Finally, a resource for selecting congregationally-friendly keys for worship songs!

One of the greatest obstacles to participative worship is singing songs in keys too high (or occasionally too low) for the average congregational singer. Understanding acceptable vocal ranges for average singers certainly helps worship leaders choose good keys, but for some, the process is quite a chore. Today I release a chart of the top 100 CCLI songs, listed alphabetically, with the best keys to insure great congregational singing.

The resource also includes a link to the audio for every song to help you in evaluating new songs for worship. In addition, I have constructed a playlist of the Top 100 CCLI Songs that you can stream anytime you have an internet connection.

Criteria for determining congregationally-friendly keys:

  • The range should fit an average singer. The highest note should be a D with an occasional Eb allowable. The lowest note should be an A.
  • For songs with a small range that could be sung in a wide range of keys, the character of the song and the composer’s original key were considered to preserve the intended feel of the song.
  • Songs with a high tessitura may be pitched a bit lower even if the top note is a D.
  • A few songs on the list have ranges beyond the scope of an average singer. Those key suggestions are noted in parentheses with the best key(s) possible with the understanding that there are outliers in the melody.
  • I did not list choice keys in C# or F#, but if choice keys are on either side of one of these, you can certainly choose that key.

Chart of worship songs and choice keys

The chart of songs and their choice keys is copied below (current as of November 2012) but a regularly updated table will be located on the Renewing Worship website that you can reference any time you need it. I will be adding additional songs to the list in the coming months.

We’ve added in links to the Worship Backing Band MultiTracks (in orange). Click through to these for chord charts too.

Be sure to check out the keys of the songs you are planning for this weekend. Have you selected keys conducive to great congregational singing?

Click here for a printable copy of this information.

 

