Teach Yourself to Play Hymns 2nd Ed

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Teach yourself to play hymns

Rebekah Lewis 2008

www.christadelphiancds.co.uk

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Teach yourself to play hymns 2nd edition © Rebekah Lewis 2008 All rights reserved

Rebekah Lewis 2008


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Contents

Introduction

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Lesson 1: Letter names of notes

5

Lesson 2: Fingering

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Lesson 3: Playing using both hands

12

Lesson 4: Reading music – letter names

14

Lesson 5: Reading music – rhythms

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Lesson 6: 6 : Re R eading music – playing with both hands

21

Lesson 7: Playing two notes with each hand

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Lesson 8: Sharps and flats

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Less Lesson on 9: Diff Differ eren entt appr approa oach ches es for for pian piano o and and orga organ/ n/ke key yboar board d

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Lesson 10: Playing for your ecclesia

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Appendix: Rhythm reference sheet Musical terms and signs

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Introduction By the end of this series of lessons you should know all you need to know to be able to accompany hymn singing. The lessons are based around the 2002 Christadelphian Hymn Book, but should be helpful to anyone using other hymn books as well.

Practice In each lesson there are exercises you should practise for a week or two before moving on to the next lesson. How quickly you progress through these lessons depends on how often you are able to practise. You will learn faster if you practise little and often (e.g., 15 minutes every other day), rather than a two-hour session every fortnight.

Playing an organ Sometimes organs have two or even three manuals (rows of keyboards). Don’t be put off by this. You can play everything on one manual – the lower manual will probably be the easiest to use. Usually you will not get a sound out of an organ until you have selected a stop or pressed a button. Various sizes will be written on the organ stops. These correspond to the lengths of pipes of traditional pipe organs. A 16’ stop will have a low sound; a 4’ stop a high sound. You need to have an 8’ stop selected to ensure that the notes sound at normal pitch. If the stops are the old-fashioned kind they need to be pulled out to be selected. Make sure that the stops you select apply to the manual you are going to be using.

Buying an instrument If you haven’t got an instrument at home, and it's not possible to practise regularly on your ecclesia’s instrument, then your cheapest option is to buy an electronic keyboard. These cost about £70 new, and are readily available second-hand. Make sure that the keyboard you choose has full-sized keys.

Posture The best playing position is where you can have your elbows level with your wrists. So if you can, ensure that the height of your seat makes this possible.

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Lesson 1: Letter names of notes By the end of this lesson you will be able to: Find notes on the keyboard, including Middle C Play the melodies of some hymns • •

Musical notes are named after the letters of the alphabet, from A-G. On a keyboard the different notes can be found by looking at their relationship with the black notes, which are grouped in twos and threes. E.g., All the C’s are found just below each pair of black notes:

C

All the F’s are found just below each set of three black notes:

F

This diagram shows the position of all of the notes:

C

D

E

F

G

A

B

C

D

E

Task 1 Play all the C’s on your instrument. Play all the E’s. Play all the A’s.

Rebekah Lewis 2008


F

G

A

B

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Task 2 See if you can fill in the letters of the keys below without looking at the keyboard diagram on page 4.

Finding Middle C To be able to accompany singers, you need to make sure that you are playing at the right pitch (not too high or too low). The traditional way to do this is to find Middle C, which is in the upper range of a man's voice and the lower range of a woman's voice. Piano: On a piano, this will be the C near the middle of the keyboard, usually next to the lock if it is a ‘real’ piano. Keyboard: Usually Middle C is the third C up from the bottom of the keyboard. Organ: If the lowest note on the manual is C, Middle C will be the third C up from the bottom. If the lowest note on the manual is F, Middle C will be the second C up from the bottom.

Task 3 Play through these hymn melodies, using your right hand (any fingers you wish). Use the tips of your fingers, and keep your fingers curved as if you are typing see below .

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NB: If a note has a 1 after it, this means that it is in the higher range of notes:

Middle C

C

D

E

F

G

A

B

C1

D1

E1

F1

G1

A1

A

G

B1

Praise, O praise our God and King (Green Hymn Book, 117) The first note is Middle C.

