Post by pitbull on Feb 8, 2006 12:19:53 GMT -5
To look at the next Biblical guideline, we must have a basic understanding of what music actually is. Why? I believe that the Bible teaches that true Christian music must have all three components of music (melody, harmony, and rhythm) and melody is required to be the primary component. So let's examine the components of music. Music is composed of three main components: melody, harmony and rhythm. If these ingredients are not present, then it's not music but just noise.
Melody:
Webster's Dictionary defines melody as; 1. Sweetness of sound; music 2. The chief theme of a musical composition. 3. A tune; song (The Grosset Webster Dictionary, p. 372)
Melody is the most prominent part of music. Melody is the theme of the tune. Without the melody line, there is no music. Melody is the horizontal line the notes follow on the music score.
Here's a few quotes from famous musicians on melody:
· "Melody is the main thing; harmony is useful only to charm the ear." Joseph Haydn (Wordsworth Dictionary of Musical Quotations, p. 15)
· "Three things belong to composing, first of all melody; then again melody; then finally, for the third time, melody." Salomon Jadassohn (Wordsworth Dictionary of Musical Quotations, p. 15)
· "Melody is the very essence of music." Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Wordsworth Dictionary of Musical Quotations, p. 16)
Harmony:
Webster's Dictionary defines harmony as; Agreeable proportion of sound. A succession of chords. (The Grosset Webster Dictionary, p. 281)
Harmony is when two or more note are played at the same time. Harmony adds depth to the melody line. Harmony is the basis for the formation of chords. Harmony is the vertical line where the notes meet on the music score.
Rhythm:
Our friend, Webster defines rhythm as; The pattern of tones with regard to their relative time value. (The Grosset Webster Dictionary, p. 490)
Rhythm is the movement in music. Without rhythm, music would be one, long continuous sound, or an uncontrollable noise. Rhythm or the beat is the "glue" that holds everything together. The rhythm is an "unseen" but required component of the music score.
What is difference between secular and Christian music? In Godly music, the melody is the main component, but in secular styles of music – the rhythm or the beat literally takes over the music. This is one of the distinguishing differences.
· "The rhythm in rock is the dominant part of the sound. The heavy emphasis on the BEAT is what distinguishes rock from every other type of music." (Frank Garlock, Music in the Balance, p. 32)
· "Perhaps the most important defining quality of rock and roll is the BEAT, . . . Rock and roll is different from other music primarily because of the BEAT." (Charles Brown, The Art of Rock and Roll, p. 42)
And it is that BEAT that the FLESH loves.
· "The sexuality of music is usually referred to in terms of it's rhythm — it is the BEAT that commands a directly PHYSICAL response." (Simon Frith, Sound Effects, Youth, Leisure, and the Politics of Rock 'n' Roll, p. 240)
· "Rhythm is the element of music most closely allied to BODY MOVEMENT [fleshly, carnal], to PHYSICAL action. Its simpler patterns when repeated over and over [which is exactly what rock does] can have a hypnotic effect on us". (Joseph Machlis, The Enjoyment of Music, p. 19)
Larry Norman, in his song, "Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music", sings about the FLESHLY and PHYSICAL response (moves my feet) of the BEAT of rock.
I ain't knocking the hymns,
Just give me a song that has a BEAT.
I ain't knocking the hymns,
Just give me a song that moves my feet
I've talked to hundreds of young people about the satanic and filthy lyrics in secular rock and nearly every one, replies, "I don't listen to the lyrics. I don't care what the lyrics say. It's the BEAT that I get in to". I used to make the same excuse.
Donnie Brewer of 1970's groups Grand Funk says: "We take the kids away from their parents and their environment to where the only reality is the rhythm and the BEAT." (Hart, Lowell Satan's Music Exposed, p.102)
When secular rock-star, Michael Jackson was asked why he did the filthly-sexual, hand gestures on stage, he replied: "It's the music that COMPELS me to do it. You don't think about it, it just happens. I'M A SLAVE TO THE RHYTHM." (The Evening Star, February 11, 1993, p. A10)
But "what saith the Lord"? Does the Bible give us any indication to the type of music we should sing? Did the Lord God who made heaven and earth, who created music and sound, who put so much emphasis on music in His Word — did He forget to tell us what is Christian music? Not hardly. Thank God — He has given us instructions for our music. Thank God — we can BURY "once and for all" the ridiculous myth that — "the Bible gives no instructions on the type of music for a Christian to listen to. It's all a matter of preference and culture."
· “Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet MELODY, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.” [Isaiah 23:16]
· “For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of MELODY.” [Isaiah 51:3]
· “Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the MELODY of thy viols.” [Amos 5:23]
· And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making MELODY in your heart to the Lord;” [Ephesians 5:18-19]
As you place these verses in perspective of the Bible as a whole [rather than individual verses taken out of context], you will find that the Lord God refers to music as — MELODY. According to God — the emphasis of Christian music is the MELODY — not the BEAT. Never does God say that the rhythm should be preeminent like is found in secular styles of music.
