The Church Pianist: How to Play Without Watching Fingers

Pianists of all different levels have asked me...
"How do you play comfortably without watching your
hands?"

I begin by learning the piece with the most comfortable
fingering possible without alot of awkward twists and turns.

I will have memorized the piece by the time I can play it without
hesitations.

Once a song is memorized...try playing it in the dark.

You'll be amazed at how well your keen sense of touch takes over...
just as a blind person must learn to do.

Several years ago, I was playing the prelude for a convention
with several thousand in attendance.
All of a sudden, the lights went out!

Fortunately, I had a repertoire of memorized music I could play
comfortably in the dark:) I thank the Lord for helping me
through that experience.

Just be patient with yourself and practice, practice, practice!

Knowing your piece will enable you to play without watching your
fingers.

The Church Pianist: Correct Fingering Makes the Difference!

New website: http://thechurchpianist.com/

Believe it or not...correct fingering is of upmost importance
for the pianist.

How can you tell what fingering to use?

Here's the basic guidelines I share with my piano students
who are at least in Level 3 (early intermediate).

Try to stay in the same hand frame (position) to avoid excessive twists.
Too many twists produces a choppy sound.

It usually works to stay in one hand position for say....

one sentence of a hymn before repositioning for the upcoming sentence.

Adjust the hand according to the highest note of the sentence.
You want the pinky to be able to reach the highest note.

Just look ahead to each new phrase and reposition your hand
as needed.

The Church Pianist: Excellent Resource for Church Pianists!

New website: http://thechurchpianist.com/

If you're a church pianist searching for CD's to

listen to or maybe a new book for your church

choir or ladies' ensemble..then check out the

following website for lots of music and audio

samples!

There is also a free radio station with nonstop Christian
music to enjoy.

http://www.oldchristianradio.com/

As a church pianist, I'm always looking for good music to
recommend to the church family. This site allows you to
listen to samples of each CD. What an excellent resource!

The Church Pianist: Helping the Vocalist/s

New website: http://thechurchpianist.com/

The church pianist can play an important role
in encouraging the vocalist/s that provide
special music for the church service.

This is especially true for the beginner vocalist
or a young child that needs the extra guidance.

The following, is a list of things I do to put the
vocalist at ease.

These tips are merely suggestions for anyone
needing some ideas.

*Have the vocalist leave his music on top shelf
underneath the pulpit (book opened) before the
service begins. This procedure ensures the music
is ready and in place. (As long as the pastor knows
you're doing this, so he won't move it) :)

During (shake hands) time or some other transistional
time before the message....the vocalist or vocal group sits
on the front row to allow for a shorter entrance to the
stage. (timesaver)

*The pianist begins playing the introduction as the
vocalist walks to the pulpit to avoid an awkward
moment of silence for the vocalist. The early piano
introduction also produces a smoother transistion
into the special music time....keeps things moving!

(I always play softly as vocalist/s enters the stage
and increase my volume toward end of intro so that
the vocalist knows I'm nearing the end of the intro-
duction.

*Special notes: (For ensembles)

If I'm playing for an ensemble...say....six or more people...
I play softly at the end while they exit the stage; covering
an awkward moment of silence while pastor waits for the
stage to clear.

Also, the ensemble will share a notebook of music per 2 people.
They carry their notebooks up with them to sing.
(Easier in this case than having everyone try to retrieve their
music from under the pulpit.) :)

Once again, these are only suggestions that may benefit some
church pianists depending on their situation.

As a church pianist, I'm always looking for ways to encourage our
vocalists who provide our special music. The Lord has blessed our
church with so many willing vocalists!

The Church Pianist: Part Two of Free Vocal Arrangement

My new website: http://thechurchpianist.com/

This is the chorus to yesterday's free vocal
arrangment.

Editor's notes:

Measure #11

Rolled chord on beat one of LH to produce
a 'sweet' sound for the text.

Measure #12

Broader feel to this measure as I picture
a ray of light spreading over me.
(look at the words to understand this).

Measure #14

The LH sixteenths keep the rhythm alive
while supporting the held note of the singer.