C

E

G

E

F G A B C1

D1 D1 C1 B G C1 E1

D1

E1

E1

D1

C1

E1

D1 C1 B C1

B C1

B

C1

Lord of all being, throned afar (Green Hymn Book, 151) The first note is the E just above Middle C.

E D C F G A B C1

F F

F E

D1 E1 D1 C1 A

E F G A

A D1

C1 B

G E D C

F E

D C

Hallelujah! Yahweh’s name (Green Hymn Book, 72) The first note is the C above Middle C.

C1 G G C1 A A A

B C1 D1 B C1 E1 C1

C1 G G C1 A A A

B C1 D1 B C1 E1 C1

B C1 D1 D1 E1 C1 D1

B C1 D1 D1 E1 C1 D1

C1 B A F1 D1 C1 B C1

C1 B A F1 D1 C1 B C1

Before starting next lesson, you should be able to: Quickly locate notes on the keyboard, without needing the help of a diagram Play at least two of these hymn tunes fluently Play with curved fingers, using the tips of your fingers to strike the notes

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Lesson 2: Fingering By the end of this lesson you will be able to: Play smoothly Play exercises which will strengthen and train your fingers Play sections of music without looking down at your fingers Fingering You will find playing hymns easier if you are able to plan your fingering effectively. This means using your fingers in the most efficient way, requiring the least effort on your part and enabling you to play more smoothly. This is especially important if you are playing an organ. Generally, if it is possible, you should try not to let go of a note until you have pressed the next one down, as if your fingers are walking up or down stairs. The exceptions to this are discussed in a later lesson. If you get used to the best way your fingers work, you should find that it becomes easier to play without looking down at your fingers – ‘touch-typing' – enabling you to keep your eyes on the music and not lose your place. Your fingers and thumbs are numbered from 1-5 in each hand: 1 = thumb 2 = index finger 3 = middle finger 4 = ring finger 5 = little finger You may find it helpful to write these numbers on your fingers at first!

Task 1 Play these warm-up exercises at the start of each practice session. They will help build up strength and flexibility in your fingers. Focus on making your fingers 'walk' from note to note. Remember to use the tips of curved fingers. Once you have got used to playing these exercises see if you can: Play them without looking down at your fingers Gradually increase the speed Play them with different rhythms to focus effort on different fingers, e.g., long-short-long-short; then short-long-short-long... Play them hands together, e.g., right hand (a) with left hand (a) • • •

•

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Right hand, with thumb on Middle C a)

1 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 1 C D E F G F E D C

b)

1 2 3 2 3 4 3 4 5 4 3 2 1 5 1 C D E D E F E F G F E D C G C

c)

1 3 2 4 3 5 4 2 1 3 4 2 1 5 1 C E D F E G F D C E F D C G C

Left hand, with little finger on Middle C a)

5 4 3 2 1 2 3 4 5 C D E F G F E D C

b)

5 4 3 4 3 2 3 2 1 2 3 4 5 1 5 C D E D E F E F G F E D C G C

c)

5 3 4 2 3 1 2 4 5 3 2 4 5 1 5 C E D F E G F D C E F D C G C

Frequently the notes you need to play will not fall easily under the five fingers. One option is to stretch from note to note. Task 2 Play through these exercises to practise this technique.

Right hand, starting with thumb on C 1 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 1 C E F G A F E D C 1 2 3 5 3 2 1 C E G C1 G E C Left hand, starting with little finger on C 5 4 3 2 1 2 3 4 5 C E F G A F E D C 5 3 2 1 2 3 5 C E G C1 G E C Rebekah Lewis 2008


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When there is a large range of notes to cover you can use the technique shown below: Moving up the keyboard – pass the thumb underneath either finger 2, 3 or 4 Moving down the keyboard – pass finger 2, 3 or 4 over the top of your thumb

Task 3 Play the C major scale below to practise this technique.

Right hand going up: Tuck thumb under 3 rd finger

Right hand going down Pass 3rd finger over thumb

1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 C D E F G A B C1

5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 C1 B A G F E D C

Left hand going up:

Left hand going down

Pass 3rd finger over thumb

5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 C D E F G A B C1

Tuck thumb under 3 rd finger

1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 C1 B A G F E D C

Task 4 Practise these hymn tunes using your right hand with the recommended fingering. Play through each hymn several times until you are able to play it smoothly throughout. This is to give you an understanding of the best ways to organise your fingers when playing. Then see if you can play the hymn tunes without looking down at your fingers.

