TWLL #20: The Structure Of Spontaneous Worship And Helping Your Team Flow

THE WORSHIP LEADING LETTER

read time:    5 minutes

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When we think spontaneous worship we think unscripted and unplanned- and in many ways this is true.  Because there are elements in spontaneous worship- both musically and lyrically- that are literally being created in the moment.  

But this does not mean that there is no structure or framework for spontaneous worship.  Because there is!  And that pattern probably varies a bit from worship team to worship team, but there are still many shared components.

Today I want to share a basic pattern or framework that I’ve used over the years, for when I go spontaneous.

Lyric And Melody Structure

When I step into a spontaneous moment in a worship set, it will happen either during a song or between songs.  Typically, I’ll begin to sense some kind of message or theme that I feel the Lord might be highlighting.

So I’ll start off by simply singing what I sense. 

And then I’ll try to link it with a Scripture passage.  This provides me with a path forward that’s biblical, and also gives me additional language for what I’m trying to sing.

Lastly, I’ll try to summarize what I just sang into a simple chorus.  This drives home the main point of the theme I was singing, and also builds a bridge for the room to start agreeing and singing along with me.

Musical Structure

From a musical standpoint, I’d say stay with the existing chord progression you and your band are playing, if possible (unless the theme you’re going to start singing about really needs a different musical vibe than what you’re currently in).

When you stay with the existing chord progression, the pressure is off for the band to come up with something new- but also you and your singers are already comfortable with the music.  It’s an easy win-win.

Keep the music the same, and then you can launch out vocally on top of the music with your theme 👍🏼

Sidenote: it’s totally fine to change up the music, and in some cases you might almost have to in order for the music to match whatever theme/message emerges in the spontaneous moment.  It just requires more time, and sometimes more planning.  Generally it’s easier to stick with the music you’ve already got.

Practicing The Structure With Your Singers

In your singer practice, talk through the basic structure outlined above- and then literally practice transitioning from a worship song into spontaneous- with one for your singers leading out 🙌🏼

From a pastoral standpoint, you want to be intentional about cheering your singer on.  If they’re new with spontaneous, it can feel super intimidating and they may feel insecure.

You can counter that insecurity by giving them lots of encouragement, and direction when needed if they’re feeling lost.

Practicing The Structure With Your Band 

In your band practice, you can follow a similar path to what you did with your singers.

Run through a song from your set list, and then practice the transition into spontaneous.  

If you’re keeping the music the same, it will be pretty straightforward for the band.  You’ll just stop singing the song and start singing spontaneous while they keep the chord progression/rhythm progression going.

With that said, you do want your band to pay close attention to the theme you’re singing, and the vocal dynamics and vibe you’re singing with- because they need to match that in how they play.

I’d also suggest that you practice how the spontaneous moment will end musically.  

In other words, once you wrap up the moment with a chorus, will you bring everything down and then start a new song?  Or will you create a musical bridge/interlude coming out of the spontaneous to get you into a new song?

Conclusion

Hopefully you’re seeing that there definitely is structure in spontaneous worship!  

And I shared more of an overview here- but hopefully this gives you a bit of a framework and pathway forward.

That’s all for today- see ya’ll next week 🙌🏼

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