When to Sing Harmony on a Worship Team // Worship Training
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- Опубликовано: 11 сен 2024
- Do you sing on a worship team? Maybe you know HOW to sing harmony but wonder WHEN are the best times in the song to add harmony! Or maybe you struggle to know WHAT harmony part you should sing… Low or high?! When you have multiple vocalists on the team, how do you plan out when and what each vocalist will sing? I’m here to help answer these questions!
In this video, we’ll explore the concept of song mapping for worship-creating a plan for what and when each vocalist on the team will sing… to achieve the greatest dynamic journey in your songs and worship sets! We’ll explore different options for song maps in contemporary worship songs, and you’ll learn super practical tips and guidelines for how to do this yourself with any song!
To supplement this lesson, check out these videos I’ve created, where the same song is “mapped out” in multiple ways… multiple vocal arrangements... so you get an idea of some different ways you could map a song!
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SONG MAPPING EXAMPLES
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worshipvocalis...
Holy Spirit - 2 Voice Example
Holy Spirit - 3 Voice Example
Holy Spirit - 5 Voice Example
Miracles - 2 Voice Example
Miracles - 3 Voice Example
Miracles - 5 Voice Example
What a Beautiful Name - 2 Voice Example
What a Beautiful Name - 3 Voice Example
What a Beautiful Name - 5 Voice Example
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And if you really want to dive deeper… check out the entire 11-part “Harmony Essentials for Worship” series at worshipvocalis.... Through instruction, vocal exercises, and song application, this course is your fundamental guide for singing harmony on a worship team-how to find your harmony part, when to sing it, and how to make it blend perfectly as a team of vocalists!
THIS IS AMAZING! I am the youngest person in our worship team, and I was like doing these sorts of mentoring but don't know how to teach like people who were actually far more superior than I am, especially those older to me. I was only dreaming for an atmosphere for our church where the congregation can easily express their worship to God (like the building-up of the worship), then I saw your channel! You just fulfilled my dreams! Just expressing my gratefulness to you!! :)))
So glad this has been helpful for you!
I'm the youngest too!
I am the youngest as well!
I'm the youngest guy too
Me too!
This is definitely the best video about this topic at all time! God has answered my prayer! I have been searching for video like this for a long time! Thank you so much!
So glad to help! You're welcome!
I am not a vocalist--I play guitar and bass in our church worship band. And I can say that all these principles hold true as much for me in my role, although I am not a vocalist. In fact this video has challenged me to be a bit more mindful of the dynamics and development of the songs in that aspect of our expression of worship of our Lord. Why not make it the best that we can?
Thanks for this video!
Awesome - so true!
This is a God-Sent resource. Things I have struggled with for years are now becoming clearer to me with your videos. I can now really improve my vocal techniques and understand what I am doing and why!
So happy to hear it! Thanks for your comment!
Thanks for this fantastic training. I've taken the liberty to make notes of the training. Here they are in case they are useful for others:
Typical Worship Song Structure (Charmaine Brown, The Worship Vocalist) - building songs / controlling intensity by spacing out when vocalists and harmonies enter the song
Verse 1 (sometimes 2 verses) - option 1 = lead vocalist soloing melody; option 2 = several voices singing melody; option 3 = introduce 1 harmony in the last lines leading into the chorus
Chorus 1 - can have lead vocalist solo or have 1 vocalist join on melody (especially a male joining female lead an octave lower) or add 1 harmony line (typically a lower harmony)
Verse 2 - solo melody, unison melody or 2-part harmony
Chorus 2 (sometimes double chorus) - more dramatic moment - have one harmony line - can have a second harmony line, but don’t make this the default for every song-usually it’s better to wait until the bridge or final chorus to add 2nd harmony
Bridge (usually repeats a few times) - build within the bridge by adding voices/harmonies (start with solo, add first low then high harmonies, build with each repeat)
Final chorus (or multiple times) - if he final chorus stays big from the bridge keep the harmonies in so the intensity stays up-if the final chorus goes quiet, it works well to go back to one voice or a solo melody with one light harmony behind it
Song builds toward - Chorus 2 - Bridge - Final chorus - this is where high harmony comes in and all singers are on mic
Harmony Options
Male voice low harmony (typ C to A range)
Male voice high harmony (typ A to F# range)
Female low harmony (typ A to F# range)
Female high harmony (typ G to D range)
(male high and female low range are the same notes, but the feel is different because of where the notes are in the singer’s range)
General suggestions -
Start with low harmonies, which are good for layering when the song is still building, then add high harmony later. High harmonies bring passion and intensity-a bright, powerful, resonant quality. Once you introduce high harmonies you can’t go back to the dramatic moment when they entered.
