SONGWRITING
CREATING TENSION … ON PURPOSE | Kevin MacDougall
In my previous article , I explored the necessity of playing what we sing , and the symbiotic relationship that is necessary between words and music in order for them to become something greater - something which transcends their individual parts . And I want to keep to that theme this month as well , albeit from a different , more specific angle .
THERE ARE NO BAD NOTES I recently saw a video of Jacob Collier , the Grammy-winning musical prodigy and guru , discussing an idea you seldom hear expressed in the worship songwriter community .
The idea ? … There really are no “ bad ” notes .
Such a statement might make many of us cautious , but Jacob explained what he meant by saying that it ’ s not about “ right ” and “ wrong ” notes so much as it is about motion and relationship between the notes and chords we play . Essentially , you can actually validate anything you play by how you contextualize - or re-contextualize - it . What may sound strange and mysterious one second can be made to feel grounded and natural the next once you resolve it . Like a retroactive justification for where we just were musically that is rooted in where we are now , so that the person hearing our song comes to understand why we traveled the path we did to get there . Hindsight offers us the ability to get away with more than we probably think we can , musically speaking .
[ You can see a link to the video below , which
‘ Every note works with every chord ’ - Jacob Collier includes a beautiful example of how even the weirdest notes and chord voicings can be redeemed .]
Rather than saying , “ This note is good , and this note is bad ,” it ’ s more , “ This note hasn ’ t found its consequence yet ” or “ This note is in the wrong context .” And that ’ s how you can move things forward . — Jacob Collier
INTENTIONAL TENSION All of this got me thinking about a tool that we as writers of worship are likely to disregard , and that is the deliberate use of musical tension . Church music tends to avoid it entirely .
And that ’ s the case regardless of what we ’ re singing about . Whether a song is dealing with death and devastation , or joyful abundance , or sin and redemption , or peace and victory … We typically surround all of these ideas ( and more ) with the same tried and true musical constructs . I wonder : If we were to remove all lyrics and singing from the songs we ’ re singing right now , would the music still tell us what any of those songs were about ? Or would it mostly just sound like varying tempos over very similar chordal and melodic ideas ? ( Probably the second thing , I ’ d wager .)
But it ’ s strange that in a musical realm like worship , which deals in so many themes of implied tension , that we so seldom see the very musical devices utilized that support such lyrical themes . Conflict and resolution . Overcoming adversity and patiently awaiting victory . Mystery and wonder in relation to assurance . Etc . etc . It ’ s all about the tensions we embrace , many of them paradoxical .
But instead of crafting music that recognizes this , we take all these huge ideas about God , and life , and everything , and we distill them into songs with music that keeps to very safe parameters . And this is a poor limitation to impose on ourselves as writers . Our music should be as bold and dangerous as our lyrics are willing to be . Our words and music should be pulling us in the same direction , working together for maximum impact .
Often , I think it ’ s almost as though a lot of our music might as well be unaware of what our lyrics are saying . It ’ s like the music is just there coincidentally , not so much intentionally . And that doesn ’ t work for me . It doesn ’ t make for resonant song-craft . I like to write songs that already sound like what they ’ re about before I ever sing a word . Songs that feel like what I mean to say before I say it .
And one way to get there is to deliberately use tension :
• Musical choices that perhaps defy established modes , or which pull away from the “ safety of the expected ” for a moment .
• The more expressive notes and chords which , by their nature , yearn for more dramatic resolve . These create suspension as our ears await that resolve . They hold us in a moment we would otherwise quickly move past .
One great and unexpected chord change can elevate a song to being something truly special .
And finding yourself with a lyrical phrase or idea that calls for such a use of musical tension is a wonderful thing .
CREATIVITY IS COOL AGAIN ANYWAY It ’ s a good time to play an instrument . Guitarists especially can rejoice , as their chosen instrument seems to be popular all over again . Gen Z is buying guitars in record numbers , and musical styles like Funk , Neo Soul and Lo-Fi are trending , influencing today ’ s Pop and pop culture . It ’ s remarkable . Ten years ago , and up until more recently , the guitar seemed to be on