Teach Me To Worship

So just keep that E shape and slide it up for the B and A mate? Beautiful sounding chords (maybe an E2 at 7th now and then for E - 0 7 9 9 7 7?), I'll have to steal that trick A mate does a similar stunt with the C, slides it up a couple of frets in one of his songs. I love all those weird 6s and 9s

Lyrically I'ld probably take out the middle chorus and merge the verses into one, maybe even add a verse......but hey I'm old :smilewinkgrin:

 

Cool Miles ahead of me mate, my grand total for writing songs is about 3½ or something. I'ld probably have more chance of getting something done if I'ld learn to stop fiddling Even without the fiddle I still like this one.

Just looked the chords up in Chord Magic, it reckons the B is Emaj9, and the A = C#m7+5/E or Esus4 add C#.....I reckon Chord Magic is a show-off and will just call them B & A

 

David, if you're wanting to convey the melodies of your songs, try using numbers. 1 Do, 2 Re, 3 Mi and so on.

Using minus signs for the octave below, and plus signs for the octave above, you have enough symbols for a melody with a three-octave scale.

...-5.-6.-7..1...2..3...4...5...6..7.+1.+2.+3...
...Sol La Ti Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Ti Do Re Mi...

5....3.....3.....2.....3..5...5......6....6..+1....6...6....5...5
Je-sus loves me, This I know, for the Bi---ble tells me so.

Pete, do you remember Su Wei's Chinese hymn? She had a way to indicate rests and note values, half-notes, quarter notes, and so on. I've been searching the archives, but I can't find it. Can you find it?

Anyway, David, as a musician you can figure out how to do that. For example, you could make a rule that unless otherwise signified, every number gets one count.

For this little song I'd say the time signature is 4/4, and would indicate measures with a forward slash.

/ 5 3 3 2 / 3 5 5 /

Since "know" in "this I know" is held for two counts, I'd stick two fives in parentheses to show that it's the same note held for two counts.
/ 5 3 3 2 / 3 5 (5 5) / 6 6 +1 6/ 6 5 (5 5) /

You can still use # and b and such to indicate accidentals and other variations.

Jazzing up the melody will be more complicated with this kind of notation, but it can be done with a little thought.

Anyway, try this, and we'll be able to pick out the melodies of your songs as well as the chords.

-------------------------------
Found Su Wei's hymn. The formatting didn't translate when the BB changed its format.

http://www.baptistboard.com/showthread.php?t=5304

 

hahahaha I just hit reply to add link to that thread you were after Aaron and found you got it before me :applause: I might have to hand in my nerd licence :smilewinkgrin:

 

Happened to see my name and just wanted to say HI!!! :laugh:

:wavey:

 

The same flat melody line and chord progressions repeated over and over for four minutes with no variation or embellishment? Somewhat an imposition on the forbearance of others, don't you think? At least throw a key change in there somewhere. :type:

 

David -

Don't worry what others think. You asked for opinions, and got several. Take the good comments, take the criticism, process them both, and move on. I imagine your worship and the prayer that is the song is pleasing to the Lord if your heart and spirit were in the right place. I've seen no evidence to the contrary. Take heart, bro. None of us are professional song-crafters.

In His Grip,
joshua

 

Yeah, dont worry about it. You asked for people's thoughts, so be assured there will always be one at least who doesnt say what you want to hear.

I love to compose as well, but I dont post em here.

 

Not a problem. And, honestly (as usual), the reason I stay out of so many discussions about someone sharing their songs is because I'm not impressed with many of them. Few of us are, but the composer usually just wants positive feedback.

Very, very few, good sermons come together without a lot of study, prayer and revision. In other words, it's work. It's going to be the same with songs. In your reply to Pete, you said, "...you are probably right about editing this but I just leave them alone after I write them down." It doesn't sound to me like you're willing to work at music, and until you are, your songs will usually be mediocre. It's a pity, really, because it sounds like you have potential.

 

Yeah, several of my songs are still in various points of revision even after a few years. My problem is I don't have the time to devote solely to song-craft, and so it often times falls by the way side for weeks or months at a time. Edit, revise, edit, revise... it often can be a never-ending cycle for me. It's partly because I'm a perfectionist, but mostly because I want a song from me to God or from me ABOUT God to be the best it can be!

 

You fraid they'll bash the spuds into mash tators :laugh: :laugh: :wavey:

JK, our musician writes also. If i'm not mistaken he wrote some of my favorite songs. It's hard to tell in Church, they all just contribute to worship and praise and I guess I never even think of where the song came from or who wrote it.

 

You ever hear the story about the old uneducated ladies prayer or even the Bible story about the woman who gave a penny? Don't try to perfect it, let it flow from the heart and He will perfect it.

 

I think this has a lot to do with how long the preacher has been preaching and how often he teaches, preaches, lectures etc...

I once saw my Dad preach another man's text. The visiting preacher read his text, named his subject then grabbed his heart and sat down and said he couldn't do it. They helped him out of the sanctuary and called 911, in the mentime my Dad stood and preached his text using his same subject. It was one of the best messages I heard him preach. His response when we got home was, "I've taught that verse a million times".

My point was the longer the preacher does it the less time he spends preparing.

 

Naw, I just dont wanna show em up...:saint:

I think thats how it ought to be. When we have sung a song of mine congregationally or when I have done one alone, I never tell that it is my song. Because it's not.

Worship through composition is a beautiful event.

 

I agree completely. For copyright purposes we list the author/composer, copyright and CCLI # on the final slide of each song, and that is pretty small down in the corner. I don't call attention to "my songs," but because they know I write songs, I've been asked about writing anything they know isn't a hymn. I once got asked if I had written "I Can Only Imagine" after I sang it for a funeral. I just smiled and said no, but thank you. That song goes in the category of songs I wish I'd written.

 

Here you go David, I put guitar on this one together with those chords of yours and a few others Fill Thou My Life

When I can teach singer mate the melody I'll upload it with vocal. Can't do it myself, I sing even worse than play guitar (Didn't hit that rotten harmonic note right once in this version Instead of clear ringing tone it sounded like a plate of spaghetti on toast hitting the floor....spaghetti side down )