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Ten Ways to Write Bad Worship Songs

Orginally published on Thursday, November 06, 2008 at 9:17 AM
by Todd Rhoades


Bob Kauflin recently wrote an interesting piece on how to write a terrible worship song. Bob writes, " I’ve reviewed hundreds of worship songs and written a few of my own. Not all of them have been stellar. Actually, very few of them have been. I’ve noticed recurring tendencies that keep weak songs from becoming good or great songs. I’m intimately acquainted with those tendencies in my own songs and I’ve listed my top ten below. While these thoughts are meant for songwriters, most of them apply to leading worship as well...

Here are Bob’s top five:

1. Aim to write the next worldwide worship hit.
It’s already been done, and you can’t control the results. Who are you writing for, anyway?

2. Spend all your time working on the music, not the words.
Does it really matter what words we sing? God thinks so. We should, too. If God thought music was the most important aspect of a worship song, we’d have recordings of King David singing and playing the Psalms.

3. Spend all your time working on the words, not the music.
Don’t be concerned about melodies, rhythms, or harmonies. After all, only the words matter. Really? Consider this: great theology set to melodies that are bland or impossible to sing won’t be remembered for long. If at all.

4. Don’t consider the range and capabilities of the average human voice.
You may have a three octave range but most people in the congregation are comfortable in the range from a low A to a high D. Also, they probably can’t sing the alternate melodies and inflections as well as you can.

5. Never let anyone alter the way God originally gave your song to you.
Why mess with divine inspiration? Well, because we see in part and don’t always get it right the first time.

You can read five more here at his blog, Worship Matters…

What would you add to the list?


This post has been viewed 1517 times so far.


  There are 22 Comments:

  • Posted by
    Thursday, November 06, 2008 at 11:28 AM

    Excellent.  The only thing I would add is:

    Take a song that you’ve written for your girlfriend, and replace her name with Jesus.

    Although I guess that could fall under #6.

  • Posted by
    Thursday, November 06, 2008 at 11:53 AM

    I’m trying to come up with a mathematical formula that can consistently illustrate bad Christian songs with minimal study of the song itself, yet yields high results.  So far, I think there’s a ratio between the amount of self-pronouns (I, my, we, us, our) and the names of God (Jesus, Christ, Lord, God), which can show how bad a song is.  But, I need to refine it in light of songs like, “Amazing Grace.”

    Anyone else have any ideas for something like this?

    --
    CS

  • Posted by Peter Hamm
    Thursday, November 06, 2008 at 4:18 PM

    I like the list, but I kinda don’t like number one. If you’re not trying to write a song that would appeal to a lot of people (and therefore be kinda popular) then maybe you are only writing for yourself. Yes, I think it’s a mistake to try and write a song only to be popular, but an equal mistake to NOT write a great song that COULD be a great big hit if you are at all capable of it.

    CS,

    Not sure there is a formula, but I get where you’re going. All my favorite worship songs these days are more “we” than “i” in terms of “man” but more importantly, are more weighted on who God is, not on how “we” feel…

  • Posted by
    Thursday, November 06, 2008 at 5:57 PM

    are all of you song writers, i have wrote a few songs, and i have wrote one that would be very popular if i knew how to get someone to sing it and put it to music, i have sang it with some music . but i can not really sing, but i know how it is suppose to sound, if there is any one on here that could help me and give me an openion of it , i sure would like to send it and see what you think, it was a god given song too.

  • Posted by
    Thursday, November 06, 2008 at 11:44 PM

    I experienced #4 recently at a conference.  They had several worship leaders throughout the week and not one of them led in singable keys, not one!

    They were great singers, had great songs, bu the congregation who was supposedly joining in song, couldn’t sing unless they were a very high tenor.

  • Posted by
    Wednesday, November 12, 2008 at 10:22 AM

    3 more ways to write a bad worship song:

    *Write a song for selfish reasons.
    *Write a song because you think more highly of yourself than you ought to.
    *Write a song for financial benefit.

  • Posted by
    Tuesday, November 18, 2008 at 10:50 PM

    remake a hymn

  • Posted by
    Wednesday, November 19, 2008 at 2:09 AM

    I like the lists mention in your blog. Quite interesting. Hope i may get more information from your future blog.
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  • Posted by
    Friday, November 21, 2008 at 1:21 PM

    Additional rule:

    Don’t assume every inspirational moment between you and God that results in a song is meant to be shared.

    I have a book full of songs that will never see the light of day.  They are my soul’s response to God’s work expressed through lyrics and music.  However, these experiences are not necessarily intended by the Holy Spirit to be shared with the world through music.  In fact, without the back story, they may be difficult to connect with.

    I have heard worship songs that are deeply personal and sometimes difficult to understand because this rule is violated.

  • Posted by
    Friday, November 21, 2008 at 1:22 PM

    Another one:

    Don’t assume because God called you as a worship pastor that He ALSO called you to write worship music.

    This rule should also be shared with churches/pastors/search committees.

    We are not all called to be Chris Tomlin.

  • Posted by
    Monday, January 05, 2009 at 1:50 PM

    Great point. Kudos for sharing this with us.
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  • Posted by refrigerated vans
    Thursday, January 15, 2009 at 6:30 AM

    Amazing stuff..Another top grade post from your site.

  • Posted by Buy Used Car
    Sunday, January 18, 2009 at 4:05 PM

    Interesting point. I’ll have one more look at it for sure.

  • Posted by indie игры
    Tuesday, January 20, 2009 at 3:55 PM

    I always write awfull songs for my band of loosers. Omg i am so pathtetic.
    Nice list, thank you

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    Sunday, February 01, 2009 at 2:38 AM

    Fabulous post..Keep up the strong work.
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  • Posted by
    Monday, February 09, 2009 at 10:27 AM

    thanks Todd. i liked your tips specially tip 3 and 5. i hope i can write a better song .

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  • Posted by Anonymous
    Tuesday, February 10, 2009 at 2:20 PM

    thanks i liked all your tips we can compose a worship song which is nothing but love towards god .

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  • Posted by Anonymous
    Tuesday, February 10, 2009 at 2:21 PM

    thanks i liked all your tips we can compose a worship song which is nothing but love towards god .

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  • Posted by horse racing system
    Wednesday, February 18, 2009 at 8:42 AM

    I think it’s a mistake to try and write a song only to be popular, but an equal mistake to NOT write a great song that COULD be a great big hit if you are at all capable of it.

  • Posted by Jerry
    Thursday, February 26, 2009 at 7:33 AM

    @ Micheal , I was just digesting what you said and think it actuallt makes so much sense
    “Take a song that you’ve written for your girlfriend, and replace her name with Jesus.”

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  • Posted by Costa Rica Real Estate
    Tuesday, March 31, 2009 at 8:03 AM

    I do have a book full of songs that will never see the light of day.  They are my soul’s response to God’s work expressed through lyrics and music.  However, these experiences are not necessarily intended by the Holy Spirit to be shared with the world through music.  In fact, without the back story, they may be difficult to connect with

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