Shout (Black gospel music)

A shout (or praise break) is a kind of fast-paced Black gospel music accompanied by

It is a form of worship/praise most often seen in the

The shout music tradition originated within the

It is common now for gospel recording artists to include shouts and praise breaks on their albums, either recorded in a studio or live during a recorded show. This has had an outsize influence on the spread (and musical structure) of the tradition in modern times, in addition to the popularity of videos on social media depicting the practice.

Sound

Standard

There are many variations of this particular style of music. In its most standard form, shout music is characterized by very fast tempo, chromatic basslines and piano/organ chords, snare hits and hand claps on the upbeat of each beat. The organist typically plays dominant 7 chords while improvising over riffs, while the pianist typically plays counter rhythms to the established rhythmic structure.

Often bands will break into shout music at the end of a song or as a finale, or at a particularly high emotional point during a church service or sermon—often cued by the singer or speaker themselves. Shouts following a sermon often come at the end of an instance of "whooping".

The structure of African-American Church bands varies greatly, but all typically have a few basic instruments in common: a basic drum kit, bass guitar, and an organ and/or piano.

Shouts typically lack

This kind of shout music is made to closely emulate the exact sound and techniques used by the voices of singers and choirs, including but not limited to vibratos, slurs, and glissando. This is the primary reason that a trombone is typically found as the lead instrument. Also common are baritones, a snare drum and bass drum combination, and a sousaphone. Though they are not usually seen, other instruments are also utilized in such shout bands, including trumpets, flugelhorns, saxophones, clarinets, flutes, washboards and more.

These specialized, brass-based shout bands are often mistaken for trad jazz bands due to similarities in instrumentation and style, and there are as many as eight different leaders controlling different aspects of the band. There is usually a player-conductor that controls everything that happens, but he or she is normally listening to the band as a whole whereas the other leaders are listening to specific parts that they are assigned to.

Appearance

Shouts invariably involve dancing, typically featuring quick feet movements, undulation of the arms and upper body, and ecstatic exclamations—not unlike the more ancient ring shouts of West Africa. This may be performed by the congregation at large (including or led by any presiders), or by only a portion or even just one or a few person(s).

Church ushers or other participants often assist people dancing more vigorously, as they often have their eyes closed and might not be able to see obstacles in their way. (Others might simply be of older age and in need of physical support.) While it is common for participants to exit their church pew and dance in the aisles or elsewhere, others might support themselves using the pew while dancing.

For those not necessarily dancing, participation might simply be standing in place and clapping along with the beat.

See also

• Black church
• African-American music
• Music of the United States
• Christian Music
• Charismatic Christianity

References

Examples

Standard

• Shout Music on organ with bass and drums
• Chris Edwards playing Shout Music on organ with a full band and choir

UHOP

• Sweet Heaven Kings Brass Band - United House of Prayer for All People - Anacostia, DC (The Kennedy Center)
• United House of Prayer Trombone Shout Bands - Smithsonian Folkways Recordings