worship from there. I also have guitar and drums in my praise band. I've experience in both choirs and worship teams. I don't think the praise bands are going anywhere and they have helped bring a lot of people to Jesus. I think they're great. I guess everyone has their opinion.
@@elaineajones8499 I try to get through the noise at the beginning of the service. I guess it's a joyful noise but to me that's it. I'm always glad when the band and soloist stop.
Middle C is C4. So if we aren't supposed to pick keys that have a lot of notes above middle C, then the range should be C3 to C4. I bring this up because C4 to C5 starts to favor high range singers. I was thinking I was going to be disqualified to lead in the C4 to C5 range. 😆
Whoops! I misspoke in the video. Thanks for the correction 👍
Actually I have a book that says you should write/play for A2 to A3
Assuming when you say a range between middle C and an octave lower, you are referring to men's voices. That range would be uncomfortably low for most women. But I wholeheartedly agree that many worship leaders choose keys that are too high for comfortable congregational singing. I'm a classically trained soprano, and I find a lot of the keys too high to sing without going into full blown opera mode, which is distracting to those around me. So I either take them down an octave (which is often too low), harmonize or I just don't sing.
Our congregation often drowns us out. It’s one of the most beautiful things to witness this side of heaven, and we are very blessed.
Yep, and sounds like it's one big voice ,reaching to our father..I solo prelude, and post/.
Originals,and lyrics are on the screen..such a blessing to hear when this happens.]...the praize band has a guitar,who is a bar room player 2.am)
Comes late,doesn't tune,hungover.i have to pray and let GOD handle that +
extra prayer always] thanks @. 🙏
When I started leading worship at my church 9 months ago, about 25% of people would sing. I lowered the keys, cut our song list down from 450+ to 80, stopped doing more than 1 repeat of a chorus or bridge, and very rarely do an instrumental interlude. Now about 90% of people sing 😊. Good video thank you!
Listening right now. Yes, good points. I'd like to echo #3. It bugs me when worship leaders will acknowledge that their people absolutely love hymns, while hardly ever doing any hymns. Why?? This just doesn't make sense. We do a pretty good mix at our church. I'm sure there are older people at our church who wouldn't mind doing all hymns, as well as younger people who would prefer doing all modern worship songs. But I have to give our people credit. They'll sing their hearts out on the old and the new stuff. It's beautiful.
#4...yes!!! Very much agree. Before leading worship for my church, I got my start leading worship for a prison ministry. Early on, I had way too many songs that I played. And I wondered why the people just stared at me. I learned that they really wanted to sing along. They just needed a chance to get familiar with the songs. I'm not at all against teaching the people new songs. But you need to introduce new songs in manageable doses. Don't overload them by introducing a bunch of new songs at once. Give them a good 3 Sundays in a month to get familiar with a new song, while letting the rest of your current rotation be songs the people know really well. That will give you a fair chance to see how well the new song catches on.
Awesome reminder brother - worship is responding to God's revelation in our hearts
Good points you raised. I take issue with point 4. Our main worship leader must watch your videos because he thinks very similarly to you about everything. He takes same view about having a smaller repertoire. I disagree with that 100% because many will remember songs we sung in the 80s, 90s, 2000s etc as well as some newer ones today. It’s good to have many songs so you have variety that can adapt to differing themes, keys and styles.
Very good points! I feel like a lot of these resonated with me, as I've noticed things at my church as well.
A former worship leader once said, “The most important choir is made up of the men and women with untrained voices who sit in the pews.”
This 🎯🎯🎯
I agree with that! An assembly sounds MUCH BETTER!! One body...one church singing as one..verses having someone singing over you with a microphone 🎤 putting themselves up front and center stage
This was excellent and full of wisdom! Thank you for the thought you put into this. I’m a pastor btw.
I have 34 songs in my set list for the next year - 17 contemporary, 17 hymns. It would have been 30, but I just couldn't pare it down any more without being sad. Each song still only has 5-ish plays in the whole year (because Christmas and Easter have their own music that is extra, but people still know).
The reason I don't sing is because I'm not a 'jump around a cheer' kind of worshipper. I tend to be quiet and introspective and giving thanks inwardly for all the blessings God has given and especially for His sacrifice.
I will admit though that lately there has been some kind of loudness war that had put a damper on praise time because it physically hurt to endure without hearing protection. It also tends to be overstimulating at times but that's just an autism thing... not exclusive to worship time.
Thanx ssebo (sir) this is very useful
6:00 ❤❤❤ yes!!!
