what songs have you ripped changes and drop them in your sunday morning playing?

[ES7Mike]

Alot of times people are drawn to the attention of a song because of the beat. My Mother says this, If only they would listen to the words of a song and what that song means and allow the words to minister to them. for instance,a song like "Lord I give you my Heart"(Hillsong), that song is saying that inspite of all my problems, lord I submit my all to you and I give you free reign over my life, take every part of me!

[soldieranointed]

So you are saying that if you drop a little Tupac or Nellie you can help get younger people into "Worship"???  Are you serious??  Is it April Fools day or something.

Man, I was sort of wondering when someone was going to say something that made a lil sense.  We have had this discussion in several threads, so I'm not going to take it there, but I will say this.  If I was listening to something secular in my car...then walked into the church and heard the same thing...I would walk right back out...why?  Because I want change...that's why I go to church.  I don't go to church to intermingle my sin with the holiness of Christ?  I do understand that some chords are used in secular and gospel...i can live with that, but when u rip a secular song and play it in the House of God....no comment!  NO wonder God said they have made His house a den of theives...no wonder.

But hey, it it floats ur boat then I "eye eye captian"  LOL 

[soldieranointed]

This is to crazy to even address.  Its one thing to just take a progression from music, but its totally ridiculous to say we need to to bring tupac in to help usher in worship.

Next it will be we be we need to bring strippers in to help bring men in.  This is just ridiculous.

LOL    I'm so glad you are the administrator!

[Cm9_Ed]

Wow!!

I thank God for this tread because I have been trying to search my feelings about this very subject for the last two weeks. Quick story: We have a youth ensemble that sings every Sunday. The were singing Tye Tribbett's "Without You" and at the end of the song they broke it down and went into the "Laffy Taffy" grove on the keyboard while doing the "lean wit it, snap wit it" dance. My jaw dropped and shattered! But to my non surprise, the congregation jumped up and gave them house for it. I am the minister of music there and I felt like that was my fault. I usually let them do their thing on their own, so I did not now this was going to happen. I am wondering if I should take their control way now because of that.

I have been reading this tread and kinda agreeing with both sides on this subject, but I am leaning more to the don't do it side. I used to rip things from rap and R&B song too, but this experience is making me reconsider. We've all done it in one way or another. In the gospel song "Leaning on Everlasting Arms" we go into "Califonia Love" by Dre and Tupac. Its also in the vamp to "Who Is Like The Lord", which also has "Crush On You" by Biggie and Lil Kim. I wonder if Israel Haughton is getting emails about that?  I remember back in the day, Ricky Dillard took Xscape's "Who Can I Run Too" which can work out to be a gospel song real easy(which I got shunned for doing in a musical anyway ), but the thing I'm wondering about is why do we do it. Some say for flavor, some say to draw ppl unto God. When you break off into a top ten secular song, you will always get the ppl's attention, but at what cost. You may just distract someone from getting the real message of the song. In my case with the Laffy Taffy song, I just couldnt get into it. The lyrics are too vulgar for me to play the real song in my car around my children, and then I hear it in church?! That's just going to far.

[2tight]

I've played Amerie's "1 Thing" as an offering song and the church was feeling it.  I didn't play it fast like her song, but I slowed it down and gave it a nice soul groove type feel.  It was dope.

I did "Ooh Child" for offering and everybody was rocking wit it and singing the words and stuff.  It was off da chain!!!

I revamped "Total Praise" when the choir sings it and added in some of my tricks.  It's a lot of songs I play different like "We're Blessed", "God's Got A Blessing", "Stir Up The Gift", too many to name.

You want to talk about Mariah Carey?  I done played parts of "We Belong Together" as talk music and Alter Call music.  I done played Bow Wow and Ciara "Like You", Usher's "Lovers and Friends", Trina and Kelly's "Here We Go Again", but I do it in such a way that u can't recongnize it unless I tell you.  Even though they "secular" songs, the music is just so powerful to me.

i be playing snoop dogg snoop doggy dogg and busta rhymes put your hands where my eyes could see and michaell jackson beat it.

