Hymn Playing Made Simple, Level 4

For centuries, churches have used music for worship, as emphasized in the Scriptures. We are thankful for this divine creation. The desire to worship God with music begins in the heart, and over the years, God has gifted many with the ability to write, compose, and perform music. Playing or singing in church remains a privilege.

Today, there is a growing demand for church pianists and organists. Christian piano teachers have the opportunity to teach and encourage the development of accompaniment for congregational, group, and individual singing.

While many piano students are trained in classical performance, they often lack understanding of “hymn playing,” a style used in churches. Hymns are typically written in parts for sopranos, altos, tenors, and basses. Playing hymns as written follows classical training, but adding extras can enhance congregational singing.

Level 4 explores the key of Eb and introduces Ab and Db. It presents an invaluable concept–transposing from keys with sharps to keys with flats–demonstrating how songs originally in A can be played in Ab, and those in E can be played in Eb. The book concludes with six distinct variations of bass chord patterns.

The Hymn Playing Made Simple series is intended as a supplementary resource rather than a standalone method. At this stage, the piano student should be progressing steadily through a standard piano method. It is essential that the student has completed both Hymn Playing Made Simple, Level 1 (Red) and Level 2 (Blue) and Level 3 (Green). These foundational texts focus on ear training, chord recognition, and developing right-hand finger dexterity for melody playing. Skipping these levels will forfeit the crucial skill-building they provide.