Measure #15

Once again, a few sit still chords in the RH
to allow the singer freedom to slow down
as he feels led.

Here's an audio sample for today's sample:

Special note:

Ignore the few notes at the beginning.
They were done to synchronize the two track
recording.

http://www.box.net/shared/c4tram6lrg

The Church Pianist: Invitation Tip

New website: http://thechurchpianist.com/

Here's a helpful invitation tip for church pianists.

Make a list of 'most used' invitation songs at your
church on a 3x5 card. Be sure to put the page
number beside each song.

Tape it inside the front cover of your hymnal for
easy reference.

Our previous pastor use to have us just play an
invitation hymn of our choice. Sometimes our
current pastor does so.

In this case, it's best to number the invitation songs
#1 through however many songs you have listed.

During invitation prayer, the one pianist just signals to the
other pianist by showing the number of fingers
that represents the number of the song on the list.

Maybe this invitation tip will give you other ideas that
may work better for your pianists at invitation time.

The Church Pianist: Offertories! Offertories! Feeling Pressured?

New website: http://thechurchpianist.com/

The church pianist can feel overwhelmed
at times trying to provide offertories especially
if he or she is one of the few pianists at their church.

It's so easy to get caught up in feeling like you
have to play a "rather involved/complex"
arrangement.

Instead, it's rather refreshing to hear just a plain
hymn without a lot of frills.

I will play special arrangements but not every time.

It's fun to create simply medleys such as:

His Name is Wonderful w/ Oh How I Love Jesus

Blessed Assurance w/ Saved by the Blood

What a Friend We Have in Jesus w/ Jesus is the Sweetest Name I Know

The offertory should minister to the hearts of the people.

One thing to remember:

Make sure the melody is dominant in whatever
arrangement you play.

Why? So the people can follow along with the words without
abrupt or unusual interruptions in the music.

The Church Pianist: A Valuable Assignment for All Upcoming Church Pianist

New website: http://thechurchpianist.com/

My dad gave me one of the most valuable
piano assignments when I was a young girl,
about 12 years of age.

He challenged me to play every hymn from
the hymnal as written.

Why?

To improve my sightreading

Able to play any hymn during 'request' times

Conditioned me to read part writing which
helped me for choir practice.

Overall exposure to well written (organized) music.

Though I never played the entire hymnal at the age
of 12...I made it through a major part of the hymnal.

Now, at the age of 45, I believe I've made it through
most of the hymnal.

Thank you Dad for giving me one of the most bene-
ficial assignments I've ever had!

The Church Pianist: Improvising for Congregational in 9/8

New website: http://thechurchpianist.com/

Songs in 6/8 or 9/8 usually move fast.



It's not necessary for the pianist to play
every word. I usually play melody on the
first couple of words to support a confident
entry and then I start my accompaniment.



Editor notes for today's example:



"Heavenly Sunlight"



In general:



I try to vary my rhythmic patterns
throughout for variety.



I use full chords on accented beats:
(one, four and seven) to enhance the
accented beats' therefore producing
a steadier flow.



Empty octaves (octaves without notes
in the middle) are used on fast words.



Why? Easier for hand to move quickly



Notice the staccato notes here and there.
A light staccato relieves hand tension.


I also release pedal on these staccato notes.



On first two words: Walking in....



(I start with contrary octaves for contrast.



Special note: Playing the same octaves in
both hands would create parallel octaves
which is a big no-no in improvising.)



Why? Because it sounds too plain.



Words: all of my.....



(The melody is transfered to the left hand



The right hand played the harmony in
octave format.)



Word: journey



(Left hand plays broken C chord tones.)



Words: Over the...



Notice the chord changes to an F. I'm already
in the C chord prior to that and don't want to
disrupt my accompaniment pattern....so.....
I just play a C in unison with both hands.

(Neat trick!)



Word: mountains



Just decided to improvise with a new fill-in idea
to break the monotony of previous patterns.


I just simply used a stepping note method that
leads me into the next chord.