The more vocalists on stage, space out when they enter. Vocalists can bring more value to the sound by waiting to come on mic later than coming in from the beginning.
Simplicity is a beautiful thing - too much harmony is not a modern worship sound. Also, the more harmonies you have, the more chance that they will clash.
Octave jumps - build around so as not to steal from the leader’s octave jump - if the harmonies/background singers wait until the octave jump to come in it can strengthen the octave jump.
Awesome, thanks for doing this!
I’ve never understood the thought of “I can’t be thinking about what to sing” when there is a melody you’re singing. If you have a part to sing, just learn it and sing it. It’s no different than learning the melody. Once you know it, you don’t need to think about it as much.
I hear you! However, it's important to learn to sing harmony by ear, because sometimes if we learn a harmony part in a certain key, it can be difficult for our brain to translate that into a different key (if it's in a very different part of our range).
🎉😂
What an excellent demo, Charmaine! I'm sure this will help many. I've often struggled with having vocalists who only know HOW to sing melody, and thinking "I can't have all these melodies..." but you just showed me how to do it successfully. Now, of course, you have to make sure those melodies are in tune with each other...!!! Lots of practice and working with your vocalists to ensure a good blend is essential for a nice sound and true unison (including making sure your rhythms ,cut off etc are all done the same by everyone.
So glad you enjoyed this video!
I am a praise and worship leader and I am always opento learning but rather from praise and worship leaders. This is so good to know . That's its not a competition but worship to God in a beautiful and awesome way.
Absolutely!
I just want to say thank you thank you thank you so much! I just rewatched it and it dawned on me that you took so much time to make this video and while we only see 33 mins, I understand it takes way much more to share something like this with the world; a video that has such amazing content! So thank you again! Asking God for continued success your way and I'll be sharing your content with friends!
Wow, thanks so much for your encouragement! So appreciated!
I love worship vocals.. Always watching tutorials hepls me alot.💗💗💕💕
Awesome -- that's great!
Thank you for loving Jesus deeply... for taking time to create all of these and sharing it for all to partake! May God increase your borders!
Love from Manila 🤲
You're welcome! And thanks so much!
Love these videos. Congregation-centric worship, so important in everything...
Glad you've found the videos helpful!
Thank you for this video. Continue to receive from the Lord patterns from heaven by which our worship music should follow. I can see in the spirit that you will be used by God in bringing down heavenly music in our churches and personal worship experiences. I can see that God has given you an ear to hear notes and melodies that are from heaven to sound to the ears of His children what He is doing in our midst. God bless you!
Wow, thank you so much! I receive that!
Wow... I am not a singer but actually the drummer at my church... But this workshop is absolutely incredible... Thank you taking the time to share what God has taught you... For His Glory🙏🙏🙏... Be Blessed
You're welcome! Glad you enjoyed it!
That comment about God and songs was OUTSTANDING
Glad you enjoyed it!
I really like the points you make about “building” through adding voices throughout the song! You could almost do a histogram map of the various song sections, and share this with the members of the worship team before, so that they can visualize / conceptualize the desired dynamics of the song. Alot of worship team members are certainly not aware that they aren’t supposed to sing the whole time. Same for instrumentalists / guitarists. Variety keeps it interesting. I love the idea of mapping it out. Pay attention to what the emotion of each song passage is - what the songwriter’s intention was for each section. Love your video. Great points. In the end, it’s about surrender to the goodness of God through Jesus Christ.
Definitely! Glad you enjoyed the video!
Every organized worshiper must watch this! Thank you!
Haha! Glad you enjoyed it!
Having changed denominations from a more traditional to a more musically contemporary one, this video is really helpful! Thanks!!
You're welcome! Glad to help!
thank you JESUS for this channel..
