I think I just had my most embarrassing moment as a church pianist during the morning service today!
After the music portion of the service….I usually have to make a bathroom stop and then back into the auditorium for the preaching.
The morning service had flowed a little different since it was Pastor’s anniversary Sunday.
As I was coming out of the bathroom it hit me….oh no! I forgot to accompany the vocal special which comes right after the offertory.
I almost ran into the female vocalist who was heading to the bathroom to check on me. I confessed my memory lapse 😉
I felt like crying…feeling so bad for the singer. She said she had gone up to the pulpit and waited for me a few seconds. Poor girl!
She was SO sweet and understanding!
Her vocal special would have gone SO well with the Pastor’s message too! I was happy when Pastor had her sing at the end of the service. The timing actually worked out because the song just re-emphasized what Pastor had preached! Hmm…maybe I’ve started a new order of service!
Anyone else have a humorous story to share? (Of course I wasn’t feeling too humorous this morning!)
Just this afternoon I had one of my intermediate students ask me, “What could I play during the echo section in the chorus of “It is Well?”
She enjoyed learning the left hand patterns I entered as a suggested route. I told her if she would learn to recognize her chords in the hymnal…it would open up a whole realm of improvising choices!
Click on the title below to download your copy of the chorus ideas for “It is Well.”
My new sacred piano solos: “My Savior’s Love” arranged for one of my intermediate church pianist students.
“America the Beautiful” ready to use for any patriotic holidays! Sorry for publishing this too late for July 4th but ideas wouldn’t flow until I got away for a much needed vacation!
My Savior's Love Early intermediate sacred piano solo, 3 pages
First verse is in G Major ending in E flat Major for second verse and chorus.
Great for any time of the year. Price: $3.50
America the Beautiful Advanced piano solo, 3 pages
One verse & two choruses
This arrangement depicts looking out across America as one reflects on God's creation and unending grace. Price: $3.95
I know it’s not the Christmas season but had to share a video of my FREE piano arrangement…”In the Bleak Midwinter” played by Fred, better known as…The African Pianist. Thanks Fred for your dedication to the keyboard as well as your contagious inspiration!
“You said if there are four different notes…then it is a 7 chord.” (She’s referring to analyzing chords from the hymnal.)
She goes on to say, “…however, on your example of “It is Well” (page four of the handout)…on the word “like”, there are four different notes and I don’t think it’s a C7 chord. It looks more like a G¹¹ chord or something…but you say to play a C chord for that whole measure.” Click on image for enlarged view.
Excellent question!
So…here’s the answer…
When coming across this situation where the chord can’t be placed in consecutive thirds…you are more than likely dealing with “passing tones”. The passing tones are found in the right hand part for this particular example.
Passing tones are secondary notes you have to pass through to move from one note to the next. Passing tones are not meant to be factored in… to the underlying chordal structure of a measure.
So…look at the word “like” in the picture above. The right hand notes are “D & F”
Now…step back and look at the overall note ingredients within that measure. The majority of the notes favor what chord? Yes! The C chord. That’s why I played within a C chord frame for that measure as you’ll see in the next picture below. (I should have made the left hand note “E” a half note.)
Passing tones to music are like joints to the human body. Our joints support movement as the passing tones do to music. Passing tones are like the accessories/dress-up to the overall melody of a song.
Time for me to update/revise our church special music schedule!
