A Typology of Ad-Libbing: Performing Authenticity in Contemporary Worship

Since 2010, the contemporary worship scene has changed. New prominent church bands have emerged and streaming services have made worship music more accessible. While solo worship artists such as Chris Tomlin and Tim Hughes primarily released studio albums in the 2000s, two new prominent collectives, Bethel Music and Elevation Worship, followed Hillsong and Passion in releasing live albums. These live tracks have heavily influenced the local congregation. One example of this influence is the performance practice of singing ad-libs. This article will first define ad-libs within the contemporary worship context and examine how ad-libs provide authenticity to worship leaders. Then, it will explain how this performance practice moved from worship artists to local church vocalists. Finally, the article will conclude with a new typology for identifying and analyzing ad-libs in contemporary worship. Singing ad-libs in contemporary worship is an authenticating performance practice that has extended into the local church through the prominence of live recordings and therefore requires a typology for further research.