I absolutely love adding chord substitutions to hymns! Chord substitutions add extra color and variety to gospel songs which normally contain infrequent chord changes.

Would you like to learn how to revitalize hymns like “Revive Us Again”?  This particular hymn uses the same chord for at least four measures in a row!

Listen to the following audio of “Revive Us Again” with chord substitutions.

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So…what does the pianist need to know in order to add chord substitutions?

Let’s take one step at a time!

What Every Pianist Should Know BEFORE Adding Chord Substitutions:

1.  A major scale is made up of 8 notes.  For example, the C Major scale is made up of the following eight notes:  CDEFGABC

2.  So,  each note of the scale is numbered one through eight.  For example, C is one, D is two, etc.  Now…create a three note chord (triad) on each note of the scale.  Play CEG together.  We call this the one chord because it’s built on the first note of the C scale. Now play DFA together.  Yes, you’re playing the two chord in the key of C.  Finish playing the rest of the C scale based triads until you reach the following C.

Here is a picture of what you should have played so far:  C scale and then the C scale chords (triads).  *Notice, the chords are numbered with the Roman numeral system.  The upper case roman numeral indicates major chord, the lower case roman numeral indicates minor chord.  For you theory buffs, I left out the diminished symbol for the vii chord….will explain that later.

You have learned the first foundational tool needed for adding chord substitutions.  Application: Play the above scale and chords in the keys of G and F Major for ample reinforcement.  * I chose easier scales for a reason….let’s keep life simple for now 😉

Hope this lesson has been clear thus far.  Please feel free to ask any questions!

Just be patient with yourself and learn this basic step towards colorful playing!  I’ll explain more in the next post.

Most church pianists find it a challenge to dress-up hymns such as “O How I Love Jesus”.  This particular hymn mainly consists of only two different chords the I and V chords)… with an occasional ii chord.

So…how to be creative with a hymn containing minimal chord changes?  I’m glad you asked!  🙂

(I’m currently working on a congregational piano arrangement book for church pianists that need more than the hymnal to play from.)

“O How I Love Jesus” is one of the ones I’m working on now.  The complete arrangement will have two verses.  Click below to download the first verse of “O How I Love Jesus” FREE!

Hopefully, the following free congregational arrangement will spark some creative ideas of your own.

Oh-How-I-Love-Jesus-one-verse

*Special note: The congregational hymns in my book will be in lower keys than the regular hymnal…making the hymns more singer-friendly.

One of my readers recently requested that I maybe share some fill-in ideas for Calvary Covers it All.

Unfortunately, this hymn is still under copyright so I can only legally share a portion of the hymn.

This particular hymn holds a word for five counts in four different places and then six beats for the final word.

Below, are some fill-in ideas for the verse of “Calvary Covers it All”.

If you read the previous article on “Like a River Glorious” then the following will make sense.

I’m sharing a way that the right hand can climb back down the ladder after playing an octave higher during the first sentence of “Like a River Glorious”.

To read the previous article, click HERE.

Here’s a quick tip that would make any church pianist sound much fuller when playing from the hymnal.

When improvising from the hymnal, the pianist can make the hymn sound fuller by playing 4 note chords in the right hand….allowing more space for the left hand to improvise.

“Like a River Glorious” is a great hymn to apply this idea…since the rhythm isn’t real busy…making it easier to maneuver.

The first two measures in the example below demonstrates the standard five-part style hymnplaying (3 notes in the right hand and 2 notes in the left hand).

The final two measures show the right hand playing an octave higher to allow room for the 4-note style in the right hand.  One of my teachers from years back taught me the idea of playing a phrase in one general area and then gradually climbing back down or up (whichever the case may be) for variety.

Next time, I’ll show you a fun way the right hand can climb back down to the middle of the piano for the next phrase of “Like a River Glorious”.

