| The Church Pianist |
| A help ministry for church pianists all over the world! |
Yes…still alive and well 🙂  Been SO busy developing instructional materials for church pianists.
One of my readers recently requested a prelude arrangement and I will hopefully be publishing it tonight!
Sorry for the lack of posts lately…but I have been busy creating future material for my site 🙂
Hope everyone enjoys their upcoming 4th of July break!
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 😉
Most church pianists find it a challenge to dress-up hymns such as “O How I Love Jesus”. This particular hymn mainly consists of only two different chords the I and V chords)… with an occasional ii chord.
So…how to be creative with a hymn containing minimal chord changes? I’m glad you asked! 🙂
(I’m currently working on a congregational piano arrangement book for church pianists that need more than the hymnal to play from.)
“O How I Love Jesus” is one of the ones I’m working on now. The complete arrangement will have two verses. Click below to download the first verse of “O How I Love Jesus” FREE!
Hopefully, the following free congregational arrangement will spark some creative ideas of your own.
*Special note: The congregational hymns in my book will be in lower keys than the regular hymnal…making the hymns more singer-friendly.
Do you find it challenging to find vocal specials for soloists with a limited voice range? I sure do!  When I say “limited voice range” I mean a five to six note-spread.
Here are a few hymns that contain a five to six note spread…working great for the limited vocalist:
At the Cross
Wonderful Peace
Abide With Me
His Grace is Sufficient for Me by Mosie Lister
Oh How I Love Jesus
Take Time to Be Holy (Key of E flat may work better)
Take the World But Give Me Jesus by John R. Sweney (E flat may work better)
So Send I You (without special ending to avoid the high note)
*This is just a few of the old hymns that would be suitable for soloists with a limited voice range.
One of my readers recently requested that I maybe share some fill-in ideas for Calvary Covers it All.
Unfortunately, this hymn is still under copyright so I can only legally share a portion of the hymn.
This particular hymn holds a word for five counts in four different places and then six beats for the final word.
Below, are some fill-in ideas for the verse of “Calvary Covers it All”.
If you read the previous article on “Like a River Glorious” then the following will make sense.
I’m sharing a way that the right hand can climb back down the ladder after playing an octave higher during the first sentence of “Like a River Glorious”.
To read the previous article, click HERE.
Here’s a quick tip that would make any church pianist sound much fuller when playing from the hymnal.
When improvising from the hymnal, the pianist can make the hymn sound fuller by playing 4 note chords in the right hand….allowing more space for the left hand to improvise.
“Like a River Glorious” is a great hymn to apply this idea…since the rhythm isn’t real busy…making it easier to maneuver.
The first two measures in the example below demonstrates the standard five-part style hymnplaying (3 notes in the right hand and 2 notes in the left hand).
The final two measures show the right hand playing an octave higher to allow room for the 4-note style in the right hand. One of my teachers from years back taught me the idea of playing a phrase in one general area and then gradually climbing back down or up (whichever the case may be) for variety.
Next time, I’ll show you a fun way the right hand can climb back down to the middle of the piano for the next phrase of “Like a River Glorious”.
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”.