Ending a song

[Crossroadsguitar]

We have been worshiping together as a band now for about two months and the music is really going well, but I am starting to get bored with the way we end songs. Any suggestions to mantain a worshipful attitude and wrap up a song besides taging the last line or playing a few bars?

[Jaybo]

Yeah - it is kinda hard to end them all nicely eh?

How about ending every song with "Cha, cha, cha"?

Wicked awesome guitar solo's?

Erm...yeah - I'm not much help. :roll:

Just listen to some of your favorite songs, and see how those end, and just transfer it to worhsip songs. I guess on alot of albums they do fade outs, but there's probably an idea or two off of your Avril Lavigne, or SRV albums you could swipe.

[Ravindave_3600]

Didn't Pete Townshend say the long, windmilling conclusion of "Won't Get Fooled Again" happened because they couldn't figure out a good place to stop?

[Teleguy]

We sometimes reprise the first line and ritard.
Depends on the song, of course.
On other songs we might repeat the chorus and the last line a time or two.

Beginnings (in the right tempo and "feel"), and endings, are the main reasons we must rehearse! :oops:
Everything else might be already written (we sometimes struggle with musical direction notation though).
'Course, some charts are pretty sparse: just a rack of chords and words, which may or may not be anywhere near where the changes are supposed to be happening. :roll:

[Ravindave_3600]

starting to get bored with the way we end songs. Any suggestions to mantain a worshipful attitude and wrap up a song besides taging the last line or playing a few bars?

There are as many ways to end songs as there are songs. Well, maybe not literally. But how you end will depend on the style of the song and what comes after it. For example, you can

1) Tag the last line or significant phrase
2) Slow down at the end
3) Tag AND slow down
4) Go out at full strength (ala, the William Tell Overture)
5) Go out at full strength, stop, modulate, and come in again (ala MWS's "Forever")
6) Write a whole new piece for the end (ala "Layla")
7) Have a "different" instrument lead the way out ("pump up the flute!")
8) Go last verse or chorus acapella
9) change the time signature (Amazing Grace in 3/4, going to 4/4, lengthens the phrases, and when you reach the end you can just stop)
10) Play on and on until the pastor stands up and waves you off, like some worship bands I've known.

But for me, the important thing is remembering that the ending is not just about what I've done, but what I'm doing next. Do I choose a period, an exclamation point, an ellipsis, or a parenthesis, in order to introduce the next Thought into the room?

[jack]

Scott Underwood (Take My Life, You are In Control, Stand Back, etc.) said one time that you should try to avoid ending songs because it takes you out of the flow. I agree. If you think about it, if someone is entering in and you put a big time ending on it, you draw them out of the flow and then they have to start all over, especially on the more worshipful tunes.

I try to segue as much as I can and cut down on the breaks as much as possible. You might give it a try....

Jack