When people hire me for hymn or Primary Song critiques, here are some of the things we discuss:

• Does your hymn or primary song elicit a strong emotion from the singer/listener? This is the goal of all hymns. Does your hymn focus on delivering a strong gospel message through music that will 'affect' the listener and singer strongly?

• Is the melody of your hymn or primary song easy to sing and remember? Will a typical congregation be able to grasp your melody on a first listen? Are there too many odd leaps that will confuse the congregation? Does your melody have a satisfying climax?

• Can the harmonic language be easily understood and affect an emotion without being jarring to the ear? Does your harmony appropriately support the melody you've composed? Are you using proper voice-leading techniques? Is your hymn riddled with parallel 5th or octaves?

• Does your hymn or primary song text represent a clear doctrinal message? Have you focused your hymn on a specific doctrine? Is this a doctrinal gap in the current hymnal?

Do It Yourself, or get some professional help?

I've given you a basic roadmap for critiquing your own original hymn or primary song.

You can get even more free guidance from me by downloading my Free Report: "9 Ingredients of Great Hymn Writing."

But is that enough? Can you really be sure you've caught any errors before you submit? 

You have to make a decision. Do you want to continue working on this by yourself with the knowledge you have? Or, would you like to get another pair of eyes and ears on your hymn? Do you want to get some constructive criticism from an experienced University Professor of harmony and composition, someone who's composed many successful hymns?

If so, you've come to the right place.

Apply for a Hymn Critique:

I ask that you fill out a short form letting me know about you, about your experience, etc. Tell me about your hymn. Tell me if there's something specific you're struggling with in writing your hymn or primary song.