The Church Pianist: Offertories! Offertories! Feeling Pressured?

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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: Left Hand Patterns for Mundane Bass Line

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Send the Light has a rather mundane bass line...
meaning....alot of repeated bass notes.

This can make for a rather boring sound.

Actually, there's a lot the church pianist can do
to spice up this gospel song!


Remember that the hymnal is written for voice;
not for piano.


Piano score description for today's example
of "Send the Light"


*Half note chords are used in the right hand to
avoid a choppy tone due to the repeated notes
in the vocal score.


*Left hand pattern starts with marching octaves
in a stepping down pattern.


*On words: "...send the Light" the left hand plays
an octave followed by echos in 3rds within the
chord being used at the time. The echo is really
just a stepping pattern within the chord.


*The right hand basically played a broken G chord
with an added 'passing tone' for the words:
"restless wave".


(I will address passing tones in a future article.)


I added an extra piano score to demonstrate how
to play for another verse using a variation of the same
ideas.


It's simple left hand patterns like this that make an
ordinary gospel song come to life!

The Church Pianist: Chord extension for the ii chord

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Chord extensions are easy!


All you do is... add a 3rd above the root chord.


For example:


C E G is the root chord for the C chord.


Just add the 7th note above the root note (C)
and you find B.


This added note (B) gives an even richer, fuller tone.


This extension can be added to any root chord within
a scale.


Here's a list of the first 3 chords in the C scale with the
added 7th:


Oh....by the way..........


(Knowledge of the scales is an essential to improvising)


C E G B


D F A C


E G B D


F A C E


etc. etc. You get the idea.


I illustrated 'adding the 7th' to the ii chord in today's image.


The 'added 7th' doesn't even conflict with the vocal parts!


The vocal and piano score are given for the sake of comparison.


I tried to keep the piano accompaniment simple for a (hopefully)
clear presentation.


You will notice I show the same application in several songs and
in different keys.


Challenge yourself!


Try adding this extension to other chords as well.


Your playing will sound richer and fuller.

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

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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: Free Piano Sample (Congregational)

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Do you ever have a hard time feeling the
beat when the songleader wants to slow
down a section of a song?


The following applies to accompanying:


*congregational singing

*vocal specials

*instrumental special


For example, the song: "Count Your Blessings"


A lot of songleaders like to slow down the section
of the chorus:


"count your blessings........name....them...one..by....one"


You get the idea.


What should the pianist play? more fill-in notes!


The songleader (if trained) will subdivide the beats
on slow words.


For example:


If the words have quarter notes, the
songleader will lead in an eighth note pattern.


The extra movement keeps the tempo alive during
slow sections.


The pianist should also mimic this eighth note pattern.


Today's free piano sample should clarify the above
explanation.

The Church Pianist: Improvising for Congregational in 9/8

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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: Congregational Singing in the Fast Lane

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Ever experience difficulty playing fast songs
in church?

Do you try to play every word? It's hard to keep
up isn't it?

Simply play the chord structure and let the congre-
gation do the work :)

I like to make the song easier on the hand as much
as possible to keep the tempo flowing.

In todays' example (I Will Sing of My Redeemer),
you can see how I would play for the congregation.

Editor notes for :

(I Will Sing of My Redeemer or
entitled: My Redeemer)

Words:

" ...my Re-..." and once again on: "love to"

(I transfer the melody rhythm to the left hand
for variety and easier hand movement.)

It's fine to sit still on a chord here and there while
the singers do the work :)

Just add a few sprinkles of eight notes to break up
the sit-still chords.

I'll share some more examples on these time signatures
in upcoming articles.

Just remember: the pianist's role is to maintain a steady
tempo to support the congregational singing.