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Hallelujah! Yahweh’s name (Green Hymn Book, 72) The first note is the C above Middle C.

3 1 1 3 1 11 C1 G G C1 A A A

2 3 4 2 3 5 3 B C1 D1 B C1 E1 C1

3 1 1 3 1 11 C1 G G C1 A A A

2 3 4 2 3 5 3 B C1 D1 B C1 E1 C1

2 3 4 4 5 3 4 B C1 D1 D1 E1 C1 D1

2 3 4 4 5 3 4 B C1 D1 D1 E1 C1 D1

3 21 5 4 3 2 3 C1 B A F1 D1 C1 B C1

3 21 5 4 3 2 3 C1 B A F1 D1 C1 B C1

Lord of all being, throned afar (Green Hymn Book, 151) The first note is the E just above Middle C.

3 2 1 4 E D C F

4 4 F F

1 2 1 2 G A B C1

3 4 3 2 1 D1 E1 D1 C1 A

Tuck thumb under 2 nd finger

4 3 F E

Tuck thumb under 4 th finger

3 4 1 2 E F G A

2 5 A D1

4 3 C1 B

4 3 2 1 G E D C

4 3 F E

2 1 D C

Pass 4th finger over thumb

In working through this lesson you will have developed your fingering technique, and started to play hands together. Before starting next lesson, you should be able to: Play the Task 1 fingering exercises fluently Play the two hymn tunes fluently, using good fingering • •

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Remember to keep practising the Task 1 fingering exercises from the previous lesson.

Lesson 3: Playing using both hands By the end of this lesson you will be able to: Play simplified versions of 2 hymns using both hands •

Task 1 We are now going to add a left-hand part to the two hymn tunes from the previous lesson. Play through the left-hand part on its own a few times to get used to the notes and fingering. Then work on putting both hands together. You may find it difficult to get your hands coordinating together at first, so just keep tr ying. Practise in small chunks – don’t move on to the next section until you are fairly secure with the current one. You will learn the hymns faster this way.

Hallelujah! Yahweh’s name (Green Hymn Book, 72) The first right-hand note is the C above Middle C. The first left-hand note is the C below Middle C. The fingering should help you work out the direction the notes are going in (i.e., whether to go up or down for the next note). Right Hand

3 1 1 3 1 11 C GG C A AA

2 3 4 2 3 5 3 B CD B C E C

Left Hand

C CC E F FF 5 5 5 3 2 2 2

G GG G C C C 1 1 1 1 5 5 5

Right Hand

3 1 1 3 1 11 C GG C A AA

2 3 4 2 3 5 3 B CD B C E C

Left Hand

C CC E F FF 5 5 5 3 2 2 2

G GG G C C C 1 1 1 1 5 5 5

Right Hand

2 34 4 5 3 4 B CD D E C D

2 34 4 5 3 4 B CD D E C D

Left Hand

1 1 1 1 5 3 1 G GG G C E G

1 1 1 1 5 3 1 G GG G C E G

Right Hand

3 21 5 4 3 2 3 C BA FDC B C

3 21 5 4 3 2 3 C BA FDC B C

Left Hand

4 4 3 3 E EF F

2 2 1 G G A

move LH back down one key

3 3 2 2 E EF F

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1 1 5 G G C

now move LH up one key

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Lord of all being, throned afar (Green Hymn Book, 151) The first right-hand note is the E just above Middle C. The first left-hand note is the C below Middle C.

Right Hand

3 2 1 4 E D C F

4 4 F F

4 3 F E

3 4 1 2 E F G A

2 5 A D

4 3 C B

Left Hand

C C C C 2 2 2 2

C B A G C 2 3 4 5 2

C A C F 2 4 2 1

F D 1 4

F G 2 1

Right Hand

1 2 1 2 G A B C

3 4 3 2 1 D E D C A

4 3 2 1 G E D C

4 3 F E

2 1 D C

Left Hand

C F E A 5 2 3 1

G C D E F 2 5 4 3 2

E G G A 1 5 4 3

F G 5 4

G C 4 1

cross 4 over thumb

tuck thumb under

You may wish to play the simplified versions of the two hymns to accompany hymn singing already. If so, make sure that you are able to play them fluently – get used to carrying on if you make a mistake, rather than going back to correct it. If possible, practise with a friend singing along to your playing first, before you play for your ecclesia.

