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11 Worship Songwriting Mistakes

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By Andy Piercy

Originally published in the 2006 Worship Leader (March/April). But it’s a fun one, and in honor of the upcoming Song Discovery Creative Conference, we thought we’d dust it off for you.

Here are some classic mistakes to watch out for when you are writing a worship song.

 1. “Help, help, I’m stuck in a worship song…”
Try and give your song an ending or at least a way that people can escape. Some churches have been singing “Light of the world” non-stop for 2 years now because they can’t find a way to resolve it.

2. Beware of the ‘Fyllables’!
“Fyllables” are sounds that ‘fill’ up the space of a ‘syllable’ but contribute nothing (e.g. ‘just’, ‘really’, ‘that’ or even ‘Lord’). They can suddenly appear as if from nowhere. “Stretchers” are bad too. They sneak in and add extra syllables to words that ‘shou-ouldn’t’ be ‘ther-ere’ (e.g ‘ev-er-y’ instead of ‘ev-ry’). Writers often just don’t really notice that it really is just happening. Make each word really count!

3. Dead-end streets
These are lines with words at the end that force you into using an obvious rhyme (e.g. ‘love’ and ‘above’, ‘life’ and ‘strife’). Reverse out slowly and move the offending word somewhere else.

4. ‘Back to front’ writing
A weird technique involving ‘the order around of the words changing’ to try and make things sound more hymn-like. Try speaking your lyrics, would you actually ever say it like that to somebody?

5. ‘Christian-ese’
Shhh…this is a secret language where ‘…although-it-doesn’t-actually-say-what-it-means-we-know-it-probably-means-what-it-says-so-we’ll-sing-it-anyway, even-though-if-we’re-honest-it-doesn’t-actually-make-sense’. Avoid.

6. Wobbly stepping-stones
Singing a song can be like crossing a stream using ‘stepping stones’. If the stepping-stones are ‘wobbly’ because they are balanced on weak lyrics, or in odd places because the phrasing is strange, then it makes it more difficult to do.

7. “WATCH THE STEP!”
Tripping up into a song is never a dignified way of entering. This can happen to congregations when the first line starts at some seemingly obscure place after the first beat of the bar, usually known only to the songwriter (or not)

8. Don’t em-PHA-sise the wrong BITS
Sounds ob-VI-ous, BUT make sure the emph-A-sis IS on the ‘important’ words IN the LYRICS.

9. Sorry, but it’s the law…
Believe it or not there are musical rules for what makes songs written in a rock/pop style work, and the chance of you accidentally stumbling across some brilliant new and undiscovered way of writing a great song without taking any notice of them is not very likely. Listen to what makes good songs work and learn from them.

10. Stay out of the bars!
Don’t add extra bars at random places simply to try and create some sort of added ‘tension’. It may feel great when you are writing it in your room but can cause absolute chaos for a congregation! Have pity on that poor soul who will come in by themselves at the top of their voice at what they think is the start of the chorus…

11. It’s a ‘community’ not an ‘audience’
Finally, don’t forget that when you are writing songs for worship you are writing songs for other people to sing.

 

…oh, and by the way, I only know these things because I have been guilty of all these mistakes!

Here’s more on Andy Piercy.

 

 

 

Leadership

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Are You Conflict Averse?

Question: There is some bad blood brewing within my worship team. Right now I have two people in the band who argue at every rehearsal, a couple of singers no longer on speaking terms, and a pocket of people upset with me because they’re not singing as often as they’d like. I really hate conflict. It makes me want to quit and run away. I don’t understand why we all just can’t get along. Thoughts?

Answer: I don’t know of anyone who loves conflict, but it’s something every leader must learn to deal with. Your case may prove challenging because it sounds like you might be conflict averse—that you’d rather avoid problems than aggressively seek to resolve them. Leaders who are conflict averse tend to gloss over messy issues, wish them away, or withdraw. Meanwhile, team morale erodes and unity unravels, so it doesn’t serve you well to sweep those sticky matters under the rug.

In my younger days, conflict used to paralyze me. I would lose sleep over the least bit of friction within my ministry. I even took it personally, assuming that any semblance of conflict casts a bad reflection on my leadership. I’ve since learned that every ministry has its issues. The question is whether I, as the leader, rise up to do something about it or not.

