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Creatively enhancing your worship service with these keyboard tricks
As a church pianist, I think it’s helpful from time to time to focus on your artistry. I know the church pianist serves a purpose, and it’s important for us to consider our role as servants in the church. (I do believe people are called to serve, and all Christians are “wired” with ways in which they serve the church. There is great value to servant-hood, and it’s a broad Scriptural principle.) But to maintain merely a utilitarian view of our position is to miss out on opportunities to be creative and artistic.
A couple of preliminary thoughts. First, make sure your leadership is on board with your ideas. This also means you need to clearly and precisely communicate your ideas. Don’t just do some of these “tricks” without informing anyone; that would not be wise. Further, know that change is sometimes difficult to implement, and can often be met with resistance. This is not a blog about change in the church, but I’m sure there could be entire blogs devoted to the subject. Just use your wisdom, and the combined wisdom of your peers, team, and leadership. In most of the examples below, I would recommend that you showcase or demonstrate what you have in mind–in detail–so that everyone is on the same page.
Change up the prelude.
Maybe you just have a CD play; spice it up with live musicians. Maybe you just play a bunch of hymns in the hymnal; change it up with some modern songs, or a variety. Maybe your church likes a lively prelude as people enter; consider throwing in one meditative song, perhaps in the middle, that might help people to reflect and pray. Add instrumentalists. Have an acoustic ensemble. Incorporate a student ensemble. Do something out of the ordinary that says you’re being intentional about all aspects of your corporate worship.
Add transitions between songs.
Tying your songs together with seamless musical transitions helps create momentum and a sense of direction. Including the lyrics on the screens or in the bulletins best facilitates this, but it can also be creatively achieved by using a hymnal. Some modern hymnals contain a few ready-made medleys available for use. Even if you have to spend time writing out your transitions, it will be well worth your time.
Provide background music for segues and prayers.
Sometimes, dead space is appropriate. But sometimes it’s helpful to include music to help transition, or to provide an atmosphere of thoughtfulness or reverence. Of course, we don’t “create” worship. But in the same way that a full orchestra aids in worship, or an organ or a guitar aids in worship, so can our keyboard artistry. Use simple, whole note chords and progressions. Don’t have distracting melodies, that might actually compete with the speaker or worship going on.
Introduce a poignant instrumental solo or ensemble.
At our church, we normally have an instrumental during our offering. It’s just been our tradition that has worked well, and it certainly gives a lot of our keyboardists and instrumentalists ample opportunity to serve. Perhaps you do too. But what if your instrumental was placed strategically at a location that really made people think. You could include some of the lyrics on the screens or in the bulletin. Especially if it’s thoughtful, and especially if it works well with the progression of the song portion of your worship service, this could be very effective.
Provide thoughtful invitation or response music.
Yes, our church still has an altar call. And if your church still utilizes a church pianist, there’s probably a good chance that you have one, too. Let’s not do a raise of hands, but many of us have sat through a boring, repetitive invitational played while the pastor prays, or calls the congregation to some sort of response. Why not play quiet, contemplative, and simple chords under the final invitation. An invitation hymn could be alluded to, but not outright played. And I’ve found playing at a much slower pace significantly helps the time to be more thoughtful and reflective.
Your service in the local church as a keyboard artist should provide you with many ways to explore creativity and imagination. With alignment and backing from your church’s leadership, you possess some powerful tools that enable you to provide variety and creativity in your church’s expression of worship. Ultimately, our goal is to exalt the greatness of our God (Psalm 145:3). In all you do–no matter how creatively or imaginatively–may that remain your top priority.
Keyboard artistry that enhances the worship service
More and more churches are finding creative ways to use music in their worship services.
My background is in a more traditional evangelical-type service. At the beginning of a worship service, the song leader would step up to the pulpit, welcome the people, and ask everyone to turn to hymn number 341, “Such and Such Gospel Song.” We’d sing three stanzas (omitting the third, of course), and then the music would stop. Unless there were several hundred announcements to give, he would then ask us to turn to hymn number 299, “Other Gospel Song,” and we’d sing three stanzas of that one.
