Serving The Song
The best way to play better music, get along with your teammates, serve the congregation well, and enjoy it all is...what? How would you answer that?
How do I answer that question? It’s a little phrase I once heard called “Serving the song.”
We’ve heard of serving the Lord, serving our congregation, serving our team, serving our leaders, but...serving the song? Isn’t the song just a tool?
Yes, but think of it as sharpening or oiling the tool - it makes the intended use so much more productive!
What does serving the song look like?
What is the purpose of a song in congregational worship? It is different from other songs, and it’s a fundamental distinction! For our purpose, the song we use in church is meant to facilitate congregational singing. And singing, the biblically mandated form of worship, is a primary way of engaging with God - both praising and glorifying Him and knowing His presence in intimacy as His body is gathered to meet with Him. So it’s kind of a big deal.
Making a song easy to sing is primary. What makes it easy? The way we play it makes a big difference in how well it facilitates singing.
And right up there with singability is the question, “How does it make me feel?” This isn’t a worship narcissism thing, but rather the truth that music is powerful. Poorly played music, on the other hand, is flat and lifeless...certainly not what we’re called to create.
Some musical factors are: rhythm, tempo, groove, key, and arrangement.
Some aesthetic factors are: volume, thickness, timbre, and accessibility.
Ask yourself these questions as you’re making musical choices:
Will this make it easier to sing?
Will this make room for the rest of my team to play?
What will give this song the energy it needs?
But getting to more practical examples...
As a drummer, I may be able to play more complicated rhythms and use the toms way more, but does it help the song groove, or would a straight (read: boring) groove serve the song better? As Papa Jo Jones said, “play with the band, not for the band.”
As a piano player, does my “default” playing style help make this song singable, or do I need to try something else? We always want to tailor our playing style to fit the song, not the other way around.
As a bass player, do the typical 8th notes really help this song come alive, or do I need to discipline myself to follow the kick drum pattern closely?
As an electric guitar player, is it okay if I noodle over the whole song? The answer is no. Always no. For the love...!
As an acoustic guitar player, will the song be communicated effectively if I strum full bore the whole way through? (very, very rarely)
As a leader, will mindlessly repeating the bridge eight times help the congregation sing it with passion? (It’s like a musician named Ed once said, “Jesus walked on water, but 98% of the time, He took a boat.")
As an audio tech, will the song be communicated as intended if you set a mix at the beginning and just leave it? (That was a setup, a trick...never, ever answer yes to that question. Ever.)
As a video tech (aka lyrics operator), will it help the congregation sing if you wait until you hear the first word or two sung and then put up the lyrics...just to be sure? ( _ ) I’m not even sure how to say NO strongly enough. Guessing is always better than hesitating. Learn the art of guessing, because he who hesitates...has an accident. And people stare at accidents, but they don’t sing.
Okay, so you’re starting to get the point. We are not here for ourselves. We are here to serve the song, because serving the song enables us to do what we’re called to do: lead congregational worship.
In what ways could you serve the song?
I need to say this yet. Learning the craft of serving the song takes time, and there is absolutely NO CONDEMNATION for where your skill is right now. None. Just don’t be there a year from now.
Ps. The graphic at the top essentially says, “Keep calm and keep going,” in Costa Rican slang. You’re welcome.
-Dave Helmuth
(purchase my book, "Worship Fertilizer: (the first hundred)" HERE)
Serving The Song (Nº 110)
Five Faders w/ Dave Helmuth
Don't be another passionate, unhealthy leader (who doesn't know they are unhealthy) who misses their calling, has a moral failure, burns out, or burns others. (dang, that's dark!)
Be a Five Faders leader who is the best version of yourself and helps your team to do the same!
We'll explore the motivations we each have:
Artists notice nuance.
Shepherds consider the individual.
Priests overflow with simple love and pure devotion to Jesus.
Educators bring out the best in others.
Producers plan, in order to exceed usual limits.
The Five Faders model is not just a tool, it's a game-changer. It will help you understand your motivations and those of your team, paving the way for healthier and more effective leadership. The good news is that a Five Faders team is fantastic! The bad news is that if we don't know what motivates us, our passion often blinds us and we are an unhealthy expression of our Fader.
In this small group, we'll not just learn about the Five Faders, but also put them into action. We'll explore how to apply the concepts to our teams in a practical way, and learn from each other, which is one of the best ways to grow in your lowest Fader.
DATES AND TIMES
Mondays from 9 to 10:30 AM Central, from January 6 to February 24 (8 weeks)
BUY THE BOOK
https://amzn.to/4mWlA6a
WHO IS DAVE HELMUTH
I'm a coach who leads Ad Lib Music, the worship coaching organization I started in 2002. We have coaches in Pennsylvania, Colorado, Texas, and South Dakota. I'm the author of the Five Faders book. I serve as a missionary in Costa Rica, where my family of nine and I have lived since 2019.