Relax in the moment

   🎹🎻🎷 STRATEGIES FOR CONNECTING WORSHIP SONGS🖊️🪕🎤

                         🪗🎶 Season 1. Episode 5. RELAX IN THE MOMENT 🎹🎼

Transitions oftentimes feel awkward because we worship leaders feel awkward. We’re nervous. And what does nervousness do? It breeds more nervousness. We don’t intentionally think through our transitions and approach them with wishful thinking. But what if you decided to relax into those moments in between songs? What if you didn’t rush, didn’t strive, didn’t over-spiritualize the moment? What if you were yourself? The more I’ve thought like this, the more I’ve approached those moments with confidence.

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Teach your band

🎹🎻🎷 STRATEGIES FOR CONNECTING WORSHIP SONGS🖊️🪕🎤

                         🪗🎶 Season 1. Episode 4. TEACH YOUR BAND 🎹🎼

There are specific ways that your band can learn to connect the songs in your set. We don’t just want teams who know how to play songs. We want teams who are there to pastor the music, engage in worship, and create a sense of flow. Here’s some things to try: if you’re speaking, have your band play behind you to minimize any awkward silence. A light drum groove and lead guitar melody can add a nice effect. Train your band to not “check out” after a song, but to be ready for what’s coming next.

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Look

🎹🎻🎷 STRATEGIES FOR CONNECTING WORSHIP SONGS🖊️🪕🎤

                         🪗🎶 Season 1. Episode 3. LOOK BACKWARD AND FORWARD 🎹🎼

Most of us spend a good bit of time looking for great new songs. We listen to CDs, subscribe to Spotify, download on iTunes. We scour YouTube for the latest Hillsong anthems. But what if we put just as much effort into looking back as we do looking forward? What older songs will unlock special moments for your church?

I think every worship set you plan should have this backward/forward dynamic. Learn to be a student of church history and of your church’s history. Capture the deep, wide story of God in your song choices. Resist the urge to just try and be cool.

_Bringing back older songs is a great strategy for bringing connection to your setlist._

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The power of transition songs

🎹🎻🎷 STRATEGIES FOR CONNECTING WORSHIP SONGS🖊️🪕🎤

                   🪗🎶 Season 1. Episode 2. HARNESS THE POWER OF TRANSITION SONGS 🎹🎼

Transitioning from fast to slow can be awkward. Matter of fact, any transition can be awkward. But I’ve found that having a slower, more theologically driven song after a fast song can help drive the theme home.

For example, this last weekend we did “Let it Be Known” from Worship Central which is a fairly “shallow” theme theologically but still a fun, powerful declaration. As a “transition” song we sang the old “When I Think About the Lord” which tied in the whole “shout” and “declare” theme from both songs. It wasn’t a full arrangement, just a simple 2 minute transition which helped make the transition smoother (and engaged the older generation).

These simple, transition song moments not only encourage congregational singing they also give your band a breather before launching into another full arrangement. Give it a try!

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Logical songs

🎹🎻🎷 STRATEGIES FOR CONNECTING WORSHIP SONGS🖊️🪕🎤

                   🪗🎶 Season 1. Episode 1. CONNECT LOGICAL SONG PATHWAYS 🎹🎼

This is a strategy that has worked really well for me. Rather than trying to find a few isolated songs out of the air, connect the final phrase of your current song with the first phrase of the next. This is a great way for songs to flow in theme and style.

For example, the song “Cornerstone” ends with the phrase “He is Lord, Lord of All” which logically flows into the chorus of “At Your Name” – “Lord of all the earth we shout your name.” Or like Chris Tomlin did, “How Great is Our God” flows very logically into “How Great Thou Art.”

It’s these kind of medleys and song connections that make the truth a little stickier for people. I’m all for the big, isolated song arrangements. But having a “medley moment” in every worship set makes it feel more human and flow more.

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