If you want to improve your skills as a church pianist and are willing to work, I want to help you. Below are numerous free resources for your enjoyment.

Videos
Naming chords
Ear training
Improvisation
Using 7ths
using 2nds/9ths
Functional harmony and reharmonization
Modulations
Free arrangement downloads

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If you have a question or something you would like me to cover, please contact me using the contact page.

Free lessons or Not-Free DVD courses?

This page contains a ton of very useful information for church pianists. The articles below are not fluff or teasers to try to sell my DVD courses. But on the other hand, the DVD are far more detailed and structured. They have constant reinforcements and assignments to make you better. You really do get what you pay for!

If you cannot buy the DVDs or just want to check me out, spend a lot of time on this page. If you want a serious, methodical approach to learning and improving, check out my DVDs.

Church Piano Lessons

Introduction

Overview of these lessons

What is a good church pianist

Videos

Minor chord substitutions video demonstration (Part 1)

Minor chord substitutions video demonstration (Part 2)

Silent Night reharmonization

Relating harmony to melody

Reharmonization of "I Surrender All"

Reharmonization of "My Jesus I Love Thee"

Chord substitutions: Does the ii chord sub for the IV or V?

Open voicing

What a Friend We Have In Jesus (Part 1)

What a Friend We Have In Jesus (Part 2)

What a Friend We Have In Jesus (Part 3)

What a Friend We Have In Jesus (Part 4)

What a Friend We Have In Jesus (Part 5)

Theory

How to name chords - Why chords can be called different things

How to name chords - Chords with missing 3rds and 5ths

How to name chords - Rule for identifying slash chords

"Just As I Am" - Example of identifying chords

Chord Cheatsheet

Ear Training

Identifying chords by sight and ear

How to begin playing by ear - Part 1

How to begin playing by ear - Part 2

How to chart a song

Teaching children to play by ear

Improvisation

Introduction to improvisation

How to play a lead sheet - Part 1

How to play a lead sheet - Part 2

Important things to know about playing altered chords - Voicing rules

Rootless voicings

Improving the ending to a song

Using 7ths

How to add 7ths

How to choose between the major and minor 7th

Short primer on adding 7ths

Two ways to add 7ths to your music

Using 2nds and 9ths

How to add 2nds and 9ths

Ending a song with the 2nd or 9th

The 2nd and 9th as a filler in arpeggios and runs

Which color notes belong to each chord

Functional Harmony and Reharmonization

Overview of reharmonization

Myths about reharmonization and introducing the V7 to ii7 substitution

The ii-V7-I progression and V7 to ii7 chord substitution

Changing V-I progressions to ii-V-I progressions

Voicing the ii7 chord

Secondary dominants

The I-ii7-iii7 progression

Introduction to chord substitutions - Part 1

Introduction to chord substitutions - Part 2

How to use the IV/V to V7 progression

Smooth chord progressions

Increasing your chord palate

Increasing your chord palate (Part 2)

Praise Him, Praise Him - A thought about functional harmony

Minor chord substitutions

Using the minor iv chord

Reharmonization on "Silent Night"

Chord changes in "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"

Do chords need to appear in a certain order?

Tritone substitutions

Working with a IV chord

Two important chord subs

Modulations

How to modulate between keys

How to modulate up a half step

The simplest modulation of all

Modulating around the circle of fifths

Other topics

A tip for sight reading

Two different ways to learn to play the piano

How to practice scales and arpeggios

How to develop musicality

Thoughts on ear training and learning theory

Name dropping thoughts

Understanding dissonance

Musical accessibility

The golden rule of musical composition

Introduction to arranging

Making a hook interesting

Your touch matters

Rubato as a technique

Excerpts from an email

How to choose a piano teacher

Sight reading - How to read ahead

A simple tip for performance

Training young musicians (Part 1)

Training young musicians (Part 2)

Training young musicians (Part 3)

Shaping an arrangement

Rubato - benefits and dangers

Three important components of learning music

What is your left thumb good for?

Developing a style

Do you have to be a virtuoso?

Arranging is story telling

One day, your child will stop playing classical music

Congregational accompaniment thoughts

The importance of rhythm

What makes a melody good or bad?

Nashville charts

How exactly is good music performed?

Don't miss the point

Analyzing arrangements

Analysis of "Heaven Came Down" from Portraits of Hope

Reharmonization example of "Jesus Loves Me"

Savior Like a Shepherd Lead Us - Insight into the harmony (Part 1)

Savior Like a Shepherd Lead Us - Insight into the harmony (Part 2)