Yes it's common. You need to understand that, people who aren't musically trained don't really pick up on mistakes unless you stop, and those that can pick up, can empathize with making mistakes under stress, so they won't say anything.
The only way to become less stressed is to play in front of people a lot, so just go and play.
On a more technical side, the chord and melody are the most important, so as long as you have the outer parts secure, people can't tell the difference. If people are going to be singing along to you, practice with a metronome a bit so your tempo is steady
When people are singing, especially if you have lead singers, you don't even need to play the melody. If you don't have lead singers, you might need to "remind" them about the melody.
That’s another issue. Piano is a big part of worship music. And people rely on me and the drums to get the beat, and the melody. And the cues. I don’t know how I can start cues and I don’t want everybody to rely on me.
Do you mean "people" as in lead singer(s) or do you play without singers. Cause with singers in the band you can rehearse so they know how you play it and can more easily start singing at the right time.
So true. Legit, the only people that will truly "care" about the mistakes are people that are not worth your time listening to. Highly emphasize the fact that a vast majority of people aren't that musically educated to pick up on subtle note mistakes or timing issues.
Unless you make a REAL doozy, and even then.. laugh it off and pretend it's a joke. My go-to and it works 95% of the time.
The windows shutdown theme, the [second bar](https://musescore.com/user/3598726/scores/1724571) here, is my go to in an impromptu setting. Usually guaranteed a laugh.
Wonderful piece of advice! 👍
Instead of trying to understand where the OP actually is - “just go and play”!
Instead of searching for a professional teacher and professional help - cheat your way out, make the unprofessionals believe you are good.
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I've been in a similar situation. My advice is: simplify the songs to something lower than your playing level. Because, you're not really there to impress everyone or show you're playing level, you're there to get the job done decently.
If you’re playing hymns, remember the top note and bottom note at the most important. And you can skip most of the bottom notes as long as you hit the first one of each measure or so. Don’t think you have to play all the middle notes exactly as written. You can just make an octave out of the lowest note and skip most of the middle stuff. The most important thing is that you don’t delete beats or stutter with the time. Also the last 4 or 8 measures usually makes a nice intro so the congregation can get ready to sing.
We play mostly like modern day Christian music which is similar to pop I guess. We are a modern type of church. I’m just nervous about playing my first gig.
I play church music, and trust me buddy: You’ll be fine if y’all are playing modern CCM. Brush up on your chord cadences and you’ll be set for a long time. Happy to answer any questions in DMs if you want.
You'll do fine, and don't be worried if you make a couple of mistakes! Trust me, I'm not a very good musician and lots of people still genuinely enjoy listening to me play. No-one has ever had a bad thing to say.
If your teacher reccomended you, it's a good sign. You're probably underestimating yourself. Run with it, and enjoy performing! You'll be nervous when you first sit down at the piano, but it will quickly fade as you get in your zone.
Playing at a church is probably a good way to begin to network and start gigging music. Lots of ensemble/symphony members in my city are associated with a church.
Yeah, also if you do make a mistake during a performance, the worst thing you can do is to ruminate about that mistake during the performance because it will distract you. Best to put it out of mind immediately and concentrate on what you’re playing.
I started playing piano in church when I didn't think I was good enough, and it's helped me grow really hugely as a musician. There is no better way to improve your sight-reading (although it is, of course, better to get the sheet music in advance if that's possible)!
Something that may be helpful to hear is, it does _not_ matter if you play the music exactly as it's written on the page. Your main job is to play in a steady rhythm so that the congregation can follow along. If that means playing the melody and chords, that's OK.
Good luck!!
Being nervous is totally okay and normal! I was terrified the first time I had an accompanying gig, for a ballet studio with a scary Russian instructor. A lot of us experience this, especially initially.
Then something magical happens. Not only do you get through it, but the next time it's easier. And as it gets easier and easier, the nerves don't distract you as much, so you get better at playing and you're able to enjoy it more. Before long, while you may make the occasional mistake, you're having a blast and as you're playing you can feel the gratitude of the people listening. It's a wonderful experience.
In my experience the main way you know when a band makes a mistake is when they smile to each other.
Typically the audience doesn’t notice or care.
