How to Write a Scripture Song

I didn't set out to be a Scripture songwriter, but I love the Bible, I love music, and I love learning Bible verses via song.  My Scripture songwriting began in earnest when I wanted to equip my fourth grade students at the Christian school where I taught to remember their memory verses, not just for their Friday test but for the rest of their lives. I looked for songs on YouTube to match their weekly verses. Some lined up perfectly, some were adaptable, and some were waiting to be written.  The process continued for all the grade levels at my school, and then for my sons' Scripture memory work (Awana and SwordGrip), and then for chapters and books of my own Scripture memory projects. And here I sit, hundreds of Scripture songs later, trying to write about the writing process. Here goes...

Scripture songwriting varies depending on musical ability, so I'll try to address the novice up to the intermediate musician (I know some professional musicians that I haven't been able to convince to write a Scripture song because their level of excellence far surpasses my own, and they can't just crank out a mediocre one -- their creative process is much more involved and time-intensive. I'm not addressing that crew because I need them to write a tutorial for me).

Use an existing tune - This is the easiest way to begin.  Try out some existing melodies to see if they match the verse you are trying to memorize.  Start with something familiar or a melody you love. I've used everything from "Behold Our God" to "Dust in the Wind" to "His Banner Over Me is Love" to "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."  One of my students created a song using "What Child is This?" because that's what they were singing for the Christmas program, and it was fresh on her mind.  One of my favorites is when my oldest son Carter wanted to set Ezekiel 18:30-32 to the Castle theme from Super Mario World, and it actually fit the mood of the verse very well! Here are some things to keep in mind:

1. Try to keep phrases/words together. Don't end a musical line with the first syllable of a word.  You can double up on notes or hold out notes if you need to. An example of this is how "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" and the "ABC song" are actually the same tune but "how I wonder what you are" has fewer notes than "H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P."  
2. Try to keep the "stress" on the correct syllable. Musicians break this rule all the time, but sometimes you may need to add or take out some notes to pronounce, for instance, the word "sal-VA-tion" instead "SAL-va-tion" or "sal-va-TION." 
3. Feel free to repeat words and phrases. Just because you're working with word-for-word lyrics doesn't mean that you can't repeat words or phrases for emphasis or to better fit the melody.  
4. Try to include the reference. It may sound weird to sing "Psalm 96:2," but it is so helpful in the long run to remember the reference.  If there's any "leftover" part of the melody, you can plug in the reference there, or you can tag it at the end of the song and just repeat the melody of the last line.  If you need to fill extra space, you can say "chapter" and "verse" as in "Psalm chapter 96, verse 2" or say multiple verse numbers such as "Zechariah 2, verses 10, 11, 12."
5. If it's not working, scrap it! Not every tune will work for every verse. Either keep the tune and pick a different verse, or keep the verse and pick a different tune.  

Do a rap - You could do this as an end product or as a first step in writing a song.  I think these are easier to do than original songs because you're working with the rhythm but not necessarily the melody. I first tried this as a counselor at Taylor County Campmeeting for John 20:31, and I still remember it 17 years later! Here are some other simple examples I've done: Hebrews 11:17 with my students and Romans 1:29-32 (start at 7:37),  Here's a simple beat to use in the background if that would be helpful. 

Add a tune - You don't have to be a musician to just let your voice dance around to different notes. It may not sound stellar the first time (and may not ever, but the goal is not a record deal but to remember a Bible verse long-term). The most helpful tool for this process is a way to record your ideas. I usually just open up the video on my phone; others use "voice memo."  This helps me not forget the tune an hour later.  Sometimes I do this with instruments, but often it is over the background noise of my sons eating breakfast or my students coming into the classroom in the morning.  If you play the piano, it's helpful to write out the notes (I just write the letter names instead of using the staff).  If you understand chord progressions, you can add those as well.  Sometimes I start with the tune and add the chords that fit; other times, I start with the chords and then pick a tune that matches the chords. If you don't play music yourself, try this song from YouTube -- it's a chord progression, but you can pick the tune (there are actually a bunch of these "Unfinished Songs" to choose from).  

Again, the goal is not to be the next hit. I write plenty of songs that no one may like except me, but if it helps me memorize a verse, it has served its purpose. And this is another way we can "sing a new song to the Lord" (Psalm 96:1). I hope you'll try it!

Here's one of my recent "new songs to the Lord:" 

(If you'd like to get more ideas and hear more examples, here's a mega-post I wrote about how to find Scripture songs)