Using Pad Sounds in Praise and Worship

The "pad" sounds on electric keyboards are incredibly useful and versatile, and particularly appropriate for praise and worship songs. Loosely defined, a pad is a smooth, unobtrusive sound that has a nondescript attack (meaning it starts soft and swells in volume, so you don't hear the exact moment the keyboard player hits the note), and sustains (holds) the note until you lift your fingers. It "pads" the other sounds the keyboard and/or band is producing, smoothing them out and filling in the gaps.

There are several different types of pads, including (but not limited to):

Synth pads: Smooth-sounding synthesizers. These were featured in many 1980's pop songs, and are still incredibly useful.

Voice pads: Sound like a choir, usually singing a vowel such as "ah." These are best used to create a musical "mood," not to imitate an actual choir or choir parts.

String pads: Sound like an orchestra. These are very common in modern worship and contemporary Christian music.

And the list goes on.

Here are a couple tips for using pad sounds in a worship band:

1. Try playing a pad instead of the piano. If you have guitar players and/or more than one piano player, pads can fill out the sound without getting in the way. This is a great place for newer piano players to start out, since playing pads can be as simple as hitting a particular chord or note and holding it until the chord changes.

2. Play the chorus an octave up. When playing pads, you should play higer notes during the chorus to raise the intensity. During the verse, keep your pad sound in the mid-range or drop out completely.

3. Try "layering" the pad sound with a piano sound. Most keyboards have a "layer" or "dual" function that allows you to play two sounds for every key you press. Layering pads and piano works very well because pianos have a strong attack and pads have a strong sustain, so they complement each other without getting in the way. Check your keyboard's user manual for details on how to do this. Not only does layering pads and piano smooth out and fill in the sound of the band, it's a great way to beef up an anemic piano sound, or make a solo piano piece sound nice and full.

There are many great ways to use pad sounds. Experiment and have fun--it's hard to go too wrong!

Keep Your Guitar Players CAGED

In the last post, we looked at how high or low songs should be pitched for congregational singing--preferrablly between C and C. But there is another factor to take into consideration when choosing where to set worship songs: whether or not the key works well for guitarists.

While a guitar could technically create any chord, some chords are easier to play than others. Also, some chords just sound better in certain keys, and particular fingerings and chord shapes work and sound better than others. This is more of an issue for rhythym guitar players--electric guitar players using power chords and bar chords can adapt more easily to odd keys.

The easiest way to remember guitar-friendly keys is the word CAGED. C, A, G, E and D are all good guitar keys.

So, say you have this great hymn arrangement you want to play with the worship team in the key of A flat. If you want to keep your guitarist happy, change the key to A or G. If you have a song that you want to do in the key of E flat, move it down to the key of D or C for the guitar players sake.

Cheating with a capo:

Let's say you really, really want to do that hymn arrangement in the key of A flat. (Maybe you are working with folks who depend on sheet music, or your alto knocks the song out of the park in that key.) You can still do this without making your guitar player pull their hair out. Give them a copy of the chord sheet in the closest guitar-friendly key BELOW the one you are playing the song in. (G in this instance.)

Then, have the guitar player use their capo (the clip that holds all the strings down) to raise the pitch of their guitar, so the song sounds in the correct key. Every fret they capo raises the pitch of the guitar one half-step. So in the case of the A flat hymn arrangement, the guitar player would place the capo on the first fret and play the song in G.

Here's one more example. If you want to play a song in the key of F sharp (hey, you never know!), give your guitar player the chords in the key of E, and have them capo on the second fret.

Remember, keep your guitar players CAGED. And if that isn't possible, give them the CAGED key just BELOW the key the song is in.

How High is Too High (Unless You're Israel Houghton)?

It's happened to the best of us. There you are, singing along at a worship event, but when you get to the chorus you find yourself squeaking out the high notes, if you can hit them at all. The worship leader who chose the song sounds great, but you (and most of the people in the congregation) have to drop an octave or stop singing.

Luckily, following a couple simple guidelines can prevent this problem and keep most people singing comfortably.

There are two main types of voices:

High Voices: These are sopranos and tenors who can easily hit a D or higher.

Low Voices: Alto and bass voices are strongest under A or even G.

The old-school rule of thumb for congregational singing is to keep worship songs between C and C. Most people can sing comfortably in this octave. It's the same range most children's songs are written in, songs like the Sesame Street theme and "Row, Row, Row Your Boat."

If you have an alto or a baritone leading worship, consider setting your songs between A and A. This is a comfortable range for most people, and allows an alto or baritone to sing with a confident lead quality.

Many worship songs are written by and for high tenors, so keeping the key reasonable may require a little bit of tweaking. Simply find the highest note of the song and set it at a C if you have a soprano or tenor leading, or A if you have an alto leading. Be careful though--you don't want the lowest note of the song to go much lower than the A below middle C (assuming a woman's octave.)

Never, ever, ever set a song to go any higher than the E an octave and a half above middle C! Most people simply cannot get hit this, amateur vocalists included. (And even if they could, you wouldn't want them to!) Use Ds with care, and touch an E if there is no way around it, but anything above that should be left for performances where no one is expected to sing along.

