The Pianist tackles the Organ

One of the simultaneously exhilarating and frustrating aspects of my chosen profession is the ongoing learning opportunities that present themselves.  Usually in the form of "we need you to be able to do this ... publicly. And immediately."

This time, it's the church organ: a 3 manual Series Classical Allen Organ, to be played two services a week.  For a pianist the biggest challenges are:
Registration

To my incredible fortune, the church was happy to pay for organ lessons (filed under 'professional development'), and I found a wonderful guru who introduced me to the wonders of registrations, pedaling, and the organist's ability to be expressive by 'bending time and space'. Ultimately I've enjoyed the challenge I've been presented with, and am finally getting to where I feel like I'm 'making music' instead of  'successfully hitting notes'.  

Warning for all considering crossing over: on the organ, your pianist superpowers don't matter.  Your touch, your control and your flashy chops aren't as vital to success - instead you need to learn to listen in an entirely different way.  You have to think as an orchestrator - on 3 to 4 levels - and use the space in between notes way more than before.  And you need to learn how to separate your left hand and your feet, which often want to become one in your brain.   

Daylight Savings Time - Alternative Title

Today's change of schedule should also be titled: Church Musicians' Worst Nightmare.  We try and get it around potential oversleeping in several ways: setting dual or triple alarm clocks, having back-up reminders from friends or family to ensure we are, indeed, awake by 7am. But somehow we still end up bolting awake somewhere around 4am, terrified that we've overslept. Today I managed to get in on time, but still felt a bit cheated as I arrive at my job at 7:20am (which still feels remarkably like 6:20 am).

And then the worst reality of all: receiving the Phone Call of Shame - a phone call that has roused us from a dead sleep, asking if we will grace the church with our presence that morning.  

*shiver*

May this never happen to you . . . 

Contemporary Christian piano playing for classically trained keyboardists

The transition from solo pianist to playing in a band takes some effort – most of it mental, because the situation isn’t about chops.  It’s about playing a completely different role than we are used to.  With completely different music.

The good news: adapting the skill set is easy once you adjust to having band members and learn the piano’s role within this kind of music (plus getting over the initial shock of seeing letters instead of notes).  

The Keyboardists’ Role within the band

You are going from being ‘it’ to being one of many - leave some room for the other band members to play their role. Specifically, adapt to:

• Bass player - your left hand performs a very similar function, so play less in the left hand in order to give them room to do their job  
• Drummer - the drummer often picks up the busy rhythms on the high-hat, kick and snare.  Get used to ‘locking in’ with the drummer
• Guitarist – Be careful about playing in the same range as the lead guitarist – adapt to what they’re playing: combine rhythms, you play low, they play high, you play chords, they play lead  
• Keys player 2– with two keys, usually one plays on a lighter/synth patch (texture), and one is on a heavier/piano patch (harmony and rhythm)
• Worship Leader - always have a visual on the leader. Signals and communication can be quick and unexpected– be ready to jump ANYWHERE in the song.

All this taken into account – now you can focus on: 

The Keyboardist's Role within the music

Because much of the rhythmic, melodic and bass line responsibility has been lifted off your shoulders, you now may play less than you are used to, and in a narrower range on the keyboard.  Previously, your keyboard had 88 keys; now you mainly live in the g2-g4 section of the keyboard.  One of the hardest thing for beginners to do is embrace simplicity - simple chords, simple rhythms and lots of repetition.

Simple Rhythms
Less is more in this situation.  Besides straight quarter notes, here are the two most commonly used comping rhythms in Contemporary Christian playing.  Embrace them:

Simple Chords

Again, this is mostly chord-based playing (often with the above rhythms).  You will almost never play the melody.  For this type of music, pianists use a lot of open 5th, sus2 and sus4 chords.  Focus on minimizing movement across the keyboard as you go from one chord to another (AKA smooth voice leading).  I like to think of it in terms of anchoring a thumb or pinkie.  For example, here's Chris Tomlin's "How Great is Our God".  The first 3 chords can be comped with the exact same notes in the RH (and incidentally, when repeated, gets you through most of the song)

Here is another example: Jennie Riddle's Revelation Song - again, see how you link one chord to the next with the closest voicing (and notice the added sus2s, the rhythmic simplicity).  Learning all of the inversions of the basic triads will help.

That's the basics: simple and repetitive playing, and be mindful of the rest of the band.  The quickest way to pick up the rest of the contemporary Christian musical conventions -i.e. going to higher parts of the keyboard during 'high points' in the music, using rhythms to increase the 'build' to a certain point in the song, etc - is by listening.  

