15 Worship Songs You Can Clap To
So this is a loose followup to my blog about getting your congregation to sing.
(http://www.jeremiahtoole.com/#!Worship-Getting-Your-Congregation-to-Sing-Part-1/dz3jt/55a9a9ce0cf25b8bf7ec01b8)
It seems like a lot of us have trouble getting high-energy or fast-tempo songs in our worship set that have great lyrics. And I'm not saying that I've figured this out - it's definitely the most difficult thing for me in choosing songs for our congregation to sing. It seems like there are plenty of fast songs out there, but there are a lot of fast songs that trade energy for lyrical content, and when you're trying to pastor your congregation through worship, that seems like a poor trade.
For me, there also seems to be a grey area where medium-tempo songs can feel up-tempo just because of energy and big drums/guitars. However, songs that count for me in this list are songs you could clap to if you wanted. In my opinion, if you can clap to it (on beats 2 and 4, and not awkwardly slow) then it counts as a fast song.
So yeah, if you've ever had that thought of "Man, I wish there were some great faster songs that had some great music and great lyrics," I'm right there with you. So, here's a list of some songs that I really love that could work for you.
15 Songs You Can Clap To
"Everlasting God" - Brenton Brown
Why I Love It - Oldie but goodie. I've found I can lead this song up to 120bpm, still sing the busy verse, and add some energy. This was a mainstay for my band for years.
"Hosanna (Praise Is Rising)" - Paul Baloche, Brenton Brown
Why I Love It - Again, an oldie but goodie. Serves as a great Call-To-Worship song.
"Open Up The Heavens" - Vertical Church Band
Why I Love It - This one gets a little repetitive for me, but some folks love it. Again, serves great for a call to worship.
"This Is Amazing Grace" - Bethel
Why I Love It - I'm not one for huge synth lines at the moment, so I'd lean toward the Bethel recording of this song. Great message, great parts.
"This Is What You Do" - Bethel (Loft Sessions)
Why I Love It - This is my congregation's favorite at the moment since we just launched a new campus and there's energy around the newness. Repetitive for sure, but it's helped folks learn the new song.
"Jesus Saves" - Tim Hughes
Why I Love It - I'm always looking for good Easter songs. Songs like this about Jesus will always have a home in my song library.
"Lion and The Lamb" - Bethel (upcoming)
Why I Love It - My favorite new song. Love how it taps into who God is. Here's a video:
"God My Rock" - Brenton Brown
Why I Love It - I love the simple language of this song, and the phrase "I can rely on You." Very common language, great message.
"Glorious" - Brenton Brown, Paul Baloche (Brown's version is faster)
Why I Love It - Another great Easter song that can be sung the whole year long.
"Strong In Us" - Bethel
Why I Love It - I love a song that doesn't play the same 1, 4, 5 major chords over and over.
"Furious" - Jeremy Riddle
Why I Love It - There are plenty of feel-good songs about God's love, but this one puts some hair on it. His love is furious.
"Seen a Darkness" - John Mark McMillan
Why I Love It - I've always had a soft spot in my heart for some JMM, however, there aren't a lot of "clappable" songs. This one breaks the mold a bit. And I'll always get behind some hopefull songs.
"There's Nobody Like You" - Jon Shirley (Gotta rep a Kansas City local)
Why I Love It - I have to rep a great writer from Kansas City. The song is easy, catchy, and doesn't try to say too much. Can get repetitive, so just don't drive it into the ground.
"He Is Risen" - Paul Baloche
Why I Love It - Another great Easter song that can work all year.
"The Same Love" - Paul Baloche
Why I Love It - If this song were done a few BPM faster, it would sit in a great spot. I'd personally have some more guitar/drum driving it, but that's my general style anyway.
So there are 15 songs that I like, that I feel like say something important for us to sing. And as you noticed, this isn't near comprehensive - I definitely have my favorite writers in worship music and this list reflects that.
Also, it's worth noting that we don't just have to "cover" these songs, but we can make them our own. My previous worship team stumbled on an arrangement we all love of "10,000 Reasons" that is a double-time 2-step. Even played at the same tempo, the song has a new life on it and can serve as a "clapable" call to worship. Take some time and experiment with changing some songs around, try them out, and see what your congregation loves.
What are some of your favorite "clapable" worship songs?
