However, when you sit down to play for congregational singing, it’s written in four-part harmony. Soprano, alto, tenor and bass notes are all that you get. It’s perfect if you’re a singer, but if you’re a musician, you’re going to have to get creative. 

Why improvise?

A good accompanist is going to push the music forward and keep the tempo going. There’s nothing worse than a triumphant hymn being sung like a funeral dirge! The problem is, when you come to those long three and four beat holds at the end of a phrase, it’s difficult to get the whole crowd moving forward again. And the larger the crowd, the heavier the drag. That’s where improvisation comes in. SOMETHING needs to fill that empty space, and the pianist is in charge of that something. 

Not only do you need to push the music forward, but you can help give confidence to the director and the congregation by filling the room with bold, powerful chords. People simply won’t sing out if they feel like they will be heard over the music. Providing a full backdrop for them to add their voices in praise makes it easier for even the most timid to participate in the song service. 

The 3 note chord

The very first thing I teach students when they are ready to play out of the hymnal is the concept of a “3 note chord” in the right hand. Instead of only playing the soprano and alto parts, simply add the tenor note in to create a triad in the right hand. Quite often, your RH thumb can simply drop down to play that tenor note. Sometimes it will just be out of reach, so you will need to do a little bit of mental gymnastics and adjust a bit.

If it’s too low to play as written, bump the note up an octave. Usually that means it will end up in the middle of your soprano and alto note. What results is a nice, tight harmony that’s pleasing to the ear. Then, in the left hand, simply double the bass note and play it as an octave. You then are able to give a solid foundation to a richer sounding chord and immediately improve your hymn playing.  

The 4 note chord

Most often, this is what I’m playing during the congregational singing, especially when we are learning new music. The 4 note chord is simply playing the 3 note chord and then doubling the soprano note down an octave. Look at the example below: 

This creates a full sound that will carry over the singing because it’s played in the upper register. It’s perfect for bold, upbeat songs and is easy to learn with a little practice. 

 Fillers

Once you become comfortable with playing fuller chords and have a good understanding of the basic theory behind them, it’s time to move to filling the “empty spaces” in the music. There are several ways to fill in the music when you are holding something for several beats.

• Instead of a block chord, play a broken chord
• Use the measure to “walk” up or down with the bass to the first note in the next measure
• Play an arpeggio in the right or left hand
• Play a scale (it doesn’t have to be exactly 8 notes, it just needs to fit in the rhythm)
• Repeat the chord up or down an octave
• Play ornamental notes-get creative!

Options for the left hand

Most church pianists find it difficult to know what to play in the left hand when learning to improvise. It’s very easy to get into a habit of doing things a certain way and then never push yourself beyond that. I can’t sit beside you and work through every song in the hymnal with you, but I can give you a few ideas and encourage you to try them all!

Stride Bass

This is probably one of the most commonly used accompaniments for hymn playing. Stride is simply the style of playing low octaves (or other intervals) on the first and third beats of a bar and chords higher on the piano on beats two and four. If you still aren’t sure what I mean, think of the first couple bars of The Entertainer. That classic “ragtime” bass (or a variation of it) is often used in hymn playing.

It’s very important to know basic chords and be comfortable with inversions when playing this way. Being able to invert chords keeps them from all sounding the same. Many hymns are very simple in their structure, and you’re going to be playing a lot of primary chords (the I, IV and V chords in each key signature.) So to break things up, play a first or second inversion of the chord in your left hand, rather than always playing in root position. 

Arpeggios

Once again, here’s another important reason why you need to absolutely KNOW your basic music theory when it comes to chords. An arpeggio is simply a broken chord played in rhythm. But oh-so-often the typical church pianist will play these incorrectly! If you are playing a C in the bass, don’t assume that the next note up in the arpeggio should be an E or a G (as in C-E-G for a C major chord.)

Sometimes you may be playing an INVERSION of a different chord entirely. For example, you could be playing a C as your lowest note in the bass, but it’s actually part of an F major chord (F-A-C) so you most definitely do NOT want to play and E or a G next in that arpeggio! Don’t base everything off the first note-be sure to take in the entire chord from bass to treble clef and then decide what to play. 

Intervals

Personally, I play a LOT of octaves in my left hand. It was the way I was taught when I started playing for church, and it’s almost a necessity when you are playing in a large room or for a large crowd. It allows for doubling up on the root and getting a solid foundation for the big four note chords in the right hand. However, sometimes less is more. 

