Differences Between Hymns and Contemporary Worship Songs

My husband and I began discussing hymns and contemporary worship music a few weeks ago after we heard some radio personalities discussing what they considered to be some of the greatest worship songs of all time. As we debated the songs they mentioned, we began to wonder what makes one song a hymn and another song a worship song.

I’m a firm believer that we should try to learn something new every day, so my husband and I took this question and ran with it. We were fascinated as we began to read about the differences between hymns and worship songs.

Differences between hymns and contemporary worship songs

I freely admit that I know next to nothing about music, so bear with me as I explain these differences!

Fundamental differences

Hymns are self-contained pieces that begin and end with the poetry. Most hymns are designed for four-part harmony, making them ideal for large-group participation. In general, the instrumental accompaniment maintains the harmonic structure found in the vocal lines.

Contemporary worship songs generally reflect the vernacular style of the moment. Given that popular music is instrumentally driven, the lyrics of most worship songs cannot be separated from their music. Most are written for solo or small-group performance. Vocal harmonies, if there are any, aren’t notated in the score. Instead, they are dictated by the instrumental arrangement and are often improvised by the performers.

Form

Most hymns are written in stropic form (all verses or stanzas of the text are sung to the same music). This form is often conceptualized as “A.” Some hymns are binary in form (they switch between two sections of music). This form is often conceptualized as “AB.”

Most contemporary songs feature stanzas that are intermittently combined with refrains, codas, bridges, and other devices. Their forms may look like ABACB, ABABABAA’A, or ABABCCBB.

Vocal range

The range of hymns typically lies within that of most individuals, making hymns easy for entire congregations to sing.

Contemporary songs are often written for performance by a particular artist; therefore, they may have a range that is suited for that respective performer. These ranges make some songs difficult for congregational singing.

Text

Each verse of a hymn typically contains different text, though all of the text works together to communicate a specific truth of Christianity. Hymns often use warm, personal language for God. The overall view they present of mankind’s relationship with God tends to be microcosmic (i.e., intimacy with God is possible on earth, but it will be infinitely greater in heaven).

The text in contemporary songs tends to be repetitive. This is in part because various sections of the songs are repeated and in part because most songs have a thematic “tagline” or phrase that is repeated frequently. Contemporary songs typically use warm, personal language for God and emphasize personal experience. The overall view they present of mankind’s relationship with God tends to be deeply intimate and personal, mimicking romantic love at times.

Theology

It is impossible to draw succinct conclusions about the theology contained in all hymns or all contemporary worship songs. We must look at each song individually to determine if it is theologically sound. We can draw a few useful generalizations, though. Hymns, due to their length, often explore God’s character and our relationship with Him in great depth. Contemporary songs, on the other hand, often lack theological depth. This is not necessarily because they are inaccurate, but because they contain few words. Additionally, many contemporary songs are designed to stir emotions and awaken desire for God. It doesn’t take theological depth to accomplish this.

Final thoughts

When I sat down to draft this post, it was my intention to write a post addressing the reasons why I still listen to and sing hymns. I’m still going to write on this, so stayed tuned! However, it seemed appropriate to discuss these differences first because there would be no reason to explain why I love hymns in particular if they weren’t a unique type of song.

I hope I presented these differences in an objective manner. My purpose here is not to promote one over the other. I love both. I listen to both regularly. I attend a church that utilizes both in worship (though we do sing more contemporary songs than hymns). You will find many strong opinions out there about congregational worship and what type of songs are appropriate for it. That’s not what I’m addressing. I simply wanted to satisfy my curiosity and share with you what I learned.

To learn more about the differences between hymns and contemporary worship songs, visit my sources:

• Comparing Hymns and Contemporary Songs by Jonathan Aigner
• Hymns and Praise Songs by Paul Lusher
• Some Similarities and Differences between Historic Evangelical Hymns and Contemporary Worship Songs by Lester Ruth

A final thing I want to note is that hymns are not an old form of music. We often think of them as being old, and it is true that the words to some very popular hymns were written centuries ago. However, hymns (defined as such using the characteristics noted above) are still being written and added to hymnals today.

Had you ever considered the differences between hymns and contemporary worship songs? Are there additional characteristics you think differentiate the two?

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Grace and Truth.