I’m not really mocking the traditional way. In fact, I have been a part of that style of service for years and years, and was even involved in planning and implementing that type of service in the past.
But many churches have found a better way, and if often involves the church pianist.
Here are ways in which churches are using keyboard artistry to enhance worship services:
1. Instead of starting and stopping between each songs (especially songs strung together, often called a “set”), church pianists are now called on to provide transitions between songs.
This often involves the ability to modulate, navigate between diverse meters, and change moods as appropriate. Some church pianists are able to improvise and have no trouble with this. Others will need to develop this skill, and until they do, can write out their transitions or have someone write them out for them.
Transitions can be as short as one measure (especially when the keys and meters of both songs are the same), or may take two to four measures. (Usually, the shorter the better.) Having the ability to “vamp” (continuously play a one- or two-chord pattern) allows the song director to share a few words of testimony or “set up” the next song. Transitions will need to be longer if the congregation is using a hymnal; using screens (which allow you to switch between lyric slides quickly) allow for shorter musical transitions.
2. Instead of silence during pastoral prayer or special moments of reflection, church pianists are encouraged to provide soft “mood” music to set (or really, continue) the spirit of the service.
Providing these special musical touches throughout the service can add a dynamic element to your worship experience. Writers of musicals and cantatas have long understood this. It’s not a manipulative move to fabricate or drum up emotionalism. Rather, it’s an opportunity to set and continue the tone of the service, much like the goal of the instrumental prelude.
Places in a service that a church pianist might do this include pastoral prayers, the closing prayer and/or invitation time, baby dedications and baptisms. Music is usually slow and simple (and beautiful), and always played softly so that the person speaking can always be heard.
As a church pianist, if you are interested in using these methods, it often will involve a conversation (or series of conversations) with your leadership. Some leaders are uncomfortable with this and might find it a distraction. But if they are looking for ways to add an additional dimension to the service, I’m sure this will be a welcomed addition.
What are some other ways you can use your keyboard artistry to enhance a worship service? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment below.
8 places for background music in your worship service
I’ve previously given tips for playing background piano music during a worship service. Let’s discuss some ideas about when you should play background music.
A few thoughts, first. I realize each church is different. Some don’t incorporate background music at all, and others continually have something playing. (I once heard an entire church service, sermon and all, with background music. It wasn’t a short service. I hope that organist was well-paid.) There are also many opinions about background music. If you are a church pianist, you would serve your church best to find out what the church leadership desires in this area.
For the sake of this post, let’s assume background music is encouraged. When might you provide background music? Here are some ideas:
- Preludes. Perhaps the most obvious place for background music, the prelude can provide a powerful set-up to your service. (I’ve also written about this here and here.)
- Postludes. Another great moment for background music is as the congregation exits. (More about postludes here.)
- Prayers. Corporate prayer is an important time for any worship gathering. I’m not suggesting that all corporate prayer should have a music soundtrack, but it might be appropriate from time to time to quietly accompany a prayer with simple, reflective chords.
- Scripture/Devotional Readings. You never want to distract, so if you think you’ll be a distraction, or if you have been in the past, don’t play background music during the reading of Scripture. But if you can handle it with class, it would provide a nice touch to the service.
- Invitations. Probably the most common place to play background music. Vary it up some. Many times I’ll play through the invitation hymn that’s going to be sung, but many times also I’ll just play some simple chords, or make up a creative melodic motif. Again… don’t be a distraction!
- Baby Dedications. A music-box type sound would go well during a baby dedication. You can also play familiar hymns like “Jesus Loves Me” or “Precious Jewels.”
- Testimonies. It might be nice to provide a backdrop for a personal testimony being shared.
