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forward to articles and information to assist the local church musician .
"The
Secrets to Playing Piano By Ear" 300pg
Course - Learn the secrets to playing literally any song on the
piano with a few simple, "easy-to-understand" techniques and
principles. Join Jermaine Griggs in learning tons of music theory,
concepts, and tricks that will help you to learn piano by ear.
Thousands of musicians have already taken advantage of this excellent
program ... why not you?
I personally recommend "The Secrets to Playing Piano By Ear" and through my relationship with Jermaine, I've been able to get him to throw in a few bonus items (3 additional piano software programs). Click here to learn the secrets to playing absolutely any song on the piano in virtually minutes! I highly recommend it. Newly release DVD lessons by Samuel Tolbert Sam's 3 in one DVD Lesson - " I need thee every hour", " I'm Looking for a Miracle" and " Thank You Lord" contemporary version on One DVD. These lessons created for advanced musicians who desire to raise the level of their playing of these songs. Not recommended for beginner musicians must have knowledge of key F and Ab. special pricing 18.00 for all three lessons. " Jesus is All the World to Me " - in Ab Learn the scales, melody, chords, bass w/chords fill in and runs used in this popular song. Click on the link for a demo clip, Our price 15.00 'COGIC Shout in C, Db, G and Ab COGIC Theme in Ab 1 hr DVD lesson covering melody, chords, bass runs and gospel bounce style. " I Won't Complain" in Ab. with follow on lyric/chord lesson " When I See Jesus Amen" in Db " Can't Nobody Do Me like Jesus " and " Victory is Mine " two lessons on one DVD for beginner musicians. " I Love You Lord Today" in Eb and F covering the melody, lbass with left and right hand chords advanced chord patterns Many more DVD lessons available now at our products page. Learn the scales, melody, chords, bass w/chords fill in and runs used in these popular songs. Ordering information at our products web page
Traditional Praise Songs: coming
Traditional Hymns: Blessed Assurance key of D major - pg 508 AAHH tempo 80 Not much is known of the background of this Fanny Crosby hymn, "Blessed Assurance, Jesus is Mine." Fanny tells this one story about the hymn. Mrs. Joseph Fairchild Knapp, wife of the organizer of the Metropolitan Life Insurance company, went to visit her and get an opinion of a tune Mrs. Knapp had written. "What does it say to you, Fanny?" she asked. Fanny's answer was "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine." And then a few minutes later she handed to Mrs. Knapp the completed lyrics of the hymn. The tune and the lyrics were put together and are still sung today. Fanny Crosby wrote over 8000 hymns. She said about her blindness, "The first face ever to gladden my sight will be when I get to heaven and behold the face of the One who died for me. . . . I verily believe that God intended that I should live my days in physical darkness so that I might be better prepared to sing His praise and lead others from spiritual darkness into eternal light. With sight I would have been too distracted to have written thousands of hymns." Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! refrain: Perfect submission, perfect delight, Perfect submission, all is at rest,
What's the secret to playing hymns effectively? Here's an excerpt from the Methodist Songs of Zion supplement hymnal: Keys to Musical Interpretation, Performance, and Meaningful Worship
General Suggestions DIRECTOR Proper musical performance and interpretation are aids to meaningful worship experiences. Music is and important part of the worship service, so be sensitive to the worship leader. Worship is a total experience, and many through the musical word as well as through the spoken word. Sometimes the place of a song in the worship service can say much about the tempo. For example, the refrain to the hymn" I Surrender All," may be used as a prayer chant, in which case it would be performed slower than usual. Be creative and add other instruments, such as guitars, drums, and tambourines to performances, but use discretion in doing do. Don't overdo it! Hand clapping can also be a very effective with certain music genres. ACCOMPANIST (PIANIST or ORGANIST) Accompanying is an important role, so pay close attention to the director, soloist, and worship leader. If no one is directing the congregation, it is left to the accompanist to lead with his or her instrument, so lead forcefully. Be careful not to play too loudly. It can overpower the singing or detract from a worship mood. INSTRUMENTAL IMPROVISATION The beat (rhythm) is one of the most important aspects of Black music, whether the composition is fast, slow, or moderate. It must be kept as soon as it is established. Sometimes the beat (rhythm) while the performance is in progress and then revert to the original beat. No matter what , keep whatever beat is established at any given time. There are very few in moments of silence in improvisation of Black music, and when they do occur they are generally for special effects. Fill in measures of rests (or open spaces) with chords duplicated at the upper or lower octave, broken chords (arpeggios) , passing tones either as single notes or in octaves, passing tone chords, upper and lower neighboring tones, runs, turns, glissandi, chromatic motives or phrases an so on. Remember, however, that all these "extras" must be utilized with taste and discretion. Whatever the nature of your improvisation, do not leave open spaces. The changing of keys (modulation) is very common in Black music performance. It adds variety and often heightens the emotional effect of the composition. Most compositions can be reduced to a I-IV-V-I chord progression, whether they are written in major or minor key. Therefore, chordal embellishment or decoration is very common in black music performance. Use augmented tonic and dominant chords; dominant chords; secondary dominant chords; diminished triads; dominant, augmented, and diminished seventh chords; ninth, eleventh, and thirteenth chords; chordal inversions and altered chords. Flatted thirds, sixths and sevenths are common. Use the.
