KEYS
ARRANGED TO ENHANCE CONGREGATIONAL SINGING:
“GREAT ARE YOU LORD” FOR KEYBOARD | Grant Norsworthy
Pianist. Keyboardist. What’s the difference? of a song (bass, chords, melody, harmony and incongruence may actually make it tougher for
The instruments any counter melodies) simultaneously, probably the congregation to sing along. Even though
themselves—acoustic piano and an electronic
distinction
between
the
reading from traditional notation. Played in the pianist may still be playing a piano—more
keyboard—is obvious. But what about the this way, the piano works incredibly well as a likely an electronic keyboard with piano sounds
person playing the instrument? Does a pianist solo instrument, accompanying a single voice available—how they approach their instrument
play differently than a keyboardist? or instrument or even a choir or the whole will need to change in significant ways.
congregation. A pianist playing a piano can
The skills needed to play notes are very similar.
make a big sound, even on their own.
The two roles can certainly have some overlap.
A PIANIST WILL…
• Use one favorite, probably very bright,
But yes, there is—or at least should be—a That same instrumentalist may now find percussive piano sound for every moment of
different musical approach between a pianist themselves playing in a full band. Now there are every song.
and a keyboardist. Unfortunately, many of those other instruments in the mix. In addition to the • Have limited awareness of other instruments
who play the white and black keys for church keyboard/piano there might be drums, bass, and will tend to invade the sonic real estate
music have been unable to make the change. electric guitar, acoustic guitar and more providing of others.
They fail to differentiate between one playing accompaniment to the leading vocalists and the style and the other. congregation. A simple chord chart has replaced
• Tend to make themselves the main driving,
rhythmic force of every song.
the detailed and fully arranged notation. • Use the lower register of their instrument,
keyboard in Church bands were first pianists. If the pianist does not make the transition to • Tend to play every note of every chord as it
Typically, pianists learned their instrument as a now be a keyboardist within a band, problems appears on the chord chart using one of their
soloist. They were taught to play all the parts will occur. The resulting “over-playing” and sonic limited number of favored, rhythmic patterns.
Many (probably most) of the people playing the
158
often heavily.
November 2019
Subscribe for Free...