I love it when congregations sing so loud that the soundman has trouble hearing the worship band over the people singing around him. Worship leaders – if the congregation is not singing, we are not doing what God has called us to do. Here are a few things that I’ve learned that can discourage your congregation from singing.
1. Frequent and long instrumental solos
The goal is to get the congregation to be involved. If you have too many solos and they are too long, it can cause the congregation to disengage and become spectators. In certain situations, a well placed solo or short 4-8 bar instrumental works well. But be careful not overuse them. I generally use them only as short transitions to the next section. I also find short song intros are generally the best (4-8 bars is ideal).
2. Doing too many new songs
I love new songs and the band loves learning new songs. But, the congregation doesn’t get tired of songs as fast as we do. They haven’t put in hours of listening to and rehearsing the songs or playing the same songs in multiple services. They just hear it once on Sunday morning and maybe on Christian radio. A congregation can only learn so many songs. Be careful about how often you introduce new songs.
3. Having too many songs in your worship rotation
There are hundreds of thousands of worship songs and hymns. I recently read that CCLI has around 300,000 worship songs in their catalogue. But, how many songs does your congregation really sing in a year? Probably only 40-50. My advice is to continually edit your overall top songs list and repeat songs on a regular basis.
4. Using songs that aren’t the best of the best
There are great songs and there are average songs. Learn to pick the best of the best. SongSelect has a ‘most popular’ list that really is the songs that congregations love to sing. Some worship leaders avoid ‘popular lists’ because they think that is unspiritual. But I believe the Holy Spirit is speaking to worship leaders all over the world and one of the results is a consistent list of top songs that most churches are using.
Here is my list of top songs (which includes preferred keys for strong congregational singing). PlanningCenter.com also has a great ‘Top Song’ feature that shows what songs all their churches are using that week.
Side Note: That doesn’t mean that other people’s Top Song list are the best for your congregation. Each congregation has its own culture. Top Song lists also don’t include your locally written songs and songs that God is personally speaking to you about. But, it is a great place to start.
5. Putting songs in too high or too low keys
Your average person does not have a huge singing range. The ‘Rule of D’ (top note is around a ‘D’ i.e. C-Eb) is a great guideline for choosing the best key to sing in. If you pitch songs in comfortable keys the congregation is more apt to sing-along.
It is true that when you go to a concert, you will hear the crowd sing in any key… But if you’re working in smaller churches or groups… The right key becomes a way more important!
Here is a great diagram from musicacademy.com that illustrates congregational singing ranges.
6. Using singers and band members who aren’t worshippers
When your congregation sees singers and band members who are fully engaged and worshiping the Lord with all their heart, it encourages them to do the same. Encourage your whole team to memorize their music. Teach them the attitudes of worship and the actions of worship: standing, singing, clapping, raising their hands, dancing, bowing down, playing instruments, shouting and giving. Teach them to be passionate worshipers on and off the stage. Teach them the importance of good stage presence and the power of smiling.
7. Making the arrangement and rhythms too complicated
It’s easy to lose a congregation if the form and flow of the song isn’t musically obvious. Certain musical forms (i.e. intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, double chorus, tag and end) really help congregations feel comfortable about where the song is going. Don’t create unnecessary complications to solid musical form.
Also be careful about using melodic rhythms that are too complicated. Congregations are learning to sing more complicated rhythms but be sensitive to where that musical and rhythmic line is.
8. Vocal ad libs that confuse congregations
I love ad libs that help congregations know what is happening next. But sometimes overuse or mis-timed ad libs can throw off your congregation. Really practice the use and timing of ad-libs so they help and don’t hinder congregational singing.
9. Having the band playing all the time
Learn when the band and individual instruments should play and not play. Learn to build a musical arrangement and where to have the band or an instrument sit out a section. Some of the most powerful singing is when the band doesn’t play at all. Creating musical layers gives more musical interest and space for congregational singing.
10. Having miscues with lyrics
Put your best media operators on the computer running your lyrics. Double-check the order of your lyrics and the spelling. Have a full run-through with your lyric operator to double-check for mistakes. Slow and mis-timed or mis-spelled lyrics can really inhibit a congregation from singing with all their heart.
I spend time each week making sure the lyrics are in the exact order that we plan to sing them on Sunday. That way the lyric operator only has to advance to the next slide. I also put in blank slides for instrumental sections.
