Category Archives: Motivational

Guest Articles, Motivational, Preparation and Organization, Resources

What Songs are We SINGING?

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What Songs are We Singing?! Thank you Glenna Lasater for your wonderful perspective on this subject!

May I just say that I think that the whole debate between old and new gospel music is silly. We are worship leaders. Our job is to lead God’s people into worship—not just the young people—not just the old people—but the entire church.

Music is a thing that ticks in emotion with the experiences in your memory. Your experience may have happened decades ago, yet it feels like just yesterday when you hear a certain song. You start to sing those lyrics and it transports you back to that moment when you were at the altar of repentance. We want to stir up those memories. We need to remember where God brought us from!

The reason there are fewer songs about the Lord’s return is because there has been less preaching about the Lord’s return. The Word of God inspires musicians to write songs. The new songs are written about what they are hearing preached just as the older songs were written about what they were hearing preached.

It is important that our young people hear the powerful songs about Heaven and the rapture, but that does not mean that there is no value in the worship songs written today. It is not a competition—us against them. We are all God’s people!

I think the ideal worship service would be a blend of both the old and new so that we can reach everybody. So that we can take everybody back to that moment in their lives. We must get out of the way so that God can do a mighty work in HIS church.

The Bible tells us to sing a new song, but it does not tell us to quit singing the old, familiar songs. If you put this conversation into God’s timing, these are all new songs. What all musicians pray for is harmony. How can we have harmony if we are creating discord?

If you do not like the content of the current music, then pray for preaching that takes us to a new depth in our understanding, a deeper love, and an urgency that brings us to a place of repentance.

Forget about genres. We do not want to be segmented into being a worship leader for a certain age group. That divides the church. Instead, look at the lyrics without the music? Do the lyrics speak to you, or make you go “hmmm?” Then, when you sing those lyrics, sing them as though they mean something to you. This will help create new memories, and new experiences for those that hear you.

These songs are creating those memories right as you sing and it is a beautiful thing to be a part of that. Years later, your music will take them back to this very moment immediately.

Ministering in song goes beyond us singing each verse two times and the chorus three times. We have to be in tune with the Spirit of God so that we don’t interrupt the flow. We have to make those opportunities for God to move. 

Thanks for reading my ramblings. Go be a blessing!

Glenna Lasater, West Valley City, Utah

Instructional, Motivational

Learning to Play “By Ear” Using Chord Progressions!

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Being a long-time music teacher, I have found out that my students tend to do better learning to play “by ear “in any key when they learn chords and then learn to use those chords in chord progressions!

Why?  Once the student learns a chord and its inversions, they need to immediately start learning to use that chord in a progression or they will just be learning a bunch of chords and not learning how to USE those chords to play a song.

Start with just the basic progression that every song has—the I, IV, V.

The I to IV

  • Start with the ROOT position of the I, then move UP to the closest or the most logical move to the IV.
  • Be aware of what notes move up or down and half or whole steps.
  • Be aware of HOW THIS MOVEMENT sounds so you can identify it later when listening to another song.
  • Usually the IV sound “lifts” or moves higher.
  • If the melody line notes move 1, 2, 3, 4 it is a clue that you are will probably be moving to the IV.
  • If you are starting with the ROOT position of the I, you will probably move to the 2nd inversion of the IV.
  • NEVER move from the ROOT position of the I to the ROOT position of the IV. That is CHUNKY and sounds NASTY!
  • Make your chord progressions move smoothly and logically. Don’t make big GAPPY moves!

The I to V

  • Start with the ROOT position of the I, now move down to the closest or the most logical move to the V.
  • Be aware of what notes move up or down and half or whole steps.
  • Be aware of WHAT HOW THIS MOVEMENT sounds so you can identify it later when listening to another song.
  • Usually the I to V has a “dropping” or “lowering” sound.
  • The melody line notes may move, 1, 3, 4, 5.
  • You will be able to “imagine the sound” of the left hand moving down 8, 7, 6, 5. At first you may need to make the left hand movement, but it can sound “dorky” so you don’t want to get into the habit of doing that movement whenever you move I to V.
  • NEVER move from the ROOT position of the I to the ROOT position of the V. Think CHUNKY and NASTY!
  • Make your chord progressions move smoothly and logically. Don’t make big GAPPY moves!

© 2018 Pamela Rentzel – www.pentecostalmusicians.com/PMblog/

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Instructional, Motivational

Relative Pitch

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by Pamela Rentzel

Many people think it’s a GREAT mystery or a GIFT to play an instrument by EAR!  Not so!  You can learn to play or sing by ear but just learning to listen!

So, my CHALLENGE to you in 2018, is to start a plan that will help you HEAR intervals!  It’s one of the BEST things you can do when learning to play the keyboard, sing parts or play any other instrument for a Pentecostal church service!

Let’s talk about the INTERVALS!  An Interval is the distance between notes!

