Like Rain a new song and a free worship opportunity [by Ed Kerr]

Among the many classes offered at the Christian Musician Summit in 2006 were several that shared certain content. Each related in some way to the concept of "free worship". Sometimes this concept is termed "selah". As you've read the Psalms, you've probably seen this term between sections of a Psalm.

I understand this term to mean "pause". The writer of the Psalm is encouraging the reader to pause and consider what they've just read. Do you ever find yourself in too much of a hurry when reading your Bible to pause and think about the words you're reading? God in His wisdom knew this would be true, so He challenges us in the Word to pause. Chill out. Slow down. Take a deep breath and relax long enough to let His words of life skin in to our hearts and minds.

Just as we're sometimes in a hurry to read a few verses, I find that sometimes I feel so "clock conscious" as I lead worship that I don't often pause and consider what I'm singing. That said, I'm finding that, more than ever, I look forward to times of free worship in corporate worship settings. Selah moments. Time to pause.

Many of you have experienced the richness that can be found in free worship. If you've ever wondered what music to play for one of these moments, my new song, "Like Rain", contains a chord progression that works beautifully as a starting point. Download a leadsheet for "Like Rain" here. You can see this progression in the chart below:

This progression is heard often on worship recordings and offers some opportunities to create some very beautiful voicings on your keyboard. To feel some of these voicings under your own fingers, why not sit at your keyboard and try these?

For the first chord, G2, I suggest you place your 5th finger, right hand, on the D just above middle C. Below that play an A with your 2nd finger, right hand, and a G with your thumb, right hand. With your 5th finger, left hand, play a G one octave below the G your thumb is playing.

Things get really "juicy" when you move to a voicing for the A(add4)/G, measure two of the chart shown above. Note that the spelling of the A(add4) is A C# D E, with the D being the add4. So, for this chord's voicing, keep the D under your 5th finger, right hand, play the C# directly below it with your 4th finger, right hand. Keep your 2nd finger, right hand, on the A and your thumb, right hand on the G. In your left hand, play an E just below the G your right hand's thumb is playing. Use your thumb, left hand, for this E. Continue playing the G the 5th finger of your left hand is playing.

Whew. That was a challenge to describe. I'll list those voicings in columns to give you a quick overview of these important voicings.

Okay, if you insist, one more view of these voicings, a transcription:

Go a little further now and play these two voicings again and again. Have a slow tempo in mind and play each chord twice. Play them as solid voicings, sounding each note simultaneously. This will let you hear very clearly the dissonance that results from keeping the D in the soprano of your right hand. Like I said, "juicy".

Now try creating some broken patterns, where you play the notes in linear succession rather than simultaneously. I'll attach some audio files soon so that you can hear these examples.

Lord, give us greater and greater freedom to worship You as Your people gather. Whether we're singing a known song or a new song over a repeating chord pattern, visit us with Your awesome presence, in Jesus' Name.

-Ed Kerr