C to C is best.

A to E is okay. (But stay on the low side of this spectrum!)

Anything else should be left for the offertory or the conservatory.

Lost in the Song--Send Help! Part 3

We’ve been talking about song form and anticipating what a band is going to go next when you’re playing with them. We talked about the verse (V) and chorus (C) sections of the songs, and went through the most basic song format. We added the pre-chorus (P) and bridge (B) to make more complex forms. Today we'll talk about intros, outros, tags, turnarounds and vamps.

Getting Into the Song: Intros

The intro (I) is the instrumental music played before we start singing. Its role is to introduce the song, to set the mood and prepare us to sing. Not every song has an introduction and not every song needs an introduction. You may play the same song with or without an intro.

Getting Out of the Song: Outros and Tags

In the same way that the intro gets us into the song, the outro (O) takes us out of the song. It keeps the song from ending too abruptly, takes us in for a gentle landing after we’ve sung a great song. An outro may be the same piece of music used for the intro, but it doesn't have to be.

Tags (Tag) are another way to end a song. A tag is simply a small portion of the song repeated, usually three times, before ending the song. For example:

You are My King by Darlene Zscheck
Tag: “In all I do, I honor You.”

Shout to the Lord by Darlene Zscheck
Tag: “Nothing compares to the promise I have in You.”

I guess Darlene likes ending her songs with tags! Seriously though, you will find that certain artists favor certain song forms when they write their music. Good stuff to notice. And remember, just because they performed a song a particular way doesn't mean that you have to. You can change the song form at will.

Getting Turned Around: Turnarounds

Like we said in part 1 of this series, the song exists to go to the chorus. After the course is over the song has an identity crisis, because it doesn’t know where to go. Sometimes it sounds too abrupt to go right back to verse 2. This is where we use a turnaround.

A turnaround (T) is a short section of instrumental music that precedes verse 2. You can think of it as the introduction to verse 2. The turnaround might be the same piece of music used for the intro or outro, but again, it doesn't have to be.

Song Forms:

Remember our basic song form:

V1-C
V2-C-C

Here it is with an intro, outro, and turnaround section:

I - V1 - C
T - V2 - C - C- O

Now let's take a look at some more complex song forms and analyze them.

Example 1:

I - V1 - P - C
T - V2 - P - C
B - C - C - O

Even though this is a long one, it's pretty straightforward. It includes an introduction and a turnaround, but you could still call the first two lines "twice down." The third section mixes it up, beginning with the bridge, followed by a double chorus and outro. So, twice down, bridge, double chorus and outro. That's not so hard to remember!

Example 2:

C - V1 - P - C
T - V2 - P - C
B - P - C - C - Tag

This song starts with the chorus, setting the energy high right away. We play the song once down, insert a turnaround, then play it down again. So that's chorus, twice down with a turnaround.

The third section is less predictable. The bridge takes us back to the pre-chorus instead of the chorus, we play the standard double chorus, and end with a tag instead of an outro.

Let's look at some familiar worship songs with complex song forms.

My Savior Lives by Glenn Packiam & Jon Egan




I - V 1- C
T - V2 - C
T - B - C - C - O

This one starts out with an introduction, and it's a lengthy one. Then it goes once down to the chorus, turnaround (which is a shorter version of the intro, in this case), and take the song twice down.

They play the turnaround again before the bridge, and then play the bridge five times! The first time through it is just the instruments, and then they sing it four times. Notice that each time they play the bridge, the intensity builds. This is important--if you play the same thing over and over without building the intensity, you may have people nodding off in the pews!

Then comes a double chorus. The first of these choruses is what we call a "breakdown," meaning many of the instruments drop out. They do one more full chorus with everyone back in, and use the music from the introduction as the outro.

Jesus Messiah by Chris Tomlin



I - V1 - P - C
V2 - P - CB - C - Tag

This song starts with a very open orchestral introduction. They take it twice down the go to the bridge, followed by only one chorus. (I think they avoided the double chorus because this chorus is already fairly long.) Notice that the first half of the last chorus is a breakdown--this leaves room to build the intensity toward the end, when the rest of the instruments come back in. They ended with the tag "Jesus Messiah, Lord of all."

All the Earth Will Sing Your Praises by Paul Baloche



C - T - V1 - C
T - V2 - C
T(solo) - C - C - Tag

This song kicks off with the chorus right away, setting the energy high. They use a turnaround to take the energy down just a notch, so they don't come crashing into verse 1. They play the song twice down, using a turnaround before verse 2, then play the turnaround again under the guitar solo.

After the guitar solo, they do the standard double chorus, breaking down the first chorus. They tag the song with "All the earth will sing Your Praises," but the music the instrumentalists are playing is the same music they use for the turnaround!

Each song is different, but they're all made out of the same parts. Practice listening to songs and analyzing their forms, and make note of variations as you find them. You'll never be lost in the song again!

