How to solve the slow to fast worship song whiplash transition with click tracks and loops

It's easy to go from a fast worship song to a slower one. But going the opposite direction (slow to fast) is one of the most difficult. If you add loops and click tracks…that's an even more seemingly complicated transition.  Here's the solution from a slow to fast song transition.  Let's take two songs.

Whiplash would happen if we simply ended the slow song and began with the second uptempo song. But a nice flowing transition is the following secret; take part or all of the CHORUS of the second faster song and sing it as a slow transition between songs.  In fact, leave the click track OFF for this chorus.  Simply sing it free form and have your band play the chords as a nice sonic bed underneath.  It would feel something like the following…

FOREVER REIGN (click track)

| Am   /   /   /   |  F   /   /   /   | C / / / | G / / / | F (hold) ||
My heart will sing, no other Name.    Jesus        Jesus

TRANSITION (no click track, sing slooowwly)

| G  /  /  /  | Em7   /    C  /    | G   /   /   /   |  Em7  /  C    /     |
Our God will reign forever        and all the world   will know His name;

| G  /  /  /  | Em7   /    C  /    | G   /   /   /   |  Em7  /  C    /     |
Everyone  together              sing the song*      of  the redeemed.
[*trigger click here]

MY SAVIOR LIVES (click track, instrumental intro)

| G / / / | Em7 / C / | G / / / | Em7 / C / | continue…

Try it sometime before a rehearsal situation yourself with a guitar or piano. See if you can get it smooth yourself.  Then demonstrate it in rehearsal to the one who triggers the click track and loops.  Once you get the feel of it, you'll be able to transition from slower songs to faster ones with a nice flowing transition.

One more trick — be sure to put a spacer track between the two songs.  It will allow your trigger man to pause the track until the worship leader reaches the point where the next song begins.  You can pick up your spacer tracks at mymusicwriter.com (here).

Worship without the whiplash.