[diverse379]

I dont know how or why I post these things but I am led to do it I suppose

because I dont listen to secular music I probably do hot know the impact that hearing something where you know the lyrics are vulgar dropped on the end or in the middle of a song praising /God  but i imagine it  is like watering down the message or serving two masters


When i first posted this thread i was thinking in terms of what contemporary gospel songs  you take chord changes from and drop in your hyms or worship songs lijke using a vamp from ill makle it in the drive of some other song  na mean?

what I got was completely different but I initially felt that hey its cool chords are chords Right?  so its cool if you rip a chord or a progression from a secular song


but what I am finding as I read the reactions of some of the people i have the utmost respect for like 4hisglory react in a strong way to the ripping of these progressions I had to take a closer look

And i suppose if you are playing the whole song so that its not just the chords or progression you are ripping but you are ripping the whole melody rhythym and chords basically you are mixing in the song and combining it much like a DJ mixes a record

This is not at all what I do and I am not sure this is what I would support from my musicians either

The context would have to be the most appropriate

because music is such a powerful tool for worship why would you want to pervert or distort the message of any of the songs we use to worship God

I still believe there is nothing wrong with using secular songs for inspiration for understanding harmony and chord structures  passing chords and tecchniques
You would be hard preseed to tell me that is wrong because then you would have to not study mozart or jazz songs or blues either for that matter all of which gospel borrows from.
but if you play these songs in the middle of a worship song and the persons mind goes to some lyric which is contradictory to the message Then you are not really doing your job as a minstrel for God you are kind of being a Devils advocate invoking another message within your playing.
Whatever you do do it with care have reverence when you are playing in the house of God.

If you want to rip a chinge rip it but you dont have to play laffy taffy so that people hear vulgarity in their minds.

Gilligans island family fued taxi no lyrics no problem that is cool

a song where there is no contradiction may be cool too like unpretty by tlc (i know thats old but thats all that comes to mind.

There is a fine line here and I believe the Intention is key here

   

[swade88]

Any of you brothas and sistas worship in So Cal around San Diego?

As an inexperienced musician, I would love to come visit your church, perhaps meet you and experience a worship service in your church!

Thanks   

swade88

[soldieranointed]

I dont know how or why I post these things but I am led to do it I suppose

because I dont listen to secular music I probably do hot know the impact that hearing something where you know the lyrics are vulgar dropped on the end or in the middle of a song praising /God  but i imagine it  is like watering down the message or serving two masters


When i first posted this thread i was thinking in terms of what contemporary gospel songs  you take chord changes from and drop in your hyms or worship songs lijke using a vamp from ill makle it in the drive of some other song  na mean?

what I got was completely different but I initially felt that hey its cool chords are chords Right?  so its cool if you rip a chord or a progression from a secular song


but what I am finding as I read the reactions of some of the people i have the utmost respect for like 4hisglory react in a strong way to the ripping of these progressions I had to take a closer look

And i suppose if you are playing the whole song so that its not just the chords or progression you are ripping but you are ripping the whole melody rhythym and chords basically you are mixing in the song and combining it much like a DJ mixes a record

This is not at all what I do and I am not sure this is what I would support from my musicians either

The context would have to be the most appropriate

because music is such a powerful tool for worship why would you want to pervert or distort the message of any of the songs we use to worship God

I still believe there is nothing wrong with using secular songs for inspiration for understanding harmony and chord structures  passing chords and tecchniques
You would be hard preseed to tell me that is wrong because then you would have to not study mozart or jazz songs or blues either for that matter all of which gospel borrows from.
but if you play these songs in the middle of a worship song and the persons mind goes to some lyric which is contradictory to the message Then you are not really doing your job as a minstrel for God you are kind of being a Devils advocate invoking another message within your playing.
Whatever you do do it with care have reverence when you are playing in the house of God.

If you want to rip a chinge rip it but you dont have to play laffy taffy so that people hear vulgarity in their minds.

Gilligans island family fued taxi no lyrics no problem that is cool

a song where there is no contradiction may be cool too like unpretty by tlc (i know thats old but thats all that comes to mind.

There is a fine line here and I believe the Intention is key here

   

I like how u started this post out, it is very similar to a watered down message.  Honestly, it may be good to the flesh, but God is not pleased....HE wants us to sing unto a glorious praise...psalms and spiritual songs...according to the Word of God.  I know that as a musician it can be tempting to grap chords from anything, but the truth is that certain chords are placed in certain places for a reason...u wouldn't want to greive the Holy Spirit would you?

Just a question?

[2tight]

I always ripped some changes from a rap and R:B artist.The youth choir is singing Im walking by Donnie McClurkin on the vamp part i play sean paul Gimme the light.The choir did recognize it they like it alot.The choir director said we need to step out of the box.As far as the dances some dances r not approaite to do such as doing the percolator and pumping.Alot of musicians ripped changes from a rap and R:B artist it is nothing wrong with doing that.Even though i ripped changes from a rap and r:b artist my worship is for real.

[diverse379]

I always ripped some changes from a rap and R:B artist.The youth choir is singing Im walking by Donnie McClurkin on the vamp part i play sean paul Gimme the light.The choir did recognize it they like it alot.The choir director said we need to step out of the box.As far as the dances some dances r not approaite to do such as doing the percolator and pumping.Alot of musicians ripped changes from a rap and R:B artist it is nothing wrong with doing that.Even though i ripped changes from a rap and r:b artist my worship is for real.