11. Using only new songs
I love to learn and use all the great new songs that God is giving to the church. But I have learned that congregations still love to sing the best of the great hymns and older choruses. Learn to include some classics to help all the generations sing with all their heart.
12. Worship leading without proper prayer and preparation
Time spent in private reading the Word, praying and worshiping, really is the secret to effective worship leading. Learn to develop a daily time with God and teach your worship team to do the same. God will honor you in public when you honor Him in the secret place. When the congregation senses God in the house, they will be more engaged.
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What about ‘to loud’ music….
Hi Sonia.. I’ve been in environments where the music was too loud for my tastes.. but still everyone was singing because they knew and loved the songs.. So while I think it’s wise to keep the volume at a reasonable level.. I personally don’t think is one of the main things that hold people back from singing..
I find it can also go the other way, if the sound is too quiet, I find people don’t engage as much.
I would argue for your point Sonia. I once served in a church with a very domineering sound guy who felt it necessary to have the sound levels up to 11. Even though, (and I say this in love) the worship team at the time was going through a period of change from traditional style worship to more modern contemporary worship, but they weren’t quite there yet. Still, the sound guy believed that if he had the sound up loud people could hear it out in the streets and want to come and join – like an outreach tool. Great idea, except we were worshiping in an over sized shed that hadn’t had the acoustics tested yet. Basically, it ended up being a whole lot of noise pollution and awful distortion. Really the problem is not just music that is “too loud” (although it can be a huge distraction) but more the churches negligence to be visually and spatially aware of the environment they worship in. i.e. a chapel style service would have a small intimate worship team set up (acoustic guitar, keyboard, some vocalists). A large church feel service would be kitted out with the full sound of a worship band. etc..
Great reminders, Mark. Thanks for this.
Thanks for your encouragement!
Hi Mark, I’m new at leading worship, and have recently joined this church which is still
in the process of forming worship teams. I found your “12 Things That can Discourage Congregational Singing” very helpful and timely. (Thanks to a mutual friend–Dave K., who introduced me to your site.)
Thanks Lee.. blessing on your new ministry
Thanks Mark. I think I’ll tag this. Blessings. Tim
Hey Tim.. good to hear from you!
Mark,
I come from an a cappella background and except for the obvious references that do not apply, you are right on. Too often the focus becomes the music on stage instead of the singing in the pew. Once the focus is to the front instead of upward and across, we have lost the purpose and benefits of congregational worship. There have been periods in our Christian history when only paid choirs were allowed to express the feelings of the congregation in song. Now days, in an effort to be as good and good gets, we hire musicians and forget the wonderful sound of a thankful heart expressing itself in a joyful noise.
Great list.
I would also add that when the tempo is too slow like a durge it is difficult for those of us who are musically challenged to carry notes for long, and it’s uninspiring and just work to sing. I started coughing this morning attempting to sing those long drawn out notes. I know I know…I’m supposed to sing from my diaphragm! I wished I could capture the attention of our three worship ladies and gesticulate to pick up the pace. Great songs but could not get into worship.
I agree. The right tempo is so important! Going too slow or too fast can really effect the effectiveness of a song.
Excellent synopsis Mark. Thanks for putting it so clearly
Thanks Steve!
Hey Mark,
Thanks for the post! Much of what you said resonates with my experience being in ministry the last 15 years, so thank you for your concise thoughts. I really appreciated how genuine and kind your encouragement was and how adaptable the advice is. While I don’t think every church ought to also sing hymns, I can adapt the idea of going back to the “classics” in point 11 as it still translates to my specific situation.
Even your early points about having too many songs were great because you didn’t provide a legalistic number (e.g. 2 songs is too few, and 5 songs is too many, etc.) but you encourage everyone to consider your audience. For us, this is the congregation, and finding that balance of number of songs and number of new songs to older songs is awesome!
I noticed you didn’t include any note about types of songs, and maybe that breakdown is so vast that it could be it’s own post, but it might be worth exploring at some point. All in all, thank you for the encouragement and I pray the Lord blesses you and keeps you.