I’ve been working on adjusting my playing style and making myself be more thoughtful about how I play on Sundays. Now that I have a second piano and an orchestra playing with me, I don’t have to fill the room with as much sound as I used to when I was playing alone. So another option is to play around with different intervals. Instead of an octave, try playing a 7th. Just drop your top thumb down to the next note in the scale. For example, see this excerpt from one of Greg Howlett’s arrangements:

Instead of a G flat octave in the left hand, he drops down to an F. Then the next measure he’s playing a D flat instead of an E flat. Just by dropping down one note, it adds a rich voicing to the harmony and grabs the listener’s ear.

Granted, during congregational singing, this is not likely to be heard and noticed, but it’s a good place to start practicing the concept. This type of harmonization is ideal for invitations! You can also try playing 5ths and 6ths in the left hand accompaniment.

Style matters

The last thing to remind you is that you need to play to the style of the song. “I Surrender All” is not a good time to start practicing the stride bass! “Victory in Jesus” isn’t really a soft, flowy song, so arpeggios aren’t really going to work there. Play around with it and don’t be afraid to just try new things.

The best thing about playing for congregational singing is the freedom to try something different. You have multiple verses of the song to get it right, and there are people singing along and covering up any mistakes you might make. Just keep trying new things!

The post Basic Improvising appeared first on Baptist Pianist.

Almost every pianist is trained classically first. There simply aren’t programs that are designed strictly for “church music.” And honestly, there shouldn’t be. The classical foundation that you get from taking lessons is critical to your success as a pianist. However, the piano is typically a solo instrument and when you begin to play for church, you are most definitely NOT a soloist anymore. 

Whether your director is trained and knows how to direct expressively in every time signature, or he’s literally just waving his hands back and forth chaotically, it’s your job to stay with him. For a less experienced director, the responsibility of keeping the tempo and moving the song along may fall to you. But if your director has experience, he knows what he’s doing and you’ve got to stay with him-especially if there are multiple instruments involved! You all have to play together and following the director is how you do that. 

Introduction

It’s important to begin each song with a clear introduction, both for the song leader and the congregation’s benefit. Typically, the last line or phrase of the song is a good introduction. If the chorus is very different from the verse, or it’s in a different time signature, play something else as an intro. The first line of the song usually works. For example, “I Will Sing the Wondrous Story” switches from 3/4 to 4/4. You don’t want to play the last line of chorus as the introduction, or you’ll be setting up the tempo and meter incorrectly. Be sure to glance through your music before you begin and scope out the best introductions ahead of time!

Congregational Singing

Next post we’ll go into more detail regarding actual improvising techniques for accompanying the congregational singing. For the purposes of following the director, the only thing you need to worry about during the actual singing time is keeping your eyes up. If you’re not completely comfortable with your music, your eyes are going to stay glued to the page. Do what you can to put in the time to get confident enough in the music so you are free to lift your eyes from the page and watch the director. 

If you’re still new to playing, I suggest using The Simple Hymnal for congregational singing. The simplified melody line and left hand “power chords” (just open 5th) will make it easier to learn the songs and keep your eyes up and on the director as much as possible.

You don’t need to keep your eyes on him constantly. In fact, your peripheral vision is enough to keep you on track. If he’s directing in a pattern, you should be able to see at least the first beat of each measure as his hands come down. If you’re on beat 1 and he’s on beat 1, great job! If your piano is not arranged in a way that you can see the director clearly, move it. You never know when he might stop in the middle of the song to say something, or wave you off so the congregation can sing the last chorus a cappella. Simply watching and being in tune with your director will eliminate a lot of those embarrassing and awkward moments when one of you is racing off without the other.  

Speaking of awkward moments…recently, our regular music director was out of town, so another man who has directed congregational singing in the past was filling in. When he got up to lead the first song after the choir opener, I did what I always do-started the introduction right after he announced the song number. However, as I was coming to the last couple chords of the intro, I glanced up to watch him and be sure we came in together. That’s when I noticed he was still turning pages! I have no idea why, but he didn’t have the book already opened to the page before he announced the number! He had one hand up in the air, but it was just hanging there as he rapidly turned pages with the other one. It was like a bad dream where everything is moving in slow motion. There wasn’t enough time for my brain to process anything other than “DON’T PLAY YET!” So when I reached the end of my intro, I just held down the notes and prayed that he was going to start in time. 

He didn’t.

Kudos to the choir, orchestra and other pianist- none of us started playing or singing, because everyone was watching the director. However, at least a dozen voices in the congregation sang half of the first word before realizing they were left hanging! 

“I….”

Oops. I felt bad, but everyone just chuckled and the song leader said, “You have to watch the director!” and laughed it off. Now, you’d think he would have learned and the next song he would have it opened and ready to go. NOPE. However, I learned my lesson the first time around and this time I waited a bit longer than I usually would before beginning my introduction. 