👊
The church that I was just worship leader at in my fourth year they sit there and they stare at you like bumps on a log. No matter how much I would try to encourage them to sing they wouldn't do it. It makes you worship better, it makes you want to perform better when people are singing along. Fortunately they then got a vacancy pastor who would sing and one or two other people. The other problem with not singing is ig the singers are out in the worship team then what are we doing just playing music in the background. I like to be in churches when people open up their mouths and sing, it's what I'm used to from where I grew up is what I now have in my new church where I'm worship leader and that's one of the reasons why I'm glad that I left there, among other problems from the new person that took over the congregation. You've got to be kidding me coming and just standing like a bump on a log, really? The person that led the Saturday service she doesn't have a team just herself and her keyboard and so basically she's doing a concert for them every Saturday night singing and playing, is it a concert or is it church? Sing people to the Lord!
I’m not sure you can define a range that works best for a congregation due to the large variety in human voices. I think people mostly will change octaves as needed. It can be nice when the leader’s key matches your own, but that will only ever happen for a fraction of the congregation at a time. That’s one advantage to rotating lead vocalists.
My top five:
1: Too much new music I have never heard until the music service. I can’t sing a song I do not know.
2: Too many changes and embellishments to songs that I do know. Worship leading is not American Idol or time to show off your amazing vocal abilities. Just sing the song as written!
3: Please don’t make me lie by singing songs that make me out to be a super Christian. Or a lower than low miserable wretch. Story songs like much of todays CCM glorify the singer and not God. Many tell a story that is not my story. An example that would be a lie is singing I was so miserable, the devil had me down, I was ready to kill myself.
Related to this would be the songs where I am singing as if I were Jesus or God the father.
4: The band is so loud I have no idea what I am singing or if I am even close to the right note. I could be shouting the Gettysburg address and nobody would know. Related to this is when the mix is so heavy on drums and instruments that I can barely hear the lead singers or follow them. If your snare and kick are louder than anything else they are too loud.
5: I’ve already repeated the same chorus eighty nine times and I’m tired!!😂
And a bonus number six for churches using videos instead of a worship team: All the above plus: No lyrics to follow!
I’d much rather see the lyrics to a song on the screen than a music video. And some of these videos that put up a word at a time instead of a full sentence before it is sung…stop it! By the time I can read the word on the screen its already been sung and we are moving on to guessing the next word!!
Great video, lots of solid truth shared! Thank you.
Serious question. Would point #3 keep you from singing "Amazing Grace"?
These are all very good points
@@jeffscott1006 probably not. Its not so specific as the new stuff. Also much of what the song says is universal to all Christians.
Point 1: A new song (can be a hymn) can't become an old favorite unless you have the opportunity to learn and sing it a few times. Especially if these "new songs" are much richer in scriptural truths that the old common favorites. A good music leader picks songs that remind people of God's word and richness in their hearts even if it is something new. Always playing the same songs all the time gets old after a while for many. On the other hand it is not good to always have a full set of new songs every week. there is a balance.
@@commandertim575 Gotcha. I have always thought that a quality new song should be added occasionally. But five new songs in a service might be a little too much. As would five old standards repeated every week. 👍🏻
This is so good awesome...
Your idea about why people do not sing is not what you think.
Are you saying women sing below middle C?
@@mother24kmab no. Sorry, I didn't make that clear in the video. I was talking about male vocal ranges (c3-c4). I usually describe it this way "Fit the melody within a C to C range. That range is included in everyone's vocal range - men will sing one octave and women will sing an octave higher." Thanks for the clarification! 👊
Thanks. That’s what I thought you probably meant. I do like your advice on this video!
The so called worship team is not all that great when it comes to singing.
Well somebody's got to do it, I've had mediocre singers and I'm not the top singer myself but I sing on key, but somebody's got to lead it and somebody's got to sing.
@@elaineajones8499 I would be very happy if praise bands did not exist. My preference is for choirs with a director and quality instruments like at least a piano. The beauty of church music is my memory. There is no beauty in praise bands . It's a shame the Christians are not being introduced to music that truly points to Jesus.
@@alicecoulson3711 I hate to tell you but praise bands aren't going anywhere. I myself am a classically trained pianist and I play keyboard and lead worship from there. I also have guitar and drums in my praise band. I've experience in both choirs and worship teams. I don't think the praise bands are going anywhere and they have helped bring a lot of people to Jesus. I think they're great. I guess everyone has their opinion.
@@elaineajones8499 I know, more's the pity.
@@elaineajones8499 I try to get through the noise at the beginning of the service. I guess it's a joyful noise but to me that's it. I'm always glad when the band and soloist stop.