Try these improvisational ideas out on similar songs
in 9/8 time.

"We're Marching to Zion" is a good start.


Adding more notes gives stability to the congre-
gational singing!

The Church Pianist: Free Congregational Piano Example

New website: http://thechurchpianist.com/

Gospel songs can sound quite plain.
The pianist must add extra notes
and different chords to bring the text
to life!


Today's example will give the pianist
some accompaniment ideas for the song:
"Revive Us Again".


Remember....whatever you add to con-
gregational songs must agree with the
vocal parts.


Editor notes for "Revive Us Again"


General:


I played half note chords in right hand
during repeated note sections.


This sounds better than playing every
beat...prevents a labored tone as I've
mentioned in previous articles.


Measure #8:


I added the 7th to the V
chord, making it a V 7 (G 7)
Adding 7ths to otherwise plain
chords gives a more full and rich
sound.


Overall left hand description:


I used broken chord tones in
octave format with some stepping
octaves. The stepping octaves happened
to occur anytime I played eighth notes in
the left hand.


Hope this free congregational example
is helpful.


I was thinking....would it help to see a
glossary of left hand fill-ins for songs
with repetitive bass lines?

The Church Pianist: Need Your Thoughts

New website: http://thechurchpianist.com

Your thoughts would be appreciated.

I know these articles are read by a
a varied group of pianists.

Would you like to see more detailed
explanations, or maybe more examples
for the same concept?

My goal is to explain concepts in a
concise manner that the average pianist
can grasp.

It's obvious that I won't be able to meet
every one's needs but would be grateful
for any suggestions/feedback.

If the reaction 'word list' below is not sufficient....
just leave a comment to help me better understand
your response.

Thanks for your time!

Sincerely,

Jenifer

The Church Pianist: Chord Substitutions with Jesus Paid it All

New website: http://thechurchpianist.com

I've mentioned before that I enjoy
accompanying vocalists because I'm
not enslaved to the melody.



Chord substitutions add so much
life and warmth to a song.


I think in chord frames as I pointed out
in previous articles.




Warning:

This type of free-style accompaniment
only works for vocalists that are confi-
dent with the melody.




I find that it throws some vocalists that
depend heavily on the pianist for the
melody.




The pianist can still use chord substitu-
tions but must adhere to the melody for
vocalists needing the extra support.




Editor notes for: Jesus Paid it All
in the Key of C Major




Measure # 2:

The vi chord (a,c,e) substitutes the I chord
*This adds a nice chord variety when the
I chord lasts for 3 or more beats.




Measure#3:

The ii chord subsitutes the V7 and then re-
solves back to the V7 on the 3rd beat.




Measure#5:

The iii chord substitutes the I chord which
progresses nicely into a vi chord in the next
measure.




Measure#6:

The vi chord replaces the I chord.
The ii diminished chord replaced
the I chord on the word: "Find"
and pleasantly resolved back into
the I chord in Measure#7.




Measure#7:

I added an extra measure after this
one (measure#8) to allow time for
several chord substitutions that lead
nicely into the chorus. An extra measure
works well at the end of a verse. (Espec-
ially when the last word of the verse has
the same chord as the first word of the
chorus).




Measure#8:

Just use a IV to a V7 chord which will lead
back to the I chord (in measure#10)



Measure#11:

The IV chord replaces the I chord once again
and resolves back to the I chord on the next
word (which would be measure#12).


Refer to my other articles on chord substitutions
if needing extra help on application.

The Church Pianist: What Child is This? (Vocal accompaniment)

I thoroughly enjoy accompanying

vocal soloists!

What Child is This lends itself to so

many different accompaniment patterns.

The speed dictates what style of accompaniment

can be used. A slower tempo allows for a busier

accompaniment.

Here's What Child is This with some accompaniment

ideas.

I just stay within the chord frame of the melody by

using broken chord patterns for a flowing sound.

Accompaniment tips:

*Keep the same accompaniment pattern for at least

one sentence before changing patterns.

*It's not necessary to play the first word for an

incomplete measure. (The first word of the song).