Be Proactive
In 1 Chronicles 28:20, an aging King David exhorts his son, Solomon, to proactive leadership: “Be strong and courageous, and act” (NASB). The ESV translates that last part, “Do it,” and the NIV reads, “Do the work.” No matter the translation, the language is assertive. It’s as if David is saying, “Solomon, you’re the leader. Do something about those pesky problems.” In the same way, I urge you to be proactive. Don’t wait for problems to go away or solve themselves. If you care about your ministry and your people (which I’m sure you do), then take action. Assert leadership.

Firmly, But Lovingly
Ephesians 4:31 instructs us to put away all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander, and malice. Good advice when you’re just about to confront someone. Leave your anger behind. Don’t use an accusatory, harsh, or vindictive tone. Be humble and speak lovingly to those involved.

Kickoff With Questions
Instead of opening with harsh accusation, I find that beginning the conversation with a question starts dialogue in the right direction. For example, I would ask those two band members if they’re aware of the effect their arguing has on the rest of the team. I would pull those two singers together and ask, “What would it take to restore your friendship?” I would meet with those who are upset and ask, “How can we work toward peace in our relationship?” Those may not be the right questions. You know your situation better than I do. But the point is that, instead of going into the situation with some ax to grind, you ask questions that foster constructive communication.

Confront Observable Behavior
Whenever you confront someone, limit your remarks to behavior that can be seen with the naked eye. If you were to accuse someone of harboring a bad attitude, for example, they could easily reply, “No, I don’t,” and the conversation would be over. That’s because attitudes are intangible—you can’t see or hear them. Besides, you’re not inside the person’s head. You don’t know what he or she is thinking. But if you were to say, “I heard that negative remark you made at rehearsal last night. Did you really mean that?” you’d be referring to a specific incident. Pointing out the irrefutable remark would make it easier to get at the heart of the issue, which could very well be a bad attitude.

I don’t know anyone who isn’t conflict averse to some degree. Like I said, no one loves conflict. However, with practice, you can get better at confronting and your ministry will be healthier as a result. In the meantime, may God grant you the courage to face any and all problems in your ministry and the wisdom to effectively deal with them.

 

Rory Noland (heartoftheartist.org) directs Heart of the Artist Ministries and is the author of Worship on Earth as it is in Heaven: Exploring Worship as a Spiritual Discipline.

Negative Space

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Negative Space: The Art of Silence in the Creative Process
I was a freshman at Stetson University School of Music, 18 years old and very green. I remember well my first Jazz Band rehearsal. I had never played from rhythm charts before, only full piano scores. I knew the chords because I had studied advanced level theory, but I’d never played in the context of a full jazz band. I walked in and heard the band warming up and the instructor sitting at the piano leading them through a slow jam. The players were top notch. A full brass and rhythm section, 20 pieces in all. I was excited and nervous.

“Welcome Michael.” The instructor greeted me. “Here’s the first chart. Why don’t you sit in on this tune.”

I sat down, ready to dive in. The drummer clicked us in, and we were off and running. I was exhilarated by the groove, the horn hits, and I started tearing up the piano. My heart was racing. It was a blast. Then it happened. “STOP. STOP, STOP, STOP!” The instructor jumped out of his seat waving his arms like he was guiding a plane in for a landing. He walked over to the piano. Leaning down looking over his reading glasses he said, “Half as much Michael. Play half as much. Silence is the gold man. It’s just as important as playing. Let the groove inspire you. In this song, it isn’t about you and the piano, son; it’s about the groove and the melody in the saxes. Just let the space inspire you. Silence is vital in music. Sometimes it’s more about what you don’t play.”

Echoing truth
His words have rung in my ears not only through thousands of hours of recording sessions, worship services and musical experiences, but through all of life.

Silence comes easier for some. Maybe you came hard wired to enjoy the solitude away from the noise of conversation, busyness, chaos or activity. Or maybe you’re a raging extrovert who loves to be with people, always connecting, ever in the swirl of movement and the bustle of big things. Both are wonderful. We are all on the scale somewhere and our tendencies will carry with them great strengths, and inevitable weaknesses. If we spend too much time alone, we can become myopic, self-absorbed and isolated. If we are constantly “playing” the music of life, our lives can become full of noise and chaos, unfruitful and unfocused. Worse yet, it can be a recipe for meltdown.

