For the past couple of months…I’ve been creating “ready-made’ hymn arrangements for some of my church pianist students who are need of improvised hymns for congregational singing. (Can also be used as piano solo)

These hymn arrangements are nothing more than a copy of a hymn from the hymnal with my added improvised notes in red.

Just curious, would this meet the need for others as well? I’m considering adding them to our online music store if there’s enough interest.

The cost would be less than my regular “printed arrangements”.

Here’s a FREE copy of one of these ready-made hymn arrangements. (Also trying to decide what to call them….any suggestions?)

*Also…are you all ok with it being handwritten just as it appears in free arrangement below?  

*Special note: THANKS for the feedback! After reading the comments here and on facebook….I will be putting these type of easy-to-play congregationals into print instead of by hand. I will do away with the original notes from the hymnbook and ONLY type in my (hopefully) easy-to-play congregational/piano solo arrangement. Thanks again for your helpful comments!  I do have (more involved ) congregational piano arrangements for sale HERE.

Ready-Made Hymns for the Church Pianist

Photo by Jackie Cook

Sorry for the low profile lately. I’ve been recouping from being sick since returning from vacation a week and half ago.

My daughter-in-law requested a violin solo arrangement of Nearer My God to Thee. I finally finished tweaking it! 😉

I enjoyed weaving the melody back and forth from piano to violin. Nearer My God to Thee is a very comforting hymn; making if a nice solo piece for any occasion but especially a funeral.

Nearer My God to Thee

Sacred violin solo w/ piano accompaniment; 4 pgs. *Price covers two copies. A nice solo piece for any occasion. The beautiful melody of this hymn flows gently back and forth between the piano and violin. *Bowing & slur marks included for violin.

Price: $4.50

I just published “In the Garden” …early advanced piano solo!

The arrangement is approximately 1:47 in length.

In the Garden

Early advanced sacred piano solo, 2 &1/2 pgs. Approx. 1:47 Youtube link below.

Price: $3.00

At the request of one of my piano students…I sat down and wrote an early advanced piano arrangement of “In the Garden this morning.

The student actually requested it sometime ago but ideas just wouldn’t flow. So…I sat down at the piano this morning and the creative juices started flowing!

Trying to get it ready for publication asap.

Audio sample: In the Garden

I spent this evening writing an intermediate piano solo of “Nothing Between” for one of my piano students….Shelley Roberts.

Shelley is a junior this year and trying to teach her all I can before she reaches college age!

This particular arrangement, written for the piano student in mind, is more structured and straightforward.  It’s nice to have pieces like this available  for students who play offertories more often.  Playing less involved offertories allows us time to focus on other repertoire during the lesson.

I do teach more involved arrangements but try to maintain a balance.

Hope this arrangement can be of use for piano students or church pianists needing an easy offertory!

Click on the following title for your free piano arrangement of “Nothing Between”.

More thots: I want to use this arrangement in an upcoming video dealing with interpretation…a VERY important factor…making for a more effective presentation.

Just to remind my readers about the recent publication of “He” (early advanced piano solo) and “Were You There” (advanced piano solo)…both have been entered in the Sacred Music Contest on Sheet Music Plus’ website. The song with the most profit through April 11th, 2017…wins the cash prize.

Thanks to those who have already purchased one or both of these arrangements!

IMPORTANT REMINDER:

Special deal for those who purchase either or both contest songs from Sheet Music Plus during the Sacred Music Contest selling period…now through April 11, 2017.

You can choose one free arrangement from our music store for each contest song you purchase. (Maximum: two free arrangements) *Doesn’t include offsite arrangements.

Just email us your receipt from Sheet Music Plus and your choice(s) of arrangements from our music store.

The contest selling period ends April 11, 2017 and you have until April 20th to email your receipt for your free arrangement(s).

If I win either or both categories….I’ll be using the cash prize to help towards attending the annual Composer Symposium in Atlanta, Ga. this June.

Faye Lopez highly recommended this event to me several years ago and I’m finally going! 🙂 Very excited about learning more to enhance my music writing!

“He” early advanced piano arrangement can be reviewed or purchased HERE

“Were You There” very advanced piano arrangement can  be reviewed or purchased HERE

Special note: “He” is under copyright so unable to provide video of entire arrangement.

Video of the Very Advanced Version of Where You There…

I keep forgetting about sharing this advanced piano arrangement of My Savior’s Love.   Thought I’d better do so in time for some of you to  learn for Easter 🙂

I published this one in 2009…yeah…and forgot all about it until recently when one of my facebook friends mentioned liking the arrangement  and someone today asked if it was available. That put me on a search!

It took a while for me to locate the original file but came across it tonight.  So…hope it can be used by some of you church pianists out there! 🙂

My Savior’s Love (advanced sacred piano solo)

The contest I entered on SMP Press begins tomorrow…March 1, 2017!   I entered “Were You There” very advanced arrangement and “He”  early advanced arrangement.

Audio sample for “He”  HERE

Both songs are available on SMP Press right now but please wait if you can… to purchase starting tomorrow. The contest selling period ends on April 11, 2017.

IMPORTANT REMINDER:

Special deal for those who purchase either or both contest songs from Sheet Music Plus during the contest selling period…

You can choose one free arrangement from our music store for each contest song you purchase. (Maximum: two free arrangements) *Doesn’t include offsite arrangements.

Just email us your receipt from Sheet Music Plus and your choice(s) of arrangements from our music store.

The contest selling period ends April 11, 2017 and you have until April 20th to email your receipt for your free arrangement(s).

Click on the song titles in the first paragraph to view on Sheet Music Plus (the location of the contest).

Here’s a video of the very advanced version of Were You There.

Clarification: The early advanced version…the 2nd video below….is not part of the contest and it’s available in our music store now

Just happened across a nice CD for church pianists while trying to find sheet music for Kenon Renfrow’s piano arrangement of “Fairest Lord Jesus”. The CD is called “I Will Praise Him“.

I’m not sure at this point if Kenon has sheet music for Fairest Lord Jesus but will find out asap. I heard this arrangement on Abiding Radio this morning while getting ready for church and just LOVED it!!  Ah…just found most of the arrangements to this CD on youtube!  Listen to Fairest Lord Jesus HERE 🙂

I bought Kenon’s CD entitled: “I Will Praise Him” which by the way is a beautiful sounding CD. I listened to sound samples HERE and discovered that Kenon’s site: Piano Music Now had the CD’s for a very reasonable price.

A great piano CD for any church pianist looking for fresh stylings to hymns.

So…I admit…I’m a church pianist in a rut! What to do?  Time to surround myself with different arrangers’ music….which means….sightread!

Do you have a collection of books that you use mainly for sightreading purposes? I do.  Most of the arrangements in these books are too long for our offertory time. I could shorten some of them but that’s not always the best option since the arrangement usually builds in intensity and I don’t want to interfere with a well-rounded presentation of an arrangement.

It seems like the longer offertories are a lot of times the more challenging ones. I NEED that extra challenge to keep my fingers limber.

Occasionally, I’ll play a longer arrangement because I REALLY like the arrangement and want to share it.

Have you heard of  Abiding Radio? I’m listening to it (online)… for musical inspiration 🙂

I’m curious….what do other church pianists or pianists in general do to get out of a rut?  Would love to hear your ideas!