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EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS FOR PIANISTS Dr. Parley Belnap -
Utah Valley AGO Chapter Workshop - 11/07/02 |
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Pianists who
have had no training on the organ are often asked to play the organ for church
services. It is sometimes assumed that
all keyboard instruments are the same and that if you can play the piano, you
can also play the organ. Although
there are some similarities between the piano and the organ, there are
important and distinct differences.
Often the service of a pianist is needed to play the organ for the
church service because there may not be a trained organist available. Service to
one's fellowmen is an important part of one's personal commitment. Playing for the church service is one way
to serve your fellowmen; so pianists should be encouraged to accept this
responsibility and use it as an opportunity for service and for the
development of their talents. If you as a
pianist as called to play for church services, there are some things you can
do. These are stopgap measures and
pianists should be encouraged to use them only as such. (They should never become the norm.) 1.
Play the hymn as a duet, two players at one organ. One person will play
the soprano part with his/her right hand and the alto part with his/her left
hand. The other person will play the
tenor part with his/her right hand and the bass part with his/her left
hand. Play the hymn in a smooth and
singing style. Separate the repeated
notes and make breaks at the end of phrases to simulate the taking of a
breath. Play rhythmically. Pay attention to the words and feel the
meaning and inflection of the phrases.
Think and perform lines as a choir would sing them. 2.
Play the melody of the hymn in octaves in a smooth and singing style. Make breaks or simulate taking a breath at
the end of the phrases. Play
rhythmically as if you are part of an orchestra or other ensemble. Pay attention to the words and try to feel
the meaning and inflection of the phrases. 3.
Play the melody of the hymn with the right hand and the bass
with the left hand. Omit the alto and tenor parts.
Playing all four parts of the hymn on the organ in a smooth and
singing style require an adequte organ technique. Playing just the soprano and bass will
sound different to you; but you will be abel to project the rhythm. Tempo,
and the singing style much easier and smoother. Don't hesitate to use the
soprano-and-bass-only style. The
rhythm and drive are very important to the success of congregational
singing. This simplification will
allow you to give your attention and effort to rhythm, tempo, and the singing
style of the hymn. 4.
Using the pedal without adequate training
is problematic and is often intimidating.
A simple way to begin might be to place the left foot over the
dominant note and the right foot over the tonic note. Then at the various cadences, add the
proper tonic or dominant note in the pedal. 5.
Another possibility would be to play the
soprano and alto notes with the right hand and the bass only with the left
hand, omitting the tenor part. Playing
three parts in a smooth and flowing manner with the hands only is easier than
playing four parts. Again, the
important point is the continuity, rhythmic drive, and flow of the hymn. 6.
This is the same as
number 4, with the addition of the pedal at cadences. Keep the left foot positioned over the
dominant note and the right foot positioned over the tonic note. Play the appropriate note at the cadences. 7.
Use the Hymns Made Easy. HYMN PLAYING Basics of
Hymn Playing Hymns
are written for the human voice, not for the organ or the piano. Most hymns will be played with both hands on the Great manual
(lower keyboard on a two manual organ). The right hand will usually play the soprano and alto parts, the left hand will play the tenor part
and the feet will play the bass part on the pedal. Legato touch is the most standard touch for the playing of hymns. Repeated notes are an important factor to the rhythm of the hymn. Part Playing Think
and perform lines as a choir would sing them. Be
able to play legato and repeated notes at the same time. Do not let them influence each other. In
hymns of a sustained character, it may be necessary to add ties between two repeated notes. Phrasing Phrasing
can be compared to punctuation in written sentences. A
phrase has direction toward a cadence, which gives a feeling of arrival. Play
the hymn by feeling and sensing the phrases, insert a rest at the end of phrases. Fingering and
Pedaling Devise
an efficient fingering and pedaling and mark enough in your hymnbook so that you can play any passage to same every time. Text Study
the text, determine its meaning. Great
hymn playing is projecting the spirit and meaning of the text. Practice
Methodically Practice
each part alone and then use the seven-step method, or the fifteen-step method, or hands alone, then pedal alone, and
then together. Use various combinations and learn the hymn to perfection. Registration Select
a registration that reflects the spirit and mood of the text, and will encourage and support the congregation.
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