Before starting next lesson, you should be able to: Play at least one of the two hymns fluently hands together, using good fingering •

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Lesson 4: Reading music – letter names By the end of this lesson you will be able to: Work out letter names of notes from music notation •

Treble and bass clef When playing a keyboard instrument you read two staves (or rows) of music at the same time – playing the top stave with the right hand and the bottom stave with the left hand. The right-hand stave has a treble clef at the start to show higher pitches:

The left-hand stave has a bass clef at the start to show lower pitches:

Each stave has five lines, with spaces in between. Each note on the keyboard has its own particular line or space. When going out of the range of those main five lines, little extra lines (ledger lines) are added in. As the notes get higher on the page – going up by line, space, line, space… – the sound gets higher, and you move further up to the right on the keyboard, going through the alphabet: Middle C

Middle C

• •

Middle C is in the middle of these 2 clefs (hence its name) Some of the notes can be played with either the right hand or the left hand, which is why they appear in both clefs.

Eventually you will know what letter a note is as soon as you see it. Meanwhile, there is a quick way to work them out...

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Treble clef The 4 spaces, from bottom to top, spell the word FACE: E C A F

You can use this mnemonic for the 5 lines (from bottom to top): Every Good Boy Deserves Football: F D B G E

Bass clef Spaces (bottom to top) – All Cows Eat Grass: G E C A

Lines (bottom to top) – Great Big Dogs From Africa: A F D B G

Task 1 Write the letter names under each of these notes. The answers are given at the end of this lesson.

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How choral music notation works In choral music, there are usually four different vocal parts: Soprano (high female) Alto (low female) Tenor (high male) Bass (low male) • • • •

In the hymn book these 4 parts are squeezed onto the 2 staves. The female voices are written in the treble clef, and the male voices are written in the bass clef: Soprano Alto Tenor Bass

There are a few exceptions to this in the hymn book, where everyone sings the same part, and the accompaniment is specially written for the piano or organ, e.g., Hymn 3: Lead me Lord ; Hymn 99: Lift up to God the voice of praise. In these hymns you read your part from the 2 lower lines of music – still playing the treble clef notes with your right hand and the bass clef notes with your left.

Task 2 Here is the first line of Lord, Thy judgements now are waking (Hymn 402) as it appears in the hymn book. ● Look at the melody (which is in the soprano part). Hum the tune and trace how its ascending and descending patterns are reflected in the score. ● Work out the notes that the soprano sings and write the letter names above the notes. ● Play the soprano part through a few times. Gradually improve your fingering until you are able to play the melody smoothly and fluently, looking down as little as possible. ● Now do the same for the bass part.

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Task 1 answers

Before starting next lesson, you should be able to: Work out letter names of notes in treble and bass clef •

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Lesson 5: Reading music – rhythms By the end of this lesson you will be able to: Play hymns with the correct rhythms •

When looking at the music in the hymn book you will see that some notes are ‘coloured in’ and some aren’t; some have ‘sticks’ and some don’t. This is to show how long each note is meant to last for. It does not affect the pitch (letter) of the note. Reading rhythms is not something you need to worry about too much, as you will probably be playing hymns that you have heard many times before, and so you already know how long each note lasts for. However, just in case, this section will explain how to read rhythms. In music there is a steady underlying pulse, or beat, that you need to keep in your head while playing. The speed of that steady beat will vary depending on the piece. For example, in Hymn 360 the underlying beat is very fast; whereas in Hymn 387 it is quite slow. The crucial point is that there should be an equal length of time between each beat. Task 1 Hum a tune that you know well. See if you can find an underlying pulse and tap this while you hum. You will have found the beat if all your taps are the same length of time apart. Lengths of notes are worked out in relation to this underlying beat as follows:

Semibreve – hold for 4 beats

Dotted minim – hold for 3 beats (the direction of the stick does not affect the rhythm or pitch)