“Hurry is not of the devil, hurry is the devil.” – Carl Jung, Psychiatrist

Silence cures the deaf & blind
I’ll be the first to tell you I’ve been guilty of trying to create from an uninspired, underdeveloped, anemic inner life. You can do it, but not for too long, and it’s not where the “gold” is, as my jazz teacher put it. I’ve been a worship songwriter for nearly 20 years now. To write worship songs is to respond to the revelation of God by his Word and Spirit. What a divine grace and privilege to offer songs of praise back to our Savior and Creator! While my creative “antennae” is always up, capturing ideas in the chaos of life, the crafting and real response happens in the quiet. To reflect God’s goodness and glory in all of life, including art, is our goal as artists. Richard Foster says in his book Celebration of Discipline, “The purpose of silence and solitude is to be able to see and hear.” To behold the Lord, enjoy his presence, and allow Him to wash over us with his song is where the “gold” is. One moment in his presence can inspire more creativity in life and in art than we could ever contain.

Lost time or stolen silence
So my admonition to all of us is, let’s take time to see and hear. Put it on your calendar. If you don’t schedule your time, someone else will. Steal away from the noise and quiet your heart before your Abba. Spend time with our eyes fixed on Jesus, his Word, his presence, his voice. As Worship Leaders, as artists, as disciples, this is one area of our life we cannot ignore. Sometimes in life and music, it’s about the notes you don’t play.

 

Michael Neale serves as Worship Artist-In-Residence at Christ Fellowship in Palm Beach Gardens, FL and songwriter for Brentwood-Benson/Universal Music Group. Visit, michaelneale.com.

“Yes I Am”

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By Matt Redman

Most expectant parents spend months trying to find just the right name to give their child when he or she arrives. They buy baby naming books. They do online searches. They listen out for new names everywhere they go.

A few years ago, expecting a baby daughter, my wife and I did all of this—and more.

We did all the research, listened out for novel names—and even tried to make up a name by joining different words together. But nothing. Now, I’m a “word” person by nature, so you can imagine my sense of frustration when a day before the due date we still hadn’t stumbled across the right name. Sitting there dejected and desperate, I started to flick through a Laura Ashley wallpaper catalogue. And right then and there it hit me. There before my eyes was a style of wallpaper with a name I immediately liked the sound of: Maisey. Definitely a possibility, I thought—but what did it mean? Heading straight for the baby-naming book, I discovered the meaning to be “pearl.” Wow—we might be onto a winner. And then came the clincher: it spelt “Yes I am” backwards. Now forgive me for thinking about wordplay when it came to the sacred occasion of naming our first child, but this was, quite frankly, irresistible. Even more brilliant was the fact that when later in life she said, “Yes, I am Maisey,” the whole sentence would spell the same backwards as it did forwards. The search was over.

Finding Rhyme and Reason
When it comes to writing worship songs, a similar search is required. It may not always take nine months, and your main source of inspiration might not be a wallpaper catalogue—but the point remains the same. The best worship songs do two things: they employ poetic and striking lyrics, but more than anything, words which are packed with meaning. We want our lyrics to sound poignant, poetic and relevant to the hearts and minds of those using them to worship God. But even more importantly, they must mean something. When we come together to worship God, we are dealing with the grandest themes of life—and the challenge is to reflect that in our songs.

John Wesley endorsed this point of view. On October 20, 1779, writing an introduction for a hymnbook he’d compiled, he writes: “When Poetry thus keeps its place, as the handmaid of Piety, it shall attain, not a poor perishable wreath, but a crown that fadeth not away.”

In other words, poetic nice-sounding words are important and have their place. But they must always be outweighed by a sense of truth-based devotion. And when they are, our songs will endure longer and carry more weight whenever and wherever they are sung.

Higher Grounds
Like it or not, writing congregational worship songs comes with certain guidelines—a set of restrictions not found in other songwriting contexts. If you set up a microphone at your coffee shop and sing songs to the local caffeine addicts, then within reason, you can sing just about anything you want. But when it comes to writing sacred songs for the saints of God to sing, it’s a completely different matter. We must still aim to be as creative as we can possibly dream to be—and if at all possible, excel in the art of poetry and music. But when writing songs for the worshiping church there are different parameters for us to create within. Truth and purpose become our boundaries, and every single time, “meaning” moves from the outer fringes right into the very center.