Timing. It’s all about timing when you are running any kind of program or service. The people on the platform need to be in sync with one another and at least on the same page! So follow the director. 

The post Following the Director appeared first on Baptist Pianist.

If you are the full-time pianist for your church, your day at the piano begins before the service starts. At our church, the Sunday School classes dismiss ten minutes before the worship service begins. At five minutes before the hour, the orchestra tunes up and then the prelude music begins.

Things to remember for the prelude:

If you are playing with other instruments (second piano or orchestra, etc.) be sure you’re tuned together and ready to begin.

Be sure that you are clear on how many verses to play of each song or are capable of making it clear that you are switching to another song.

If you modulate between songs, only you should play and the other instruments join in after the next song begins. (Often, I’ll skip any kind of modulation because there are so many moving parts and it’s difficult to keep things together, but it’s a great tool to use when you are playing alone!)

Choose songs that are upbeat, with a faster tempo. The worship service is about to begin! It’s not the time to put people to sleep.

Play loudly and confidently. The prelude is the subconscious signal to the congregation that it’s time to find their seats and get settled for the services to begin. The room is already buzzing with conversation and activity and you need to be able to cut through the noise.

Choose songs from the hymnal that are within a few numbers of the first song you’ll be playing for the service. This eliminates the awkward silence while you’re frantically turning pages to get to the first song!

Don’t play fifteen verses of the same song while you wait for someone to begin the service. Smoothly transition from song to song, playing three or four verses of each one. I usually just get through two or three songs at the very most before transitioning to the song for the choir opener.

Play the melody clearly and simply. The prelude is not the time to get fancy-schmancy with arrangements, especially if you’re playing with other instruments. You aren’t accompanying anyone as they sing the melody, so it’s up to you to make it clear and drive the tempo of the song.

Things to remember for the postlude:

Unless it’s a very somber, introspective service (like a night set aside for the Lord’s Supper) choose a bright, up tempo song to dismiss the congregation.

Try to choose something that corresponds with the pastor’s message. I chuckle to myself often after church as I hear people humming or whistling the same song that I played for dismissal. You’re helping to put a song in people’s heart, so make it a good one! If it drives home the point of the message, that’s even better.

Play one or two verses quickly and simply as people gather their things and get up to leave. There’s no need to make them all talk over you while you play a Concerto.

Modulation Chart for Preludes and Postludes

As mentioned above, modulating from one key signature to the next is a great tool for church pianists. If you are playing alone, this skill is one you want to employ while playing prelude music.

Below is a free sample page from Bible Truth Music. It shows simple 2 measure modulations from the key of C to all other major key signatures. Just click on the image to download or print a PDF copy.

Use the free sample as a guide, or you can purchase a copy with all key signatures from their website.

Homework

Choose two songs to play as a prelude. Practice playing them loudly, with a simple and clear melody. Choose songs that are in two different keys so you can practice modulating between them.

Use the chart as a guide for those modulations. I would suggest using a starting song in the key of C so you can copy the modulation exactly from the chart. Once you are more familiar with it, try transposing the patterns into another key!

Sign up to receive email updates about the Easy Piano Hymnal as well as when new free downloads are available.

The post Playing Preludes and Postludes appeared first on Baptist Pianist.

About this arrangement:

The sheet music PDF includes four verses of lyrics similar to a standard hymn book. However, instead of the music being written in four part harmony, there’s a simple melody line in the treble clef (right hand) and root position chords in the bass clef (left hand.)

Each chord is marked with a chord symbol above the music, acting as a simple cue to help read the bass clef. All chords are in root position.

This piano music for Amazing Grace is written in the key of F major, meaning there is one flat (B flat) in the key signature. There is only one instance in the bass clef (left hand) that requires the B flat black note to be played.

Students in Level 1A/1B should be able to learn this beginner music for Amazing Grace without too much difficulty. Click on the preview below to download your copy.

Preview of Amazing Grace Piano Sheet Music

Click on the image below or the download button to open the PDF and then print or save directly on your device. It’s formatted to print on regular 8.5×11 letter sized paper.

For an even more simplified version of Amazing Grace and 49 other hymn favorites, check out The Simple Hymnal, available now! You can also purchase easy hymn PDFs for only $1 each on the Sheet Music Downloads page here.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found, 
Was blind but now I see. 

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, 
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believed.

Thru many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far
And grace will lead me home. 

When we've been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we'd first begun.

The post Amazing Grace Piano Sheet Music appeared first on Baptist Pianist.

Spend a little time learning (or brushing up on) some basic chord theory and it will make a big difference in how you play for church.

The terms “triad” and “chord” are often used interchangeably. Technically, a triad is a 3 note chord. There are only seven possible triads, although the notes in each one may come in any order. The very first step to using chords confidently is to memorize the triad vocabulary.

