I thought I'd go ahead & start this thread. Anyone interested in teaching Christian repertoire, please let me know exactly what you need to know. Would you like to know what books are available & what they contain regarding technical requirements, level of difficulty compared to standard classical repertoire, etc.? Give me some idea of what information you'd like for me to provide, & I'll do my best to help. I'm sure Joy123, Marcia & others will also be glad to share their experiences in performing & teaching this repertoire. If I remember correctly, Marcia has worked with several of her students who were preparing for Christian teen talent competitions.

[ July 28, 2001: Message edited by: Jalapeno ]

I guess my first question is what aspects of musicianship are key features in Christian music?

Also, how does Contemporary Christian music different from traditional hymn playing and what skills are emphasized in each of these areas?

Originally posted by Rhapsody:
I guess my first question is what aspects of musicianship are key features in Christian music?

That all depends on what style of Christian music you play. Christian music is written in all styles (classical, jazz, R&B, Southern gospel, traditional hymn, rock, pop, etc.)

Also, how does Contemporary Christian music different from traditional hymn playing and what skills are emphasized in each of these areas?

It's waaaay different. Traditional hymn playing involves straight SATB vocal parts, standard chords, & simple rhythm patterns. Contemporary Christian music is written in all the various modern styles of music that secular music is written in, complete with all the harmonizations & rhythmic patterns typical of these styles. The only difference, really, is the lyrics.

I'm trying to keep this post as concise as possible. I'll elaborate more tomorrow.

If you play for a small church, you're usually fine just playing straight out of the hymnal. But most large churches expect the pianist to know how to play the hymns in any key they ask you to play it in. The song leaders often want to string several hymns together to make a medley, so a knowledge of cadences & modulations is a must.

The praise/worship choruses are usually not notated. If you're lucky, the song leader will give you a lead sheet. The pianist is expected to be able to play choruses in any key, & to improvise the accompaniment. Again, song leaders usually string several choruses together, so a knowledge of cadences & modulations is a must.

Contemporary Christian pop hits are available in songbook form &/or in sheets, just as secular pop music is. Same technical & theory requirements as secular music.

Classically-styled Christian music (usually hymns, but sometimes praise/worship choruses) requires all the skills that are needed for playing standard classical repertoire.

I think another significant factor when playing for church worship services is the worship itself. This type of performance is different than that of a concert pianist or other performing artist.

The goal of a church musician is to support the congregation as they participate in worship through singing. The focus is not on the pianist, it is (or should be) on the One being worshipped. The worship musician should strive to use their playing to create an atmosphere of worship...make the transitions so smooth that the congretation isn't even mindful of them...use large chords and arpeggios to emphasize the climactic point in "How Great Thou Art"...use simple, delicate harmonization to play with the haunting melody of "Amazing Grace".

In this type of performance, it ain't about you, and it ain't about the music really. It's about using the music to touch the hearts of the listeners to help them have a more worshipful experience.

There is definitely a need for versatility at churches, as in any professional gig. At one Catholic church the director wanted me to "gospel-up" the arrangement (y'know how some Gospel has those fills that move backwards through the circle of 5ths?..i.e. in C major you'd play a Bb-F-C embellishment in the RH with a "16th-8th-16th" rhythm pattern). At the Unity church where I fill in ocassionally they want an improvisation during the "meditation", where the goal is to NOT play a known melody or be noticed, but rather listen to the speaker and fill in the spaces. Very "new-agey" / Sunken Cathedral-type playing is ideal.

Another situation I love is when a vocalist prefers that I DO NOT play the melody. Here some basic improv and spontaneous arranging is needed. One last example is from the "Contemporary" mass at the Catholic Church, where a singer/songwriter played her own music and did not provide lead sheets. It was more like most rock bands, where we just listened and play by ear. As a bass player I've had to do this AT gigs with pieces I've never heard! (these are usually the I-IV-V variety, but it is still quite a rush to be onstage and begin playing a piece you do not know!)

As Shelly mentioned, it is an art to create the right support, atmosphere, and transitions for a service. I really admire some of the Gospel organists/pianists I hear at African-American churches, where their improvisations perfectly support the minister's pacing and cadences. Church musicians are often some of the most well-rounded and versatile musicians around!

I have a student who is in high school, and at the late intermediate level. Last year she was not practicing as much, and seemed to be unmotivated. I had a talk with her, and she told me that she really only wanted to play christian music. She enjoyed a Fred Bock arrangement of "As The Deer", and performed it in a christian music competition at a camp she attended in March. Now she wants to play only christian music. I really need some ideas of pieces that she would enjoy - this is my first student who likes to play this type of music, and I'm at a loss because I'm not familiar with what's out there.