Minim – hold for 2 beats

Crotchet – hold for 1 beat

Quaver – worth ½ beat each (they can appear separately with a tail, or together with a beam joining them up)

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There is a quick reference sheet for rhythms in the appendix, which includes some more complex rhythms. Task 2 Below are the soprano parts of two hymn tunes. You are going to work out what hymns they are by playing them with correct rhythms. The underlying beat is shown by the black circles. a) Add letter names above the notes. b) Play through the melodies. The music will show you which direction to go in, from note to note. E.g., at the second note of the first hymn you will need to go up to a G, rather than down to a G, because the G is written higher on the stave than the D. c) Play the melodies in time with a slow, steady beat (tap your foot, or if you find this difficult while playing ask a friend to tap a beat for you, or use a metronome). Have you worked out what hymns they are? Check the answers at the end of the lesson.

1)

2)

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Other aspects of music notation Rests Any symbols that are there in the place of notes will probably be rests – silence in that part for a particular number of beats. The lengths of all the rests are given in the appendix, as they don't appear very often. Tied notes If two versions of the same note are joined together by a tie, this means that you play one long note, rather than two separate ones. E.g.,

Here you play one note which will last for 4 beats + 2 beats = 6 beats altogether.

Any other symbols that you see in the music should be explained in the appendix. Task 2 answers As pants the hart for cooling streams (Green Hymn Book, 23)

A rose shall bloom in the lonely place (Green Hymn Book, 289)

Before starting next lesson, you should be able to: Give the values of the most common note-lengths discussed in this lesson •

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Lesson 6: Reading music – playing with both hands By the end of this lesson you will be able to: Play from music notation, hands together Task 1 Below is the music for the soprano and bass parts of a hymn. a) Add letter names under the notes (answers are provided at the end of the lesson). b) Play through both parts separately until you can play them fairly fluently. You don’t need to worry about playing the rhythms correctly at this stage, but aim to use good fingering. Remember to look at the music to see which direction to go in from note to note.

Joy cometh! (Green Hymn Book, 395)

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Task 2 a) For all notes that are not crotchets (1-beat notes), write in how many beats you need to count. b) Play through both parts separately, in time with a slow, steady beat. c) Play the soprano and bass parts hands together. d) Once you have done this a few times, check that you are playing the rhythms correctly. If you have a long note in one hand with crotchets in the other, try to hold the long note down while you are playing the crotchets.

Task 1 answers

Before starting next lesson, you should be able to: Play the two parts of Joy cometh hands together, fluently •

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Lesson 7: Playing two notes with each hand By the end of this lesson you will be able to: Play a four-part hymn hands together •

If you are able to coordinate playing hands together, then you will be able to coordinate playing four notes at once, but it may take a bit of getting used to. Task 1 Play through these exercises until you are able to do them with both notes sounding as together as possible. Right hand Father! We Thy children bless Thee / In the bud of early Spring time (Hymn 140/377) 2

2

3

3

2

5

5

5

4

1

1

1

1

1

2

1

1

1

My God, how wonderful Thou art (Hymn 102) 3

5

5

1

3

2

1

5

5

5

5

2

5

4

5

5

3

1

1

1 2

3

1

1

2 1

1

2 1

1

Left hand Behold, how good a thing it is (Hymn 65) 3

1

1

1

1

1

1

5

5

5

5

5

5

3

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Inspirer of the ancient seers (Hymn 183) 3

1

1

1

5

5

5

5

Pass 2nd finger over thumb

1

5

3 2 1 2 1

5 4 3 4 3

Task 2 Learn to play A rose shall bloom (Hymn 289) hands together. Use the techniques from earlier lessons: ● Write in the notes of each part ● Practise each hand separately, using good fingering (fingering is written in as a guide, you don't have to follow it exactly) ● Start to play hands together, working on a section at a time ● Check that you are playing the rhythms correctly.

N.B. This hymn looks slightly more complicated in the hymn book. This is because each verse contains some different rhythms to reflect the words. However, if you play the version on page 24 for each verse, it will fit with whatever the singers are doing.

