What are ‘chants’?
Perhaps you imagine them to be relating with Buddhism, cheerleading, battle cries, shouts of protesters, yoga or even witchcraft. The truth of the matter is that #chants are a rhythmic approach in experimenting with language patterns, including rhyme and wordplay. They invite #sound to be both a playful activity and a conscientious practice. At play, chants encourage dancing which creates a heightened sense of energy that many songwriters dream of capturing through their lyrics. If the #lyrics manage to move a crowd into swaying, clapping their hands and snapping their fingers, the #songwriter is not far from receiving a generous royalty check.
Moreover, chants inspire improvisation in terms of, for instance, sound makers (instruments), pitch, tempo, and/or the development of newly added verses. These sparks of creativity reflect the mood in the air and affect the human psyche. As a result, chants go beyond reading and demand to be performed aloud in order to produce sensitivity, passion and unity amongst a crowd.
In conscientious practice, incorporating repetition within a chant is crucial as it is within song lyrics. Repetitive words make chants/songs accessible and catchy. The song, designed in a chant-like manner, then becomes subconscious for the listener who will eventually recall a song’s lyrics due to its memorability.
Sound is power and when it is manipulated wisely through careful practice, intrinsic beauty can be found within a song’s lyrics. By treating lyrics like chants, you saturate your song with soul and transcend those lyrics to have the dynamic strength to embody universal #music for which many crave.