reading piano chords in worship music?

Question

Hi. I play guitar and used to play the piano. I know most of the basic chords on the piano.

In church, i serve on the worship team and usually the song sheets are just the lyrics with chords printed above them. yet the piano/keyboard player manages to play a piano part. i was wondering what they do. any help would be appreciated.

thanks

Answer 1

The ability to play and improvise with chords ('chord method') is definitely a skill and something that many classical pianists never learn to do with fluency. Worship and jazz pianists can usually play with chords.

I'm worship leader at my church (though I don't play piano for my church) and my pianist is amazing at this!

A basic way to begin:

Play the chord in your right hand (middle C area). With your left hand, play the bass note, 2 octaves down. So, with a C chord, play the chord and a bass C. You can also try playing a bass note that's one of the other notes in the chord (E and G). Repeat the RH chord with the beat while leaving the LH bass note down until the chord changes.

To spice things up, you can:

Play bass octaves. Play 2 C's at the same time, with your thumb and pinky.

Add the 2. In your RH chord, also push your pointer finger (2 finger in piano, also the 2 note of the chord). This is a cool-sounding chord and much more interesting than a plain chord.

Rock your RH with the beat. Alternate playing 3-5 (top half of chord, E and G) with 1 (C). Rock back and forth like a seesaw, in time with the music.

From there, you just need to start growing your knowledge of chords, and practicing. The more you play, the better you get! The more chords you learn, the more you understand how they relate to each other, and how music works. You're actually learning music theory via chords.

Check out Duane Shinn's chord stuff - he has a free email course with 101 free chord lessons!

Answer 2

If your music uses the staff lines and is divided into measures, usually the chord signatures are printed directly above the measure at the point where the chord changes. If it is above the first beat only, then the chord is used for the whole measure. If you see one chord above the first beat and then a second chord above beat 3 (assuming 4/4 time), then you know the first chord is good for beats 1 and 2, while the second chord is played for beats 3 and 4.

If your music only has written words, then the chord signatures are usually written above the word where the chords change. Experienced musicians can use this type of written music to basically "make up" a part to play. You can begin by simply playing the chord indicated and then holding it until you see the next chord symbol. After that, you might try playing the indicated chord on every beat of the song until the next chord change. Next, you can try injecting a little rhythym into the chords. Also, you might try using arpeggios, where you play the notes of the chord one at a time in whatever order you choose: going up or down, or in a random order using 2 or more octaves.

I hope this helps answer your question.

Answer 3

I am a Minister of Music and Youth of a church and I play the piano and guitar from time to time. I play the piano both with guitar chords by playing by ear and music reading. More than likely the piano player you have has both too. But if she or he does not, they more than likely can play by ear too. What I do is look at the guitar chords if I don't have the music written where I can read it and add my ear ability with it. I hope I was able to help you understand.

Answer 4

This is totally not classical, but I'll give you this one. I hate these, and yet have to do them every week. Chord charts are for guitarists ... guess what they do? Apply some strum pattern to it. In the case of Brian Doerksen's song you referenced, it starts on the third of the scale. I play the chords and melody in my right hand, and do a bass pattern with the left ... in this case a dotted quarter, eighth, dotted quarter, eighth rhythm. Other pieces I'll do arpeggios to. Still others I'll sit there bored out of my mind and play second and third octave "twinkly keys" during the verses and come in full force on the choruses. ... all that said, I'd much rather do a Bach chorale or a traditional four-part hymn ... something that is at least leaning toward the classical.

Answer 5

They most likely will play by ear. The chords give them the notes to fit in that are correct. Normally the pianist will listen to the other parts playing (or songs being sung) and get the rhythm and improvise. With the correct chords it will not sound incorrect, usually the right hand plays the melody (the rhythm of the song) while the left plays the chord.

hopes this helps=p

Answer 6

You may be able to find the music with arrangements for guitar. You may have to go to the publisher or your pianist may have additional arrangements available. If you are really creative, you can write your own arrangements, espcially if it's older music

I have a friend who writes worship music and worked for a liturgical music publisher many years ago.

Answer 7

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