3 Helpful Tips When Leading Spontaneous Worship By Brandon L Smith

I once heard it said that worship is much like a Hallmark card.  When we receive a card from someone we look on the back and say "yep that's a Hallmark card."  We quickly skim the inside comments written by those clever writers all the while trying to locate where the good stuff is.  It's that special note that someone took the time and effort to write.  It doesn't mean the card itself isn't good but we want to read what came from someone's heart and soul.  

As worship leaders we look for prewritten music to fill our scheduled times to sing as a congregation.  Those songs for the most part are very well written songs of worship and adoration to God.  Much like finding a Hallmark card with a prewritten note.  But let's not forget about our special note inside the card.  It's that spot in the music when things seem to hold on and a song begins to spring up within the depths of our hearts and souls.  We need to sing it out.  Our congregations need to learn what it is to sing their own songs, their own special notes, back to the Lord.

Here's a few things to think about if you're trying to take advantage of spontaneous worship in your church. 

1.  Plan It Out

Just because we use the term spontaneous doesn't necessarily mean it isn't planned or practiced.  Working and practicing with your team for spontaneous times of worship is a must if you want to be good at it.  Don't assume your team knows exactly where you want to go with a song.  Sketch out a framework and practice.

2.  The Easy 1 Chord

Many times in worship music we end on the one cord.  Instead of making that the end note why note stay there for a bit and allow it to build back up. Playing a 3-4 suspension will work during this time as long as you don't go too crazy with it.  Choose how many bars you will do this with your team so they will know and not feel left out or awkward about the moment.  Then take it back to the chorus one last time and end the song.  You can sing your own song during the build up and encourage the congregation to do the same.

3.  Use the Bridge

Take the chord progression of the bridge and play this as an interlude back to the chorus.  This is another place you can lead your congregation in spontaneous worship.

Above all remember that just because you plan a specific time for spontaneous worship doesn't always mean you should do it.  Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and your pastoral leadership during these times.  Using caution and respect will go a very long way.

Making Harder Music Easier To Play by Brandon L Smith

Ever hear those songs that are so well produced with all kinds of ear candy and want to play them in your service but know it will be impossible to sound the same way? The studio is a wonderful place to bust out all the stops if you have the time and money.  For many of us the simple reality is we don't.  But let's not let that cause us to quit and not even try.  Remember that great music starts with simplicity.  The greatest symphonies started out with one melody, one thought, and one expression.  Later on came all the bells and whistles.

Sometimes as worship leaders we are fortunate to have professional musicians and vocalists playing and singing on our teams.  But lets face it, most of us don't have that luxury at every position.  So how do we pull our resources together to produce a quality sound on our worship teams? Here's a few things I do to help my team be successful with difficult music.

1.  Keep it simple 

This means take the frame work of a song and its basic melody and make that your main focus.  Don't worry about all the extras like: How they got that drum loop to do that, or wishing you had a guitar player who could play that way.  Take the time and get the chord progressions and transitions down.  Use what you have to make good music.  Remember you're doing this so others can worship with you not so that you can be exalted and lifted up for your musical genius.

2. Practice goes a long way

I really don't think I need to go on about this point.  Just make it happen and be productive.

3. Listen

Listen to other groups play the same songs you are wanting to incorporate into your sets.  This will help you gain perspective on how to do things differently.  It might spark some creativity of your own and allow your team to have a greater appreciation of the song.

4. Ownership

I share this phrase a lot during practices. "We don't have to do it like they do on the cd."  If your team plays songs the same way the original artist does you might find your music lacking ownership.  Mix it up.  Change the intro or the ending to allow the song to take on a different feel. Let your team help you do this and they will take greater pride knowing it's a sound they helped with.

You can accomplish great things with your worship team if you'll take the time to break things down and make them simple.  I tell my teams that if we will do the simple with precision we will sound as professional as anybody else out there.