A worship/hymn question

[Sascha Fitzpatrick]

I came in here a while ago, as my bf is Lutheran, but I have some more 'not so important' questions now.

I went with him to his parents place down south, and we went to their home Lutheran Church (both of us attend Salvation Army now) whilst we were there.

I was struggling with following the 'style' of the hymns. If someone musical in here, would they be able to tell me the style most hymns in the Lutheran church, as the 'tunes' they were using seemed fairly similar in style, yet didn't follow traditional 'flow patterns' that most contemporary songs do.

It's been years since I've studied chord progressions and stuff, however I do know that certain eras of hymn writing tended to stick with a particular progression, so I was wondering if the Lutheran Hymnbook followed this.

Thanks if you can help me, as I was finding it really hard to follow the chord progressions as they weren't the 'traditional' ones my voice was used to following.

Sorry if I've confused anyone - it's particularly for those musicians who would know the styles used!

Sasch

[Bradford]

Sascha... you lost me!

Most of the older hyms were written in either Common Meter (8.6.8.6), Long Meter (8.8.8.8) or Short Meter (6.6.8.6?)... or either of those doubled. (8 lines, instaed of 4)

That's the extent of my knowledge :D

[KagomeShuko]

I came in here a while ago, as my bf is Lutheran, but I have some more 'not so important' questions now.

I went with him to his parents place down south, and we went to their home Lutheran Church (both of us attend Salvation Army now) whilst we were there.

I was struggling with following the 'style' of the hymns. If someone musical in here, would they be able to tell me the style most hymns in the Lutheran church, as the 'tunes' they were using seemed fairly similar in style, yet didn't follow traditional 'flow patterns' that most contemporary songs do.

It's been years since I've studied chord progressions and stuff, however I do know that certain eras of hymn writing tended to stick with a particular progression, so I was wondering if the Lutheran Hymnbook followed this.

Thanks if you can help me, as I was finding it really hard to follow the chord progressions as they weren't the 'traditional' ones my voice was used to following.

Sorry if I've confused anyone - it's particularly for those musicians who would know the styles used!

Sasch
I've no clue. I've found our hymns quite normal as any other hymns if you listen to them, know how to read and count music, so I couldn't tell, you.

Stein Auf!
Bridget

[Sascha Fitzpatrick]

The reading and the counting is fine - it's just the leap from a particular note to another, particularly at the end of some stanzas - like I am expecting it to go to a particular note (as it would in the 'stereotypical style of contemporary music), and it never does, it seems to be diminished chords or something -I'm not sure.

My friends find the same thing - as long as we're able to read the music, it's fine, but even then it's a surprise to see the note progressions as they stand.

Just wondered if it was a 'tradition' with hymns to have a particular chord progression.

[KagomeShuko]

The reading and the counting is fine - it's just the leap from a particular note to another, particularly at the end of some stanzas - like I am expecting it to go to a particular note (as it would in the 'stereotypical style of contemporary music), and it never does, it seems to be diminished chords or something -I'm not sure.

My friends find the same thing - as long as we're able to read the music, it's fine, but even then it's a surprise to see the note progressions as they stand.

Just wondered if it was a 'tradition' with hymns to have a particular chord progression.
I think it's probably just the era from the time the hymns were written, then. I don't find there's much "tradition" about the way they are written. It was probably just what was popular during the times the hymns were written that the church uses.

Stein Auf!
Bridget

[SPALATIN]

Also many hymns were written in minor keys rather than major keys. If you look at Bach and many of the hymns he wrote they were not written in a major key like A or C but maybe A minor or C minor or b flat minor.