Yes, the words we sing must always be packed with purpose and rooted in truth. Gone are the days when we could deliver songs solely on the basis of them sounding pretty cool. When they do, it can be a wonderful plus. And in fact, even the most truth-filled songs may not be used unless they are wrapped in some kind of accessible shell. But the point remains this: piety (as Welsey puts it) must always remain the master of poetry. Art must always submit to truth.

So worship God wholeheartedly. And choose your words carefully.

Visit mattredman.com.

In India With Brian Wurzell

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Exclusive Interview: Worship Leader with Brian Wurzell

Plus Free until 3/28/12: “Found in You” by Brian Wurzell and Ryan Axtell 
(scroll down for song)

WL:  Share a little about yourself:
BW: I’m Brian Wurzell and I’m the worship arts director at Cornerstone Christian Fellowship in Chandler, Arizona. I’ve been on staff here at Cornerstone since 2002. I grew up in Southern California under a very unique landscape of worship ministry. I started as a Jr. High student leading worship from the drums and eventually progressed to leading from an acoustic guitar. As a student I had incredible leaders/mentors who encouraged me and gave me many opportunities to grow as a young Worship Leader within the local church. I sort of fell into vocational ministry by nothing less than the pure call of God on my life. That unique calling moved me away from being a career Firefighter out to Arizona to be a full-time staff worship leader at Cornerstone where I’ve gratefully spent the last 10 years serving.

WL:  What is your life’s passion as it regards worship?
BW: I am passionate about cultivating a people committed to worship seven days a week, which ultimately creates a pinnacle experience when we gather together. I’m also a guy that really believes that we need to have a biblical center for our worship and I’m constantly trying to be a better student and leader in this area. Good melodies and hooks are really important, but finding the songs that are also rich in biblical theology is the linchpin in my opinion. I love seeing the spiritual lights go on for people I’m leading as they sing their theology to a living and loving God.

WL:  How did you find yourself in India recently?
BW: One of our strategic global partners at Cornerstone is a ministry called Harvest India (harvestindia.org). It’s one of the most well-led, Kingdom-minded and expansive ministries that I know of in the world. Dr. Suresh Kumar, President of Harvest India, has become one of my closest friends and global mentors and his invitation to “come to India” was the reason I went. Their ministry is located in Southern India, a few hundred miles North of the city of Chennai and they are working with the poorest of the poor in the country. They’re bringing humanitarian aid through every means (clean water, food distribution, medical care, AIDS/Hospice care, orphaned children homes, leper camps and the list goes on and on). The humanitarian aid is the entry point for Harvest India to then share the hope of the Gospel in Christ!

WL:  What struck you the most during your time there?
Brian: The level of poverty in India isbeyond anything I’ve seen in the world. I’ve been around the globe and seen quite a few developing countries, but the level of mass poverty in India is like nothing my eyes have ever seen. 

The thing that struck me in the most unique way was the gravity of the spiritual poverty. The latest statistics are 1.3 Billion people (and growing) and less than 3% of the population are professing Christians. Hinduism is the primary subscribed religious system in the nation and it is a confusing, oppressive set of beliefs that fuels the impoverished circumstances in their nation. Many of the people, while poor in physical terms, walk around with a hopelessness that can only be diagnosed as the spiritually poor. Truly, a nation ready for the hope of Jesus Christ!

I can, honestly, say that I believe that the nation of India is one of the most palatable places for the Gospel in the entire world.  My awakening to what God is doing in India has only charged me up to be a voice to invite others (like YOU) to join God in what He’s doing in that place!

WL:  What does the worship sound like there?
BW: Wow! The sound of the rescued in India is PASSIONATE, ALIVE, CHRIST-CENTERED and FULL OF HOPE! The Christians we worshiped alongside have a purpose-filled worship. They sing loud, they ALL participate and they take their gathering times seriously. Jesus is all to them!

Most of their worship gatherings, in the towns and villages, consist of a worship leader and a drum. So much of their musical sound is stripped back, instrumentally, but FULL ON with the sound of voices! It is simple yet powerful.

WL:  Was there a specific story that will stick with you?
BW: One of the Harvest India Pastors I’ve had the privilege to get to know, Pastor Marritos, was so proud to invite us into his village to do an outreach alongside of his newly built church. It’s a small, nicely built, 4 walled building with a parsonage attached to it. After our outreach was done he invited us into his ‘home’. The parsonage is, roughly, a 200 sq. ft. space where he and his family of 5 live together. I was humbled by his excitement to show us what he had been given. He had a church, he had a HOME, he had his family and in turn he had all that he needed. You should see his smile…electrifying experience!