Thought this was going to be an easy course? No way, I use every one of the above techniques in my hymn playing and if you follow my examples, I will teach you how to improve your understanding of hymn playing using these techniques.
Morning Hymn The Solid Rock key of F pg 385 AAHH In 1834 Edward Mote was considering the gracious experience of a Christian and wrote the words to the hymn “the immutable basis of a sinner’s hope.” One day while visiting a friend and his sick wife, they read scripture together and also wanted to sing a hymn, but no hymn book could be found. Mote had in his pocket the words to his hymn and read them to the family. The woman’s heart was greatly encouraged by the words and requested to keep them. Mote went home and realized that if these words can help one dying woman maybe it can help others so he rewrote the words and added some more verses and included it in his “Hymns of Praise” collection. Today this hymn has a different title. It is known as “The Solid Rock.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When darkness veils His lovely face, I rest on His unchanging grace; His oath, His covenant, His blood, support me in the whelming flood; When He shall come with trumpet sound, Oh, may I then in Him be
found; On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; Morning Hymn Trust and Obey key of F AAHH pg 380 In 1886, Daniel Towner, was leading the music during one of Moody's
preaching campaigns in Massachusetts. During the service a young man stood
up to give a testimony. "I am not quite sure -- but I am going to
trust, and I am going to obey." Towner jotted down the words and sent
them to his friend, John Sammis, who was a Presbyterian pastor. Sammis
using the words of this short testimony wrote the hymn we know as "Trust
and Obey." As he wrote the hymn he considered the different areas
of our life what we need to trust God about. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies, But we never can prove the delights of His love Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet, Trust and obey, for there's no ther way Morning Hymn Oh How I Love Jesus AAHH pg 291 key Ab
Frederick Whitfield was an Anglican clergyman who lived from 1829-1904. The hymn he wrote, "Oh, How I Love Jesus", became a favorite in the evangelistic crusades of Moody and Sankey. It originally had 8 stanzas but only 4 are found in most hymn books. It was first written in tract form in 1855. The entire hymn revolves around the name of Jesus. What a powerful name! The name of Jesus promises us great things from the Father. It promises to be with us in every circumstance. How we should love Jesus for all the great things He has done and is doing for us. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It tells me of a Savior's love, who died to set me free; It tells me what my Father hath in store for eve'ry day, It tells of One whose loving heart can feel my deepest woe, Oh, how I love Jesus, Oh how I love Jesus,
Morning Hymn It Is Well with My Soul AAHH pg 377 key Db Horatio G. Spafford was an attorney in Chicago during the year of 1874. He and his family were members of the Fullerton Avenue Presbyterian Church. Spafford and his wife had learned what it meant to completely trust God in every situation. First their only son died and then in 1871 most of their personal property were burned in the great Chicago fire. But their greatest testing came in 1874. Mrs. Spafford and their four daughters boarded the French ship "Villa de Havre" on their way to England. But just off the coast of Ireland the ship sank with 226 persons losing their lives. Horatio finally received a cable sent by his wife. It read "saved alone." As he traveled to England to comfort his wife, he was able again to gain his strength from God with the verse, "All things work together for good to them that love the Lord" (Rom 8:28) He then penned the words to our hymn "It Is Well with My Soul." (The tune was written by Phillip Bliss.) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Though Satan should buffet, tho' trials should come, My sin - oh, the bliss of this glorious thought, And, Lord haste the day when the faith shall be sight, It is well with my soul,
