| If you're a beginning or intermediate pianist interested in | | | | As Christianity spread to the New World in the 17th |
| learning and playing hymn tunes -- particularly those | | | | century and later, hymnody went in new directions, the |
| relating to the Christian faith -- there are several issues | | | | effects of which are now heard in churches |
| working in your favor. First, as the words and tunes of | | | | throughout the world. In fact, the first book published in |
| hymns generally date back to pre-20th century times, | | | | the Americas was a collection of original translations of |
| most hymns live entirely in the public domain. For this | | | | hymns by Puritan clergy in the Massachusetts Bay |
| reason, thousands of free hymns and gospel songs in | | | | Colony. Known as the Bay Psalm Book, the collection |
| the form of sheet music and music books, both | | | | took the hymnal tradition in new directions, including a |
| popular and obscure, are readily available from | | | | standardized rhythmic structure that is now used in |
| countless publishing sources. | | | | many of our favorite hymns, including beloved songs |
| Of course, prospective hymnists will still have to pay | | | | such as "Amazing Grace," and many of our perennial |
| for comprehensive, paper-based collections of hymns. | | | | favorite Christmas carols. |
| However, with the growth of the Internet it is now | | | | This brings us to another issue working in favor of the |
| possible to find extensive collections of free hymns in | | | | beginning pianist who is interested in hymnody. The |
| all corners of the Web. | | | | beauty of many devotional hymns lies in their |
| Meanwhile, before embarking upon a serious study of | | | | accessibility. That is, as they are designed to be sung |
| hymns, it's important for the pianist to build a solid | | | | by the masses, people who only sing once a week |
| foundation of historical understanding. After all, | | | | are able to wrap their voices around them. In other |
| devotional music goes as far back as Christianity itself. | | | | words, hymns generally contain few difficult flourishes, |
| Accordingly, many of the hymns that are played and | | | | and their rhythms and melodic structures are usually as |
| sung today have long, rich histories, as does the | | | | simple as can be. |
| hymnal tradition itself. | | | | This simplicity works in favor of the beginning or |
| As many students of the Bible already know, the | | | | intermediate pianist. As most hymns are designed for |
| origins of the Christian musical tradition are found in the | | | | maximum singability, their chord structures are also |
| poetic passages of the Bible, specifically the Psalms of | | | | relatively simple. Depending upon the transcriptions that |
| David and other poetic portions of the scriptures. The | | | | you find, hymn accompaniments can be as simple as |
| Psalms -- a word whose original meaning comes from | | | | four chords repeated, one measure each, throughout |
| the Greek word for "songs sung to a harp" -- are | | | | the song. Other accompaniments are designed to |
| believed by Biblical scholars to be direct transcriptions | | | | provide more emotional and aesthetic enhancement to |
| of chants sung by pre-Christian Hebrews in the Holy | | | | the hymns, utilizing such devices as more complex |
| Land. Thus, when we play and sing hymns, we are | | | | chords, or melodies in counterpoint to the sung tunes. |
| following in a musical tradition that predates Jesus' time. | | | | Again, transcriptions of hymn tunes are available for |
| More modern hymnody has its origins in Gregorian | | | | free on the Internet, and from other sources. Some |
| chant, as well as in the works and writings of Thomas | | | | transcriptions require the pianist to be familiar with |
| Aquinas, Martin Luther, and other theologians of the | | | | chord notations -- many church hymnals use such |
| Middle Ages and the Reformation period. Then, during | | | | notations -- while other transcriptions use the standard |
| subsequent centuries, as the melodic and harmonic | | | | bass and treble clef notation employed by most |
| range of music itself expanded, many church hymns | | | | non-devotional piano books. In short, whatever your |
| developed a higher degree of musical sophistication, | | | | piano skill level, a brief perusal of available hymn |
| including multi-part harmonies, and detailed musical | | | | transcriptions will reveal the perfect hymns for you to |
| notation. | | | | play. |