Thank you for taking time to do this …This helped me so much
Glad it helped!
THIS IS SOOO AMAZING!!! Thank God for your ministry and pray that you continue to grow in His grace. Keep it up..
Thanks so much David!
You’re amazing! A huge THANK YOU from Ukraine. That’s exactly what I was looking for. 🙏🏻
Thanks so much, and you're welcome -- glad to help!
You're the greeeaatest instructor I've come across.🌺
I'm too old to learn and have a damaged voice box from being in a coma. But I can't afford your classes anyhow. Your videos are a godsend🤙 cos I sing in Worship as a backup female tenor.
God bless you and don't stop, please👋😁
So glad you’re enjoying the videos! Healing over your voice in Jesus name!
God bless this channel and the tutor❤❤❤❤you just saved me
Thank you! Glad to help!
Absolutely wonderful insight! A great tool for working with others and for understanding personally where I fall in range. Thank you for serving God through sharing your wisdom with others. To God be the glory and may He rain blessings on you!!
You are so welcome!
I just want to say thank you, the song is just healing my heart. I love it
Wonderful, thanks for sharing!
Great help glory to God!!!
Glad you enjoyed the video!
Wonderful
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great teaching advice. Just starting out on our Church Worship Team, 3 vocal team.
Awesome!
That was an awesome video! I'm going to use it for my worship team training session! You are such a blessing! God bless you!
Awesome, so glad it was helpful! I pray it blesses your team!
So grateful for the insights of this channel! Thank you!
You're very welcome!
Thank you for this breakdown. This really shows me how much work goes into arranging a song for worship. I recently tried out for our church worship team, and unfortunately did not make it. This video has revealed to me why I didn’t make it. Unfortunately, our worship team wasn’t very clear on what they expected out of us, so I kind of went in blind. other than having the song they wanted to sing to, and a song of my choice.
Oh I’m sorry to hear it wasn’t a great experience! Hopefully you can improve on things and perhaps try again in the future!
This is literal gold
I'm glad you enjoyed the training!
Such a great tutorial! Thanks for sharing your talent and what God has blessed you with.
You're welcome - glad you enjoyed the video!
Wow your voice is so amazing!
As well as the other vocalists
I’m so happy to have found your channel. Your ideas and vocal maps are so creative…. and well thought out.
Thanks so much for encouragement!
This was so simple, methodical and easy to follow. Thank you.
So glad to help!
So good ! I feel like I went to college!
Glad you enjoyed the video!
You are the best singer I've heard in my life.
Thanks for the encouragement!
wow! this is so great! and teaching me so much as a background vocalist! Thank you, you’re amazing!
So glad to help!
WOW! Love it! What a great teaching and excellent insight!!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you soo much! Such a great great tool in the ministry!
You're welcome!
Many thanks for this 🎮 . Very impartful I must say. More grace IJN. Amen
You’re very welcome!
Very good training really illustrates how harmony works and sounds like. Worship can be performed but it’s a facilitator to engage the audience to worship.
Glad you enjoyed the video!
Your channel is amazing, thank you for all your advice.
You’re welcome!
Thank you so much for the video❤️
Glory to The Lord !
You're welcome!
I think the title of this video should be "Song structuring" the content of this video is too rich and it's not just talking about harmony. I've really learnt alot and this has answered my questions. Thank you so much for sharing 😪
Great suggestion!
Loved this!! Thank you!!!!
Glad you enjoyed it!!
Amen god bless you sister
Thank you very much. I have learnt so much. God continue to bless you and increase you
You're welcome!
So good, God bless you guys!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Hello, am Abigail. I like you. This is my first time of watching your video. Am a worship leader and a backing vocalist and I want to give God the best of me and my voice. I just prayed some few minutes ago that the spirit of God should help me get vocal help so I can please him in my worship and I found you. God bless you. I will train, ask all the questions I can ask and am sure together, we will give God our best. God bless you.
Amen! The Holy Spirit truly does guide us!
This is very interesting, but I'm always wary of trying to manufacture some sort of emotion/build-up in the congregation. May the Holy Spirit lead us as we worship the Lord.
I absolutely hear where you're coming from! May we not fall into that trap!! Holy Spirit guide us in YOUR ways, not our own!
