What could possibly be so important about learning to play scales?!

Part One: Benefits to learning scales

*Mobility

*Strength

*Key recognition

(for example…if you’ve been practicing the D major scale…you will remember this scale has two sharps. When you look in a hymnal and see a hymn with two sharps at the beginning… you’ll know it’s probably D major.  (could be B minor but we won’t go there right now.) The majority of the time..it will be D major.

*Structured fingering

*Prepares the hands for complete and partial scale passages in hymn arrangements.

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Scales are more meaningful when played within a hymn arrangement.

Scales add life to a piece! Sometimes just a partial scale is used depending on what sounds best.

Learning my scales in the beginning stages of piano prepared me for different arrangements I have played through the years with technical passages. 

 In part two of the importance of scales…I will show examples of hymn arrangements containing scales and share ideas of how and where to apply scales in your own improvising.

Part three of the importance of scales will share various ways to play scales preparing the church pianist for real-life application.

 

How can the church pianist possibly benefit from playing scales?!

Do hymns even utilize scales?

In the next article… I will share why I think it’s important for every church pianist to master the scales.  While I’m at it…I’ll share ways to make scale playing more enjoyable.

Looking forward to this next article!

I know many church pianists already use chord substitutions but some  of you may not be sure what chords fit where.

Today, I was trying to show one of my hymnplaying students several chord substitutions for the last line of “Just As I Am”.  We were short on time…so I had her video me playing the chord substitutions so I could just email it to her.  The thought occured to me…maybe others could benefit from this very brief video demonstration of chord substitutions.

You may have to pause here and there to get a glimpse of  the chord substitutions. 

Editor notes for today’s quick video…

Scenario:  When the same chord lasts for an entire measure…it’s time to try a chord substitution for a more interesting sound.

For example…the last line  of “Just As I Am”…

“And that Thou bidst me…”  uses a C chord

Chord substitution used:  G minor 7th to a C 7

Next few words…

“…come to Thee O…”  uses a F chord

Chord substitutions used: F , d minor, G7

Next words…

“…Lamb of God, I come!”  uses a C to G chord

Chord substitutions:  a minor 7 on “God”  d minor 7  for  “come”

Church pianists can revolutionize the sound of their  hymnplaying just by adding chord substitutions!

Now…for a quickie video, demonstrating these chord substitutions… 

One of my church pianist readers recently posted the following question…

“I have trouble filling in the blank spaces in songs (for example, whole notes, or the end of a verse, leading into the next verse). I have no idea what to play in those spots and sometimes, that creates an uncertainty for the congregation about when to start singing again. What can I play to help sort of “lead in”?

 ~Stephanie~

I’ve been answering  her question with this series. Part One and Two of Piano Hymn Fill-ins, shared fill-in ideas for the end of verses leading into the chorus. Part three deals with fill-ins for the end of choruses leading into the next verse. The examples in part three are for choruses ending with a whole note.

Editor notes for part three piano hymn fill-ins…

 The fill-in for both examples are similar; making it easier for church pianists to learn and apply to other hymns ending in whole notes.

Piano Hymn Fill-ins Part Three

The group of church pianists visiting this site range from beginner to advanced level.

Part two of piano hymn fill-ins is designed for the church pianist who is looking for simple; practical fill-in ideas.  If you have not seen part one for piano fill-ins…follow this link  Piano Hymn Fill-ins…Part One  .

It would probably be easier to print the free pdf music handout at this time before viewing the remainder of this article.

Click here to print

Editor Notes for: Piano Hymn Fill-ins…Part Two

A reader recently asked me to share some fill-in ideas for long-held words; such as the end of a verse leading into the next verse.  I decided to start with the end of verses leading into the chorus.

The fill-ins on this sheet work well when the last word of the verse ends with a I chord and the chorus also begins on a I chord.  I tried to maintain the same fill-in idea for all four examples.

Are you lost?  Hmmm…learn your chords by number. (Another lesson…another day)   🙂

Back to the lesson…A IV chord acts as a nice bridge or (fill-in)  between long-held words.

Try today’s fill-in on the following hymns:

Lord I’m Coming Home

Is My Name Written There?

Trusting Jesus

God Leads Us Along

I Am Resolved

This mini-series resulted in one of my reader’s recent comments.

She asked some excellent questions! The comment reads….

 “I have trouble filling in the blank spaces in songs (for example, whole notes, or the end of a verse, leading into the next verse).

