The history of percussion instruments is traceable to the Old Testament. These instruments, used on only a limited basis throughout the history of the church, have re-emerged in contemporary worship. This article describes various hand-held percussion instruments and their usage in Christian worship.
The use of stringed instruments in worship goes back into the Old Testament and has a history of its own in the Christian church. In recent years, the guitar has been frequently used to lead music for worship. This article explains where and how to use the guitar.
Writing music for orchestral instruments requires knowing about the unique design and sound of each instrument. This article examines each major type of orchestral instrument, outlining the basic features of each and suggesting ways of effectively arranging music for each.
Recent technology has generated a wide variety of electronic keyboards available to the church musician. This article defines many of the technical terms that are used to distinguish the varieties of keyboards available and provides guidelines for their use.
The primary purpose of the church organ is to lead and accompany congregational singing. This article argues that the highest priority in organ design and construction in churches should not be to produce an impressive organ for recitals, but rather to construct an organ to meet the unique needs of congregational singing.
The honor accorded the pipe organ in Christian worship represents a curious paradox. On the one hand, the Christian church through most of its history has had an abiding antipathy toward instruments; on the other, the organ (together with bells) has, since the late Middle Ages, become so identified with the church that it embodies the very essence of “churchliness.” How could this have happened?
A wide variety of musical instruments can be used effectively in accompanying hymns and anthems. Creativity in the use of instruments should always seek to reflect and illuminate the text that is sung. The following article gives suggestions for how a variety of instruments can be used to proclaim the text.