An arpeggio is a broken chord.  I like to use fast arpeggios in my hymn arrangements.  So…how do I determine where to place a fast broken arpeggio?  Anywhere a word can be stretched (broadened) or held if you were singing the hymn.

One of my free piano hymn arrangements entitled “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” contains a fast arpeggio on the second page. (Shown below)

This fast arpeggio consists of 12 notes.  If you look closely, you’ll notice that I played 3 groups of one-octave arpeggios within the 12 note passage.  Each group has four notes beginning and ending with note “G”.

I’m basically using a g minor one-octave arpeggio made up of the notes: G-Bflat-D-G

How to finger this? Use right hand thumb (of course) to start each group.  For each group use the following fingering:  1 2 3 5

To properly blend this run into the arrangement…emphasize the right thumb at the beginning of the first group only; allowing the hand to relax and glide across the fast arpeggios in an even rhythmic flow.  How to do this?  Practice s-l-o-w  🙂

Careful not to play SO fast that it sounds “thrown in” …causing an interruption in the flow of thought.

Slow Motion Demo

 Now…for the complete arrangement at regular tempo…

Finally finished the “I Am Resolved” piano quartet!  Pianos 1 & 2 are more of an early intermediate level and pianos 3 & 4 are late intermediate to early advanced.

The various levels of this piano quartet brings several levels of church pianists together making for an exciting rendition of “I Am Resolved”.

We are planning to play this at our church toward the end of September.

I’m offering a great discount  for “I Am Resolved” piano quartet  now until August 22, 2012.

I Am Resolved

Early intermediate to early advanced, four pianos, 4 & 1/2 - 5 pgs. *Price covers two copies each of pianos 1 & 2 and pianos 3 & 4 Time length: Approx. 1 min. 35 sec.

Price: $5.00

Amazing what you can find when you get organized!  I came across a piano quartet (four pianos)  of “I Am Resolved” that I wrote back in 2008.

We have gained another pianist at our church…praise the Lord!  For me…the more the merrier 🙂

So…four of us will be playing this quartet in church very soon.

This arrangement is at an early intermediate level…but sounds like an advanced piece with all four parts.  No part can stand alone.   Pianos one through four take turns playing short sections of the  melody.

Click arrow below to hear an excerpt of this upcoming exciting piano quartet…(hope to publish it by the end of next week).

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*Special note:  This arrangement will be on sale for a limited time…so be watching for it to appear by next weekend or…before.

Several months ago, I offered a free piano solo arrangement of “The Old Rugged Cross”; written in loving memory of one of my students who has gone home  to heaven.

This free piano solo arrangement of The Old Rugged Cross can be downloaded at the following link:   More Free Hymn Arrangements!

Here is a video of me playing the arrangement:

Church pianists find it an extra challenge when accompanying vocalists singing wordy hymns.  Hymns such as: In the Garden,  Wonderful Peace, Fill My Cup Lord,God Leads Us Along and No One Ever Cared for Me Like Jesus.

These wordy hymns are most effective when sung or played  in a more conversational tone to avoid a mechanical reading style often heard in young ones when they are first learning to read. How to achieve a more conversational sound?

In 4/4 time…beats one and three are naturally stressed.  Emphasizing these particular beats results in a more shapely tone…making the message flow in a more conversational tone.

Listen to the two accompaniment style excerpts in the video below to determine which style sounds more conversational.

“No One Ever Cared for Me Like Jesus”

*Editor notes:

Accompaniment pattern #1: I basically played every word of the song.

Accompaniment style #2: I used quarter note chords here and there to break up the  repeated eighth note patterns..allowing the singer more ebb and flow of rhythm.

Click here to download FREE PDF excerpt of “No One Ever Cared for Me Like Jesus” for accompaniment style #2.

Special note:  I sang the excerpt(s) in A Major on the video (due to my vocal range but the free pdf is a half step higher in B flat Major.

I would have loved to share the entire song…but this particular hymn is copyrighted.  The “fair use” law allows me to share a small portion of a copyrighted song for educational purposes only.

A descant to melody is like a cherry on top of an ice cream sundae.  Simply…an extra added touch to compliment the main course.

Hymn tune descants are counter-melodies, generally at a higher pitch than the main melody.

~     ~     ~    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(I think of a descant as a melody within a melody).

The descant is most effective when used only on the final verse of a hymn…creating an exciting climax!  Usually a soprano or several sopranos sing the descant.  If you don’t have the voices to support the descant, a solo instrument such as a flute or trumpet can play the descant part. Sometimes the piano can carry the descant part as well.

What’s really neat is when the whole choir sings a descant part on the final verse of a congregational hymn.

The  video below contains a violin solo accompanied by the piano.  Listen for the piano playing a descant part on the first and second chorus.

Free printable descant links below: 

(the following links may contain music not in accordance with this site but still includes appropriate music for worship)

Magnolia Arts Sheet Music

Jeff Whitmill Descants

One of my students, Hannah Myers, has just published her first sacred piano arrangement of “Be Thou My Vision”. (late intermediate level)  Hannah will be a freshman in junior high  this fall.

She has had some wonderful piano teachers.  I only started teaching her this past school year.  God has richly blessed her!

Below, is a video of Hannah playing her arrangement of “Be Thou My Vision”.

You can view a sample page and purchase this arrangement by clicking on the following title:

Be Thou My Vision

I’m always looking for easy arrangements for men’s ensemble or choir.  Our choir has short practices due to many members travelling long distance to church.  Therefore, we try to use two to three part arrangements…depending on who’s available to sing.

Several of our young men recently formed a singing group.  They learned an easy two part arrangement of “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms”.  I think they practiced only three times due to time and distance factors.  I thought they did real well for a first time together!

I’m sharing a youtube video of the men’s ensemble  so you can hear how the arrangement turned out.

This two part men’s arrangement is available for purchase at the following link:

Men’s Two Part Arrangement of Leaning on the Everlasting Arms

The words to “Come Thou Fount” were penned by a preacher named Robert Robinson in 1758.  He wrote this song several years after coming to know Christ.

Robert was prone to wander like all of us as revealed in the words “…prone to wander Lord I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love;” But then his request of  renewed devotion “Here’s my heart, O take and seal it, Seal it for Thy courts above.”

For those that have wondered about the meaning of “Ebenezer” in verse two….”Here I raise mine Ebenezer…”   Ebenezer means “stone of help”.

Click on song title below to download a free ladies’ two part acapella arrangement. I’ve offered the arrangement in two different keys.

Come Thou Fount (ladies’ two part) *acapella arrangement in B flat (lower key)

Come Thou Fount (ladies’ two part) *acapella arrangement  in C Major

My Mom

When you think of Mother’s Day songs…you think of songs that offer tribute to Mothers, right?

Well, why not consider songs of devotion to God that can be sung by a group of ladies or female solo? As mothers, we constantly strive to live a godly life. Why not sing about that devotion?

Here are a few suggestions for ladies’ ensemble: (Click on each song title to view music)

1.  The Shepherd Psalm by John Carter (Hope Publishing Co.)

Audio 

2.  A Tender Heart by Ron Hamilton (Majesty Music)  Also available in: Patch the Pirate Praises 1

Audio for A Tender Heart

3.  By the Gentle Waters by Cindy Berry     Audio for Gentle Waters

(SATB  arrangement but beautiful words and melody; could be sung unison)

4.  Take My Heart by Roger Summers

5.  Be Thou My Vision (traditional; from hymnal) *Add flute melody in background for easy dressup

6.  Come Thou Fount (traditional; from hymnal) *I have a ladies’ two part acappella arrangement of this song to hopefully publish by the weekend.