I’m almost finished with the handwritten version of “His Eye is on the Sparrow”

Warning:  For the advanced church pianist, LOTS of runs!  🙂

This video gives suggestions on how to ease through an abrupt chord change in a hymn.  The hymn in this lesson is entitled “Where Jesus Is, ‘Tis Heaven”.

I had NEVER heard of this hymn until one of my readers recently shared it with me. Thanks Karen!

Download the two pages below before viewing the video. (For ease of reference)

Where Jesus Is, ‘Tis Heaven (original version)

Where Jesus Is, ‘Tis Heaven (improvised version)

I wrote this arrangement for “Will Jesus Find Us Watching” several weeks ago after someone requested I play it for one of my recent facebook lives.

This particular hymn has a lot of life to it!  The melody and words go hand in hand.  The level of this arrangement looks to be about late intermediate to early advanced level.

I enjoyed creating this simple; straight forward arrangement requiring minimal practice for the early advanced church pianist. The arrangement begins in the key of F Major and ends in G Major. (two verses and choruses)

Time for me to update/revise our church special music schedule!

I want to better utilize my progressing piano students during the service.

Here’s a picture of the updated schedule.

Students will be playing during prelude & offertories to keep in shape!

For those who haven’t heard…I write hymns for my piano students to play for congregational singing or to use as a piano solo for offertory.

Having them play during prelude provides that extra opportunity to keep them well-versed in their hymn playing.

My piano students tell me they are not as nervous when playing for prelude. (Another benefit of using them for prelude music)

Our church family loves seeing the young ones so involved in the music ministry!

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!)

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!

I decided at the last minute to record myself playing comforting hymns on the piano this afternoon.

I hope these hymns bring comfort to you all during this season of life.

May God bless each one of you!

I have thoroughly enjoyed playing “live” on face book for the last several months.

As time permits, I edit the face book version to include the names of each hymn that I play and then share here on my website.

Hope you enjoy this session from last week’s “live” face book version.

I’m playing tonight at 8:30-9 pm ish EST

Join in and sing along this evening!  Just click on the following link a few minutes before 8:30 pm to allow you time to find me.

You don’t have to have a facebook account to see the event.

Live Facebook event link:  https://www.facebook.com/events/278983656798545/

Now, to last week’s event

This is a clarification for those who have purchased the “Diatonic Chord Substitution Lesson One” tutorial.  But…anyone can glean from this post!

I recently received an email with this question…

“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.

Thanks to one of my readers for a great question!

I was blessed this morning to hear Molly Madden, a wonderful harpist, playing a couple of my piano hymn arrangements.

Molly was able to adapt them for harp. (special permission given)

Thank you Molly for sharing your God-given talent.