The Church Pianist » practice enough http://thechurchpianist.com A help ministry for church pianists all over the world! Tue, 22 May 2012 16:36:26 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 The Church Pianist: Do You Practice Enough? http://thechurchpianist.com/practicing/the-church-pianist-do-you-practice-enough/ http://thechurchpianist.com/practicing/the-church-pianist-do-you-practice-enough/#comments Thu, 24 Dec 2009 18:01:41 +0000 Jenifer Cook http://thechurchpianist.com/?p=1531 If someone were to ask  me if I practiced piano like I should…I would have to say, “Unfortunately…no.”

The older I get…the less motivated I am to practice. Anyone else have this problem or would admit to it?  “smile”

I hear this confession quite often from other composers. We spend so much time writing that we don’t take time to just sit and play.

What really motivates me…is getting with other piano friends and playing duets and duos.

I find myself wanting to sharpen my sightreading and technique skills.

A piano friend of mine and I are planning to meet  once a month starting in January. We plan to do  alot of sightreading.

I’m also planning to play a concert in the spring with another one of my piano friends to keep me on my toes.

Playing for a smaller church requires shorter offertories. The majority of the challenging arrangements I’ve learned through the years are too long for our offerings. I find myself just playing something from the hymnal most of the time.

Playing simple offertories from the hymnal is fine but I need a challenge every now and then… so occasionally, I’ll play a longer arrangement.

Click each song title  below to see the short offertories available on this site…

Let the Lower Lights Be Burning

Hallejuah, We Shall Rise

My Saviour First of All  (I Shall Know Him)

Feel free to share some of your own motivating practice tips by clicking on “comments” below.

Sincerely,

Jenifer

Twitt

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