Can you help?

Mark Hayes and Carol Tornquist have some nice things out. Mark Hayes is a little on the advanced side but Carol Tornquist has a whole christian piano method that includes hymns as well as choruses on various levels.

Randall Hartsell has a book "Hymns in Reflections" with 8 traditional hymns for the intermediate pianist (published by Alfred). These are nice arrangements.

One of my students played the "Holy, Holy, Holy" arrangement out of it last year. She and her mom worked it into a duet for piano and flute and played it for their church. (that kind of stuff makes my heart go pitter-patter!)

The only problem is a lot of the teenagers might prefer to play the more current stuff.

Of course, you can also mention that Bach wrote a lot of his material for church services and give her a little history about that and encourage her to play some of his pieces.

I remember when I had lessons at that age. My dad was/still is a Baptist pastor and I played for church. I was only interested in church music. My teacher made the ever popular deal with me and she taught me hymn arrangements as well as Beethoven, Bach, Debussy, Haydn, etc.

Ya know, I still play those classic pieces I learned in high school. I am so glad she let me do a bit of what I wanted while she broadened my vision to include other music.

Speaking of church...I better get going!!!

[ July 29, 2001: Message edited by: sdps ]

oops...double dipped

[ July 29, 2001: Message edited by: sdps ]

This is a much needed and appreciated thread for many members and thus my reason for responding.
As piano teachers, we need to be aware of all aspects of piano performance. A parent once called me regarding piano lessons for her teenage daughter.During our conversation of her current repertoire, she mention Mark Hayes and other similar composers/arrangers. I had never heard of Mark Hayes but immediately knew I was not the teacher the child needed with this being her preferred style. I did help her in selecting another teacher and she was grateful.
In another instance I accepted a transfer student with a similar background and while allowing her to work on hymn arrangements tried to incorporate standard literature. She really tried to practice what I asked but it always ended with absolutely horrid interpretations - sounded mechanical with no personal involvement whatsoever. I finally suggested she study with her church pianist and she is much happier.
I don't "look down my nose" at any style of music but don't pretend to enjoy music I find abhorrent either. We all deserve the same respect for our preferred choice of literature and teaching styles.
I was happy to see the label
Church Pianist also vary in styles.
I my former church we had a gorgeous Steinway concert grand but didn't even have a church pianist. We also didn't have a band but we had an orchestra and a magnificent pipe organ. All worship services differ just as our other areas of performance.
I will read this thread with interest and enjoy learning about the performance styles of Christian music.

[ July 29, 2001: Message edited by: Vivace ]

One aspect that I forgot to mention before: the ability to listen to a recording of a new praise or worship chorus & then transcribe it so that other worship team members (our church was large enough to have an orchestra) to play from. I did a lot of that. Some church will come up with a new chorus that is not yet in print; other churches learn these choruses "by ear" because they're not yet published.

Regarding Mark Hayes, I bought 3 of his books, & his arrangements sound exactly like I've always played, so for me it was a waste of money (except for teaching purposes). I bought it thinking he'd have some "new licks" that I hadn't tried yet. Oh well...

Sadly, most of the Contemporary Christian arrangements are not hard. They're all done in pretty much the same manner as the secular pop arrangements that we piano teachers loathe. :rolleyes: So if you want to come up with something snazzy, you have to learn to improvise so you can insert a lot of "fills & frills."

At my home church in Gainesville, the church pianist HAD to be versatile, because it was a large church that was racially mixed & full of musical vitality. So many different musical tastes were represented. It was truly a joy to be a part of the music scene there.

While the church pianist is supposed to be "in the background" to serve the worship needs of the congregation, we still had offertories & "special" numbers where we could play some advanced-level pieces. Some Christians (the minority) thought it was "showing off." Most folks appreciated hearing something tasteful & well-done. Since our Sunday services were televised, the pastor appreciated having some talented vocalists & instrumentalists on the platform.

At any rate, there are as many different musical styles in Christian circles as there are in secular circles. Many Christians DO only want to perform "Christian" music. I've lost count of the number of times I played for Christian weddings & got criticized for playing classical music! I did it anyway (hee-hee). Be that as it may, rather than look down our noses at those who don't appreciate classical music, I think it's best for teachers to find alternative arrangements that will still meet the technical criteria that students need in order to become competent pianists.