When I asked Pastor Marritos about the kind of persecution he had been facing in his village, he looked back at me with a look of confusion and essentially, through his beautiful smile, said, “I don’t understand the question. When have we NOT faced persecution for the sake of the Gospel?” Again, another reality-check for my Western ministry mind. My sacrifice for the sake of the Gospel looks pretty small in comparison to my brothers and sisters in India. Humbling thought. 

WL:  How have you been encouraged from this experience?
BW: When your eyes have seen the opportunity for the pervasive hope of the Gospel in such an overlooked nation, all I can say is that I’m encouraged by the chance we have to join God in what He is doing in that place. The need is great, and now is the time! We can’t wait to join God there. Literally, think about this, hundreds of MILLIONS of people don’t have the transforming hope of Jesus in their lives. We carry the hope and our Christian responsibility is to take it to them. I’m encouraged that we can meet their physical needs, in many ways, but, that we can ultimately meet their spiritual needs too! Native and well-poised ministries like Harvest India give me the hope that there are people who understand the culture and know how to get the job done too! With great partnerships in the Eastern world the Western world really can be a part of a revolutionary move of the Gospel in places like India. 

FREE DOWNLOAD: “Found in You (live)”
Click here to get the song, chord chart, and lyrics

Note: This is an exclusive download for worship leaders; however all proceeds from the retail purchase of the song benefit harvest india (harvestindia.org).
If you prefer to purchase the song, go here: iTunes

WL: Tell us about “Found in You” the circumstances around writing it, how you want to use it, and how people can help.

BW: “Found in You” was birthed out of the trip to India in February 2012. I had the privilege of sharing this experience with my counter-part at Cornerstone Worship Arts Director, Ryan Axtell. Ryan is a gifted songwriter and worship leader and we have a blast working together! While we were in India we had the privilege of sharing a room together and it gave us the opportunity to process all that we were experiencing on our trip.

We would come back from a full day of ministry and talk about how God was moving amidst this broken nation. We would talk about things like how we sat with lepers…yes LEPERS…like Old Testament stuff. We had the chance to hear their stories and came to find that many of them have come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. We watched while they clapped their fingerless hands together in worship and lifted their sore arms to a living God! We realized the way they are rejected by Indian culture but have been FOUND in the Kingdom of God. It was overwhelming. Christ in them is the only thing that can explain the joy they carried!

Ryan had this Scripture, Philippians 3:7-11, that kept surfacing as a lyrical theme. A melody quickly surfaced around these words from Paul. In this passage Paul is expounding on this theme that all he possessed, past or present, he counts as loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus.

More and more we could not help but see this level of devotion and commitment in the Christ followers in India. Whether a local church Pastor, an outcast elderly person who had been brought into one of Harvest India’s Elderly Home’s, the orphan children who now have a place to call home, the women who are choosing the freedom of Christ out of the red light districts or the many transient lepers that we got to worship alongside. Each of these unique groups of people carried the weight of this concept of Christ being all that they need in this life.

So the choruses would revolve around that idea and the verses were in many ways around our spiritual perspective of what we were seeing during our trip. Being from the Western world and living in the lap of luxury/money/etc. it became clearer to us that ‘the riches of this world could never be enough, to capture my desire or satisfy my heart’. In many ways, it was watching the Christ followers in India that has inspired a new level of faith perspective for Ryan and me. We long to be Pastors that carry the words of this song all the way to the anthem of the Bridge; ‘we exalt the name of Jesus…be magnified in us’, whether rich or poor!

Our desire is that ‘Found In You’ would be a song that brings resourcing to the ever-needing ministry of Harvest India. Literally, all the proceeds that come in from this song will go directly to benefit the Gospel moving forward in the nation of India. We want this song to be an anthem of our church and we’d love people to support Harvest India by downloading the song from iTunes or sharing this story via Twitter/Facebook/Blog! Worship Leaders can help by doing the song and telling a bit of the story of what is happening in India as they introduce it to their communities! God is on the move in India and this is an easy way for us to let worship and justice prevail!

For all the info check out: foundinyou.com