The Triad Vocabulary

ACE BDF CEG DFA EGB FAC GBD

As you can see, the triads are built from every other letter in the musical alphabet. The first letter is the ROOT of the triad and it’s where the chord name comes from. An “A” chord will always have the spelling of A-C-E.

When the chord is in root position (stacked up every other note) the A is always on the bottom. When the chord is inverted (C-E-A for example) it is still an “A” chord. Those three notes will always combine to create an “A” triad.

Accidentals (#’s and ♭’s) are added to the basic triad when you are playing in a certain key signature.

For example, when you are playing in the key of D major, the D triad will be spelled D-F#-A. The letter names will always be the same, but sharps and flats will change depending on the key signature.

Personal Practice

1. Print out the circle of fifths handout linked below and review all your key signatures (major and minor) so you are familiar enough to identify how many sharps/flats are in any given key.
2. Memorize the correct spelling of the triad vocabulary

The post Basic Chord Theory appeared first on Baptist Pianist.

When you think about the title “church pianist,” what do you envision?

• Two grand pianos, an orchestra, a 100 voice choir, professional music director and packed congregation
• A little spinet jammed in the corner, a volunteer song leader, and a loud soprano trying to lead from the small congregation
• A used electric keyboard, the pastor/song leader/usher/janitor up front and a small group meeting in a school

No matter what your circumstances may be, God has called you to serve in the church where you are right now.

You may have years of playing experience under your belt, or have just started taking lessons.

Your church may be a tiny new church plant, or an established church with a long list of musicians available.

You may not be the best pianist in the world. You may not even be the best pianist in your church.

But you should be striving to do your very best every time you have a chance to serve in the music ministry.

I’m an average musician. I am more advanced than some (ten or so
people, I’d guess), but they are tone-deaf. When I get sad about the
billions of musicians better than me, rather than gloat over YouTube
singer fail videos, I encourage myself another way: I blame God.
“Well, God, you made me like this, so… here you go. All I have is MY best.”
That excuse WILL fly. God does not ask us to be THE best. He asks us
to be OUR best. He says, “Do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31)
and repeatedly encourages musicians to sing and play “unto the Lord.”
Church musicians do not have to be professional-level, but they
should, in fact, have the mindset that their music is for a higher
purpose. I appreciate musicians that care about serving the Father and
are intensely passionate about pleasing Him with their music. Our
musicians dedicate several hours per week in perfecting their art so
that they might come to God with THEIR best. Whether they become THE
best in their field or not, God does not care. He’s pleased when He
knows He has their all.
From my perspective as a church music leader, I could not ask for more
than a musician dedicated to excellence for the glory of their
Savior.
-Pastor Ryan Rench

One of the most common struggles among church musicians is a lack of confidence.

Often this comes from comparing ourselves to other pianists.

“…but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves are not wise.” II Cor. 10:12

Trust me, I know it’s easier said than done, but you simply cannot allow yourself to be pulled into the comparison game. There will ALWAYS be someone who is better than you. Rather than let it intimidate you, allow it to motivate you to work harder and achieve YOUR best for God.

Another reason you might lack confidence is simply FEAR.

The doubts and nagging fears rolling around in the back of your mind are doing you absolutely no good.

Instead of wallowing in them, get them out on paper and into the light of day where they are much easier to manage. In this week’s homework, you’ll start a notebook, where you will write out your fears and then under them, write a TRUTH that will combat that fear.

For instance:

FEAR- This song is too complicated for me, I’ll never learn it well enough to play in front of anyone.

TRUTH- Every time I play it, I improve a little. I can already play the first page. If I break this into smaller chunks I can learn a little bit at a time.

FEAR- If I make a mistake while I’m playing, I’ll be so embarrassed and people will think less of me.

TRUTH- I am playing for an audience of ONE. As long as I do my best, God will be honored and glorified. I will memorize Colossians 3:23: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.

The last reason you may lack confidence is simply that you have not been trained and feel unprepared.

Start here and through a systematic approach to playing as a well-prepared church pianist. You will be a better pianist, your confidence will grow, and the music ministry of your local church will reap the benefit as you learn to serve God to the best of your ability.

Homework

• In a notebook, list 3 of your strengths (playing expressively, being reliable, practicing regularly, playing by ear, etc.)
• In the same notebook, list 3 of your fears, followed by truths that will help you conquer them.
• In the comments below share your name, where you’re from and how you serve in your church’s music ministry.
• If you are willing to, share your list of strengths and fears!
• Then head over to lesson 2: Playing Preludes and Postludes

The post Confidence: does it matter? appeared first on Baptist Pianist.