Tempo: Its Important Role in Music Ministry

I would think most of us church musicians would know what tempo is, but what role would tempo play in supporting the art and beauty of worship and music ministry? 

Tempo has many jobs.  Perhaps the job most people think first is to keep the instruments and singers, in sync.  This can’t be understated.  How many church songs have you heard where the instruments and singers were not in line?  Often this is most apparent during intros, turn-arounds, tacets, and lengthy rests. 



I often notice a change in tempo over the course of a song.  What may start off as a soft, melodic prayer, can turn into a brisk two-step with the singers gasping for breath!

This can be very distracting, taking the focus off the prayer, and onto the musicians.

How does this happen?  Easy.

Many church music groups don’t have tempo-leading instrument, or percussion.  There is nothing wrong with this.  Many percussion instruments may not be appropriate for certain settings.  However, there is another instrument that is musically unobtrusive yet holds tempo perfectly.  It is the metronome. 

The metronome is ideal in a number of ways.  It is inexpensive, even for the tightest church budget.  Today there are many digital metronomes to choose from (though I haven’t tried one out yet), so price is even less an issue.  It is compact, fitting nicely in the midst of even the tightest “band-in-a-corner” arrangements.  It sits nicely on a piano.  Without a piano, I find a chair behind the music stand works great.

And it is simple to use.  Those of in music ministry that use them know that the metronome is set to the meter usually indicated at the upper left of printed music.  If it isn’t a couple quick trials will yield the best metronome tempo.

For those of you that use metronomes, what works well for you?  Not so well?  Have any of you tried digital metronomes?

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