One of the best things you can do to facilitate a smooth, timely and productive praise band rehearsal is to get your chord charts in order.
In addition to the benefits noted above, your band will also experience a sense of pure joy, peace and well-being. Happy players play better.
I can remember one praise band rehearsal I experienced at a megachurch that should know better. The charts were of the quickie Internet variety – printed from some nebulous website. The chords were not only often wrong, the chart was generic and didn’t follow the multitracks we were using. One chart was in the wrong key. And they were strewn across the music stand out of order.
Seriously? As the rehearsal dragged along I became more and more annoyed. Worship leader, the last thing a volunteer praise band member wants to do after a long day at work is to wrack their brains trying to make sense of your poorly-planned rehearsal.
I can remember another praise band rehearsal where I walked in only to find a notebook welcoming me with all the charts in perfect order (complete with sticky-note tabs on each song for easy referencing.) Good heavens, I felt like I was at a praise band luxury resort. All the charts matched the multitracks and the rehearsal was over and done with before I even knew what was happening. I also appreciated the one page service order I could keep next to my charts during the praise set.
Which band do you think I’d rather be playing with?
This week, try going the extra mile at your praise band rehearsal. Think ahead and figure out ways to make the experience a joy for your players.
15 Responses to “Chord Chart Chaos”
March 5, 2013
NathanNice article and very true! My favorite is when you get a chord chart provided that is some capo version. Not so helpful on the keyboard
We all know that the vast majority of chord charts available online are pretty rough. Almost always wrong or incomplete. Chords never lining up with the lyrics where they actually go. My suggestion is getting charts from http://www.WorshipReady.com. They are always right, exactly like the recordings they are based on! And if you use OnSong for the iPad, they have versions already formatted for the app. Major time saver and my band is never confused trying to figure out some mess of a chart!
March 5, 2013
Teri ShortWhy does it seem that most chord charts out there…even ones from “reputable” sites…seem to be put together by a 4 year old with a broken guitar?! So getting some printed copy of that at rehearsal is just a no-no, in my book. As a worship leader, you have to take the time to ensure that what you’re putting in front of your team makes visual and musical sense.
Nathan, I checked out WorshipReady. Looks great! I’m all for checking out resources that are going to help me keep my head screwed on straight! Time’s too short!
March 5, 2013
HeatherI am very persnickety (there’s a psychological term for it I won’t use here). When I joined the WT their charts were of the internet download variety, complete with inaccurate chords, misplaced chords, wrong keys, and no way to determine the instrumentation, intros, etc, not to mention being unable to remember what the order would be (VCVCCBC, etc). It was driving me bonkers, and the WL didn’t understand my frustration, not being musically educated — not even quite understanding that you cannot capo “down” a song on a guitar!
So I have been, for the past couple years, the person who creates all our lead sheets/chord charts. I’ve created a template in Word for this. The template includes a header (for the non-Word savvy people, the header is an element that appears at the top of each page automatically and contains text that is the same from page to page). The header will include the title, composer names(s), copyright holder, key and time signature, tempo, CCLI # (the title, composer(s), copyright holder, and CCLI song number are required for CCLi licensees). The header also includes the page count and number (1 of 1, 1 of 2, which you can automate in Word). If the song is charted for a particular lead voice — ie, female, male, etc, that’s also on the header. If I chart the song for both leads at the same time I print them 2 sided. The pages are 2-column, with 1/2″ margins all around. Sometimes the 2nd guitarist will use the male lead and capo up to give a different intonation on the guitars, a nice use of my extra work too!
Now the CCLI license says you can create your own if “no published version” is available. One can argue that if you have to change the key or make it so it is easily usable by any musician on your team; or if you have members who don’t know musical notation, then “no published version” is available and you can make your own!
For the songs themselves, I look to the recording to create the instrumentation and intensity cues which are written in smaller italicised print near the point that the changes occur. (Why reinvent the wheel?) The point of the changes in intensity and instrumentation is, of course, to draw attention to certain parts of the lyrics and aid the worshipers. I also try to create an introduction to the song to permit the WL to pray before/between songs, so it can be repeated ad infinitum. I write the song out in a linear fashion, ie, you normally don’t need to loop back or jump back visually (to a different part of the page) to progress to the chorus after the second verse, after the bridge, etc. You just follow the song in a linear way from start to finish. I also write out a outtro for the song instrumentation, to facilitate flow between songs. Occasionally I will indicate a repeat of the final element — normally a chorus — if this will keep it to one sheet (in the interest of stewardship of our resources).
