I understand what you are saying. I currently play for an AME church but I am in the process of leaving and playing for a church where I just relocated. What you are saying about Holy Holy Holy is correct. "Some", not all hymns should be played with a lot of extra chords but this is what I have learned. What God places in my ear or where he moves my fingers while I am playing, that's where I am going to go. As long as you hear those important parts (Melody and/or Bass), I am going to play it just that way. The Bishop told the pastor at the church I played at that our hymns were being played "too much like gospel music". When we tried playing straight out of the hymn book with certain songs, the people just stood there and look at us like we were crazy. So to make a long story short, I believe if you really connect with God, he will direct your playing.....Whether keeping it simple or adding more contemporary chords to a song.
I disagree.
The SATB in Hymnals are used by most organist who read. There is really nothing else out there for them. Maybe those of us in the pentecostal church dont use it, but there is more to church music than that. (You go to an A.M.E church for example, And they expect you to read)
Yeah its good to make the song contempory and add "phat" chords and "sick" runs, but every song or situation does not call for that. Take "Holy Holy Holy" for example. Look at the bass line. It is an integral part of that song. Yeah you could probaly chord it out, but you will lose all those important bass and harmony notes. It just wont sound right w/o it. And unless you have a good ear or you can read music, you wont do the song justice.
And do chords give you the proper rythm of the song? how do you know how long to hold each note? How do you know when to repeat certain parts etc. if you cant read music?
If you are a beginer, then ok. But if you are a paid church musician then you gotta step your game up and not rely on getting the chords to hymns when EASY sheat music is readily available.
Seriously, We got church musicians getting paid major money, but they cant name not one note on the staff. If you would take a little time to learn what the notes are, you could chord the songs yourself.
Sorry for ranting, and this rant isnt directed towards anyone in paticular.
