Hymn Hints From The Heart

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Hymn Hints from the Heart

I wanted to share just a few personal lessons I have learned along the way in the 33 years that I've played the piano for various churches.

These are more or less just some thoughts from my heart, but I truly believe that these things are just as important, and maybe even more valuable than playing the correct chord progressions and harmonies.

These are some things that I try to remind myself often, and I hope they will be helpful to you as a pianist and as you learn to provide good music for your church.

The "jitters" will probably never go away. Learn to play well despite nervousness and fear. Rely on God to calm your heart and be well-prepared to play. Never begin music for a service without spending a few moments with God, and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and to let your hands be used for God's glory. Whatever your emotions are telling you, or circumstances, or problems of the day -- leave them outside the door and realize that God wants to use you today! Be ready and be available, put your heart in the "servant mode". Remember that you are a tool in God's hands. It's not about your performance, it's about being used by God.

A hymn played simply, yet well, with no mistakes, is far better than a hymn played fancy with wrong notes and inaccurate rhythm. Congregational singing must have consistent and accurate tempo!

Practice, practice, practice! Be prepared to put in a minimum of 30 minutes per day if you are playing for weekly services. As the music increases, so must your practice time. Always be mindful that you are working for God, the Creator of the universe. Much of your work in the music ministry will be behind-the-scenes. No one will know the hours you have put in for a 3 minute song, but it doesn't matter who knows what-- All that matters is being used by God. Practicing at home alone is all a part of being used by God. Even if no one here is listening, God is! And He loves to hear you play the sweet hymns of our faith! Don't be focused only on the Sunday "performance" -- focus on the privilege given to you to serve.

Follow, follow, follow! Remember that you are there to help your pastor. His preferences take priority over all that you have learned or done previously. When sitting up at the piano, it is important to have your attention focused on the pulpit and on the pastor at all times. If your attention is diverted, it will divert the attention of people in the congregation. Musically speaking, never, ever, ever correct your pastor or song leader if they make a mistake -- if you think they did a song the wrong way, then change the song to the way he did it. The way that your pastor wants it done is the right way. Every church is different, every pastor has different preferences. Talk to your pastor and learn his philosophy on music, learn his preferences, then do it! Being a church pianist is a continual exercise in submission and flexibility. If your order of service says song # 223, and the pastor says "Turn in your hymn books to song #233", just turn there FAST and play just as if that's the number written on your paper. You don't know the pastor's reason for changing the hymn -- perhaps God put it in his heart to change it for some reason -- its not up to you as the pianist to yell over to him "It's supposed to be number 223, not 233" -- that would be terrible! And on the flip side of that, be cautious when adding music where it is not specifically requested. I had a good example of this just last Sunday...It was during baptism and there was a "lull" of time between the people getting in and out of the baptistry. In my mind I was thinking, "uh-oh, it's too quiet, dead space, awkward moment -- we need some background music... " but I remembered a conversation I had with my pastor a few months ago, when I asked him if he wanted background music during baptism and he said no, because there is no microphone above the baptistry and it would be difficult to hear. So, I didn't play -- but I was ready to, just in case Pastor said "Play some music..." which he did! I was glad I was ready to just start immediately playing, rather than fumbling through a book, looking for a song, wondering what to play. I would rather be prepared and ready to play IF asked by Pastor, instead of playing when perhaps he didn't want music, and being told to stop playing. As time goes by, you will learn your pastor's preferences and will know better what he wants when. This may take some time, but just be a good listener and an eager follower!

It may not seem important to say these things first, but I have learned over the years of playing for church that if the issues of the heart and of serving are not learned first, then most of the music stuff will be in vain. A pianist may be a wonderful musician, but if they find it hard to follow a pastor or music director, how much can they be used? It is so important as pianists that we remember we are tools in God's hands.

What a wonderful privilege!