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Before starting next lesson, you should be able to: Play A rose shall bloom hands together, fluently •

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Lesson 8: Sharps and flats By the end of this lesson you will be able to: Play hymns containing sharps and flats •

Many of the hymns in the hymn book contain sharps and flats. Usually this means that you need to play one of the black notes on the keyboard. #

Sharp When this is in front of a note, play the nearest note to the right

b

Flat When this is in front of a note, play the nearest note to the left

Remember – sharpen up, flatten down E.g., Ab

D#

D

E

E#

A

Cb

C

Natural When this is in front of a note it cancels out any sharps or flats that have gone before for that note.

The effect of these signs lasts for a whole bar (i.e., until the next vertical line in the music). So any other notes within that bar which are the same note and come after this sign will also need to be sharpened/flattened/made natural. Sometimes signs are inserted in brackets as reminders, even if they ar e not strictly necessary because they are in a new bar. E.g.,

Task 1 Find these notes on the keyboard: F# Bb C# Eb • • • •

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Task 2 Learn to play Most glorious things are spoken (Hymn 379) using your own hymn book. This hymn contains some G sharps. NB – there will be some parts in this hymn where you will need to play the tenor with the right hand, as well as the soprano and alto, as you won't be able to reach it with the left hand. For the first chord of the last line of the hymn you may find it easier to play the D with your right hand and the B with your left hand.

Key signatures Often, the same note will be sharpened or flattened throughout a hymn, so rather than writing the sharp or flat sign in front of every note, the sign is written at the start of each line, e.g.,

This is called a key signature. This key signature has a sharp sign on the lines where you find the note F. It means that every F appearing in this piece should be played as an F#. It applies to any F anywhere on the keyboard.

Here are the other most common key signatures you will find in the hymn book:

2 sharps: F#, C#

3 sharps: F#, C#, G#

1 flat: Bb

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2 flats: Bb, Eb

3 flats: Bb, Eb, Ab

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Task 3 Learn to play Teach my Thy way (Hymn 165) using your own hymn book. There will also be times in this hymn where you will need to play the tenor with the right hand. In some hymns there will be occasions where you will have to leave the tenor part out altogether, as this is the best part to leave out if you can't reach all of the notes (sorry tenors!).

Before starting next lesson, you should be able to: Locate sharp and flat notes on the keyboard fairly quickly Play at least one of the hymns from this lesson hands together, fluently • •

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Lesson 9: Different approaches for piano and organ/keyboard By the end of this lesson you will be able to: Understand some of the important differences between pianos, organs and keyboards •

Pianos and organs are quite different instruments to play. Not only that, but pianos tend to be different from each other, and organs even more so! It is a good idea to practise on your ecclesia’s instrument before you play for a meeting, to familiarise yourself with its particular features.

Playing a piano (including digital pianos) Pianos have a great advantage for beginners – the sustain pedal (the right-hand pedal). Used well this can help smooth over any problems with fingering, as the pedal will hold the notes for you while you position your hands for the next chord. However, you have to be careful not to hold the pedal down for too long before changing it or the sounds of several chords will be mixed together and it will sound muddy. Generally speaking, harmonies in hymns change very often – usually with every chord – so you should change the pedal as often as you can. Do this by quickly letting the pedal up and pushing it down again straight away. Changing volume on a piano is straight-forward. Play notes with more weight if you want to play more loudly, and play them gently for softer playing. How responsive the piano is depends on the instrument. If you are hammering on the keys and still not being heard over the singers don’t forget you can open the lid of a ‘real’ piano for more volume.

Playing an organ or keyboard If you are fortunate the lower manual on your organ will go down to a bottom C (this is usually the lowest note on electronic keyboards). However, most organs only go down to F. This is because the low bass notes are meant to be played on the foot pedals, but you don’t need to do this. There will be the occasional hymn where you will run out of notes, but this is easy to solve if you’re prepared – play the note an octave (8 notes) higher instead. You need to plan your fingering more carefully when playing an organ or keyboard, as the sound dies away as soon as you let go of a note. (An exception to this is large pipe organs, which usually sustain notes for a little longer.) A good technique to use here is ‘finger-substitution’, where you change the finger you are using whilst holding down a note. This gives you the opportunity to change hand position, and still move smoothly from note to note. E.g., Hymn 147: 2

4

5

3-2

3

1

2

1

1

1

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Play the A with your 3rd finger, then switch to 2nd finger while still holding the note down.