One of my readers recently requested some arranging ideas for “Let Him Have His Way With Thee”. She said she hasn’t been able to find a piano arrangement of this particular hymn.  So…I wrote a quickie for you all that will hopefully be a nice addition to your “free piano” arrangement collection 🙂

Click on song title to download your free piano arrangement of…

“Let Him Have His Way With Thee”

Audio

Playing for funerals is not the easiest task for a church pianist; especially if the deceased person was a close friend.  Over the past year, I’ve had to play at several funerals of people I knew very well.

God has given me the grace to make it through these funeral services. I like to play songs that comfort the family as well as myself.  I avoid too slow of a tempo on purpose…making it less of a sad tone and more bearable for the family.  Hymns with a medium tempo/mood such as Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus, He Hideth My Soul and Like a River Glorious are a few of what I call comforting tunes to play at such a time. Check out my piano funeral collection consisting of about 18 minutes playing time.

Several readers have emailed me lately asking for funeral tips.

Automatically I think of the prelude (music played before the funeral).  The length of the prelude can vary according to many factors.  For example, the last funeral I played for took place at a funeral home.  The family of the deceased person had many relatives that attended the viewing across the hall from the chapel.  The funeral home provided music over their intercom system during the viewing time.  We worked it out for me to start playing the prelude once the people started entering the chapel which was about twenty minutes prior to the service.

Playing for a funeral at a church can vary depending on if the viewing is held at the church or not.  At our church,  the sound man provides soft taped music in the background during the viewing and sometimes a little longer prior to the service;  to avoid having me play for an extended period of time.  The background music is just a collection of suitable recorded instrumental music from our church services.  I usually begin playing about 15 to 20 minutes before the service.

Unless you all do things differently,  the immediate family members start filing into the area of the funeral service right before time to start the service.  This is one of the most emotional times of the funeral.  I make sure I continue providing music during this difficult time to avoid an awkward time of silence. I finish playing when I see the last member of the family being seated or when the pastor looks at me and steps up to the pulpit to let me know he’s ready…whichever comes first.

Once again, at the end of the service, I begin playing when the family begins to exit and continue until the majority of the crowd disperses.

Some pianists have asked me where to expect the soloist(s) to sing.  Depending on the order of service, the special music can be placed just about anywhere. Here are  the different places I’ve seen vocal specials during a service:  at the beginning after family members are seated, after an initial welcome and remarks from pastor, after pastor’s message, after a prayer, for the conclusion of the service (especially if it was a favorite song of the deceased person).

Playing for a funeral service is the church pianist’s opportunity to minister to  both family and friends during a difficult time through God’s gift of music.

“Christ Arose” is a very well-known hymn that most churches only use around Easter.  We use this beautiful hymn periodically throughout the year as a reminder of Christ’s glorious resurrection.

Robert Lowry, a well-known hymn composer/preacher, wrote “Christ Arose”

Click on song title below to download your free congregational arrangement:

Christ Arose in B Flat

I had to write a few congregational arrangements in a hurry this week for a couple of our church pianists to play this Sunday.  Since that took up the majority of my music writing time…I’ll share one of those arrangements with my readers tomorrow 🙂

I’ve got to organize my music!  Currently, all of my music is stashed away in our front living room closet in a two drawer file cabinet and several boxes.  I plan to replace the boxes with two plastic drawer carts from Walmart.

I will store my piano books in the two-drawer file cabinet due to their heavier weight.   The sheet music will be filed away in the plastic drawer carts.

I’ve also thought about filing my own arrangements (sheet music) in labeled notebooks by category such as: Christmas, Wedding, Offertories, Preludes, Vocal Solos, etc.)

What storage ideas can you share that would help the rest of us?  Feel free to share your comments at the bottom of this article and I will post them as I see them come to my email  inbox.

I do like the pocket storage idea that Laura Lowe, author of Lowe Piano Studio, shared on her blog. Since my piano studio is in the living room…I would probably hang the pocket storage in my closet along with my music.

Joy Morin of Color in My Piano Blog also has a great idea with a simple bookshelf…