Great video! Definitely deserves more views.
Glad you enjoyed it!
This is awesome. Thanks Charmaine.
You're so welcome!
Wow this is very elaborate, thank you for sharing this ❤
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you for this amazing video!!
Helped me a lot to be a better worshipper!!
:) :)
Love from Nepal!!
So great to hear! Thanks for your comment!
I absolutely love your videos. You have such a beautiful voice.
Thanks so much for the encouragement!
wow! Thank you for the lessons! great!!!
Glad you liked it!
Thanks for this😍😍😍, we really need this..thank you🥰🥰🥰
You’re welcome!
Amazing!
I love this. However. I do think there is a place for a harmony presence throughout more of the song than mentioned here to help lead people whose range is not what the lead is singing. I totally agree about layering for dynamics, but as it’s not a concert or performance, I’m hesitant to worry about add too many harmonies in too many spots.
I hear ya! I totally agree that it's not a concert/performance. The use of constant harmony has a dulling effect on people's ears though, so in my opinion it's best used for contrast and to create dynamics!
This is very helpful. God bless you!
You're welcome!
How do i physically sing bgvs the right way? I.e. how loud or queit? How does this feel or look like in the throat, mouth..? 😊 thank you..these questions have been my number question for along time 😂
Hi Whitney! It all depends on each individual person and the context you're singing in... how the leader is singing, and how the leader wants you to sing! My courses on www.theworshipvocalist.com teach vocal technique -- the more you can do with your voice, the more your voice will be able to adapt instinctively to each moment while you're singing.
This was beautiful! A little long, but totally worth it!!!
Glad you enjoyed it! :)
This has helped me a lot thanks so much
Glad to hear it!
Thank you!!
THAAAAAAAAAAAAANK YOOOOOOUUUU! 🕊️🎤🙏🏼
You're very welcome!
You are a blessing!
Thanks for your encouragement!
Thanks for the video. I like your point that the more vocalists you have, the more you need vocalists singing melody. This is something good for out team. I think we sing too much harmony in our team, we have like 10 vocalists on each Sunday morning. So how do you think we can arrange the vocalists in such a team like this one, so that we don't sound too much harmony?
Hi Collin! With that many vocalists, I would recommend having perhaps 5-6 vocalists singing melody (some male, some female), and 2 other harmony parts going on, with a couple vocalists singing each part. Making sure to stagger when the harmony parts come in so it doesn't sound exactly the same the whole song!
Thank you very much, will try that out.
Collin Chingota
Hi Marvis Boyd
Thanks..GBU
You're welcome!
Thank you, this was so informative.
You’re welcome!
I watch over and over but I cannot grasp it I am gonna die sttuggling harmony.. 🙏🙏Please demonstrate which note to pick every harmony
Thanks for your comments on all the videos! I would really recommend that you find a coach that you can work with one on one!
Exactly I have assignment for learning singing Harmon y
That's great! Hope your harmony singing is going well!
These are amazing! And informative videos!
So glad to help!
Ma'am I really want to harmonize!!!!!! I don't know how! I can go with anything. Alto or soprano. I've tried all the videos bit I just can't learn it. I really wanna learn it though. I'm a 17 year old girl
Hello! I would recommend that you try my harmony course at theworshipvocalist.com/category/harmony/ in order to train your ear to hear harmony!
Once you learn the art of harmonizing you can harmonize on almost any song!
Thanks you so much I’m only 12 and I’m about to sing backup on the worship team at my church
That's fantastic!
Thankyou so much! Helped a lot
You’re welcome!
This was a wonderful teaching of harmony. I realized I knew a lot more intuitively on harmony & mapping than I was giving myself credit for. My question is this. If you dont have a band and are usually using prerecorded tracks or just a pianist do these basic rules still apply?
Glad you enjoyed the video! Definitely these same principles can apply when using tracks or just one instrument!
Thank you
How do we workout these harmonies if we are singing without mics in a house? How do we still sing in order to allow the leader to be the loudest without being too quiet..especially if the leader sings quietly already? Thanks!
Hi Whitney! Just do your best to adapt to whatever context you're in... in a house without mics, you'll need to be even more aware of the context, and sing in a way that your voice stays below or on par (volume-wise) with the person singing the melody.
