One of my readers asked me how I keep my music organized for services.

I just came up with a more reasonable way this past Sunday.

I created two sticky tabs to use in the hymnal for our two congregationals per service. The third sticky tab marked with a “C” stands for choir special.

Our choir typically sings a song from the hymnal for Sunday mornings because we don’t have everyone with us until Sunday night service.  Quite a few of our choir members either work in our children’s ministry or work in the nursery.

That’s just part of having a small church 🙂

My son, the choir director, has a notebook full of our 8.5 x 11 sheet music for the choir.  I have the same type notebook.

I think we’re going to create a hanging file for each of our notebooks because the notebooks are getting full!

We already have all of our choir music in hanging file folders in alphabetical order.

I also carry around a two pocket folder that houses my AM & PM sheet music for upcoming vocal & offertory specials.  Works great for me!

It’s also been helpful to have a hanging file folder for each person who sings on a regular basis.  They can always fall back on a song they’ve done before  in case they’re filling in at the last minute.

Here’s how my pianist hymnal would look like on a typical Sunday morning.

I included a pic of our “order of service” which the Pastor provides for us.

 

 

For those wanting more written examples… I’m sharing two more visuals of right hand runs using sixteenth notes.

Runs add a nice driving force to the music and creates energy if played correctly 🙂

Tip:

Emphasize the 1st note in each sixteenth note group for a more shapely sound.  Emphasizing every note can sound mechanical.

In my earlier days of being church pianist, I would often rush a run.  It’s so easy for our fingers to speed too much when viewing a sea of black notes  that need to occur in a brief moment!  I had to  make myself slowly practice the run and count the main beats as I conquered the sea of notes in front of me. In time the run sounded like it fit!  Just remember….not all runs mean “super fast!”

Click on the following title to download free pdf with two more examples of this right hand run:

 MORE RIGHT HAND RUNS

 

 

 

 

 

Do you want to add spice to your congregational playing  or playing for  the choir?

As promised…I will be sharing more right hand run examples tomorrow.

For those just stopping by….click on the following link to see the 1st examples of a right hand run using sixteenth notes.

Right Hand Run: Using Sixteenth Notes

 

 

Last Sunday I had to play for our church’s guest missionary couple. I had never heard of the song and there were at least five page turns.

I had one of our flute players turn pages for me.  Another quick tip helped a bunch!  I simply wrote the approaching chord on the last measure of each page so it would sound like I knew what I was doing at the turn of each page.  😉  Seriously,  this tip helped me stay in the right chord frame for each page turn.

The Choreo Keeper would have been a life saver that morning  but I left it at home where I use it the most.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was up before the sun this morning trying to finish my Dad’s vocal number entitled “Sing to the Lord a New Song.”

This make a great Thanksgiving choir special and it’s not real hard to learn 🙂 Sorry for working on it so late but doing my best.

Dad (Reece Yandle), wrote this song years ago and we’ve been intending to publish it as a SATB choir arrangement.

The melody of this song is very catchy and stays with you throughout the day..reminding you to praise the Lord!

Working on getting a sample for you all to hear. In the meantime….see sample picture of music below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interested in a notebook which stores your 8 & 1/2 x 11 inch sheet music AND prevents page turns?!  Every church pianist can greatly benefit from this special designed notebook!

I just recently purchased one of these ChoreoKeeper notebooks and absolutely LOVE it!

The ChoreoKeeper notebook easily displays  up to six pages at once. (see video HERE where Catherine (the designer) shows how to display more than six pages with minimal turns)  There’s more….the notebook can also accommodate 11″ x 17″  landscape format sheet music!  See info HERE on Catherine’s blog.  (scroll down a ways to see)

The notebook will easily hold up to 50 pages of music which is stored in  bi-fold or tri-fold reduced-glare sheet protectors.

See the following link for more details:  CHOREOKEEPER

Catherine, the inventor of the Choreokeeper, is graciously willing to give away one free Choreokeeper in a drawing to be held next Monday, July 15th!

To enter the drawing, simply do the following:

1. Leave a comment at bottom of this article to enter your name one time.  If you want to enter your name a second time…

2. Share the link to this  giveaway on your personal blog, facebook or twitter and leave a second comment…providing the link in your comment.  This allows you to enter your name a second time in same drawing. (use my social share buttons at bottom of article for your convenience).

3. A random drawing will be held on July 15th, 2019…  8pm EST.

The winner will be announced here on my website sometime after 8pm EST on Monday… July 15, 2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During choir practice yesterday afternoon…our choir was practicing “Faith is the Victory” in unison.

I noticed it was just SO awkward trying to grab all the melody notes…especially during the verse!

Each sentence of the verse starts on a fast note (eighth note) making it almost impossible to keep up with the melody. I thought, “The choir KNOWS the melody…why not delete the first word of each sentence to alleviate the awkwardness!?!  (Exception: I’ll play the first word of the song to allow for secure entry) 🙂

My mind devised a plan to ease up my old moving hands 😉  Time to have some fun!  Just stay within the vicinity of the melody and you won’t get AS lost 😉

Let the singers do the work!

The result: (Download the free pdf version of “Faith is the Victory” below)

Faith is the Victory

 

 

I’m preparing a video tutorial on pedal suggestions for the church pianist who would appreciate some helpful tips on how to sound smooth when playing hymns.

Get ready with these prep tips!

1. Sit elbow length from the keys (knees should be slightly under keyboard.)
2.  Sit on front half of bench

More pedaling tips coming soon!

I have fifteen copies of the Christmas cantata “Herald the News” in fair condition as described below:

Covers and pages are in great shape! CLICK ON IMAGE TO PREVIEW ON YOUTUBE

Most books have a minimal amount of pen or pencil markings

Three of the books have name in pen on front cover (small writing)

One copy has a blemish with small amount of a scratch in cover

~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~

We also have eleven more copies of this cantata but most books either have worn binding; two have no covers

These eleven copies are well-used but in readable condition

Price for the fifteen in fair but good condition: $15 plus $5 shipping

Price for the eleven in well-used condition: $10 plus $4 shipping

Price for both sets: $30 (includes shipping)

 

 

I’ve been spending a little extra time organizing our choir music at church.

We were using 1 inch notebooks that were overloaded with music!

Each notebook was divided into:

1. Choruses
2. Easy Specials
3. Arranged specials (more involved)

Our repertoire list began to grow…causing overloaded notebooks.

I removed all the arrangements from the notebook and  filed all of

our sheet music arrangements in alphabetical order in a file drawer.

We ordered 1/2 inch 3 ring notebooks and I created a simple (black & white) cover design.

Basically, the notebooks will only house what’s needed for am & pm Sunday services.

We have a very small classroom designated for the choir and don’t have the space to hang

wall storage of any kind…so we are making use of the file cabinet which already exists.

Our music repertoire is limited but expanding 🙂

Feel free to share how your choir keeps their music organized.