I wasn’t brave enough to play the first day of Hymn playing Critique Class but…thanks to Mike Haynes, a sophomore in high school, who played his arrangement of “Count Your Blessings” for critique…providing a platform of learning for all of us!

I thought Faye Lopez and Duane Ream gave some excellent suggestions to Mike.

Enjoy the video below.  (I apologize for my amateur recording but felt the content worthy of sharing regardless of the quality).

This will be one of several videos I’ll share from my recent trip to the annual Wilds Music Conference. I had not planned on videoing the sessions…thinking they were being done by someone professionally.  So…you will have to put up with my amateur recordings 🙂 The first part of Hymnplaying Master Class on Tuesday consisted of an open discussion on the benefits of piano duets…even with a few composer tips from Faye and Duane on writing quality piano duets. I’ll start with the benefits of playing piano duets: *Allows time to focus on basic techniques with easier playing passages…such as phrasing, pedaling, dynamic balance between two players, etc. *Prepares pianist to think and play like an accompanist.  For example, both pianists have to keep melody dominant throughout.  The pianist without melody part must remain in the background (so to speak)…allowing the melody to be heard. *Playing piano duets can improve the pianist’s sense of rhythm.  Teaches them to play different rhythms against the other player.  Such as: one pianist may play triplets while the other is playing straight eighths. (fun! fun!) The pianists are forced to play the correct rhythm if they are to stay together. *Encourages teamwork!

Now…on to several composer tips in writing piano duets:

*Stack duet parts on one page so both pianists are aware of the full picture. *Try the duet with another pianist to check for hand collisions (I speak from experience on this one)    😉 *Avoid writing in excessive extreme registers (real low or high).  Too high gives the primo a “tinty” or “empty” sound.  Writing primo section more near the middle of the piano gives the piece a more balanced, pleasing tone.  Playing too low will give the duet a “cloudy/muddled” tone.

Piano duets on this video:

O Come All Ye Faithful from: “O Come All Ye Faithful” by Nathan Arnold

I Need Thee Every Hour from: “Standing on the Promises” by Nathan Arnold

Saved! Saved! from:  “Like a River Glorious” by Rebecca Bonam

Dwelling Beulah Land from: ?  (I think it was a Rebecca Bonam duet…not sure)

Other Piano Duet Book List:

Immortal Invisible  by Dan Forest

Crown Him Lord of All by Dan Forest

Joy to the World by Rebecca Bonam (piano solo book with three duets!)

Tip:  Don’t forget those duets in the back of your piano solo books you may have 🙂

*The above book titles are clickable links that carry you to BJU Press.  However, these books are no longer available through BJU Press.  Go to Lorenz  to purchase them. (or try Ebay or Amazon)

I’m working on the  “God Can” choir arrangement by Lynndale Hardeman.

For those of you who don’t know…I accidentally deleted my last year’s worth of music from my computer. Yes, it made me sick but just thankful I had hard copies of the most important pieces.  But, it means putting everything in my music program again note by note.  Needless to say, that’s why my progress is s-l-o-w-e-r.

I hope to have “God Can” ready by the end of August.  This particular arrangement is for SAB choir or small ensemble.  I’m excited about this particular piece since it has a very strong revival emphasis…which is what we need!

Look forward to publishing it (hopefully) soon!

For those who haven’t heard the arrangement, see video below:

I have posted audios for  my piano solo arrangements of Amazing Grace & Saviour Like a Shepherd (from the Funeral Collection).. on youtube.

Several of my readers have asked if I could post all of  the  arrangements from my Funeral Collection on youtube.  I will do so as time permits. Thanks for your interest!

These arrangements can also be used as offertories, vocal solos or violin specials! Saviour Like a Shepherd would also be appropriate for a wedding 😉

I’m excited about this new SAB choir arrangement that I hope to publish by the summer of 2013! The song “God Can” is written by Lynndale Hardeman. You’ll love the revival type message of this song!

I will have to say this is our most favorite choir arrangement.

Just thought I’d share a video of our small ladies’ ensemble singing “Come Thou Fount”.

You can download this arrangement for free.  Just click on the tab “Free PDF Hymns” at the top of this page to download your free copy of “Come Thou Fount”.

I love to sing “Amazing Grace”! It reminds me of when I accepted Christ as my Saviour at the age of 29.

A quick tip for church pianists on how to enrich congregational singing…

1. Start in a lower key. The congregation sings out better in lower keys…especially if you have a congregation like ours that mainly sings melody.

2.  Modulate up a half or whole step higher on the final verse.

In the following video…we started in E flat major and ended in F Major.

The church pianist CAN add zest to congregational singing! Learn to play a hymn in different keys for added enrichment.

I will attempt to write out Amazing Grace  in a user-friendly version for congregational piano accompaniment within the next two weeks and share for FREE! (transposed verse will be included)

Click here for this FREE arrangement of Amazing Grace 🙂

The wide note range of O Holy Night makes for a challenging vocal solo!

B Flat Major seems to be a comfortable; reasonable key when singing “O Holy Night”.  Therefore, I will provide a FREE copy of O Holy Night in this key.

Keep in mind…I’ve already shared this arrangement on my free Christmas music page in the key of A flat major.  I simply transposed the same arrangement to B flat major.  The key of B flat major works great  for a male solo or duet.   Sopranos like this key too because the high notes are easier to reach.

See video below of a male vocal duet I recently played for…using the key of B flat major for O Holy Night.  Special note:  I used a different arrangement 🙂

**Click on link below video to get your FREE copy of O Holy Night in the key of B Flat Major.

Click here to download FREE copy of O Holy Night in the key of B Flat Major

I thoroughly enjoyed creating this advanced Christmas piano solo of “What Child is This”.

The style of this piece was greatly influenced by my exposure to Spanish classical music…especially in verse one…right hand broken arpeggios with left hand melody.  Enrique Granados was my favorite Spanish classical composer.

To be honest…I had a difficult time trying to figure out HOW to communicate the correct rhythm for the run in measure #35.  I know how it’s suppose to sound..but it’s another story trying to get that across to everyone else.  The run (in print)… played back the right way in my music program (Finale).

Hopefully…the following video of “What Child is This”… SHOULD be helpful.  I did include a few tips at the end of the video for the right hand run in measure #35.

I have always loved the Christmas carol entitled, “What Child is This”.  The music and words seem to go hand in hand…making for an unforgettable hymn.

Here’s Letha, my student that passed away this past spring…playing my arrangement of “What Child is This”.  She played it at one of our local nursing homes last December.

This particular arrangement is now owned by Lorenz Corporation. who recently bought out Soundforth.