Step-by-Step Stomp Instructions for Christian Songs

Stomp as a musical form and song type began in New Orleans at the hands of pianist and band leader Jelly Roll Morton, its most famous interpreter. His "King Porter Stomp" established a three-part form including a breakdown as a standard stomp feature. Stomp in its original form had a lively tempo and used the "two -step" as the basic rhythm structure.



The most famous modern version of the stomp used in the Christian music setting is Kirk Franklin's "Stomp," which catapulted him from gospel to mainstream stardom in 1997. The song is the flagship of urban contemporary gospel music in radio and video popularity and made Franklin the most influential and widely recognized gospel musician of his generation.

Things You'll Need

• Song in 4/4 time with verse, chorus and breakdown sections
• Band arrangement for the song
• Performing group with at least drums, bass and clap leader and singers in the ensemble

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Instructions

1. • 1

     Hit snare drum on beats on 2 and 4 of every measure. Decide if you want the snare to play during the breakdown section.

   • 2

     Play a strong bass note on downbeat of each measure. Compose the remainder of the bass line to accentuate the "beat two-and-four groove" of the song.

   • 3

     Clap on beats two and four of each measure throughout the song. Feature the designated clap leader prominently in the performance staging.

   • 4

     Keep the same rhythm structure during the verses and chorus of the whole song.

   • 5

     Put a breakdown section somewhere in second half of the song. Decide if you want to keep the bass and other instrumental parts playing during the breakdown. Arrange the breakdown section to feature the clap leader and the singers.