Lesson 4: Polishing Your Hymn Playing

Begin by practicing each voice of a hymn one at a time, listening for perfect legato when notes move and precise releases when notes are repeated:

• Soprano

• Alto

• Tenor

• Bass (in the pedals)

Next, practice all two-part combinations while listening carefully for smooth legato, clean releases, and clear independence between the voices:

• Soprano and bass

• Alto and bass

• Soprano and tenor

• Alto and tenor

• Tenor and bass

• Soprano and alto

Then practice all three-part combinations:

• Soprano, alto, bass

• Soprano, alto, tenor

• Soprano, tenor, bass

• Alto, tenor, bass

Finally, practice all four parts together, beginning slowly enough to remain fully in control and maintain clean independence of line.

Isolating Independence Challenges

As you practice, identify and mark all the places where one voice repeats a note while another voice moves. These moments are where independence of line problems occur.

To overcome an independence of line challenge:

1. Stop and hold all the notes at the beginning of the independence challenge.

2. While continuing to hold down the voices that will move, release only the repeated note or notes.

3. Exaggerate the release of the repeated note or notes by completely lifting the finger, hand, or foot off the keys so you can both feel and hear the independence between the voices.

4. Then move carefully to the next beat or subdivision while keeping the non-repeated voices smoothly connected.

Practicing this slowly and deliberately helps train both the ear and the hands and feet to maintain true independence of line.

The score and demonstration video below show how to mark, execute, and practice this technique in the hymn "Redeemer of Israel" with all four parts together.

The organ is the most effective instrument for leading congregational singing, yet not every hymn translates easily to it. There are many hymns that are written with the piano in mind and do not automatically sound natural on the organ. Because the organ sustains tone continuously as long as the keys are held down, pianistic textures often need to be adjusted to sound idiomatic to the organ.

The goal when adapting a pianistic hymn is to make the music sound as though it truly belongs on the organ rather than being uprooted from the piano keyboard.

Step 1: Move the Bass Line to the Pedals

One of the most important adjustments is to play the bass line in the pedals just as in a standard 4-part hymn. This allows the hands to focus on the upper voices, giving the hymn a fuller, more characteristic organ sound.

The pedals should generally play the true bass foundation of the harmony, which is not always the lowest written note in the piano texture but rather the root of the chord being played. The bass note you should play is indicated by the guitar chords above the staff. For example, if a guitar chord above the staff says “Bb,” you should play Bb on the pedals. However, if a guitar chord symbol uses two letters with a slash in between them, such as “C/E,” it indicates a chord inversion, meaning this is a C major chord with E in the bass. You should therefore play the note on the right-hand side of the slash on the pedals, which in this case would be E.

Step 2: Simplify When Necessary

Some pianistic textures may be too dense or awkward to transfer directly to the organ. Do not hesitate to simplify passages when needed.

This may include:

• Omitting unnecessary notes

• Redistributing notes between the hands

• Reducing thick chord textures

• Or simplifying large arpeggiated figures

The goal is not to preserve every note exactly as written, but to preserve the musical character, rhythm, and natural flow of the hymn.

Step 3: Preserve Musical Motion

When adapting pianistic writing, avoid reducing everything into blocked chords. Pianistic figurations create movement and energy and should be preserved on the organ.

For example:

• In ascending arpeggios, sustain each pitch as the chord ascends.

• In descending arpeggios, release previously held notes to avoid blurring.

This creates a smooth, flowing sound similar to the sustaining effect of the piano’s damper pedal while remaining clear on the organ.

If an arpeggiated figure is part of the melody itself, it may be helpful to:

• • Play the moving figure on one manual, while sustaining accompanying harmony on another manual.

Step 4: Preserve the Musical Character

Even while adapting the texture, continue to observe the important musical details of the score, including:

• Rhythm

• Phrasing

• Articulation

• Accents

• Expressive indications

The organ adaptation should preserve the spirit and character of the original music while allowing it to function naturally on the organ.

Step 5: Use Clear and Balanced Registration

• Registration should support clarity and balance.

• Choose bright and clear registrations.

• Avoid muddy or overly heavy combinations.

• Select registrations appropriate to the style and character of the hymn.

Any pianistic hymn can be successfully adapted to the organ when an organist understands and follows these principles. A thoughtful adaptation of a pianistic hymn will help to inspire enthusiastic participation from the congregation.  The examples below demonstrate a pianistic hymn before and after adaptation, illustrating how these principles can be applied to create a natural and effective organ setting.

Before

After