Some online resources:
Worshiptraining.com has a lot of tutorials for keyboardists, covering specific songs from people like Kari Jobe, Lincoln Brewster, Reuben Morgan, etc
Praisecharts.com  
Musicnotes.com

Just for kicks, here are links to some of my transcriptions.  For the most part, these songs were unavailable on normal sheet music websites, so I created my own music on Finale.  Enjoy!! :

Avalon's We Will Stand
Hillsong's I Will Never Be 
Juanita Bynum's God Is Here
Selah's It is Well With My Soul
Women of Faith's Come Thou Fount
Women of Faith's Revelation Song

Article Repost: Holding the banner high . . .

Holding the banner high ... and passing it on: Margo Garrett, professional accompanist. written by Jody Graves


My favorite quote is when Margo Garrett addresses the importance of educating pianists to have multiple skill sets: 

" . . . it is more precarious than ever to venture into the artistic life as a livelihood, let alone a career. I really try to get them to . . .  prepare for vocal and instrumental repertory, opera, oratorio and some organ or harpsichord and fortepiano. I want them to be as broadly educated as possible because we never know where our opportunities are going to arise. The student who thinks he/she is going to spend their life teaching chamber music and perform with their own trio, may in fact get an opportunity from an opera house, and if they don't have the skills to respond in a variety of ways the career becomes limited. I am an advocate for broadly based education because it increases the likelihood of success"

Yes.  and Yes.

Sunday Help

In the last few years, I've found certain websites, programs and books to be invaluable to what I do on Sunday mornings.  These are a few ideas on what to think about for doing this job, and also the websites that I've found the most helpful: 

Written-out music
The sheet music I receive can run the gamut of chord charts and lead sheets, to actual written-out music.  Some examples from yesterday's service: chord chart - lead sheet.  If I want something with more notes, I've found PraiseCharts.com to be a great resource for Contemporary Christian songs. Every church adjusts the music as needed, so expect to cut and paste, repeat, or transpose as the singer or congregation requires.  If PraiseCharts doesn't have it, often MusicNotes.com does. 

Writing-out music
If all else fails, you can create your own music: the notation programs currently used a lot are Finale and Sibelius.  Its just a really handy skill to have, also, so I suggest learning at least one of them.  

Listening/researching music 
Often the written out music in the hymnal is four-part harmony, and doesn't function well as an accompaniment.  Sometimes I research a hymn to see if I can find a style I like better than my version.  Some hymns are often swung or etc, and it isn't indicated on the music.  Between Youtube.com, itunes and Amazon mp3's, I'm usually able to find what I'm looking for.  With current stuff, you really have to listen to it just to get the sound and feel right (there's not much to go on in a chart).

Matching music to text
Part of the job of the church pianist is to help make the service flow as a unified whole.  One way to do this is by choosing music that reinforces the day's scripture reading (You can look it up in the Online Bible) or the day's sermon.  I've tried looking online for either a 'scripture index to hymns', or a 'topical index to hymns' for ideas of which music to choose - but haven't had much luck (at least on the free sites).  It's best just to stick with your church's hymnal, which should have some kind of index that will help. 

Prelude/postlude solo piano music:
Mark Hayes stuff is pretty standard
Fred Bock is simple, yet pleasing (The arrangements that I like, such as On Eagles Wings, Here I am, Lord, Hymn of Promise, etc are all in this book)
Anything classical is typically fair game, especially literature everyone has heard at one point in their lives (Claire de Lune, anything by Bach, etc)
If you have a singer, art song can be used as well. Try: 
Aaron Copeland's Zion's Walls, At the River and Simple Gifts
Lee Hoiby's The Lamb and The Shepherd 



 

My Church Gig Top 5

My church job is amusing on many levels, but I gotta go with these as my Top 5 favorite things:

5. Plastic plants

Onstage there are a variety of plastic plants that 'lend color' to the stage . Other than that, they generally collect dust and get in everybody's way, showing up in a different place every week. I'm partially convinced the ficuses have gained sentience and are making diabolical plans.

4. Oreos, fishies and apple juice

In between services they set out a mountain of Oreos and a little dixie cup army with apple juice or cheese fishies. Very handy for 'on-the-go' snacking between playing.

3. The small children's choirs

These are adorable. Slowly herded on- and off-stage like tiny, dazed convicts, the kids generally remember half of the words and/or movements. I love how their levels of involvement range from cheerful enthusiasm to mild disinterest to the kid who's completely removed and staring at the ceiling lights*. And always, there's one kid who sings a little louder than the rest or a little longer than everyone else.