Doxology Praise God From Whom All Blessing Flow AAHH pg 651 key G During the American Civil War, in a certain overcrowded prison, men were dying daily. One of the new prisoners was a young preacher. As he saw the conditions surrounding him, he sobbed uncontrollably. Suddenly, from a window he heard, “Praise God, from whom all blessing flow . . .” More and more men began to join in, and the preacher that day was able to take courage and hope in a simple song called the “Doxology.” Thomas Ken, the composer, had been chaplain to King Charles of England. He pleaded with the king many times to turn to Christ. The outcome is unknown, but Ken was faithful and gave a witness for Christ. The words to the “Doxology” are just a part of two larger hymns he wrote entitled Morning and Evening hymns. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Angels We Have Heard on High - AAHH pg 206 key of F William Studwell, Of the several widespread myths about Christmas carols, the most intriguing is almost surely the amazing Telesphorus tale. The story line of this incredible bit of misinformation relates the singing of a nativity hymn in the year A.D. 129 via the orders of Bishop Telesphorus of Rome. This ancient Latin hymn, the anecdote continues, ultimately evolved into the refrain of the famous French carol "Les anges dans nos campagnes." In fact the carol is probably a product of eighteenth-century French and is totally anonymous. By 1816, the carol was known in England, for on that date James Montgomery (1771-1854) derived his renowned carol "Angels From the Realms of Glory" from "Les anges." The same tune was used with Montgomery's lyrics until the 1867 composition by Henry Thomas Smart (1813-1879). In 1855 the carol was first published in France, and in 1862 the most familiar of several English translations, "Angels We Have Heard on High." was published without indication of authorship. The 1862 translation, though, varied considerably from the form now used. In 1916 an American carol collection [Hutchins, Carols Old and Carols New] printed the present version, again anonymous, and it is suspected that this was the first appearance of the revision
1. Angels we have heard on high
2. Shepherds, why this jubilee? 3. Come to Bethlehem and see 4. See Him in a manger laid, Away In A Manger AAHH pg 208 key of F Although some believe this carol was penned by Martin Luther, German religious reformer and author of a number of beautiful hymns, it is almost certainly of late- 19th century American origin. Verses 1 and 2 appeared anonymously in Little Children’s Book for Schools and Families, by J. C. File, Philadelphia, 1885, and verse 3 is by John Thomas McFarland (1851-1913). The tune given here is that most used in England, the 'Cradle song' by American Gospel song writer W. J. Kirkpatrick (1838-21). Another popular tune for it in the U.S.A. is 'Mueller', probably written by James R. Murray, 1887. 1. Away in a manger, no crib for His bed, 2. The cattle are lowing, the poor Baby wakes 3. Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay,
Go Tell it On the Mountain AAHH pg 202 key of G According to The Hymnuts, from an old Negro spiritual "When I was a seeker" this Christmas hymn was written by John Wesley Work Jr. It was included in a 1940 book, American Negro Songs and Spirituals. According to George Pullen Jackson, the tune "Go Tell It" is closely related to the spiritual "We'll March Around Jerusalem." The tune has similarities to "Oh, Susanna" and "Tramp, tramp, tramp, the boys are marching," by George F. Root. William L. Simon, ed., Reader’s Digest Merry Christmas Songbook (1981) To black slaves in the United States, the birth of a Savior who would set all men free was a miracle to be sung about. And when there was something so notable to tell, what better place to tell it from than a mountain, just as Jesus had chosen for His Sermon on the Mount. "Go Tell It on the Mountain," an authentic spiritual that dates probably from the early 1800s, was first popularized in 1879 by the Fisk University Jubilee Singers. This chorus traveled throughout the United States and Europe at the end of the last century, earning scholarship-fund money for Fisk, a school founded to educate freed slaves. Chorus: Go, tell it on the mountain Over the hills and everywhere Go, tell it on the mountain That Jesus Christ is born 1. While shepherds kept their watching 2. The shepherds feared and trembled 3. Down in a lowly manger
Morning Hymn Crown Him with Many Crowns AAAH pg 288 key of D Based on the verse, Revelation 19:12, Matthew Bridges, in 1851, wrote the hymn, “Crown Him With Many Crowns.” Bridges became a convert to Roman Catholicism at the age of 48 and then wrote this hymn, the original title of which was “The Song of the Seraphs.” 30 years later Godfrey Thring wrote six more stanzas and added it to the six stanzas that Bridges had written. Each of the stanzas exalts Christ for some specific aspect of His person or ministry. In most hymnals, we find only four stanzas. Stanzas 1, 2 and 4 have been written by Bridges and number 3 by Thring. “His eyes are like blazing fire, and on His head are many crowns .