I hear you 2 tight all i can say is
Judge ye not a nother masters servant for he stands before his master to be judged

God knows your heart and you are ministering to the youth just let the lord lead you and make no apologies for what you are lead to do

[Salvador]

I understand both sides. Me personally though, I've never really believed in a such thing as an evil chord progression. My brothers played the music to a Metallica song about an hour before church and got in trouble. I play some Beethoven (who was far from Christian) and get, "Aww...that's beautiful."

I think what should be realized though is the church has been doing this kind of "borrowing" thing for a while now. And I mean a LONG while.

There's the image of Mithra slaying the bull. So we made one with Samson killing a lion. Mithra shot some arrows into a rock for water; it was changed to Moses getting water from the rock at Horeb.

I don't think Israel and New Breed going into California Love on Who is Like the Lord is any different. So if them doing that is somehow heretical, then I guess so were our early Christians.

But I do believe music samples and chords are where the line should be, and are usually drawn.

Oh, and I've thrown in some Sonic the Hedgehog. I'm being dead serious.

[Cm9_Ed]

Oh, and I've thrown in some Sonic the Hedgehog. I'm being dead serious.

  LOL. I've done that theme music to Ninja Gaiden2 and the theme from Head of State (Chris Rock).

[gutdow]

My take on this, is its up to the individual musician as to what he or she plays - wether or not its secular or christian - if you are playing it to gods glory it should not matter.  We as christians are always so judgemental of one another - its amazing too me, that musicians would be critical of what other musicians play -  so if we listen to some of the people that have responded we should stop playing all together because most of todays musicians have a jazz sound - which is considered to be secular.  I am glad that i attend a church were the pastor and the members allow me to be creative with my music as long as i am playing to the glory of god.  I know as long as im playing for god and uplifting his kingdom i see nothing wrong with playing all styles of music at church.

Songs we play at church:

Slide
Get down on it
Bad
laffy taffy
Mike Jones
Ribbon in the Sky
Theme from Superfly
Love - Keyshia Cole
Jill Scott
Love & Happiness
Pretty Toes - Nelly (if you have a Phat bass player this is hot)

Basically whatever me and the Bass player is feeling @ the time!


To musicians struggling with this, seek God, ask your pastor & never let people discourage you if you dont feel like you are doing anything wrong.


Much Love

[sjonathan02]

My take on this, is its up to the individual musician as to what he or she plays - wether or not its secular or christian - if you are playing it to gods glory it should not matter.  We as christians are always so judgemental of one another - its amazing too me, that musicians would be critical of what other musicians play -  so if we listen to some of the people that have responded we should stop playing all together because most of todays musicians have a jazz sound - which is considered to be secular.  I am glad that i attend a church were the pastor and the members allow me to be creative with my music as long as i am playing to the glory of god.  I know as long as im playing for god and uplifting his kingdom i see nothing wrong with playing all styles of music at church.

Songs we play at church:

Slide
Get down on it
Bad
laffy taffy
Mike Jones
Ribbon in the Sky
Theme from Superfly
Love - Keyshia Cole
Jill Scott
Love & Happiness
Pretty Toes - Nelly (if you have a Phat bass player this is hot)

Basically whatever me and the Bass player is feeling @ the time!


To musicians struggling with this, seek God, ask your pastor & never let people discourage you if you dont feel like you are doing anything wrong.


Much Love

If a musician plays anything that gets the congregation's state of mind OUT of the presence or praise of God, then it is wrong. That's Bible, that simple!

Be Blessed! 

[Loopy]

If a musician plays anything that gets the congregation's state of mind OUT of the presence or praise of God, then it is wrong. That's Bible, that simple!

Be Blessed! 

I agree. If you're playing something and the audience (or many youth in the audience) know what it is, and it takes their mind off of worship, THAT is wrong. I've been guilty of this myself and have had to repent.

[Da Man]

I think that some songs are okay.  Others are just too extreme to be in a worship environment, even instrumentally.  It's already heavily marked with bad messages. That's like, if I played (in church) Salt's 'Push it'.  Would that be right?  You would probably think, "Push it real good!"  In church??  I'd probably get struck by lightening.   

I can deal with SOME of the secular music that crept into gospel.  Like, Byron Cage, Worship the King.  To me, that's SOS (Baby, we can do it, take your time, do it right) and that's EXACTLY what I'm thinking when we play it.  The others, younger, don't recognize it.  But I do.  I'm okay with it.  Now the Goerge Clinton stuff, that's still in the pentalty box.  The other younger musicians love it (Flashlight).  I do too - WHEN I'M HIGH AND INEBRIATED OUT OF MY SKULL!!!

All that heavily latent stuff (Tupac, Lil' Kim, Biggie, and so on...) I'm not doing it.

Da Man