- Transitions. You might consider include a few bars of music between certain elements in your service. If you have multiple places for transitional music, consider using a few well-known measures of a well-known hymn to reinforce a particular theme.
Some will argue that no matter what you do, if you provide background music in a worship service, you will be a distraction. (Technically, I have to agree with this position. Being a musician, I immediately notice any music throughout a service. And I’ll confess, I’m often distracted. However, I also recognize that being distraction is often a result of a lack of discipline.) You do need to be careful about distractions. Volume, tempo, notes played, artistry, and so many other factors can contribute to distracting elements. Even advanced musicians can have difficulty with this. My best advice? Develop your improvisational skills as a church musician. This will help eliminate distractions.
Background Piano Music
I recently attended a seminar in which the clinician gave helpful hints on how to play background piano music during specific service elements, such as the invitation, or under someone speaking. Although the majority of the piano playing in my church is covered by very capable and talented pianists, I usually play during the invitation time.
Here are a few things I’ve learned that might help you begin to become the kind of “background pianist” your church may be looking for.
1. Play softly and slowly.
Playing softly goes without saying. You’re not in a competition with the speaker; you’re obviously there to play in the background.
Playing slowly is a little trickier, especially if you are used to taking a particular song at a faster speed. Even if the song should be sung at a fast speed, if playing while someone is speaking, it will be distracting if you play it at a fast speed. In addition to playing slowly, I often add extra measures following phrases, or even an extra beat following certain words.
2. Avoid playing exactly what is written.
When it comes to congregational singing, the hymnbook is well written. When it comes to piano playing, the hymnal should merely be your reference point for melody and rhythm. So here’s your big chance! No one is singing or playing with you (assuming you’ll be playing alone). Break away from the mold of the often trite harmonies in the hymnal, and add different chords and chord progressions. Greg Howlett, the clinician I referred to above, does an excellent job of explaining this concept in his very helpful site under Free Christian Piano Lessons.
3. Play with simplicity.
Maybe this is an obvious point as well, but it just makes sense that if you’re not the main event, try not to compete with the main event. I almost entirely avoid runs and arpeggios (although, if done right, they arguably could work). In fact, although I use various chord substitutions, I tend to keep the chords very simple. I’ve even been known to leave out a few notes of the melody (heresy!) if it is very repetitious.
4. Match the speaker’s theme and “mood.”
If the pastor is describing the elements during a reflective communion service, play music about the blood or the cross, and make sure you do so slowly and thoughtfully. During a baptism, the mood might be more joyful and soaring. When I play for our invitations, I will play a familiar invitation hymn (something like “Just as I am” or “I Surrender All”), and I’ll continue to play softly while the pastor closes the service in prayer. Then, when he switches to share a final thought with the congregation or a few announcements, I change the tone and the mood to match. Once he dismisses the congregation, I usually segue again into a postlude song, keeping it in the same key and with similar improvisational elements used earlier. It’s still background music (while people talk and gather their things and exit), but I’m sending them off with the “mood” I want to, which is usually upbeat, encouraging, and hopeful.
It might be good to mention that with time and practice, you’ll get better at this. Study your pastor and get to the point where you can anticipate his direction. Even though my pastor’s prayers are not rehearsed, I can usually anticipate when he is nearing the final, “In Jesus’ name, Amen,” allowing me to cadence and end on a tonic chord at the same time he finishes. While it may not be a necessity, it certainly helps complete the “setting” that the Holy Spirit can use to touch someone’s life.
I hear it a lot: someone will come up to me after a service and say, “I could listen to your piano playing all day.” I have to admit that I internally cringe when I hear that. Hopefully their compliment doesn’t mean they didn’t pay attention to what the pastor had to say. (In fact, I’m almost sure it doesn’t mean that.) Hopefully it means that my music was effective in drawing their attention exactly where I want it: to what the pastor had to say.
And if you are fortunate to have a pastor like I do who is passionate about the truth and about souls coming to Christ, you will have no greater joy than to provide the very best in background piano music.
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