. . He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is the Word of
God.” (Rev 19:12, 13) Crown Him the Lord of love: Behold His hands and side-- Crown Him the Lord of life: Who triumphed o’er the grave, Crown Him the Lord of heav’n: One with the Father known;
Morning Hymn Jesus Paid It All
AAHH pg 357 key of Db One Sunday morning Elvina Hall was sitting in the choir section at her church, Monument Street Methodist Church, in Baltimore, Maryland. She wasn't exactly bored with the sermon that Pastor George Schrick was preaching, but while he spoke about Jesus, Elvina's mind drifted to what Jesus had done for us and realized that Jesus had truly paid the entire price for our sins. The words to our hymn "Jesus Paid It All," were born that morning and the only thing Elvina had to write the words on was the inside cover of her hymnbook. Later, when she gave the words to her pastor she found out that the organist had just written a tune and both words and tune fit perfectly together. The hymn was published in 1879. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lord, now indeed I find Thy pow'r, and Thine alone, For nothing good have I whereby Thy grace to claim- And when before the throne I stand in Him complete, Jesus paid it all,
Morning Hymn There is a Fountain Filled with Blood AAHH pg 257 key of Bb William Cowper (1731-1800) had a life of great emotional turmoil and yet, he was able to write some very inspiring and beautiful hymns for us to sing today. "There is a Fountain," is an example of one of his hymns. He wrote the hymn based on the verse Zech 13:1, "In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness." Cowper grew up being pressured to study law. But before he could take his final exams he had a mental breakdown and was admitted into an asylum. But it was during this time that he was able to find out what Jesus had done for him and so at the age of 33 William Cowper gave his heart to Jesus, the Savior. He moved to Olney and became very good friends with John Newton. Together they were able to compile the "Olney Hymns". There were a total of 349 hymns in the book, 67 were written by Cowper. This man who still suffered from depression but learned that he could trust in God to take away the guilt of this sins by coming to God's fountain of Jesus' sin cleansing blood. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day; Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood shall never lose its pow'r, E'er since, by faith, I saw the stream Thy flowing wounds supply, Then in a nobler, sweeter song, I'll sing Thy pow'r to save,
Morning Hymn Old Rugged Cross AAHH pg 244 key of Bb
During a period of spiritual struggling, George Bennard (1873-1958) started to study and contemplate the cross of Christ. Bennard had been very active in the Salvation Army and later was ordained as a evangelist for the Methodist Episcopal Church. As he studied on the verse Philippians 3:10, "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death," Bennard got the theme for a hymn that has become a favorite for many, "The Old Rugged Cross." **Another thought about this hymn. In 1913, Rev. George Bennard, an evangelist in the Methodist/Episcopal church was “praying for a full understanding of the cross and its plan in Christianity.” Over a period of time he studied more and more about the cross. He prayed and meditated on the cross of Christ, until one day he was able to say, “I saw the Christ of the Cross as if I were seeing John 3:16 leave the printed page, take form and act out the meaning of redemption.” Through this experience and others in his life he penned the words and wrote the tune to our hymn,The Old Rugged Cross. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world, has a wondrous
attraction for me; In the old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine, a wondrous
beauty I see; To the old rugged cross I will ever be true, its shame and reproach
gladly bear; So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,
Morning Hymn At Calvary AAHH pg
246 key of C Since we are looking at American hymnology, let's also look at American hymn writers. Today is the author William Newell (1868-1956) born in Savannah, Ohio. Newell was an evangelist, Bible teacher and served for a time as assistant superintendent of Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois. One day while Newell was on his way to teach a class, he thought about what Christ had done for him on the cross. The words to "At Calvary" came to him and he quickly entered an empty classroom and penned them down on the only available paper he had, an old envelope. He gave the words to Daniel Towner, who was the director of music at the school. Within an hour, our hymn, "At Calvary" was born. In 1895 it was published and Christians around the world have sang this testimonial as their own. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ By God's Word at last my sin I learn, Now I've giv'n to Jesus everything; O, the love that drew salvation's plan! Mercy there was great, and grace was free;
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Solid Rock pg 385 Trust and Obey pg 385 Oh How I Love Jesus pg 291 It Is Well with My Soul pg 377 Angels We Have Heard on High pg 206 Away In A Manger pg 208 Go Tell it On the Mountain pg 202 Crown Him with many Crowns pg 288 Jesus Paid It All pg 257 There Is a Fountain pg 257 Old Rugged Cross pg 244 At Calvary pg 246
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