Worship Musician September 2017 | Page 30

KEYS [ GO FIGURE: PIANO, PART 3 | Ed Kerr ] In the last 2 articles I’ve written, you’ve seen is a stark contrast to what is usually heard in a example 3 from part 2 of the series for an how some common piano figures can be used modern worship song’s accompaniment. So, accompaniment. (EX. 2) effectively as a piano part for many worship do you think there’s a way to present a hymn songs. I use these figures and others like them instrumentally so that it can sound compatible You can even adapt these figures to triple often. I’m now seeing this usefulness in a new with the modern song? I have discovered that meters like 3/4 and 6/8. Many hymns use context since I’ve recently begun serving as it can be done, and using the piano figures these meters. One of my favorites is “Be Thou Worship Arts Pastor for a church in Seattle. presented in my previous 2 articles has been My Vision”. Check out how example 1 from the Within the last year this church made the the answer. same article can be adapted for the start of this hymn. (EX. 3) transition from having one traditional service and one contemporary, to having a single First, one of the most well known hymns in the service. Elements of both the traditional and Church around the world is “Holy, Holy, Holy”. As a final example, you could tie in the numerical contemporary services are now combined, By slightly reordering piano figures from part 2 references in the titles of two songs, “10,000 and my job is to lead the music in this single of this series, you’ll be able to see (and hear Reasons” and “O For A Thousand Tongues To service. As you might anticipate, those in the if you head to your keyboard and play these Sing”. There’s a meter change here from 4/4 to congregation who’d attended the traditional examples) how well figures that supported 3/4, but the lyrics give cohesion. (EX. 4) service enjoy singing hymns in the service, the modern worship song fit with the hymn’s while those in the contemporary tended to sing melody. Here example 5 from “Go Figure part My recent experiences at my church in Seattle only modern worship songs. As I build my set 2” is reordered a bit as the hymn begins. (EX.1) have reminded me how many great truths are lists, I often have a hymn and a worship song placed one after the other. expressed in the hymns of our heritage. It can This sparse piano part is a significant contrast be a powerful experience for your congregation to the way a church pianist might traditionally when you combine lyrics from a modern Often hymns are presented with very thick accompany the hymn. That’s exactly why you songwriter with those composed many years chord voicings, generally including the hymn’s might find it more stylistically compatible with before. Using the concepts I’ve shared here melody as the top note in the right hand, with the modern songs that you most often sing. can help you and your team present the older the alto, tenor, and bass parts played directly songs in a new and fresh way. By God’s grace, below it. The mere fact that the melody of the Next, say I’m using the hymn “All Hail The the result will be new and fresh revelations of hymn is being played instrumentally as it is sung Power Of Jesus’ Name” after “What A Beautiful our timeless God who never changes. Name”. Here, I don’t make any changes to EX. 1 EX. 2 EX. 3 EX. 4 30 August 2017 WorshipMusician.com