2. The baptisms

A ritual that is deeply important to both individual families and the entire congregation occasionally goes awry. Watching parents chase immaculately-dressed toddlers, squelch multiple flailing limbs or desperately attempt to calm a wailing infant - all under the steady rhythm of the pastor's voice - makes me giggle.

1. The couple who dress their toddler in a bear suit

I first thought the couple was toting an enormous teddy bear. Instead, it was a child, dressed in a one-piece fuzzy brown bodysuit with ears. I looked for that child every Sunday last winter. And I'm hoping the suit still fits him.

*Or playing with the plastic plants

Freelancing and You

Many pianists balk at getting a church gig, usually for two reasons: sleep or skepticism. Preferring to sleep is always OK, but those claiming that religion 'isn't their thing' could stand to take a closer look at the gig. What many pianists don't realize is that a church job is just like any other piano job. For example, take playing for a church compared to playing for a voice lesson. Both situations have:

• Guidebooks (the Bible or the Bernac)
• Rituals that are odd to an uninitiated observer (whether reciting prayers as a group or beginning a lesson by hissing like a snake and making motorboat lip-buzz noises)
• Deities and heroes (Jesus, Pavarotti or Kristin Chenoweth)
• High dress codes (church has always been that way and so have voice teachers).
• Standard repertoire (Hymns or the 24 Italian Hits)
• Lectures on sins (lying and cheating or slouching and jaw tension)
• Ultimate destinations (heaven, hell, the Met or Broadway)

A religious affiliation is not a prerequisite to church employment - only courtesy and professionalism. For a gig with minimal time commitment and a steady paycheck, it seems surprising that so many pianists opt against it. When you consider the indignities CP's sometimes put up with - constant pencil-theft, the no-shows, the Hindemith sonatas - sitting through a service isn't that demanding. The church is also another location where you can practice and rehearse, as well as recruit and teach students. Even better, you have a ready-made, very appreciative audience for test-runs of new repertoire, solo or collaborative. All in all, an easy source of income with some nice perks.

Or you can stick with the devil you know.

Paid to Play - Church Staff Pianist

Ok, some basic websites to start looking (keyword - pianist or accompanist):

Presbyterian Association of Musicians

National Association of Pastoral Musicians (Catholic)

United Methodist Church Archives

These are less specific as far as denominations go:

Church Jobs.net

Church Staffing.com

Church Employment.com

WorshipJobs.com

That just gets you started - Google is an amazing thing, usually if you combine a few key word like city/state | pianist | accompanist | church you'll come up with quite a few hits. I have an RSS feed of Craigslist and Google that saves a lot of time.

As for the music that you play, that depends upon numerous things. The music director, first of all, but also the age and musical tastes of the congregation. Services can be traditional, contemporary, or something they call 'blended worship'. Translated, that is Hymnal, organ and piano vs Contemporary Christian, electric keyboard and band vs a mix of both.

A classical pianist confronted with contemporary christian sheet music may experience a range of emotions. Amusement, confusion, pain - these are all normal. Because their music comes in many, many forms, often without the small, black, reassuring notes and rhythms we like so much. Charts are very common, and sometimes, just the lyrics are given to you and you scribble in the chords. Sometimes the charts have wrong chords, are in the wrong key, or have wrong chords in the wrong key. If you are working with untrained musicians, they won't realize this until you are in the middle of the song and it sounds off. If you find yourself in this situation, breathe deep, get a pencil, and start rewriting the *cough* music to suit your needs.

You will probably play "Open the Eyes of My Heart" several times, so go ahead and learn it.

Other odds and ends - at the Catholic gig I was at, I played Ave Maria in every key possible. Also know Here I Am, Lord and On Eagles Wings. While I was there, I did over 50 weddings. Most of them had Canon in D, Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring, the Wedding March and the traditional Wedding Fanfare closer. Also: 'the Prayer' and 'How Beautiful'(Twyla Tharp). So learn those tunes, and you're halfway home.

Finally, get some arrangement books of church music. You'll need them for preludes, postludes, offertory and communion music. ark Hayes is a good place to start, most of his arrangements are great. I also like Fred Bock, Don Wyrtzen, Bill Wolaver, Carl Seal, etc. Chuck Marohnic wrote some great jazz arrangements, if you are looking for something different. I have a stack of arrangements, some books better than others. If you have any suggestions, please add on.