scale for "church melodies"

[koen]

For one of our songs (non church band) the singer asked if I could play something that is similar to a 'church song', a hymn or psalm. What type of scales are usually used that I can improvise with or try to find a melody?

[Ptrallan01]

I think your question may be a bit too broad for an answer. Church music has a 2000+ year history and many winding roads. Are you talking about hymns? If so, classically based or gospel based? Are you talking about 30's Chicago style Gospel (i.e. Precious Lord/Mahalia Jackson)? Are you talking about contemporary praise and worship? Modern Gospel with chord extensions like Jazz?

Ask him for an example of a song or style and I think many people here will jump to your aid. You may also want to post this in tab, theory, tips and techniques where a bunch of the teachers hang out. They will lead you in the right direction to get this information.

I play in an African American style worship service where there are a lot of 1/4/5 or 1/5/4 or 1/6m/5(7)/4/1 or variations of the same. You can also look at the cyber hymnal (google it I don't remember the address) for chordal Ideas.

Scale wise I would look primarily at the major scale (Ionian? mode) and your basic minor scale variations.

[Goluphi]

During service (I go to a fairly traditional Catholic church), I like to look at the sheet music for the hymns. It's all pretty simple stuff - usually stays in one key, with no accidental notes, mostly major scale type stuff, with nothing more complicated than maybe an 8th note, rhythm wise.

[still_fiddlin]

Hard to know what your singer has in mind, but, yes, major key/scale is probably as good a place to start as any, though there are certainly modal and minor hymns, too.

If there's a specific progression you are looking to play over, then start going through a hymn book, or post and maybe someone will be able to come up with something. You can also bend some major key hymns to a minor key and have it still be recognizable (as with many secular tunes), to give a blusier sound (e.g., Willie Nelson doing Amazing Grace).

If he's thinking about something like a kyrie, you probably need to look at the service part of the hymnal (Catholic, Lutheran, Episcopal) for some ideas.

[scooteraz]

Music during Lent and music that talks about the sinful nature of man is usually in a minor key, and I find minor scales work well (either the full scale or minor pentatonic and sometimes a blues scale). Most of the other music is either in a normal major scale or a major scale with the dominate 7th.

Start with the major scales with most music. Minor for the "sad" music. You should be pretty safe there as a starting point.

[koen]

Thanks guys. Good to know that it's mainly in regular keys. I'll ask her to hum a melody for me, and I can pick it up from there.

[Revman]

As one post already states, church melodies are varied. Current Contemporary Church music is wriiten in keys of, G, A, B, C, D, E and F. The Hymns such as written from Fanny Crosby and others around that time are in keys of, Eb, Bb, Ab.

Revman

[scooteraz]

Originally Posted by Revman

As one post already states, church melodies are varied. Current Contemporary Church music is wriiten in keys of, G, A, B, C, D, E and F. The Hymns such as written from Fanny Crosby and others around that time are in keys of, Eb, Bb, Ab.

Revman

Well, no matter what key it is written in, at my church the singers seem only to be able to sing in Eb, Bb or Ab. So much so that I have thought about just tuning down a half step, and using a capo to move back up on the rare times that we actually sing in the original key, like G.

[Tele295]

A lot of times, minor key hymns will end with a major chord (sometimes called a Picardy 3rd). For instance, the whole song might be in A minor, but the last chord is an A major.

Lent music being the obvious exception - it stays minor, and might even end on the V chord for an unresolved feeling.

[scooteraz]

Originally Posted by Tele295

A lot of times, minor key hymns will end with a major chord (sometimes called a Picardy 3rd). For instance, the whole song might be in A minor, but the last chord is an A major.

Lent music being the obvious exception - it stays minor, and might even end on the V chord for an unresolved feeling.

A lot of Advent stuff stays in minor as well, so too Epiphany (We Three Kings is really an Epiphany piece, and I think it stays minor). This befits the ideas of the church year, (theology inserted here only as an explanation of church music, not as a discussion unto itself) where we are sad because of a need of a savior (even if we are happy He comes). So, while Christmas music tends to be happy, the seasons immediately before and after are more introspective.

[Tele295]

Originally Posted by scooteraz

A lot of Advent stuff stays in minor as well, so too Epiphany (We Three Kings is really an Epiphany piece, and I think it stays minor). This befits the ideas of the church year, (theology inserted here only as an explanation of church music, not as a discussion unto itself) where we are sad because of a need of a savior (even if we are happy He comes). So, while Christmas music tends to be happy, the seasons immediately before and after are more introspective.

We used to do "Await the Lord With Hope" every Advent. It's not minor, but it ends on the Dom V chord rather than resolving to the tonic I chord. The lack of resolution really typified the concept of "preparing for the big bang of Christmas" effect.

However, it drove the Monsignor absolutely nuts that it didn't resolve and we were forbidden from playing it.