Song Rank Ideal Keys Key Range
10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord) (Jonas Myrin, Matt Redman) 59 Eb, E Eb-E audio
Above All (Lenny LeBlanc, Paul Baloche) 52 Ab, A G-A audio
Agnus Dei (Michael W. Smith) 70 G, Ab, A G-A audio
All Because Of Jesus (Steve Fee) 60 A, Bb Ab-Bb audio
All Who Are Thirsty (Brenton Brown, Glenn Robertson) 88 F, G Eb-G audio
Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone) (Chris Tomlin, Louie Giglio, John Newton) 8 D, Eb D-Eb audio
As The Deer (Martin Nystrom) 74 C, D Bb-D audio
Awesome God (Rich Mullins) 87 em, fm cm-fm audio
Awesome Is The Lord Most High (Chris Tomlin, Jesse Reeves, Cary Pierce, Jon Abel) 96 F Eb-G audio
Beautiful One (Tim Hughes) 34 C Bb-C# audio
Before the Throne Above (Charitie Lees Bancroft, Vikki Cook) 84 (D) (D) audio
Better Is One Day (Matt Redman) 41 Eb D-Eb audio
Blessed Be Your Name (Beth Redman, Matt Redman) 4 Bb A-Bb audio
Breathe (Marie Barnett) 43 G, Ab, A G-Bb audio
Came To My Rescue (Joel Davies, Marty Sampson, Dylan Thomas) 89 Bb Bb audio
Christ Is Risen (Matt Maher, Mia Fieldes) 99 C, D* C-Eb audio
Come Now Is The Time To Worship (Brian Doerksen) 21 D, Eb C-Eb audio
Days Of Elijah (Robin Mark) 29 Ab, A G-Bb audio
Desert Song (Brooke Fraser) 83 bm, cm bm-dm audio
Draw Me Close (Kelly Carpenter) 63 Bb A-Bb audio
Emmanuel (Bob McGee) 98 C, D Bb-D audio
Enough (Chris Tomlin, Louie Giglio) 58 F, G F-G audio
Everlasting God (Brenton Brown, Ken Riley) 7 Bb A-Bb audio
Forever (Chris Tomlin) 12 G F-G audio
Forever Reign (Reuben Morgan, Jason Ingram) 14 A, Bb, B, C A-C audio
Friend Of God (Michael Gungor, Israel Houghton) 51 Bb, B, C Bb-C audio
From The Inside Out (Joel Houston) 18 Bb A-Bb audio
Give Thanks (Henry Smith) 45 F, G F-G audio
Give Us Clean Hands (Charlie Hall) 62 F F-F# audio
Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me) (John Wilbur Chapman, Mark Hall, Michael Bleecker) 54 Ab, A Ab-Bb audio
Glory To God Forever (Steve Fee, Vicky Beeching) 25 Ab, A G-A audio
God Is Able (Ben Fielding, Reuben Morgan) 65 Ab, A G-A audio
God Of This City (Aaron Boyd, Richard Bleakley, Ian Jordan, Andrew McCann, Peter Kernaghan, Peter Comfort) 78 Bb A-Bb audio
God Of Wonders (Marc Byrd, Steve Hindalong) 33 F, G F-G audio
Great Is Thy Faithfulness (Thomas Obediah Chisholm, William Marion Runyan) 53 C, D Bb-D audio
Hallelujah (Brenton Brown, Brian Doerksen) 94 G, Ab, A Eb-A audio
Happy Day (Ben Cantelon, Tim Hughes) 32 ((Bb)) ((Bb)) audio
He Is Exalted (Twila Paris) 73 Eb, F Eb-F audio
He Knows My Name (Tommy Walker) 76 D, Eb, E D-F audio
Here I Am To Worship (Tim Hughes) 5 E, F Eb-F audio
Holy Is The Lord (Chris Tomlin, Louie Giglio) 17 F, G F-G audio
Hosanna (Brooke Fraser) 23 E, F D-F audio
Hosanna (Praise Is Rising) (Paul Baloche, Brenton Brown) 19 F, G F-G audio
How Can I Keep From Singing (Chris Tomlin, Ed Cash, Matt Redman) 85 E, F Eb-F audio
How Deep The Father’s Love For Us (Stuart Townend) 28 E, F, G D-G audio
How Great Is Our God (Chris Tomlin, Jesse Reeves, Ed Cash) 1 Ab, A, Bb G-Bb audio
How Great Thou Art (Stuart Wesley Keene Hine) 26 A A-Bb audio
How He Loves (John Mark McMillan) 15 (A, Bb) (A-Bb) audio
Hungry (Kathryn Scott) 93 D D audio
I Am Free (Jon Egan) 57 ** ** audio
I Could Sing Of Your Love Forever (Martin Smith) 95 Eb, F D-F audio
I Give You My Heart (Reuben Morgan) 39 F, G Eb-A audio
I Love You Lord (Laurie Klein) 67 Eb, E, F, G Eb-Ab audio
I Will Follow (Reuben Morgan, Chris Tomlin, Jason Ingram) 49 E, F Eb-F audio
I Will Rise (Chris Tomlin, Louie Giglio, Jesse Reeves, Matt Maher) 66 G F-Ab audio
