Always Have a Song in Your Pocket

One thing I have found really useful as a worship leader is knowing chord progressions to different songs. Most worship songs aren’t hard to memorize or figure out because they’re usually only four chords at most.

In fact, a lot of songs share the same chord progressions. Noticing them is something I tend to do naturally. But once I became aware of it, I consciously started keeping a bank in my head.

I tend to do it by remembering chord numbers that I can translate to any key. But for the sake of staying simple, if I was playing in the key of C I would remember “If I play C, F, Am, G I can play these songs,” or if I am in the key of G I could play those same songs as G, C, Em, D.

How does this help?

The basic answer is that it helps extend a song or setting without letting it get too repetitive or boring. If a song is getting lengthened, it may need a change in dynamics. I can keep playing and sing a different song. Or I am able to turn to my team, quick tell them the chords we will move to and it all keeps running smoothly.

So here are a couple examples of when I might use this:

1. I am coming to the end of a set, but the speaker looks as though they aren’t ready to speak yet. Part of the reason they may be feeling that way is they are feeling God on the moment and just want a little more time.

This happens quite often. In fact, two years ago we were playing at the LifeLight Music Festival in Sioux Falls. We were told how much time we had to play, but at the end the stage manager came up and said, “I know when I feel God on something, so if you can play for another twenty minutes, go for it.” In that 20 minutes that stage went crazy in worship. It was really good. But we had been all out of material except for what I knew was in my head.

2. The next scenario is when we are playing a song that we can really feel God on. I don’t want to interrupt that moment, but I also have to facilitate it. And I understand that not everybody has the patience to stay on a song forever. So that is a good opportunity for me to run through the songs in my head with the same chord progression.

If I would change to a new song with a different progression, it may kill the moment. And maybe there isn’t enough time even for a whole other song. But if I move to the chorus of a different song with the same progression, it may actually re-energize that song and let it be even more powerful. I can then go back into the original song later on.

So why would I use this method and not just do some

free-flow singing?

I might choose this if I know the congregation is not big on free-flow singing. It also depends on how I feel the Spirit moving. A lot of times I will use free-flow if I feel something specific that God is wanting us to focus on. But there are a lot of times when I feel the energy in the room is such that the congregation is to keep singing and participating. Free-flow may make them stop and listen. So it is just a matter of feeling what God is wanting to do.

Examples

So, I would know certain chord progressions and how they transpose to at least the main keys that you play in. So the main ones in my opinion would be:

Key of C Key of G Key of D Key of A

C-F-Am-F G-C-Em-C D-G-Bm-G A-D-F#m-D

C-F-Am-G G-C-Em-D D-G-Bm-A A-D-F#m-E

C-G-Am-F G-D-Em-C D-A-Bm-G A-E-F#m-D

Am-F-C-G Em-C-G-D Bm-G-D-A F#m-D-A-E

Then, for example, take the 3rd progression in any of the keys. I could play Majesty by Delirious, This One Thing by Will Matthews, Forever by Kari Jobe, or Set a Fire by Will Reagan.

So have an awesome day, and let your heart always be filled with praise!