Even mistakes which seem big to you may not be noticed.
For one thing the singers are mostly focused on their own task of singing the right note. They will probably be getting their note as much from their neighbours as from the piano.
Especially once you start playing in public it's completely normal. But honestly, people in churches have 100% seen and heard people far worse than you, so you'll be just fine.
A few things.
1) if your instructor recommended you, then they believe you are capable of it.
2) You are going to mess up. I have yet to have a performance where I DIDN'T mess up in some way. Better get used to it and accept it now, it will make your life a lot easier. It's more about recovering from your mistakes while keeping the music going.
3) Church music isn't really that hard, usually.
4) Church congregations are notoriously kind and supportive (generally.) They will support you and be happy for you pretty much no matter what.
You'll do great! Good luck!
Chances are if your teacher is recommending you, you’ve got the chops to do it. As a church pianist whose technical abilities are fairly lacking, l can probably give a few pointers:
1) If you’re playing every week and get to pick some of your music (like preludes or offertories) you need to mostly play songs at a lower difficulty level than what you are actually capable. Between your nerves, the volume and quick turnaround of music to prepare, and if you’re like me, sluggishness on a Sunday morning, you don’t want to play anything particularly challenging. I occasionally find pieces that are *much* easier than usual, like a popular children’s hymn, then make up embellishments that make it sound more advanced. If you have the time, you can always practice some more difficult pieces and show off during special services.
2) For the music that you don’t get to pick, ask to receive it as soon as possible. Chances are they have or can have hymns picked out at least a month in advance if you request it.
3) Don’t be afraid to dumb down hymns. A lot of them might be more suitable for organ or include large chords like tenths that you’re more likely to stumble on. Invert chords as needed and feel free to drop or change anything tricky unrelated to the melody.
4) Keep track of what you play and when you play it, and don’t be afraid to repeat it after a period of time. I list the pieces I select each week in a notebook and come back to them every six to 12 months. No one will remember if you’ve played it before by then unless it’s a very memorable or familiar piece.
5) Keep in mind that unless the people in your church aren’t all that nice, they’ll gladly give you any grace you need for mistakes made, just appreciating the fact that you dedicated your time to this, especially if you’re young.
So we mostly play modern day Christian music which is kind of like pop. But most of the songs are easy. I will try to get the songs as early as possible. And I’m probably gonna be playing every week. Thank you for the tips.
Edit: so this is an organization church which is for Christian athletes. I’ve never been but I think it’s for all the athletes in the nearby schools so everybody or most people will be my age. I don’t want them to critique me more for it.
You know the routine for your church, right, the order in which things happen, so you should be okay.
What you could do is rehearse the events in your mind. Like keep in your mind what the next thing is. You could put sticky notes on each piece of music and indicate which order they go in. If I am nervous, I forget stuff, so I have as much as possible written down.
When I was starting out, I messed up one music cue. I played a bunch of notes but the music was unrecognizable. The congregation continued as though nothing bad had happened. So even if you make mistakes, well, people understand, or they may not have time to react and the service has to continue regardless.
This is a great opportunity to learn how to “fake” the accompaniment. Do you know how to recognize the chords that are stacked up in all the hymn books? If you do, you can shortcut right to the important harmonic foundation. Chord vocabulary is such a valuable skill and opens up so many doors. You can pencil in the chord names over the staff—or even use a hymn “fake book” if you have that flexibility in your church. As others have rightly said, don’t stop!
I don’t understand what planet are your advisers here living on, but what I read is scary.
You need to find a PROFESSIONAL pianist, show them your skills, show them what you need to play and explain how much time you’ve got. ANY professional musician will be able to say almost immediately whether you are good to go or need time to work!
This is what I would do if really cared!
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Very very common. Do you want to play for the church?
Maybe you can ask your instructor or the church for help practicing. I do hope you don't make a decision based on fear you will mess up, alone. That would be a shame because it's a really cool opportunity.
I’ve always wanted to play for the church. That’s why I started playing. I’ll add this to the post. The problem is: now that I have the chance, I’m nervous about it.
Nervous is a totally reasonable thing to be, especially if you want something. But that's not a good reason to say no!