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Usually you can change the volume with a swell pedal – the further you push it away from you, the louder the sound. You can also change the number of stops you are using – the more stops selected, the louder the sound (hence the phrase ‘pull out all the stops’). When you feel more confident you may want to try playing on two manuals. This usually sounds best playing the upper manual with your right hand and the lower with your left.

Before starting next lesson, you should be: Familiar with the particular features of your ecclesia's instrument •

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Lesson 10: Playing for your ecclesia By the end of this lesson you will be able to: Prepare to play for your ecclesia Understand how to reflect the words of a hymn, once you are able to play it comfortably • •

Preparation and coping with nerves You may or may not get nervous playing in front of others, but it always helps to be as prepared as possible. Give a list of the hymns you have learned to play to the presidents of your ecclesia. Or ask presidents to choose the hymns in advance so you have plenty of time to practise them. When practising the hymns practise your introductions as well. If you can, record yourself playing at home. The pressure of getting it right on the recording is surprisingly similar to playing in front of people. Also, it is likely that you will sound different to how you expected. If you try singing along to a recording of your own playing you may spot things you need to change, e.g., you may need to leave longer pauses between verses. If possible, ask someone to sing along while you practise. This will help you get used to carrying on if you make a mistake, instead of going back to correct it. Remember that people will appreciate the effort you have put in, and will not mind if you make mistakes. •

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Playing during the meeting Before getting up to play a hymn, read the first line of the last verse so that you will know when to stop playing. This is a good safety-net in case you lose count of the verses you have played. Listen to the singers – they will often sing the speed they are used to singing, whatever speed you may set at the start! Let them take the lead once you have started them off. •

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Reflecting the words This is of course something you can only focus on when you are more confident in your playing. However, it is an important element to accompanying hymn singing. Volume This is the easiest ‘extra’ to add to your playing, and the most obvious to the singers. For more sombre or reflective words, drop the volume.

Rebekah Lewis 2008


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Phrasing Sometimes it is effective to put a break between notes, rather than playing smoothly from one note to the next: When there is punctuation in the words – you can reflect this in your playing by putting a break in the music. This also gives you an opportunity to move your hand to a new position if necessary. When it would suit the words to be ‘punchier’. For example, Soldiers of Christ arise sounds better with a slight gap between each chord. •

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Task 1 Look at the words of The Lord's my Shepherd (Hymn 12). Think about where you would break up the phrases in each verse.

Now you have learned everything you need to know to be able to play hymns for your ecclesia. You have a bank of hymns that you can play already, and you can start learning new ones.

Here are some hymns that you could try next: • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Hymn 12: Hymn 23: Hymn 46: Hymn 61: Hymn 65: Hymn 94: Hymn 113/1: Hymn 137: Hymn 195: Hymn 222/1: Hymn 239: Hymn 298: Hymn 410:

The Lord's my Shepherd As pants the hart O God, our help in ages past Pray for the peace of Jerusalem Behold, how good a thing it is Immortal, invisible, God only wise O worship the King, all glorious above Father, I ask that all my life O come, all ye faithful When my love to God grows weak O God, unseen yet ever near His kingdom comes! Ye saints rejoice Lord, keep us safe this night

Rebekah Lewis 2008


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Appendix: Rhythms Note:

Value:

Rest:

4 beats

3 beats

2 beats

1½ beats

1 beat

¾ beat

½ beat

¼ beat

Triplets 3 equal crotchets played in the space of 2

3 equal quavers played in the space of 2

Rebekah Lewis 2008


Groups

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Musical terms and signs Time signature. The top number tells you how many beats there are in each bar. A bar is what falls between two vertical bar lines, e.g., this is one bar containing four beats:

You should usually put slightly more emphasis on the first beat of every bar.

ppp pp p mp mf f ff fff

Very, very soft Very soft Soft Medium soft Medium loud Loud Very loud Very, very loud

cresc. Get gradually louder

dim. Get gradually softer

rit./rall.

Gradually slow down

Shows where the end of a line of words occurs in the music

Repeat from the beginning, or repeat section in between the dots:

Play this section the first 2 times through, then the 3 rd time miss this section out and jump to

Rebekah Lewis 2008


Teach Yourself to Play Hymns 2nd Ed

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