Did you know that an octave stretch on Chopin’s piano was equivalent to a 7th on our piano?

He didn’t have to stretch as far as us!

Chopin also taught three lessons a week to each student!

Just finished watching this very educational video on “tone color”

Awhile ago, one of my readers asked if I had a congregational arrangement for “A Might Fortress is Our God.”

I didn’t at the time but decided to tackle it this week.  This particular arrangement is for the late intermediate church pianist.

What a challenge to stay within the written chords from the hymnal! Maybe I need to come up with a piano solo for this hymn too.

Important Notice!

This arrangement was created for congregational style only.  If  you insert the melody in measures #16 and #20…it can be used for a piano solo.

Print your own copy for free and then listen to the audio while you’re holding the music!

A Mighty Fortress is Our God (FREE PDF)

 A Mighty Fortress is Our God (audio)

Be on the look out for a free sacred congregational piano arrangement!

I’ll give you a couple  hints:

1. I’ve NEVER arranged this hymn before.

2. It’s a very stately old hymn that speaks of God’s protection

Just throwing a quickie your way!  Here are a couple left hand improvising tips for the hymn…Praise Him! Praise Him!

The tips can be applied to hymns in different time signatures.

I have a student who is late intermediate level and she wants to learn congregational style so bad! So…I’ll be walking her through different hymns and giving her improvising tips along the way.

Let me know if you all want more of these quickies along the way.  Click on this title to download your free copy of this page.  PRAISE HIM! PRAISE!

A friend of mine messaged me yesterday to see if I would consider writing arrangements for one of her piano students who has only one hand.

Watch the video for the introduction to this inspiring story in progress…

Promo Sale!  The collection is on sale through August 21st, 2023 until 10pm.

I had a person contact me recently requesting another collection of early intermediate congregational arrangements.

One of my daughter-in-laws will also benefit from this collection.

I decided to add an introduction to each arrangement.  Also, most of the arrangements would make nice short piano solo offertories.

You could also use these arrangements for accompanying a soloist too!

Only two of the arrangements wouldn’t be able to stand alone as a piano solo…..”Are You Washed?” and “Sweet Hour of Prayer.” The reason why is because the melody is not supported throughout the entire arrangement.  Some church pianists may be comfortable adding the missing melody in the few places per arrangement.  Otherwise, these two arrangements are missing the melody notes here and there since it’s more of an accompaniment style.

Easy to Play Congregationals Collection TWO

Early intermediate congregational arrangements by Jenifer Cook. Ten hymns: All Hail thePower, Are You Washed?, Have Thine Own Way, Higher Ground, I Love to Tell the Story, Revive Us Again, Sweet Hour of Prayer, Tell it to Jesus, Tis So Sweet, Where He Leads. Most of these arrangements can stand alone as a piano solo with the exception of: Are You Washed and Sweet Hour of Prayer. View the first three hymn arrangements by clicking on the COVER PHOTO

Price: $14.00

Warning!  Pause and reverse as needed for this short tutorial!

I’m almost finished with a tutorial showing how to add sixteenth note runs to hymns.  (For the late intermediate pianist and beyond)

This particular tutorial will deal with adding runs to congregational accompaniment.

There will be five pages of examples for this particular run in various keys, time signatures and different hymn excerpts.

Each example will not only show the run application but will also share a graceful way to work out of the run.

This Sixteenth Note Run tutorial will be available in my online store asap.

I’ll publish a brief you tube commercial before publication.

For adequate preparation on my part….What questions do you have about playing runs in hymns or what difficulties do you face when playing runs etc.?   Thanks in advance for any feedback!

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