# Horizontal ↔ Vertical Scoring Rubric

Use this rubric to score each song from 1 to 5. A printable one-page version
is at [docs/rubric-one-pager.pdf](docs/rubric-one-pager.pdf).

## The scale

| Score | Name | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| **1** | Horizontal | The song is sung **about** God, for the edification of the church. It declares truth, teaches, or tells a testimony. It describes who God is and what He has done, and never speaks to Him for long. |
| **2** | Mostly Horizontal | Mostly declaration. A bridge, a repeated tag, or a line or two speaks directly to God, but most of the song is about Him. |
| **3** | Blend | A real mix. For example, the verses tell about God and the chorus speaks to Him, and both carry equal weight. |
| **4** | Mostly Vertical | Mostly sung to God, with some declaration. The verses often set up a chorus that's sung directly to Him. |
| **5** | Vertical | Sung **to** God from start to finish: prayer, praise, thanks, confession, or surrender. The song says "You" to God throughout. |

## Four questions to ask

Ask these about each part of the song (verses, chorus, bridge), then go with
the overall balance.

**1. Who is the song talking to?**

- God → toward 5
- The congregation ("come," "sing," "rejoice," "let us") → toward 1
- The singer's own soul, as in "bless the Lord, O my soul" → toward 1
- Creation, angels, or the nations → toward 1

**2. How does the song refer to God?**

- *You, Your, Thee, Thou* → toward 5
- *He, His, Him, the Lord, God, Jesus* → toward 1

**3. What is the song doing?**

- Asking God for something (*lead, come, fill, help*) → toward 5
- Telling God who He is (*You are holy, You are faithful*) → toward 5
- Telling people who God is (*He is holy, our God reigns*) → toward 1
- Calling people to worship (*praise Him, come and see*) → toward 1
- Telling a story or testimony (*I was lost, now I'm found*) → toward 1, unless it's told to God

**4. If the verses and chorus point different ways, which matters more?**

Usually the **chorus**, because it's what the congregation repeats and
remembers. If both carry equal weight, score a 3.

## When you're stuck between two numbers

Pick the number on the side the song **leans toward**. For example, a song
that's almost all prayer with one line of declaration is a **5**, not a 4.
Save 2, 3, and 4 for songs that really mix both.

Some situations come up often:

- **Hymns that speak to people, not to God** (*"come, ye faithful,"* *"my soul,
  rejoice"*) are horizontal, even though they use "you."
- **Songs that retell the gospel story** (birth, cross, resurrection, in "He"
  language) are horizontal, even if the music builds to a big finish.
- **Prayer songs with a testimony verse** usually land at 4.
- **Call-and-response** songs, where the congregation answers questions about
  God, are horizontal. The exchange is about God, not with Him.
- **A declarative song with one bridge sung to God** is a 2.

## Notes (optional)

The scoring sheet has a **notes** column. A few words about *why* you chose a
score helps anyone who reviews your work later. For example:

- "Verses tell about God; chorus speaks to Him"
- "Call to the congregation to praise; never speaks to God"
- "Prayer throughout"
- "Retells the Christmas story"

**Don't copy lyrics into the notes.** Song lyrics are copyrighted, and the
notes should make sense to someone who knows the song even without the words
in front of them.

## Scoring as a team

If more than one person is scoring:

1. Have everyone read this page first.
2. Score the same 10 songs separately, then compare.
3. Talk through the songs where your scores differed. That conversation is
   what makes everyone's scores consistent.

## For advanced users: strict vs. loose

The guidance above, "pick the side it leans toward," is the **loose** way to
score. A **strict** scorer saves 1 and 5 for songs with no trace of the other
direction, so more songs land on 2, 3, or 4. Either approach works. What
matters is that everyone at your church uses the same one. To compare the
two, add a second score column to a copy of your sheet.