Music
Instruments
Piano
Basic Piano Hymn Playing
3.9 (55 ratings)
Course Ratings are calculated from individual students’ ratings and a variety of other signals, like age of rating and reliability, to ensure that they reflect course quality fairly and accurately.
1,978 students enrolled

Basic Piano Hymn Playing

Learn how to play beautiful piano hymns. Suitable for solo playing or accompanying a congregation.
3.9 (55 ratings)
Course Ratings are calculated from individual students’ ratings and a variety of other signals, like age of rating and reliability, to ensure that they reflect course quality fairly and accurately.
1,978 students enrolled
Created by Christopher Tan
Last updated 5/2018
English
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Basic Piano Hymn Playing
Current price: $13.99 Original price: $19.99 Discount: 30% off
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This course includes
  • 1.5 hours on-demand video
  • 3 mins on-demand audio
  • 1 article
  • 2 downloadable resources
  • Full lifetime access
  • Access on mobile and TV
  • Certificate of Completion
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What you'll learn
  • Identify Chords
  • Playing of fixed vs broken chords
  • Improvising the left hand accompaniment
Requirements
  • piano or keyboard for practising
  • internet connection for viewing videos
Description

This is a basic course on piano hymn playing.

Learn how to improvise simple piano hymns using broken chords. The playing of broken chords sounds much better than playing 4 part hymn arrangements which are found in many hymnals.

This course is intended for those who already know basic piano playing and how to play basic chords.

The playing of the following piano hymns will be demonstrated:

  • What A Friend We Have In Jesus
  • Amazing Grace
  • Jesus Loves Even Me
  • He Leadeth Me
  • Near The Cross
  • Silent Night
  • There Is A Fountain
  • The Haven Of Rest
  • The Lily Of The Valley
  • Learning On The Everlasting Arms
  • To God Be The Glory
  • Hold The Fort

For many free piano mp3 hymns,visit hymnpod dot com.

Who this course is for:
  • piano players
  • church pianists
  • home schoolers
Course content
Expand all 30 lectures 01:29:29
+ – Introduction
1 lecture 01:13

In this lecture, I demonstrate the playing of a popular hymn entitled What A Friend We Have In Jesus.

What A Friend We Have In Jesus Demo
Preview 01:13
+ – Hymn Improvisations
5 lectures 17:36

In this lecture, we look at how to identify the basic chords of the hymn What A Friend We Have In Jesus.

In the supplementary material, you will also be able to find a suggested piano arrangement for this hymn and a version that commonly appears in hymnals. I have also added in the suggested chords in the hymn book version.

Identifying Chords - What A Friend
Preview 04:06

It is important to be able to articulate the melody of the hymn clearly and expressively. In this lecture, I will demonstrate this.

Playing the Melody
Preview 02:04

In this lecture, we hear what the hymn sounds like when only basic closed chords are played.

Playing Basic Chords
Preview 03:20

In this lecture, we hear what the hymn sounds like when open chords are played. This is an improvement over the basic closed chords method.

Playing Open Chords
04:34

In this lecture, we look at how simple transitions can be added between phrases of the hymn.

Adding Transitions
03:32
+ – Further Demonstrations
18 lectures 57:44

In this lecture, we look at how to identify the basic chords of the hymn Amazing Grace.

You can download a PDF version of this hymn from this link.

Identifying Chords - Amazing Grace
03:03

In this lecture, I demonstrate how broken chords can be used to improve the sound of the hymn.

Playing Broken Chords - Amazing Grace
02:29

In this lecture, I demonstrate how another hymn Jesus Loves Even Me can be improvised using broken chords.

You can download a PDF file of this hymn using this link.

Jesus Loves Even Me - Demo
04:21

Here's a version of another popular hymn - He Leadeth Me.

You can download a PDF file of this hymn in the Key of D Major using this link.

He Leadeth Me - Demo
03:38

This is how I would play Fanny Crosby's Near The Cross.

Download a PDF version of this hymn.

Near The Cross - Demo
03:32

Here's a Christmas carol or hymn. You hear this played everywhere in the month of December!

Silent Night - Demo
03:16

Here's another popular American hymn which was written by William Cowper.

There Is A Fountain - Demo
02:57

The Haven of Rest was written by Henry L. Gilmore. It is one of my favourite hymns.

http://www.hymnpod.com/2010/07/10/the-haven-of-rest/

The Haven Of Rest - Demo
04:22

The Lily Of The Valley was written by Charles W. Fry.

http://www.hymnpod.com/2013/11/24/the-lily-of-the-valley/

The Lily Of The Valley
03:21

This hymn was written by Elisha A. Hoffman.

http://www.hymnpod.com/2010/04/25/leaning-on-the-everlasting-arms/

Leaning On The Everlasting Arms
02:54

Here's an all time favourite by blind hymn writer Fanny Crosby.

http://www.hymnpod.com/2009/03/16/to-god-be-the-glory/

To God Be The Glory
02:36

Hold the Fort is one of Philip Bliss' most well known hymns.

Hold The Fort
02:46

This hymn seems to be best played with strong sounding chords using the left hand.

The Comforter Has Come
03:37

For more formal hymns, it may not be necessary to improvise the accompaniment at all. For example, this hymn entitled I GREET THEE, WHO MY SURE REDEEMER ART may be best played by just playing the hymn in four part harmony as it is written.

http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/i/g/r/igreet.htm

I recorded this one using GarageBand and an electric piano.

Check out more of my recordings at http://www.hymnpod.com

I Greet Thee, Who My Sure Redeemer Art
02:32

Here's a traditional favourite.

Kumbaya
02:37

A famous hymn by Charlotte Elliot.

Just As I Am
02:38

Another popular hymn. The version is in Db.

I Surrender All
03:27
Sweet Hour of Prayer in the key of C Major
Sweet Hour Of Prayer
03:38
+ – Church Choir Accompaniment Examples
2 lectures 04:47

I was blessed to be able to accompany the True Life Bible Presbyterian Church Choir during Good Friday 2018.

Nothing But The Blood Of Jesus - True Life Church Choir
02:44

Accompanied the church choir during Christmas 2017

Unto Us A Child Is Born
02:03
+ – Video Sing Along
3 lectures 07:33

http://www.timeforworship.com/hymnpod/

Special thanks to Jack who has created some video sing alongs using MP3 files from my website (http://www.hymnpod.com)

In The Cross Of Christ I Glory
02:00

Sing them over again to me, wonderful words of life,
Let me more of their beauty see, wonderful words of life;
Words of life and beauty teach me faith and duty.

Refrain:

Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life,
Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life.

Christ, the blessed One, gives to all wonderful words of life;
Sinner, list to the loving call, wonderful words of life;
All so freely given, wooing us to heaven.

Sweetly echo the Gospel call, wonderful words of life;
Offer pardon and peace to all, wonderful words of life;
Jesus, only Savior, sanctify us forever.

Wonderful Words Of Life
02:10

The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled,
And pardoned from his sin.

Refrain:

O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure
The saints’ and angels’ song.

When years of time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men, who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call,
God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
The saints’ and angels’ song.

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above,
Would drain the ocean dry.
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.

The Love Of God
03:23
+ – Conclusion
1 lecture 00:35

Thank you for viewing this basic course on hymn playing. Do let me know how you found this course and how I can further improve.

Conclusion
00:35

Try this knowledge on chords.

Chords Quiz
3 questions