Beautiful
Glad you enjoyed it!
Ow the knowledge in this content tho
Glad you enjoyed it!
Really helpful thanks ..please bring more tutorials about harmony which note to pick🙏🙏🙏❤️I am beginer please don't mix the voices make separately and combine finally
We won’t be re-doing these videos anytime soon, so hopefully you’ll be able to get it with more practice!
I sing harmony whenever I want to.
I would encourage anyone on a worship team to follow strategies similar to what’s in the training video - but if you’re just singing along to music then of course, sing whenever you want!
Thank you so much for your sharing! I want to ask for some insights: What about when a song is led by a male singer? How would it differ in planning harmony around that?
You’re welcome! The same principles apply!
I liked it.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Nice
Thanks!
Thank you.🌸
You're welcome!
I love what your doing but one can't download your work. Why?
Hi Rima, my downloadable material is available for paid subscribers at www.theworshipvocalist.com. I only offer a small sampling of videos here on RUclips!
I’ve just found your RUclips channel and I’m loving it.
Do you think there’s any place for this in a small church of older people?
Most of our members are 50-85 years old. We have some 30-50 years old and children, small & teenage, the later just starting on our worship team, and it’d be nice to implement, but change is hard in older folks.
For sure! As long as it's in the pastoral/leadership vision!
This is great!! : ) What is the name of the microphone used for the recording in this video? Do you have any suggestions of good ones? to record at home
Hey! We use an Audio Technica 4040. I'm not super tech-y so I don't have others to recommend!
Hey I
just listen to what you were teaching about melody and harmony. I sing on a team where it varies from 3 to sometimes 5 vocals. I'm just learning to sing harmony and would appreciate any advice on how to do better with my harmony part. Thanks
Hey! My best recommendation is for you to go through my "Harmony Essentials for Worship" course on www.theworshipvocalist.com - I give lots of tips and exercises for singing harmony!
Hey ! I am new to joining worship soI literally I have no idea how to sing harmony like which notes to pick Kindly please make more details for me one by one🙏🙏
I have a harmony course at www.theworshipvocalist.com if you’re interested in learning more about harmony!
Really enjoying and learning so much from your videos. In the context of learnings from this video, would really appreciate your advice or video on what is the best way to include a choir to add to the arrangement of ‘praise’ and ‘worship’ songs. Thanks!!
Hi Filomena! I don't have much experience myself working with choirs in contemporary worship settings... I've mainly worked with teams of vocalists on microphones. I really like this article by Bob Kauflin on using choirs in worship: worshipmatters.com/2008/06/26/choirs-in-worship/ - check it out!
I personally think it's important for all vocalists (leader/BV's/choir) on stage to be SINGING at all times (so that the congregation is seeing all singers model worship on stage all the time), but not necessarily singing into their microphone (I talk about this more in my video on "The Role of a Background Vocalist"). So for choirs, especially if it's a smaller stage, it's important to teach them good use of dynamics (so, for example, they're not singing super loud at the beginning of a song), so that you can create the "journey" of a song like I talk about in this video!
The Worship Vocalist Thanks so much. I will check it out!
thank you 💓💓💓
You're welcome!
Love all your worship tutorials! Question, why do I have a harder time trying to find high harmonies than I do the low ones? I believe my worship leader said my range is key of D if that helps.
Hey Eva! It sounds like your "sweet spot" range is lower, so wherever we feel more comfortable singing is where we'll feel more comfortable finding harmonies!
Thank yoy so much maam
You’re welcome!
Hi dear, which church do you go to? Are you from Australia right?
Hi Sherry! I’m from a small church community in Canada actually!
🙏🙏🙏
Glad you enjoyed it!
Ok for Easter: We have 3 main vocalists, 1-melody soprano, 1-melody tenor, and 1-soprano harmony. Then a choir of 2 alto harmonys, 1 tenor harmony, 1 (super)high soprano harmony....im also in the choir as an alto who can hit highnotes. Will it sound weird if I sing with along the melody too. Wonder if it will be too much low harmony if I sing with other 3 low harmonys. Please HELP!
I would say to do melody! Never too much melody!
Thank you!!!❤❤