In the Key of C:                                  

  1. C to D – Major 2nd – up one whole step – sounds like “at the cross, at the cross.” or “to be like Jesus” (1, 2, 3, 4..)
  2. C to E – Major 3rd – “sweet hour of prayer
    ” or “just as I am”

    1. Sometimes the 1 (one) can be just an “understood” interval without using the 1 – starting on the 3rd – “in the name of Jesus, (we have the victory).
  3. C to F – Perfect 4th – “stand up, stand up for Jesus” or “Here comes the bride.”
  4. C to G – Perfect 5th – “there is a fountain.”
    1. Again the 1 (one) can be “understood” without being used; example is: “I’ll fly away, oh glory, I’ll fly
      ” or “He touched me”
  5. C to A – Major 6th – “my Bonnie lies over the ocean” or “I see a crimson stream of blood”
  6. C to B – Major 7th – half step below octave
  7. C to C – Perfect 8th – octave

C Scale 561X345

How to Practice!

  1. Sing each INTERVAL with your voice and play it on your instrument.
  2. Listen and memorize the relationship in the SOUND distance between the two tones.
  3. Feel the INTERVAL (distance) beneath your hand.
  4. Test yourself to see the progress you are making! (Remember to shuffle them up so you are not just memorizing them in order!)
  5. Continue to work on all the INTERVALS in other keys.

Identifying these intervals will not happen overnight!  It’s a PROCESS which requires being consistent in working on them.

Listen and become aware of melodies and INTERVALS in the music you hear on the radio, etc.

Next, work on the half-step intervals starting with the 1st to MINOR 3rd as this interval is vital in good musicianship.

I have found a very good app for helping you through the process. It’s called RelativePitch.  It’s a freebie with the option to upgrade.

Start NOW and see how much better your EAR becomes this year!

© 2018 Pamela Rentzel – Pentecostal Musicians

Motivational

Making Dents!

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by Pamela T. Rentzel

It seems recently that one of the favorite phrases in our household recently is “Well, we are making a dent!”

In the past several years my husband and I seem to have made a lot of “dents” but haven’t fully demolished all our projects—yet!  Let me explain:

In 2016, the routine of our life changed drastically!  In June 2016, my husband retired from his job, but believe it or not, we became busier than ever.  In September 2016, his Mother’s health started to decline rapidly, and it became apparent that she could no longer live alone in her home.  We frantically began to look for assisted living facilities in our area, so she would be closer to us in her final years.

During that time, we began to sort out the family home they had built in 1960.  WOW!  What a job!  Every week we would drive there—about 60 miles—and spend the entire day sorting, boxing and distributing designated items in order get her home ready to sell.  It seemed to be a never-ending process!  At the same time, we continued to try to live our normal life and even began the task of “refreshing” and “updating” our own home. So, with all these different projects going on, we just endeavored to stay consistent in making small “dents” in all of them.   Finally, in the spring of 2017, we had the final estate sale and clean up on her home. We were blessed to close on the sale of the property several weeks after the first showing. 

Since she was still living, we opted not to box or dispose her personal items, so our basement was filled with stacks of boxes giving us just walking paths!

We lost his Mom in January 2018.  Once again, we started boxing and disposing the items which were no longer essential to her life.  Again, it became a process of making small “dents” in the bigger project of making our basement habitable again.

In this life lesson, it has become clear to me that in anything we set out to do in life, we just make small “dents” in order to reach our goal.  This is true in our walk with God and growing in our faith!

Making “dents” is also applicable to growing our music skills and working toward excellence so we can give our best to the Lord.

As we continue to learn and practice new scales, chords, rhythm patterns, chord progressions and “licks and tricks” we are making “dents” toward reaching our musicianship goals! 

Quite honestly, we will never be completely finished making dents in our music skills because there are always new and exciting things to learn and accomplish!

Even though the tasks you face may be overwhelming and seem unending, don’t let yourself become discouraged in what you are trying to accomplish, just be consistent in making “dents” toward your goal!!!

Philippians 3:14 – I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

 

II Timothy 4: 7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

 

© 2018 www.pentecostalmusicians.com/PMblog

 

Instructional, Motivational

Using Memory Tricks to Learn Chords and Progressions!

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by Pamela Rentzel

I like to teach “memory tricks” when I’m teaching chords and chord progressions!  Why?  Because if the student memorizes the “trick” or “short cut” they can INSTANTLY play the chord when they see it on a chord sheet! 

I’ve been asked “doesn’t that affect the students desire or ability to learn music theory?”  Absolutely not!  If a student has a desire to learn music theory—they will take the necessary classes and investigate the necessary documents to learn the “whys” and “wherefores” of the underlying theory. 

Let’s be honest, many people who play “by ear” or “by chords” have no desire to learn music theory—which I find disappointing—but it’s their choice.  I would rather teach a student a “trick” or “short cut” which will allow them to use better chords and better chord progressions rather than listen to them play just the triads and basic chord changes within a key signature.

If you are an individual who wants to learn the theory and what makes music “tick” go for it!  It’s great!   If you play by ear or chords and just want to play well but not delve into the mechanics of music theory, then learn the “tricks” and “short cuts” so you can play well NOW.  Perhaps one of these days something will click in your brain and you’ll want to know the WHY as well as the HOW.  In addition, using the “tricks” and “short cuts” allows you to memorize chords and progressions without having to sit and calculate the formulas as you play!