Test your music against this Biblical guideline and principle. The Bible teaches that true Christian music must have all three components of the basic definition of music (melody, harmony, and rhythm) and melody is required to be the primary component.
Melody:
Webster's Dictionary defines melody as; 1. Sweetness of sound; music 2. The chief theme of a musical composition. 3. A tune; song (The Grosset Webster Dictionary, p. 372)
Melody is the most prominent part of music. Melody is the theme of the tune. Without the melody line, there is no music. Melody is the horizontal line the notes follow on the music score.
Here's a few quotes from famous musicians on melody:
· "Melody is the main thing; harmony is useful only to charm the ear." Joseph Haydn (Wordsworth Dictionary of Musical Quotations, p. 15)
· "Three things belong to composing, first of all melody; then again melody; then finally, for the third time, melody." Salomon Jadassohn (Wordsworth Dictionary of Musical Quotations, p. 15)
· "Melody is the very essence of music." Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Wordsworth Dictionary of Musical Quotations, p. 16)
Harmony:
Webster's Dictionary defines harmony as; Agreeable proportion of sound. A succession of chords. (The Grosset Webster Dictionary, p. 281)
Harmony is when two or more note are played at the same time. Harmony adds depth to the melody line. Harmony is the basis for the formation of chords. Harmony is the vertical line where the notes meet on the music score.
Rhythm:
Our friend, Webster defines rhythm as; The pattern of tones with regard to their relative time value. (The Grosset Webster Dictionary, p. 490)
Rhythm is the movement in music. Without rhythm, music would be one, long continuous sound, or an uncontrollable noise. Rhythm or the beat is the "glue" that holds everything together. The rhythm is an "unseen" but required component of the music score.
What is difference between secular and Christian music? In Godly music, the melody is the main component, but in secular styles of music – the rhythm or the beat literally takes over the music. This is one of the distinguishing differences.
· "The rhythm in rock is the dominant part of the sound. The heavy emphasis on the BEAT is what distinguishes rock from every other type of music." (Frank Garlock, Music in the Balance, p. 32)
· "Perhaps the most important defining quality of rock and roll is the BEAT, . . . Rock and roll is different from other music primarily because of the BEAT." (Charles Brown, The Art of Rock and Roll, p. 42)
And it is that BEAT that the FLESH loves.
· "The sexuality of music is usually referred to in terms of it's rhythm — it is the BEAT that commands a directly PHYSICAL response." (Simon Frith, Sound Effects, Youth, Leisure, and the Politics of Rock 'n' Roll, p. 240)
· "Rhythm is the element of music most closely allied to BODY MOVEMENT [fleshly, carnal], to PHYSICAL action. Its simpler patterns when repeated over and over [which is exactly what rock does] can have a hypnotic effect on us". (Joseph Machlis, The Enjoyment of Music, p. 19)
Larry Norman, in his song, "Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music", sings about the FLESHLY and PHYSICAL response (moves my feet) of the BEAT of rock.
I ain't knocking the hymns,
Just give me a song that has a BEAT.
I ain't knocking the hymns,
Just give me a song that moves my feet
I've talked to hundreds of young people about the satanic and filthy lyrics in secular rock and nearly every one, replies, "I don't listen to the lyrics. I don't care what the lyrics say. It's the BEAT that I get in to". I used to make the same excuse.
Donnie Brewer of 1970's groups Grand Funk says: "We take the kids away from their parents and their environment to where the only reality is the rhythm and the BEAT." (Hart, Lowell Satan's Music Exposed, p.102)
When secular rock-star, Michael Jackson was asked why he did the filthly-sexual, hand gestures on stage, he replied: "It's the music that COMPELS me to do it. You don't think about it, it just happens. I'M A SLAVE TO THE RHYTHM." (The Evening Star, February 11, 1993, p. A10)
But "what saith the Lord"? Does the Bible give us any indication to the type of music we should sing? Did the Lord God who made heaven and earth, who created music and sound, who put so much emphasis on music in His Word — did He forget to tell us what is Christian music? Not hardly. Thank God — He has given us instructions for our music. Thank God — we can BURY "once and for all" the ridiculous myth that — "the Bible gives no instructions on the type of music for a Christian to listen to. It's all a matter of preference and culture."
· “Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet MELODY, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.” [Isaiah 23:16]
· “For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of MELODY.” [Isaiah 51:3]
· “Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the MELODY of thy viols.” [Amos 5:23]
· And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making MELODY in your heart to the Lord;” [Ephesians 5:18-19]
As you place these verses in perspective of the Bible as a whole [rather than individual verses taken out of context], you will find that the Lord God refers to music as — MELODY. According to God — the emphasis of Christian music is the MELODY — not the BEAT. Never does God say that the rhythm should be preeminent like is found in secular styles of music.
Test your music against this Biblical guideline and principle. The Bible teaches that true Christian music must have all three components of the basic definition of music (melody, harmony, and rhythm) and melody is required to be the primary component.