What makes a song a hymn

I realize this is a tall order and one blog post would never come close to what is a life long endeavor. In consideration of the finest church music of the ages, I would be amiss to neglect the basic hymn. In a day when the average hymn book is hardly touched, we may find the hymn going the way of the eight-track player and the vinyl record.

Do you know what a hymn is? Technically speaking, a hymn consists of words only, while the music to which a hymn is sung is the hymn tune. Following Isaac Watts, English hymnody has used poetic meters to pair lyrics with melodies that fit this particular rhythm e. Hence, words and music can be interchangeable. The music of a hymn is what trained musicians call "chordal. This enables the music to strengthen and enhance the text, although the music always submits to the words.

The structure of a hymn is derived from classical music, which, of course, is its strength. The most singable and memorable hymn tunes are those that combine a strong structure of music, harmony and melody. The lyrics of the hymns and the melodies are interchangeable. The main function of the music in a hymn is to emphasize the words. Hymns and their structure have been derived or originated from classical music. It is often a four-part harmony.

Hymns have been sung for over hundreds of years and combine music, melody, and harmony in such a way that it reinforces positivity. Praise songs, also called worship songs, are informal songs sung in churches in praise of God. Music is the main defining feature of praise songs instead of the lyrics or words.

They have many repetitions not a four-part harmony. The music range is considered limited, and it is not influenced by classical music. In praise songs, a single person or a group performs the whole song, and the songs are accompanied by many musical instruments not just an organ.

Praise songs are not traditional songs. They are influenced by the present culture, and new songs are being composed regularly. But what exactly is a hymn? Is there something that makes a hymn different from your average worship song? But the point is not that syncopation is bad. Songs that are not hymns are not therefore bad songs.

Anyway, there you have it. My best attempt to explain what a hymn is, and what makes it different from general worship songs. A hymn is a song composed of melodies that inherently carry the timing, making them ideal for singing by a large group of people without the need for instrumentation. I do think the term hymn should be reserved for songs that are actually spiritual and worship-oriented.

Its melodies carry the timing of the song. Joel Griffis at PM.