Please pray for my son and daughter-in-law as they just had their second miscarriage in the past three months.

The picture above was taken of them this past Christmas with their precious son… whom I’m watching this week.

My next article will probably be next week.

Appreciate the prayers.

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)

After wanting to go to the Wilds Music Conference for at least the past ten years….I finally got to go!  My schedule just didn’t allow it in years past since the conference was scheduled at the end of December and into New Year’s Day.  ( I believe the Wilds is changing the music conference to a later date next year….to sometime in January.)

Please understand that this conference is a general music conference.  Since it’s only about a 2 & 1/2 hour drive…I felt it was worth attending.  Read the conference description below as stated on The Wilds website:

“Join us for the mixture of general preaching sessions, biblical philosophy and practical “how to” workshops, and choral reading sessions which will make you more effective in your ministry of music in your local church. Both trained musicians and laymen alike will benefit from the blessing and refreshment of fellowship around Christ-honoring music at this conference.”

Here’s what I did at the conference:

* Hymnplaying master class (once a day for three days) great practical ideas for pianists in general!

* Attended at least eight Choral reading sessions (free pack of music per session)

* Rubbed shoulders with musician friends (always pick up ideas from fellow musicians!)

* Went to Sacred concert by Matt & Christy Taylor on Wednesday evening

I do plan on sharing my gleanings in future posts.  The highlight of my week was playing in the Hymnplaying master class for critique.  What constructive advice I received!  (will share in video soon!)

Answers from previous quiz questions for Chord Substitutions:

Minor chords for IV are  ii and vi

Minor chords for V are  iii and vii

Key of C Major:  F chord is the IV chord….so…d minor is the ii chord and a minor is the vi chord.  The V chord is G….so….e minor is the iii chord and b minor is the vii chord.

Review from last lesson:  A Major chord lasting two or more beats can be substituted with a minor chord. Go up or down two chords from the Major chord to find its minor chord substitutions.

For example:  The  C Major chord can be substituted with an e minor or a minor chord.  (The melody note dictates which substitution will sound right).

This is only the beginning…there are SO many chord substitutions!  I’m just covering the basic choices.

New Lesson

Warning label to the church pianist:  Chord substitutions cannot be used for congregational singing IF the congregation is singing parts from hymnal.

Chord substitutions can be used for solo instrumentals or when accompanying vocalists or instrumentalists singing or playing the melody.

Reason for selective use:  chord substitutions do not support the written voice parts in a hymnal.

Our church has a small congregation that mainly sings melody with occasional tenor….giving me more freedom in congregational accompaniment.  Adding chord substitutions just brings what would be a plain hymn…to life!

If you’re a church pianist wanting a warmer sound to your playing…chord substitutions are the answer!  I use a lot of chord substitutions during invitation..creating a more reflective mood.  Our pastor likes background music during the entire invitation…allowing me more freedom to alter the melody and chords.

The following chord substitutions would be better understood if the church pianist had a basic understanding of being able to analyze chords within a hymn…hence….another lesson in the works 🙂

Until then…enjoy learning a couple chord substitutions for the following hymns.  

Layout explanation:  Three different hymn examples; each hymn is represented by an original line from the hymnal followed by an improvised version of that line. The I (CEG) chords are labeled as well as the substituted chord numbers. Each example is in C Major.  *Measures marked with a red square require future post to explain.

*Click on the following pages to download:

Page one: Chord Substitution Application

Page two: Chord Substitution Application

Been enjoying family & guests over the holidays.  Now it’s time to gear up for the new year!

I’m currently working on several chord substitution examples to share with you.

These examples are in relation to the final lesson on chord substitutions.

You may have to review the previous chord substitution lesson in preparation for these examples.  Plan to post the examples tomorrow!

Just finished the Christmas piano solo of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” this morning!

One of my readers requested that I arrange an intermediate level of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”.  This piano arrangement may appear to be late intermediate level but the technical side of it may qualify for an early advanced level piano solo.

Regardless of the outcome, I hope you enjoy this piece as much as I had writing it!

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

Late intermediate to early advanced Christmas piano solo, 2 pgs. Approx. 1:33

Price: $3.00

A reader recently requested a piano congregational arrangement for “Joy to the World”.  I had almost forgotten about having this arrangement.  I am forever writing music of some sort and it’s easy to forget what I have 🙂

This is a rather straightforward arrangement of “Joy to the World”…no frills but enough fill-ins to add zest to the congregational singing for this joyous hymn about Jesus’ birth.  Hope it’s a help to church pianists looking for congregational arrangements.

Click on song title below to download your free copy!

Just uploaded my free advanced Christmas piano solo of “In the Bleak Midwinter” on my youtube channel.

  Clickable link to  free arrangement of “In the Bleak Midwinter”

Working on an early advanced arrangement of “God Bless Ye Merry Gentlemen”.

This one has been more challenging than “In the Bleak of Midwinter” as far as coming up with ideas for the arrangement.  Some of my Spanish classical influence will appear in this piece.

Hope to complete it soon!