A very common situation I see often in working with musicians is that they get a little bit nervous whenever I ask them to just “chord” a hymn by looking at the hymn’s music. While this seems daunting to some, I’d love to give you a few simple tips on how to do it. I’ll also talk about the drawbacks to doing this as well. (This post assumes you have a good grasp of basic music theory. If you don’t, I would suggest visiting here.)
Determine the Chords You Need
Most of the time, these will be the chords on the downbeat of a measure. Because hymns tended to have very complex, moving, four-part harmony, the downbeat was usually where the major chords fell. If only the downbeat doesn’t sound quite right, look for the chord on beat three (if it’s written in 4/4) or beat four (if it’s written in 6/8) next.
Find all of the major chords that are needed for the melody to sound correct. Once you determine a chord, pencil it in. Most of the time, you can rely on the soprano and alto lines to determine your chords, but….
Watch the Bass Line
If you are unsure of what the chord is, check out the bass note. Most times this note will give you the last piece of the puzzle you need to figure out the chord. However, this can be deceiving to people who aren’t as familiar with music theory. Don’t use the bass note as your sole determination for the chord.
One of the greatest things about hymns is their use of inversions (a different way to play the same chord) in the music. Many times, there will be a D chord on top with an F# in the bass, making this a first inversion D chord, and usually leading to a chord with a G on the bottom. Take advantage of these ‘out of place’ bass notes. They make the chord structure much more interesting! And don’t forget to write inversions out on the chord sheet. If you have a first inversion D chord, make sure it’s written D/F# so the bass player knows to play an F# on the bottom.
So, once you’ve figured out the major chords, and the major bass notes that go with each chord, you have an instant chord chart for this hymn!
One Major Drawback
The one major drawback to this method of scaling down the notes of hymns and making them a bit more modern is that the harmonies will sometimes end up changing. So, either you’re going to have to write out some new harmonies for those singers whose ears aren’t as developed, or you’re going to have to trust that your singers will find these new harmonies.
Sometimes the modern harmonies might throw off the congregation as well, so do this technique with a lot of wisdom and discernment! Let me know if you have success in this area.
What ideas do you have for making hymns more modern?