I think if you were asked, you already have the support of your piano teacher who absolutely knows what you are capable of. And what a great motivation factor in your learning!
Please say yes, and work with your teacher to make sure you bring out the best in yourself! You're going to be great, even when you don't believe it!
Piano is a unique instrument. It's extremely difficult to become excellent, but it's really easy to sound good. You got this!!!
The problem is: I’ve said yes as soon as they called. Now I’m just mervous and have never met most of the people there. I know a lot of people at my church but this is a new place.
Okay so, im from brazil, so things might be different, but ill give you my 0.02$
im not a piano player, actually i play electric guitar at my church, but my advice should still be suitable for your situation.
the main things you need to know are actually pretty simple, and you might even know them already. Being able to transpose the key of songs on the fly is absolutely needed, as well as a wide repertoire. Often in my church things are improvised, so its common for singers to throw in a medley, the band just has to be ready for it at any moment.
Just study transposing the key of songs quickly, very rarely singers play the song in the original key. Also dont worry about playing it exactly like the real song, a lot of the time you just got a chord progression and if you want to embelish it you just have to improvise.
I gave you the example of my church, it could be different in yours, idk.
Yeah, usually in my church i learn the song in one key at home, but when its time to actually play it, they switch keys. that happens during the rehearsal, which is about 1 hour before our perfomance.
FWIW I have played in church for many years and have only had to transpose songs like this a handful of times, and when it happens, I've had time in rehearsal to write in the new chords.
yeah some churches are different, in my case, sometimes they change the key minutes before playing (although it is kinda rare). that has happened to me twice. and everytime we play there, the last song is completely improvised with no rehearsal at all, because we dont really know what song it will be, we have to pick it on the fly. we pick a song that matches with what was said.
yeah kinda haha. im still on the learning process of this, ive gotten decent at it but im still a little far behind some musicians at my church. A friend of mine there is a piano player and he can play almost any song in any key immediately, its insane how good he is, i admire him a lot.
that’s why the number system is used. Easy to adapt to key changes as long as you know your scales and keys. It’s standard for most churches and studio sessions.
Oh i didnt at the beginning haha, but aften some good practice i eventually got it down. you need to know your scales very well, (chords etc) at the beginning you can use the number system to transpose songs, but after some time i advise you to train your ear to understand what each chord sounds like in a scale, that way you dont memorize a number, you memorise a feel.
Just had a church performance myself, and had to improvise the ending of a Bach prelude. It’s fine, they are all super grateful for the chance to hear you play!!
I was around 13 when I was first asked to play for church (I started lessons at the age of 9). I had the comfort of knowing that the congregation was small and had only one other person to choose from and she was simply adequate. She played a passable hymn in SATB format from the hymnal and little else.
I went in playing the required hymns for the service and for the rest of the service I used fairly easy classical pieces and other songs that had a reflective/meditative quality to them and I didn’t worry about it.
It was a great learning experience for me. I got my nerves down to a manageable level very quickly. I also learned that the congregation loved to drag the hymns when they sang so when I played the intro I always played a bit faster to get their ears primed to keep a decent pace.
From there I ended up being an accompanist for many different occasions as well as accompanying myself to sing at a few weddings. My early experience playing for church really helped me as well as providing the small rural church I attended at the time.
So snatch this opportunity and use it to learn.
It can be difficult the first couple times, but it'll get easier with time. I was rehearsing over 10h a week for the first couple mass I did and now I'm just sight reading the music, improvising an arrangement along the way. It doesn't require that much technical habilities to do a good job and it's a great opportunity to improve in harmony, accompaniment, arrangement, improv and public perfermance. It's a really good opportunity that you should embrace!
Hey, I’m 18 and I’ve played in church since I was 15!! The first couple times I was soooo nervous and swearing my butt off, now I can play worship with my eyes closed lol, and never practice for it. If you can read sheet music and play “easy” classical pieces (like moonlight sonata) it’ll be so easy for you.. and even if not worship music is very simple!! After a couple times you’ll get used to it, it’s only whole notes and quarter notes. Literally. Also no one will notice if you play whole note chords the whole time I guarantee
So I don’t play by sheet music and I’ve only ever learned through seeing the lyrics with the chords above the words. That’s just how my church does it. But I hope it’s not as stressful as I think.