Chris
Hey thanks Chris.. I actually do have a post on that subject: ‘7 Keys To Picking A Great Worship Set This Sunday’
Hi Chris.. thanks for the encouraging comments.. Here’s my top songs list for 2019 to give you an idea on the types of songs.. http://www.markcole.ca/my-top-worship-song-for-2017/
Three more discouragers to consider:
1. Not taking into account the demographic of the congregation. This includes the ages involved, together with their background and culture. For instance, if you are in a rural church of predominately older folks, the songs your people are most likely to sing heartily will be different than those in a more urban or younger congregation. It is not surprising to hear that younger folks learn new songs more readily than older folks.
2. Paying no attention to the musical “heart language” of those you lead can definitely discourage congregational singing. Some churches worship best with, say, Southern Gospel hymns with a decided bluegrassy flavor, while some truly worship best with a majestic “A Mighty Fortress,” “Oh God, Our Help in Ages Past,” or a slow, quiet setting of “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.” Still other churches worship best with the songs they’re currently hearing on the Fish or K-Love radio, maybe something from Tomlin, Crowder, or Mercy Me. Some churches might worship best when all of these genres and more are used. The question is not which is better, or even which is the leader’s favorite. The best question is which music will best help this particular congregation encounter God in worship, hear His word and respond to His call. This doesn’t mean staying within the narrow confines of a top few favorites, of course, but it might mean that those will form the core of songs being selected.
3. By ignoring the accompaniment resources available, a worship leader can create such giggles in the congregation that it’s hard to sing! Expecting 83-yr. old, classically trained Wilma Jean, who’s been the Organist for 61 years, to read a lead sheet for a highly syncopated arrangement of “Our God,” on a 4-octave Casio using a DX7 patch is probably not going to end well! On the other hand, if your main instrumentalist is a gifted, self-taught 17-yr. old guitarist, you really shouldn’t ask her to try to make her Tele sound like a Moller pipe organ for a somber “Dear Lord and Father of Mankind Forgive Our Foolish Ways.” Of course we now have a number of prerecorded accompaniment options today, and some churches are perfectly fine using loops, CDs, or even YouTube karaoke clips. In other churches such things may be more of a distraction than an encouragement. Which kind of accompaniment is better or which a worship leader prefers may have to take a back seat to what’s on hand.
To put this in a more positive light. a wise worship leader will consider a church’s demographic, their musical “heart language,” and the accompaniment resources available. Such things can be a strong encouragement for their musical worship.
Thanks John.. good food for thought!
Thank you for your observations. However, you failed to mention one of the most important deterrents to church singing – the excessive amplification of instruments and people on stage with microphones. I can’t even hear the person next to me sing, if they are singing at all. I mentioned that to my husband who replied, “they aren’t singing, I sometimes hand out lessons to the congregation so I’m facing them as I walk down the aisle and most of them are just standing there.” Ken Ham, of Answers in Genesis, said he observed the same thing in many churches where he has spoken.
I worked for over 10 years for a hearing aid distributor and have talked professionally with 2 ENT’s and several audiologists. The rock music volume not only causes hearing damage, but also affects the heart, blood pressure, headaches, and anxiety. Our bodies are the “temple of the Holy Spirit”. That includes the ears.
The term “worship team” implies that everyone else is a spectator. Worship, or song leaders should do just that… lead, not take over and drown out the congregation. Martin Luther recognized the importance of congregational singing. That’s why he wrote over 30 hymns. But even when songs are fit for the average singer, fewer people sing when the instruments and stage singers are so loud. I have been praying that singing be restored to the congregations.
I believe that the Lord wants to hear all of us sing, even those who think that they are tone deaf, that’s why He says in numerous scriptures that we should sing. My husband couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket with a lid on it, but he sang anyway. While smiling, he told me that if the Lord didn’t like his voice, He could change it.
Just as congregations should be encouraged to read the Bible and pray, they also should be encouraged to sing.
Thanks your insight. Personally, the volume doesn’t stop me from singing. I find I only stop singing when I don’t know the song. But, I can see how it might affect some people.
Thank you for your reply. Some people do sing but it’s usually only about 10 to 20 per cent of the congregation. I have sung along with others also, but after some time, I started to experience tinnitus. After my family started to go to a church that didn’t blast us with the volume, the tinnitus stopped. If the tiny “hairs” are damaged, they will grow back, but if the larger hairs are damaged, the damage is permanent. It may take some time. Hearing loss is usually gradual.
The excessive noise can do as much damage to the ears as smoking does to the lungs. Ask an Ear Nose and Throat MD or an audiologist, and he or she will probably confirm that. At least that’s what they’ve told me.