If you are a church pianist or play specials in the church service…you know what it’s like to turn pages while playing an offertory or choir special.

You (maybe) can get by with page turns for a choir special… but not for an offertory.

How to turn pages without disrupting the flow of music?  Two solutions come to mind that I have used:  Find someone to turn pages or turn your own pages using the following tips:

1.  Memorize a few measures before and after the page turns (very helpful!)  Tip: Try highlighting the measure where you pick up reading after a page turn to avoid disorientation  🙂  Depending on the note content…it may be too tricky to turn a page a few measures before.  In that case, I memorize a little more so I can turn the page at a more convenient spot.

2.  Turn the page(s) with the hand that’s not playing the melody to maintain a logical flow

Face it…you may just have to miss a few notes with the non-melody hand to make this happen.

3.  I also turn back the corner of each page…making the page easier to grab

*I have copied pages to avoid page turns but ONLY with special permission from the publisher; so as not to infringe on copyright laws.  (I should probably devote an article on copyright laws).

If I have someone turn pages…I have them stand on my left side if at all possible…. so as not to block the congregation’s view of the person playing.

For those of us who’ve ever had “page turn” issues…I recommend the following video.  I’m just glad the girls knew their parts real well…especially the girl on the left.

I couldn’t resist sharing the next gadget that would be heavenly for any pianist!

Click here to visit Airturn, Inc. site