I have no idea what to play in those spots and sometimes, that creates an uncertainty for the congregation about when to start singing again. What can I play to help sort of “lead in”?   Thank you!”

~Stephanie~

 This mini-series is designed for the church pianist who plays from the hymnal but would like to learn simple fill-ins for long-held notes such as dotted half notes, whole notes or tied notes. (I’ll address the latter part of Stephanie’s question in another mini-series).

 For starters, let’s focus on fill-ins at the end of a verse leading into the chorus. Two factors determine what can be played for any fill-in:

1. Note duration (length of note at end of verse)
2. Chord progression from verse to chorus (see music below for more details).

 To keep things simple, I will show one fill-in idea using examples in easy keys.

A. Fill-in for chord progression: I to IV  ( view and print PDF Music Examples)

Challenge: Try same piano fill-in on the following hymns:

I Know Whom I Have Believed

What a Day That Will Be

Glory to His Name

 This is just one fill-in idea! There are many more 🙂  No need to overload your brain at this point 🙂

Part two of piano hymn fill-ins will include more fill-in ideas!

Thanks Stephanie for the questions! Hopefully this will help other church pianists needing to learn more fill-in ideas.

“The Lily of the Valley” is a nice, uplifting hymn. Several factors make this hymn a challenge for most church pianists.

The hymn is loaded with repeated notes and a very busy rhythm…(what I call….the “wordy” hymns).

You don’t want it to sound like you’re trying to chop down a tree 🙂

The church pianist needs to basically outline or (play) the main beats of the hymn. This particular hymn is in 4/4 time.   So…the pianist should at least play on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th beats…creating a steady, rhythmic  tempo for the congregation.

It’s not necessary for the pianist to play “every word” of the song when accompanying. Playing every word would limit the pianist’s ability to improvise. 

The more familiar the congregation is with a hymn…the less dependent they are on hearing the melody.  This allows the  pianist more  freedom to stray from the melody…making it much easier to maneuver through the accompaniment.

Editor notes for today’s free piano sample of “The Lily of the Valley”

Notice the left hand plays the main beats (1,2,3,4) and the right hand skip words here and there for ease of movement.

Measure #3 (beats 3 through 4)  the right hand plays notes within the chord frame being used… “sweeping upward”…for a livelier sound.

Measure #4 (beats 1 through 4) the left hand begins with a dotted rhythm for a peppy tone and drives through with octaves to maintain tempo while the congregation holds the word “soul”.

Measure #4 (beat 4) into Measure #5…the right hand moves into middle range of keyboard for variety in location.

Click here for free piano sample of “The Lily of the Valley”

 

(View of run from the video of “Father’s World” excerpt)

It’s so easy to rush through a busy fill-in passage during a hymn arrangement.

If you’re like me, you think…”That’s alot of notes! I’d better play fast to make them fit in!”  So….you rip through the pretty stuff as though it were thrown in all of a sudden and listeners think…”Woah!  What was that?”

 Fill-ins and runs either enhance the melody (hopefully)…or are used to add movement during a held word.

Runs that intertwine with the melody are meant to move along at a fair pace so as not to break the flow of thought.

Slowing down for a run during a held word is appropriate. Such is the case in today’s excerpt from my arrangement entitled: “This is My Father’s World” published by Soundforth Publications (now under Lorenz Publishing)

Purchase HERE

Editor notes for video:

Wrong way: I play one speed with little emotion.

Better way:  Taking more time to feel the music in a more conversational style.

Here’s a simple left hand octave fill-in idea when going from a I chord to a vi chord.

This easy fill-in idea creates a smooth transition to the next chord.

I illustrated this fill-in for three different hymns… all in the key of G Major.

You will  see a short excerpt from each hymn; showing where the left hand fill-in occurs.

Once you’ve mastered this fill-in idea…try it on other hymns.

In order to do this, you will have to hunt for a I chord  leading to a vi chord. You can do it!

Here’s a few hymns to start with:

Key of C… Wonderful Grace of Jesus (end of sentence #1 on word “sin” going in to the next word “how”)

Key of E flat…Fairest Lord Jesus (first two words)

Key of D Major…Crown Him With Many Crowns (first three words)

That’s enough to keep you busy for a while.

Repeated application  will help you master and retain this simple left hand octave fill-in.

Click here: Left Hand Octave Fill-in Idea

Do you ever have a hard time knowing what to play for fill-ins when improvising hymns? 

This simple, instructional video gives the beginning church pianist some easy-to-use  right hand fill-ins!