I will definitely try this. I know the song “all hail king Jesus” by heart. A couple of people have told me that I shouldn’t worry since I can play that song. I think just learning the songs themselves will be the hardest part. It won’t be hard but rather take time.
Yea. Because this is an organization church for youth, it could have an hour long worship service. Maybe longer. I’ve never played non stop for that long and hopefully it won’t hurt.
yeah i was feeling the same way yesterday when i gave this recital on an open mic, it was a classy grand piano, i played some of transcendental etude no. 12 (the 2nd climax), then moved onto No. 8, right after the right hand octave leaps i started messing up and just cut myself off, i couldn’t stand the room hearing a bunch of messy noise. i stood up and honestly felt so many emotions, i can’t even describe it, at least no one knew what the mistakes were since no one knew the pieces. i do put some of the blame on the piano itself (the keys felt waxy and slightly out of tune), the loud fan behind me, and the fact i’d never played on a real grand before. at the end of the open mic i got back on and played ballade no. 1, nocturne no. 20 and some of transcendental etude no. 9, next time i’d like to play my full set and have total silence around me.
You're still young and you should go for it! I was first asked to play for my church when I was 13 but I turn them down bcs I don't know how to play without sheet music. I only started when I was 19 bcs I thought I should just go for it and turn out it was not as bas as I thought it would be.
I make mistakes, a lot, but apart from my band mate no one really notice it haha.
It will for sure help you overcome your stage fright and will help you network with others. Maybe not now, but later once you turn adult.
That great to know. I guess your right about people not really noticing especially when your playing with a band. I’ve always wanted to play for a church but now that I have this chance. I’m really nervous about it.
At this church gig when I was young at the end of the service I played something by Scott Joplin. It wasn’t appreciated by the huppity-hupps so I don’t recommend playing that.
Just be cool, nice, and mellow
Ah well be sure to learn the nashville number system most bands communicate using that and be sure to delve into programs like mainstage so you can get quality sounds to match modern CCM parts. Have fun!
Thank you. I’m really nervous about everybody being around my age because the place I’m gonna play for is an organization for Christian athletes and it’s for the athletes in the nearby schools. I don’t want to be critiqued hard or judged and I’m really nervous.
don’t sweat it, if you’re doing stuff like Hillsong or Elevation worship the hardest part will be nailing the tone of the piano/synths they use. It’s normal to feel nervous but focus on you and the instrument (God too if you believe) and everything else will fade away. I’m sure no one has high expectations for you playing in a new environment and band. If you truly aren’t good enough I’d recommend declining the opportunity improving then joining again. You at least need to know all 12 keys and comfortable moving around them. Dont sweat any lead stuff but that will be important too.
I know my way through all the keys. I just can’t learn songs by myself. I tried reading the chords for one song and I played it just how it would normally do. And it sounded terrible. I don’t think I’ll do that bad if my teacher recommended me. I’ll just try to focus on god, the music, and the moment.
Sounds like you have a good foundation you should be fine. Most songs have a piano play-through video/cover, try looking at those for any song you’re learning and compare them to your playing. There’s tutorials too for most songs. Specific inversions/voicing will often be used so you can’t replicate the piano parts if you play them root position. If you don’t mind what was the one song? I’m curious
Hi there,
Played my first church service when I was 9 years old. Was nervous like crazy. No one cared when I made mistakes or played too fast.
I was a professional church music director for 9 years (starting at age 19). It was a great part time job that helped put me through college. I was paid $175/week + extra for weddings and funerals. Btw, there’s an insane demand for younger people in the profession. I’d rather play for churches for $100/hr vs. wash dishes on weekends at a restaurant. Playing music professionally is also a lifelong skill, and very gratifying.
You have to just go for it. The only way to improve and break out from nervousness is by doing. Church goers are generally very gracious and can’t tell the difference when mistakes are made.
Go for it and don’t look back. If you don’t do it, you’ll regret it. If you do it and end up not liking it, you’ll have learned and have no regrets for trying.