Lost in the Song--Send Help! Part 2

In the previous post, we talked about song form and anticipating where the band is likely to go next. We talked about the verse (V) and chorus (C) sections of the songs, and went through the most basic song format: V1 - C - V2 - C - C

The Pre-Chorus:

The pre-chorus (P) is a section of the song that is also called the “lift." Its purpose is to build a sense of excitement that leads to the chorus. Generally speaking, it goes between the verse and the chorus. So with a pre-chorus, “once down” the song is: verse - pre-chorus - chorus, or V - P - C.

Here is a common song form that includes a pre-chorus:

V1 - P - C

V2 - P - C - C

We can refer to this as “twice down, extra chorus" or "twice down, double chorus."

The Bridge:

The bridge (B) is a section of the song that happens after we’ve completed at least two choruses. The role of the bridge is simple, to create contrast. We’ve already heard the song “twice down." We’re getting a little sick of it, and we need to mix it up. The bridge can be very busy and loud, or very open and soft. All it has to be is a change of pace for the listener. So with a bridge our basic song form becomes:

V1 - C

V2 - C

B - C- C

Notice that we added another chorus. We would call this “twice down, bridge, double chorus."

Here's what a song that includes both a pre-chorus and a bridge might look like:

V1 - P - C

V2 - P - C

B - C - C

We'd call this "twice down, bridge, double chorus."

Listen to these songs and listen for the form:

YOUR GRACE IS ENOUGH by Matt Maher

This one is twice down with a pre-chorus, but no bridge. They use the pre-chorus on the 3rd section where a bridge would go. We would say “twice down, pre-chorus, double chorus”

V1 - P - C

V2 - P - C

P - C - C

YOU ARE MY KING by Darlene Zscheck

This one is twice down with an extra verse at the beginning. There is an extra chorus before and after the bridge. We would say “twice down, chorus, bridge, double chorus”

V - V - C

V - C - C

B - C - C

Here are a couple more songs to listen to. What is their song form?

BLESSED BE YOUR NAME by Matt Redman

HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD by Chris Tomlin

In the next part of this series, we'll look at intros, outros, tags, turnarounds, and vamps. You’ll never be lost in the song again!

Lost in the Song--Send Help! Part 1

So you're sitting in with the worship team and things are going great. The song is flowing, you're feeling at ease, and all your hard practice has finally paid off. All of the sudden the worship team jumps to a completely different part of the song than you! You scramble to catch up, all the while thinking "we didn't do it that way in rehearsal!"

Worship music is dynamic music performed for a live audience, so you can respond to the needs of the congregation as you lead. If they are loving a song and singing enthusiastically, you can keep going. If their eyes are glazing over and they are glancing at their watches, you can end it before you lose your congregation to Sunday football. This flexibility can be a great strength, if you learn how to navigate the changes.

The order of the sections of the song are called the "song form." While there are no rules about how song form needs to be, there are definitely common forms that help us take a good guess at what's coming.

Let's look at the two basic parts of most worship songs:

The Chorus:

Modern music revolves around the chorus. The chorus is generally the most intense, high-energy part of the song, and contains the main point of the song. It is the part everyone remembers, the part you can hum even if you don't know the song very well. The song exists to build toward the chorus.

The Verse:

The verse elaborates on the main point of the chorus. It is usually lower in energy and feels like it is building toward the chorus. Most songs begin with the verse, but end with the chorus.

Here's our shorthand system:

VERSE = V

VERSE 1 = V1; VERSE 2 = V2

CHORUS = C

Verse + Chorus = V - C We will call one time through the verse and chorus "once down."

NOW OUR GAME!
“GUESS WHERE THE SONG IS HEADED!”

We'll pretend we're playing a song with the band, and guess where it’s likely to go next.

V1 - C - ???

The most likely answer is verse two. We've already gone "once down" the song--after we've completed the first chorus the song has an identity crisis, because it has reached its goal. (Remember, the song exists to go to the chorus.) So we'll usually to go back to the verse to "reset."

V1 - C - V2 - ???

The answer, of course, is the chorus. Verse two would feel like it was building toward it. This completes our cycle, "twice down" the song.

V 1 - C - V2 - C - ???

Now here's the part of the song that will trip you up more than any other. At this point the song has built to the chorus twice and become predictable. It is most likely that it will repeat the chorus one more time, because it’s unexpected, and gives a sense of acceleration and excitement that leads to the conclusion of the song.

So there you have it. Our most common simple song form. We could call it "twice down, extra chorus." V1 - C - V2 - C - C

Here are some common variations.
Notice that there is only one change to our basic form.

1. Add a third time down: V1 - C - V2 - C - V3 - C - C. This makes a longer song.

2. Double the first verse: V1 - V2 - C - V3 - C - C. This stretches out the anticipation, gives a longer climb to the chorus.

3. Start with the chorus: C - V1 - C - V2 - C - C. This kicks the song off with a lot of energy right away.

Next in the series we will look at other sections like the intro, outro, prechorus, tag, turnaround, vamp, and bridge. We’ll make even the most complex song forms easy to follow, looking at examples from songs you know. You’ll never be lost in the song again!