Musical Instruments, or the lack thereof

Some Church of Christ ministers have told me that musical instruments are not mentioned in the N.T. and that's why they don't use them. Ephesians 5:18-21 is one of their texts.

rufus

 

I think this is an example of limiting what God has said. He is all powerful and I think musical instruments are very important in praising and glorifying our Lord.

(Did I say I was the church organist? )

 

<You go girl>

I love instruments in the church. I love to sing and I think instruments enhance the service. They certainly uplift my spirit!

I am a firm believer in giving God my time, tithes, and talents. Playing a musical instrument is a talent...a gift from God. Why would He give us something if He didn't want us to use it?


Sue

 

Instruments were used in the Old Testament, and there is no explicit forbidding of them in the New Testament...That is about it for what we know of it

I am a guitarist but think there can be problems when both "always instruments" and "no instruments" lines are pushed. I also believe that no instrument could ever match the awesome sound of a group of the Lord's people singing a capella.

Pete

 

I agree.

 

I agree also. We do both. When the women are singing acapella without the men....it sounds like an angelic choir.

No offense to the men...they sound good too.

 

Amen to the a cappella!

Anyone here heard of Vocal Union?

 

I don't mind some musical instruments as long as the voices are what is heard...sometimes the music over powers the voices.

 

We use an organ in our church to... The mouth organ... In all seriousness I am the song leader of our church and any Primitive Baptist Church that I have been to sing accapella. The only musical instrument that has ever been used in our church was a pitch pipe. Our song books are written in shape notes and a type of singing among some Primitive Baptist is called sacred harp. If Brother Robert Vaughn happens by he can tell you all about it as that is his expertise. I don't sing sacred harp but lead the congregation is uplifting accapella singing unto the Lord. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord! I feel when we get to heaven the saints of God in song will drown out any musical instrument... A multitude no man can number... Now that's a choir! ... Anybody got a harp Brother Glen

 

Oh, those shaped notes

I have never learned why they are good and when I have to play from a book with shaped notes, it is difficult for me to tell if they are on a line or space.

What is the difference in reading shaped notes or the regular notes when singing?

Is this a belief of Primitive Baptist to not have musical instruments and why?

 

Interestingly enough, the opposite is true as well.

I'd me amiss, however, if quality music was absent from the worship service. The church I attend has a volunteer orchestra that is rather well staffed. You might ask, what does a church need with a full orchestra? Well, my own 12 yo daughter, an avid clarinetist, is dying to play in the orchestra next year. So I'm thankful that there's a place that she can serve.

 

Sorry about the trouble (3 posts) I'm new at this bulletin board idea and not sure about what I'm doing.

Here's my response Thankful's question about shaped notes:

Actually there is no difference in reading shape-notes and "round" notes. The thing with shaped notes is that there is aunique shape for each scale degree "do" "re" "mi" etc. When printed on a staff they are placed in the right place. My mother can play piano from a shape-note collection, but not a round note one. I don't get it.

I personally love the shap-note tradition. They are fun to sing especially when sing it through using the syllable names. (do, re, etc.)

There are several shape-note systems that have been developed over the years. From 4 to 7 shapes.

I'd be glad to get any posting pointers you can give. Great to be here.

Tenor (a Baptist Minister of Music)

 

For those of us who have been raised in it, shape notes are easier to recognize. That's easier than actually looking at what line a note is on.

Really, it doesn't matter all that much to me. I sang in our school choir for about 8 years with only round notes. I know both. I do prefer the shape notes because that is how I learned to sing.

With regard to the instruments, I think I've said it before, but I'll say it again. Instruments were not a part of the New Testament worship service, or rather not mentioned as part. They are a worldly invention to sound pleasing to man's ears. Our ears are not what needs to be pleased. Believe me, if it had to sound good to us to sound good to God, our church would be in trouble.

Anyway, I think we should keep as many worldly things as possible out of the church, and that is one of them. You give a little in this area, and soon you'll be giving a little in other areas. That is why the Primitive Baptists have remained so unchanged over the years.

Instruments are not necessary to worship, and sometimes take away from it, so I would not agree to their use in our church.

Bro. Glen, you use a pitch pipe? For shame. If we pitched our songs in the key they are written to, no one could sing. I try to pitch them to what most of the congreation can sing.

God Bless. Bro. James

 

Brother James... It wasn't my pitch pipe ... Another song leader whipped it out of his pocket and later on we destroyed the evil thing ... I've been singing in the PB church for 35 years plus some... The notes are in my head and after I hear a new song a couple of times I commit it to memory!... I was raised in my church singing next to my song leading Dad since the age of twelve... I'm now 57 and know the songs of Zion ... I agree with the way you worded that Brother James... Our Church!... We do not have musical instruments in Our Church... What you all do in your church is fine for you and your church but not Our Church!... Brother Glen

 

The Primitive Baptist Church I've been attending does not use instruments either and that's one thing that I miss about my days at the United Pentecostal Church. They were big on instruments and music. Some of the songs at the Prim. Baptist are a bit different than even what I remember from other previous Baptist churches or the Evangelical Free Church. I'm not much of a singer myself, but I like to hear other people sing.

 

Thankful, Tenor has given some information about shape/shaped notes, but I will add a little more. First, shaped note heads are an American invention! In 1801 William Little & William Smith compiled a tunebook called The Easy Instructor, which used their new four shape notation system. For those who are interested, here is Introduction to shape note singing in the Sacred Harp tradition. Also check out the vast resource: SACRED HARP AND RELATED SHAPE NOTE MUSIC. The purpose of shaped notes is to make sight reading easy. Studies have proved that shaped notes accomplish this much more quickly and efficiently than round notes. Though they would probably be little needed by anyone who intends to devote their life and livelihood to music, they are a boon to those who want to learn simply and quickly how to read music. Each syllable of the scale - do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti - has a distinct and corresponding shape. The reading of these shapes can actually render some symbols and sights of traditional musical notation unneccessary. The lines and spaces are technically unneccessary - the shape designates each note's correspondence to the other notes. But if the shapes are on lines and spaces, one would not have to learn key signatures, because looking at the shape of the last note in the bass line will tell in which key (A-G) the tune is written (and whether in major or minor). I guess you could say that there is no difference in the final outcome of reading shape notes or round notes. The main difference is in the resources it provides to the beginer.

 

Thank you for the explanations about shaped notes.

I learned with the round notes and ABC, etc. I never did learn the do re etc. Even though I have been playing an instrument since I was 8 years old, I have had to work very hard to train my ear. I know when it is right or wrong, but I still need the instrument for certain pitches.

I think it is wonderful that some of you can remember the exact tune in your mind and then sing. I think that is a special gift.

Of course, you already know that I do not think that musical instruments are of the world and not for church. Yes, they are in the world, but I think that they can be used in church as well.

I will not argue this matter. I respect your beliefs.