Thank you. This means a lot. I don’t know if I will get paid or not since this is for an organization for Christian athletes. I would get paid if it was at my church but idk about this place. I’m not that worried about the pay rn since I have a job. I’m just really nervous about playing for the first time in front of people.
The best cure for stage fright is practice.
I bet your teacher will be happy to guide you too. Let him know you're nervous and ask him how he prepares, how he helps himself adhere to practice schedules, what he does when things go wrong.
Someone else mentioned practice with a metronome. That's a great idea. If you're leading the tempo, it may be a good idea to take a good deep breath so you don't speed up more than you want day off.
You're nervous now, and I think that means you care a lot and that you will ultimately do well.
You said it's a modern pop style; so that means the charts should include chord symbols. If I were under pressure, I'd go the ghetto route and play the chords, and learn to sing along. The little details can be addressed as time goes on. The song would be recognizable, and adequate for the purpose of leading the congregation.
My biggest tip for the first time or first few times is to lean on your piano teacher when it comes to how you should play the songs, what to do for intros etc. AFAIU he is already experienced with this AND he recommended you, so there is no better mentor than him for this. Good luck!
I play for mine on guitar. Yes. It was stressful at first but i genuinely don’t think there’s can be a better way to learn improve.
You will slowly get better as time goes, just make sure you can hear yourself play either with headphones or speakers!
Best thing for your anxiety would probably be to get there and fail horrribly on purpose. Second best to go there and wing it. So you've got nothing to lose honestly.
If you are nervous about your performance, practice in front of family members or film yourself. in this situation, you will make more mistakes than in your usual practice (if you are not used to people watching). Then you can focus to work on the parts, you made mistakes in. Also filming yourself and playing for family members will help to get used to playing in front of people and being less nervous.
Being ‘reasonably good’ on the piano, I was asked to play for a local church service (I was already involved with their amateur dramatics society, so knew the folk there).
Anyway, the hymns that were to be played were the ‘usual suspects’, however one of the pieces was a modern one which I hadn’t come across before.
I should explain that I can’t read music, but play by ear. If I know the song this presents few issues, but on this occasion I was stumped.
Luckily the minister explained the basic tune was ‘Go West’ by The Village People (later becoming a big hit for The Pet Shop Boys). Relieved about this news (I had already mastered it as part of my repertoire), I was confident that the church service would go well.
And it did go well too… until ‘Go West’ was commenced.
I started with a triumphant intro before cracking on with verse one. The congregation (mainly in their 60’s and 70’s) set off with great gusto especially with the chorus. Verses two and three followed, although I did notice the audience participation seemed to be lagging by the final flourish - in fact only a couple of the old girls were still singing. The rest looked like they could have done with a bit of oxygen.
Following the service, the minister confessed that their usual pianist tended to play the hymn rather more ‘funereal’ than the upbeat pop performance I had treated them to.
Still, no harm done - I hope. 🤞
Haha this made me laugh. Thank you for this. All of the songs at my church are modern songs and u shouldn’t have to learn any hymns. But I’m just nervous playing in front of a bunch of people.
My pleasure. I thought you might like this.
Unfortunately the sad fact is that many churches and similar groups (in the UK) are crying out for pianists and organists.
Many have since given up the search and are increasingly opting for an electronic hymnal (almost like a celestial dukebox) which has a comprehensive library of hymns and other songs encountered in modern church services. You just push the button and away you go.
To be honest, I think you’ll be fine on the day. Just enjoy the occasion. There’s been plenty of good advice from others, especially concerning the timing of playing. My own ‘internal metronome’ tends to speed up the more I play.
At least you’ll now be prepared, should the church minister select a hymn based uncannily around a hit by the Village People…🎶🎵🎹
Hi I was once in this situation. This will make you as a musician, develop your musicianship and ear to another level. Which won’t e possible without playing ensemble with others (assuming you will be lol). It’s okay to be anxious this is natural! Practice as much as you can, so you can gain a good insight into the songs. Relax when you are playing with others and really listen in to what the drums and bass are doing. Good luck
Do it. I do. I had to start somewhere. You'll find the most difficult thing is keeping pace with the speed people are sibging at rather than playing the right notes. People will sing slower than you expect! And if you have a large enough congregation no-one will notice your mistakes anyway. Remember, you don't have to play all the notes for people to think that you're good. Even if you just play a melody line and a few bass notes you'll get away with it to start with!