In Christ Alone (Stuart Townend, Keith Getty) 10 Eb D-Eb audio
Indescribable (Laura Story) 44 F, G Eb-G audio
Jesus Messiah (Chris Tomlin, Daniel Carson, Jesse Reeves, Ed Cash) 9 G F-G audio
Jesus Paid It All (Alex Nifong, Elvina M. Hall, John Thomas Grape) 77 Bb A-Bb audio
Joy To The World (Unspeakable Joy) (Chris Tomlin, Ed Cash, Matt Gilder, Isaac Watts, George Frederic Handel) 90 A, Bb A-Bb audio
Lead Me To The Cross (Brooke Fraser) 38 cm, dm bm-dm audio
Lord I Lift Your Name On High (Rick Founds) 24 G F-G audio
Lord Reign In Me (Brenton Brown) 64 Bb, B Ab-C audio
Love The Lord (Lincoln Brewster) 82 F, G Eb-G audio
Majesty (Jack Hayford) 86 Ab, A, Bb G-Bb audio
Marvelous Light (Charlie Hall) 72 B, Bb B-Bb audio
Mighty To Save (Ben Fielding, Reuben Morgan) 2 G, Ab F-Ab audio
My Savior My God (Aaron Shust, Dorothy Dora Greenwell) 97 Bb, C A-C audio
O Praise Him (David Crowder) 100 G, Ab, A F-A audio
Offering (Paul Baloche) 69 E, F Eb-G audio
One Thing Remains (Your Love Never Fails) (Brian Johnson, Christa Black, Jeremy Riddle) 91 (Ab) (Ab) audio
Open The Eyes Of My Heart (Paul Baloche) 13 D, Eb, E D-E audio
Our God (Matt Redman, Chris Tomlin, Jonas Myrin, Jesse Reeves) 3 G, Ab G-Ab audio
Our God Saves (Paul Baloche, Brenton Brown) 61 D D audio
Revelation Song (Jennie Lee Riddle) 6 D C-D audio
Sanctuary (John W. Thompson, Randy Scruggs) 81 D, Eb, E C-F audio
Shine Jesus Shine (Graham Kendrick) 68 Ab, A Ab-A audio
Shout To The Lord (Darlene Zschech) 20 Bb, B Bb-B audio
Sing Sing Sing (Chris Tomlin, Jesse Reeves, Matt Gilder, Daniel Carson, Travis Nunn) 46 F, G E-Ab** audio
Sing To The King (Billy Foote, Charles Silvester Horne) 37 Eb, E, F Eb-G audio
Stronger (Ben Fielding, Reuben Morgan) 56 Bb, B, C Bb-C audio
The Heart Of Worship (Matt Redman) 30 Eb C-F audio
The Stand (Joel-Houston) 22 A A audio
The Wonderful Cross (Jesse Reeves, Chris Tomlin, J. D. Walt, Isaac Watts, Lowell Mason) 40 C, D C-D audio
Today Is The Day (Lincoln Brewster, Paul Baloche) 55 Bb, B Bb-B audio
Trading My Sorrows (Darrell Evans) 47 G, Ab, A F-A audio
Victory In Jesus (Eugene M. Bartlett) 80 F Eb-F# audio
We Fall Down (Chris Tomlin) 27 Eb, E, F D-F audio
Wonderful Merciful Savior (Dawn Rodgers, Eric Wyse) 92 Bb, C Bb-C audio
Worthy Is The Lamb (Darlene Zschech) 79 A, Bb A-Bb audio
You Are Good (Israel Houghton) 75 Eb, E, F D-F audio
You Are Holy (Prince Of Peace) (Marc Imboden, Tammi Rhoton) 71 E, F E-F audio
You Are My All In All (Dennis Jernigan) 36 F, G Eb-G audio
You Are My King (Billy Foote) 16 D, Eb D-F audio
You Never Let Go (Matt Redman}, Beth Redman) 31 A, Bb A-Bb audio
You’re Worthy Of My Praise (David Ruis) 48 Eb, E, F Eb-F audio
Your Grace Is Enough (Matt Maher) 11 E, F Eb-F audio
Your Great Name (Krissy Nordhoff, Michael Neale) 42 A, Bb Ab-Bb audio
Your Love Never Fails (Anthony Skinner, Chris McClarney) 50 F Eb-F audio
Your Name (Paul Baloche, Glenn Packiam) 35 Ab, A, Bb G-Bb audio

 

**I Am Free in its original form has a range too large for an average singer. LifeWayWorship’s arrangements have altered the melody so that it is attainable by the average singers. In considering the original notation, I have not listed any key as a possibility.

Kenny Lamm, senior consultant for worship and music for the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, is a frequent worship conference leader with a strong focus on equipping leaders in North Carolina (USA) and Southeast Asia. His blog, Renewing Worship, features posts that explore ways to renew–impart new life and vigor to–the worship in the local church.