The vocalist should start the first word without

waiting on the pianist.

Why? Because the vocalist should be the leader

and the accompanist....the follower.

New website: http://thechurchpianist.com

The Church Pianist: While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night

New website: http://thechurchpianist.com

Am I the only one that has difficulty
playing"While Shepherds Watched
Their Flocks by Night"?

The song is beautiful but contains
frequent chord changes and awkward
melody leaps making it a challenge for
the church pianist.

Here's another free Christmas piano
ment.

Maybe you can use this simple arrangment
in your church during the Christmas season.

I used alot of chord substitutions; creating
a more user friendly style for the hands.

Notice the 'sit still' chords on m#3 to depict
the shepherds "seated on the ground".

"I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" is another
Christmas carol with frequent chord changes.

If you would like to see a similiar arrangment for
"I Heard the Bells"....check the correct reaction
below so I can make plans accordingly.

"While Shepherds Watched..." can be used for prelude,
offertory, or congregational if sung in unison.

Hope you enjoy this free piano arrangement.

Thanks for your visits!

The Church Pianist: Special Music Schedule

New website: http://thechurchpianist.com

Alot of church pianists have the job

of making the special music schedule.

This occurs more often in the smaller church.

Guidelines for Creating the Music Schedule:

*I create 2 months at a time. Scheduling for
more than 2 to 3 months in advance
limits the opportunity for new members
to be worked in right away.

Here are some things I check on before
finalizing the new schedule:

(This allows for us to choose songs that
coorelate with planned meetings.)

*Planned revival, other special meetings, etc.

*Special emphasis Sundays

*Planned vacations (to minimize schedule conflicts)

*Making sure I don't double up on the same person in
one service. Example: Same person having AM service
offertory and vocal special.

To simplify scheduling:

*Schedule only one small vocal ensemble once a month
unless you are blessed with more than two pianists.

(We have found this works well with only two of us to
rehearse all special music throughout the month).

Planning the special music takes time but it helps our
music ministry run alot smoother!

God does command us to do everything decently and in order.

Our musicians enjoy preparing in advance to better
serve the Lord through song.

One final tip:

We always post the special music

schedule in the choir pracitce room.

It acts as a constant reminder for all of us.

The Church Pianist: Arranging a Hymn for Offertory

New website: http://thechurchpianist.com

Just as an author creates an outline for a story;
so must the pianist sketch the layout of a hymn
arrangement.

The text determines the way I arrange the song.
For example, if the verse depicts a prayerful/
devotional mood, I would use rolled chords or
broken chords to produce a peaceful effect.

I will give a sample layout for an arrangement
of the hymn "Great is Thy Faithfulness".

Verse one: (devotional mood)

Arrangement ingredients:

RH: single or two notes for a light texture
(middle range of keyboard)

LH broken chords

Verse two:
(light & airy at first to broader sound near
end of verse)

RH: octave higher (one to two notes for light texture)

LH: octave higher (broken chords)

LH: to normal area (below middle C) with broken chords
for a broadening effect on the following words:
"...there is no shadow of turning with Thee".

RH: remains high but fuller chords for broadening effect

*Style transistion:
Change to solid (blocked) chording on word: "Thee" in the
above mentioned phrase.

The solid (blocked) chords depict a spoken emphasis for the
following words in the song: "Thou changest not, Thy com-
passions, they fail not!"

Verse three: (More upbeat mood)

Speed: somewhat faster
Big chording in either hand to express God's goodness to
all His children!

All choruses: (Grand, majestic!)

Big chording once again

*I would skip the chorus after verse 2 and modulate
higher right into verse 3 to give a brighter tone to
an even more triumphant mood.


Remember, make sure the arrangement (improvised ingredients)
match the text of the hymn.

The main purpose of the offertory is to deliver an important
message through music. Remember...the offertory hymn
must be familiar enoughto relate to the listeners. The
listeners should be able to mentally sing right along with you
as you play.You may even hear some singing aloud, though
softly. That's ok! It means God is using you to minister to
their heart in song. What a blessing!