Category Archives: Practical Tips for Church Pianists
Practical Tips for Church Pianists – Playing Offertories, Part I
Playing a solo piano special during the offering can be a challenge for the church pianist. What is expected or required of you can vary from church to church, and even from one service to the next. As always, it … Continue reading
Practical Tips for Church Pianists – Creating a Prelude
In my last post, I told you my first experience with playing a prelude. In this post, I’ll share some of the things that helped me as I began to play preludes on a regular basis. 1. Discover Your Purpose … Continue reading
Practical Tips for Church Pianists – How I Learned to Play A Prelude
Do you play the prelude at your church? If not, you may be asking, “What’s a prelude?” A prelude is music 5 to 15 minutes before the service (or other event) begins. It is used to “set the mood”, and … Continue reading
Practical Tips for Church Pianists – My #1 Practical Principle
If you were ever one of my piano students, I hope you know what I’m about to say! My #1 principle is……….. (drum roll, please)………”It is better to play a simple piece well than to play a difficult piece poorly.” … Continue reading
Practical Tips for Church Pianists – Let’s Talk Measures
I touched on this topic in my last post, but I have found that “measures” are a big issue for church musicians. I’m not talking about bar lines and counting. I’m talking about the way we measure ourselves. When I … Continue reading
Practical Tips for Church Pianists – Let’s Begin at the Beginning
Being a church pianist is different than being “just a pianist”, or it should be! There are a few simple questions that each of us who are involved in the music ministry (or really any ministry for that matter) should … Continue reading
Practical Tips for Church Pianists
I have had the privilege of being a pianist in my local church for almost 25 years. That makes me feel old! In the beginning, I occasionally played an offertory, accompanied a special, or played for our youth choir. Over … Continue reading