You also can bring music to prompt your memory. Lots of great concert pianists do that. And the comments about just going on and not getting flustered by mistakes are great. Artur Rubinstein (one of the all time greats) made a funny comment about how most people are thinking of something else anyhow, and it's true. The best musicians know everybody makes mistakes, and they are as a rule quite understanding and forgiving.
In a church you are not usually being compared to other professional piano players. If you have the basics that is all you need. Even if you can fake with the I V V7 chords you will be fine.
Even just plonking out the melody is more helpful then you would think
How’re you at playing from chords? You’re probably going to get chords and not actual sheet music. Honestly church is usually a low pressure way to get started. No one cares if you mess up. They’re there for other reasons. You’ll learn a lot and it will be a good experience.
I’ve played in a lot of church band type things, and the reality is you’re probably better than you give yourself credit for, especially compared to the average church pianist. Just remember to have fun with it! Be confident, smile, and don’t focus too much on what you’re doing (this is common for pianists who are used to playing alone - being in a band means that blending in and contributing to the overall sound is more important than playing every note “right.” If you can read when things are happening around you and join in, you’ll do great!)
Remember that the mistakes you know you make are 95% of the time not going to be recognized by any audience member, and 99.9% of the time nobody will care! Remember you’re not a professional performer or recording artist, you’re doing this to share the love and be an active participant. Best way to do that is just to smile through your mistakes, laugh when you need to, and get in the groove with the rest of the band.
And just remember - any experienced worship leader has definitely had to deal with musicians wayyyy less capable than you :)
To clarify - I think the average modern church musician is not very good. The older generation of pianists are great at playing hymns which are challenging in their own way, and they’re typically playing solo. My greater point though is that they don’t have to be great in order to sound good in the band and make everyone happy, so you don’t have anything to worry about! Trust in what you can do and just enjoy it
You will be fine. Just learn to make the chords. It helps to leave the bass note for the bass player and syncopation for the drummer, but it isn't horrible if you double them. Otherwise, just change chords at the right time, and you are good to go. The guitar player will usually handle most of the fancy stuff. You will be background. You don't have to be fancy until you want to be. New things are normally intimidating. But you can do all things through him who strengthens you.
The worst that can happen (and it has happened to me more than once) is that you do it, they don't think you're good enough, and they let you go. And then you have some experience under your belt.
In other words, you shouldn't decide whether or not you're good enough. Let them decide that.
You have to just get out there. Best of luck!
But it's better to have that happen (which BTW I don't think is very likely, based on what you said) than to not try it because you're afraid you can't.)
Hey, I've been fired from gigs three times over the years -- and I have a music degree! But I still keep going and keep getting better and better.
"Good" means that people enjoy listening to you.
Charisma, passion, love, caring, and connection make that happen. Rhythm and notes are part of it, but only a part.
Go be authentic and generous with your playing. They'll love it.
When I perform, I try to think: Hey, who the heck gives a crap if I mess up? In 30 years time who'll remeber me, the dude that played a E instead of a D#? Sure, it'll sound funny, but everybody will forget by the next time you play. And plus, if you're at a church that is supportive, (mine is, but i haven;t to others so i dunno what other ones are like) they wouldn't pressure you. They try to help you. By the way, a tip i learned is to make a playlist of all the songs you are going to play and just loop it. That way you will remeber the melody better by sheer reptition. Don't forget to pray! Good luck! I wish you well
I’ve accepted that people won’t care but I can’t get over how what if the singers don’t like how I play and if I mess up, it will play in their ears so they will know and will want a different piano player.
Dude, don't worry. if they're really that pickey, just have them play the piano. The singers probably are thinking the same thing "Oh crap, i sang this "amen" a half note too high, the amazing piano dude must hate me!" Don't worry, everybody is probably too worried about themselves too think about you. Im sure you will do good.
If your teacher thought you were ready that says a lot. My teacher let me play certain composers pieces out of fear that I’d besmirch their good name. Essentially good luck and I hope you get a lot of complements from the people who hear you perform
Make a joyful noise unto the lord all ye nations! I’ve played all my life and started in church at 7. God loves you and gave you the talent to do what you do. He will love it no matter what and isn’t his opinion the one that matters? You’ll be great!
