Whoop when You Preach: Step By Step
Many people contact me wanting a step by step method to learn to whoop, here is the outline of a method.
The first thing that one should do if you want to learn how to whoop is listen to other whoopers. Just like if you want to learn how to play jazz, you must listen to others who do it well. Please note that there are different levels of listening. The first level is merely for enjoyment. Here you simply listen for things that you enjoy or that “speak to you” on some level. Another level of listening however is critical analysis. Here you seek to understand what is happening. You listen to the whooper trying to hear the pitch changes. When does the whooper change pitch. When does the whooper change the volume? Does the whooper only get loud at the end? Does the whooper get loud and soft? Another question one might listen for is a sequence of pitches. Does the whooper make use of a sequence (sometimes called a riff in music)? What about rhythm? Does the whooper change his or her rhythm?
Don’t just listen to one preacher closely, listen to a variety of preachers. This variety will help you in that you will learn how to learn different takes on this important art form.
While listening to many preachers, you also want to just sing. Preaching and singing are connected, especially in whooping. Now you may not ever become a soloist, but you will learn many things about your voice simply by singing. So I would encourage you to sing.
Yes whooping and singing are not totally separate endevors. Listen to how the singer and the preacher both make use of dynamics. Listen to how they both make use of pitch change. I even hear preachers making key changes. Singing and Whooping has so much in common, you need to look at them both.
Ok, you have begun singing and have gotten a feel for how your voice works, and you have listened to other whoopers. Now you need to practice. Don’t censor yourself. Just practice. Take a paragraph of sermon and just start playing around. When I used to play the trumpet, I practiced for at least 30 minutes a day. However, many preachers don’t practice at all. While you practice, I encourage you to listen to yourself carefully to see how it sounds.
After having practiced, it is time to incorporate whooping into your sermons. It is time to find times to add rhythmic changes. Add pitch changes. Add notes to your preaching. Don’t force it, but in front of your congregation, allow the musicality to flow.
Please to succumb to the temptation of using whooping to cover up a lack of preparation. Perhaps we all have heard whoopers who obviously haven’t done the preparation necessary to preach an effective sermon to the people of God. Then these preacher simply start whooping and the people go wild. However, during the week when pain and trouble come the people haven’t been given the tools to deal with the world because the preacher decided to serve slop and then try to put cream over it. We as preachers have been called to give the word that is needed, a sweet whoop does not discharge us of this duty. If you whoop, please whoop with integrity!
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