So you’ve come up with a list of potential songs for Sunday’s service. How do you choose songs to go together in a seamless song-set, with no breaks between?

 

There are three important considerations:

 

 

 

Songs in the same key naturally fit better together. If they are not in the same key, then the order considered should be as follows:

 
a)  Follow the circle of 5ths (e.g. going from the keys of E to A, A to D, D to G, G to C, C to F, F to Bb, Bb to Eb, Eb to Ab and Ab to Db). The secret to transitioning from one key to the next efficiently is to play the new key’s dominant (5th) chord. In following the circle of 5ths, this happens naturally – E is the dominant of A, A is the dominant of D, D is the dominant of G, etc. So if I am in the key of E for the first piece, simply by playing an E7 chord the congregation will know intuitively that we have transitioned to the key of A.

 

b)  Go up by semitone (C to Db, Db to D, D to Eb, Eb to E etc). As long as the last note of the first piece lands on the tonic, this is an easy transition. For example, after finishing your piece in the key of C, go to the Ab7 chord (note: the bass guitar will go from C to Bb [flat seven] to Ab), while your singers hold the last note of the first piece on tonic note C. The Ab7 chord has a C already in it, so there’s no clash, and hearing the Ab7 will automatically tell your congregation you are transposing to Db.

 

c)  Go up by tone (C to D, D to E, etc). This is becoming trickier, as the singers will not be able to hold on to the tonic note, but be forced to melodically rise with the chord changes. If your first piece is in C, you will finish that piece on a C chord, and then go to G/A (dominant 11 chord in the new key – G with an A bass), and then finish on an A chord (the dominant in D) before hitting the new tonic of D. As in the example above, the bass will go from C to Bb and then to A (for the G/A chord).

 

d)  Go backwards up the circle of fifths (C – G, G – D, D – A, etc): In the key of C, the chord following tonic C will be C/D (dominant 11th of G), then D, before going to the new tonic of G. The singers will be forced to rise one tone when the D chord is played.

 

e)  Go down by a major third (C – Ab, D to Bb, E to C, etc): This works better for slower song sets. Sometimes you can get away with no transition chord at all. The singers hold on to the tonic note of the first key (e.g. C) and then the players simply hit the tonic of the new key (Ab) while the singers hold on to the C note. From there simply continue in the new key. It gives a nice modal effect.

 

f)  For any other key transition, the trick is simply to go to the Dominant 11 chord of whatever new key you are transitioning to, followed by the pure dominant of the new key. Melodically you may have to experiment as to where the singers will be heading to make it a smooth sounding transition. And it may not sound as natural as the key transitions listed above. There is also one important “never” to remember:

 

g) Never transition down a semitone or a tone (e.g. C to B, C to Bb). This has the effect of popping a balloon – you will lose all energy in your music and it will sound tired. There’s a natural “let-down” effect when transposing down by step: our ear has been conditioned to want it to transition the other direction.

 

h)  Don’t be afraid to transpose a piece to a key more suitable for your song set. But when transposing a piece from its original key, remember that as a guideline, melodies should range from Bb below middle C to E above high C as an outside parameter. If it is a faster song, a key focused in the upper half of the C scale is fine, as the energy that comes from a fast tempo translates well for higher melodies (e.g. “Lord, Reign in Me”). (Note: Melodies that dwell in the range above high C become very taxing to sing for long periods). For a slower, softer song set (especially appeal/reflection time) keep the key lower, focused in the lower half of the C octave (middle C to G) (e.g. “Be Still for the Presence”).

 

i)  Make use of the natural melodies of each piece. The final (tonic) note of the first piece should be approximately the starting note for the next, especially if changing key from piece to piece.

 
 

 

Of course, songs in the same tempo transition better – you usually do not have to stop playing between songs, but can continue on non-stop into the next piece.

 

If the tempo must change, the basic beat should speed up and not slow down (in fast sets) but do the opposite in your slow worship sets. In the faster sets, slowing down the tempo has the same “let-down” effect that transposing down a step has.

 
 

 

Key words carried through from song to song have a natural unifying effect and can underscore the sermon to come. For example, in a recent worship set on “setting captives free” I used songs such as “I’ve Got a River of Life”; Keith Green’s “How I Love You”; Phil Laeger’s “Bless His Name He Sets Me Free”; “Set Free to Worship” and “Victory in Jesus” for my faster set. All these pieces were placed in the key of “G” for further unification. “I’ve Got a River of Life” had a slower basic beat than the others, so it opened the set. The rest used the same tempo. (As a bonus – the ending lyrics of Phil Laeger’s “Bless His Name” was “I’m free”, on high D. This became the first note of the first line of “Set Free to Worship”. Thematically it flowed (“I’m free….set free to worship”); both were in the same key and tempo; and the opening melodic notes of “Set Free” also happened to be on a high D – matching the final note of “Bless His Name”.

 
 

 

 

a)  Make use of your percussionist! A drum solo can be a great way to connect songs that are in the same tempo but in unrelated keys. The solo adds interest, keeps the energy up, and helps the congregation to “forget” the previous key.

 

b)  Use other kinds of instrumental soloists.  Especially if your players have a strong jazz background and are comfortable with improvisation, allow them to do a “cadenza” between two pieces, with or without the percussionist’s help.

 

c)  If you must end a piece in the middle of a song-set, my rule of thumb is to allow for just one bar of “dead space” before beginning the next piece. If the tempo is different (remember, faster, not slower) – allow the percussionist to give four “sticks” to help set the new beat, if there is not a solo instrument (such as piano or guitar) beginning the intro alone.

 

d)  Allow a couple of verses of scripture to be read (memorized is even better) loudly and enthusiastically between two songs. The Psalms are great for this.

 

a)  Use your lead instrument (piano or guitar) to play a transition softly while scripture is read or someone prays.

 

b)  If changing tempo (from faster to slower in a slow set), a solo voice may be just the trick to set the new tempo, if the two pieces involved are in the same key. Have the singers finish the first song normally, but have the instruments extend the (final) tonic chord (a string sound is ideal for this), no drums, while a soloist begins the next piece slowly and with feeling, at his or her own pace. Time can be taken here – the tonic chord can be held by the instruments for a few moments of thoughtful reflection (the guitarist can play the chord broken in no set rhythm, or the percussionist can use wind-chimes to add interest). Once the soloist starts, other singers can join in, in a line or two (or even a verse later), with the new tempo becoming solidified at that point.

 

c)  Don’t be boxed in by the verse-chorus-verse-chorus format. Sometimes the transition will work better if you move directly into the chorus of the next piece, or even into another part of the piece other than its beginning. You can go back to the beginning of the piece later, or delete it altogether.

 
 

Having tight, unified song transitions takes rehearsal on the part of the worship team, and thoughtful and prayerful preparation on the part of the worship leader. Each song should build on the emotional tone of what has taken place previously, without being jarring to the congregation. Sometimes it’s a bit like putting a jigsaw together – pieces you want to fit together don’t always, but if the necessary preparation time is in place, with sensitivity to the moving of the Spirit even in rehearsal, some wonderful, surprising, creative flow ideas will always happen.