I use a variety of resources to get accurate chords and the basic bass line. I have been blessed in that I am able to figure out much of the chord progressions through listening to the audio, but I also use resources available for free as available. Subscribers of WorshipTogether.com get links to free piano-vocal charts (treble line in musical notation with chords written above). This site publishes new songs from artists such as Hillsong, Rend Collective, Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, Jeremy Camp, Brenton Brown, and offers many free to email subscribers. Paul Baloche also has a good site with his songs, and Jesus Culture has recently also been putting lead sheets online on their own site. And of course here at Worship Ideas, Don has charts and some great articles and advice, I look forward to receiving his email weekly.
Also, there is an app for iphone (and possibly available for other smart-phone platforms and tablets) called Tempo Slow. You can use this app to play your digital audio files at a slower pace, whilst keeping in the same key, thus you can pick apart the bass line, the melody and any special parts you want to include in your chart (or learn yourself). For auditory learners, I highly recommend this app to aid you in learning songs.
I don’t recommend using the piano vocal arrangements directly as they are sometimes difficult to follow, especially if one has not taken music theory and thus is not cognizant of the various musical terms and symbols. (See above note re CCLI license restrictions re “no published arrangement” being available.)
Finally, for the less-knowledgeable guitarists, I put a small table at the end of the song titled “chords used in this song.” I get those images at a site called guitarchords247.com. The images are .png and can be inserted in your table and resized to fit the area you’ve got left. I have a sub-folder to my “sheet music and lead sheets” folder in my computer just for downloaded guitar chord images. My guitar players much appreciate the aid.
Is this extremely detailed? Yes. Did it help keep our team on track whilst learning and practising songs? Definitely! And saves time too. And there’s a benefit to the designated song-charter — you will know the songs backwards and forwards by the time you’re done, I have practically memorised many of them!
March 5, 2013
TreyDoes your praise team practice once a week or do you practice right before your worship service?
March 5, 2013
Don ChapmanI know churches who do both. I prefer to have a midweek rehearsal so the group can go out together afterwards for pizza and wings.
March 5, 2013
NathanWe practice weekly following our midweek service (so they don’t have to come out for an additional night). This works well for us. Then we meet briefly prior to Sunday services, basically for a sound check and to run through one song (if a newer one) or just refresh on intros and transitions.
March 7, 2013
HeatherEvery other week. For about 2.5 hrs, including a 30-minute devotional/prayer time. Some weeks, we won’t have rehearsed other than for about 15 minutes prior to the service (beginning about 1 hr prior to the start time). But we’ll use only familiar songs on those weeks. About half our time or more is devoted to learning new songs, normally I’m charting two songs for every practise.
March 5, 2013
Phil RossSo true so true. When I take the time to prepare the chord sheets and music and get it in order things go so smoothly. Our church’s choir director for the “traditional” service began playing the bass for our praise team. It has been a great addition. But, he is a trained director (also teaches high school and middle school band). So, he is a bit more “exact” in his requirements for rehearsal and performance. I chafed pretty good at the beginning. I wasn’t used to having to do that much preparation. But, over the months we have compromised and I realize now what a good thing it has been for both of us. Thanks for your work.
March 5, 2013
susanLOL at the praise team luxury resort!!
I’m a persnickety detail person too, but I think some people’s brains just don’t operate that way, so it’s hard if they are in charge!
March 5, 2013
Don ChapmanUnfortunately most artist types (i.e. worship leaders) don’t have the organizational gene!
March 6, 2013
TimI have always found it frustrating that CCLI chord charts are not higher quality. It would sure save us worship leaders a lot of time if the source we are already paying for was done better.
I always write my own chord charts, mainly because I want them on 1 page. It is much harder to use a chord chart that is 2 to 3 pages long.
March 7, 2013
Don ChapmanYep, the CCLI charts are baffling. Try PraiseCharts.com.
March 7, 2013
NathanCCLI charts are definitely hit-and-miss at best. PraiseCharts are okay… although not super dependable either. The WorshipReady.com charts are spot-on… chords always placed above the lyrics exactly where they line up musically which helps a lot. Never seen a wrong chord either.
March 12, 2013
John MarshallHas anyone tried e-chords.com?
Not only Christian songs, but a load of “secular” songs as well.
Try it!
April 25, 2013
MichaelI believe chord chart restrict innovation sometimes. Be innovative. Remember the original but try and practice different arrangements.