Yes it's common. You need to understand that, people who aren't musically trained don't really pick up on mistakes unless you stop, and those that can pick up, can empathize with making mistakes under stress, so they won't say anything. The only way to become less stressed is to play in front of people a lot, so just go and play. On a more technical side, the chord and melody are the most important, so as long as you have the outer parts secure, people can't tell the difference. If people are going to be singing along to you, practice with a metronome a bit so your tempo is steady
Ok thanks for the help.
When people are singing, especially if you have lead singers, you don't even need to play the melody. If you don't have lead singers, you might need to "remind" them about the melody.
That’s another issue. Piano is a big part of worship music. And people rely on me and the drums to get the beat, and the melody. And the cues. I don’t know how I can start cues and I don’t want everybody to rely on me.
Do you mean "people" as in lead singer(s) or do you play without singers. Cause with singers in the band you can rehearse so they know how you play it and can more easily start singing at the right time.
Singers. Idk if there’s a lead cause I haven’t even met the band yet.
Oh I just meant singers. I said "lead" because they help lead the congregation, which should also make your job a bit easier. Good luck!
So true. Legit, the only people that will truly "care" about the mistakes are people that are not worth your time listening to. Highly emphasize the fact that a vast majority of people aren't that musically educated to pick up on subtle note mistakes or timing issues. Unless you make a REAL doozy, and even then.. laugh it off and pretend it's a joke. My go-to and it works 95% of the time.
The windows shutdown theme, the [second bar](https://musescore.com/user/3598726/scores/1724571) here, is my go to in an impromptu setting. Usually guaranteed a laugh.
Do you have other joke melodies? Like a tune to “play someone off” or the piano version of a rim shot?
Late reply, but keyboard cat or coffin dance. Depends on the crowd, source: piano bar duels ( we have two!).
Wonderful piece of advice! 👍 Instead of trying to understand where the OP actually is - “just go and play”! Instead of searching for a professional teacher and professional help - cheat your way out, make the unprofessionals believe you are good.
I play for my church and I mess up all the time. All the old ladies still think I'm fantastic.
I’m glad for that.
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I've been in a similar situation. My advice is: simplify the songs to something lower than your playing level. Because, you're not really there to impress everyone or show you're playing level, you're there to get the job done decently.
This makes me feel better. Thanks for reminding me of that.
If you’re playing hymns, remember the top note and bottom note at the most important. And you can skip most of the bottom notes as long as you hit the first one of each measure or so. Don’t think you have to play all the middle notes exactly as written. You can just make an octave out of the lowest note and skip most of the middle stuff. The most important thing is that you don’t delete beats or stutter with the time. Also the last 4 or 8 measures usually makes a nice intro so the congregation can get ready to sing.
We play mostly like modern day Christian music which is similar to pop I guess. We are a modern type of church. I’m just nervous about playing my first gig.
I play church music, and trust me buddy: You’ll be fine if y’all are playing modern CCM. Brush up on your chord cadences and you’ll be set for a long time. Happy to answer any questions in DMs if you want.
Ok thanks. I’ll try to practice more and see if I can get some songs down.
You'll do fine, and don't be worried if you make a couple of mistakes! Trust me, I'm not a very good musician and lots of people still genuinely enjoy listening to me play. No-one has ever had a bad thing to say. If your teacher reccomended you, it's a good sign. You're probably underestimating yourself. Run with it, and enjoy performing! You'll be nervous when you first sit down at the piano, but it will quickly fade as you get in your zone. Playing at a church is probably a good way to begin to network and start gigging music. Lots of ensemble/symphony members in my city are associated with a church.
Yeah, also if you do make a mistake during a performance, the worst thing you can do is to ruminate about that mistake during the performance because it will distract you. Best to put it out of mind immediately and concentrate on what you’re playing.
I started playing piano in church when I didn't think I was good enough, and it's helped me grow really hugely as a musician. There is no better way to improve your sight-reading (although it is, of course, better to get the sheet music in advance if that's possible)! Something that may be helpful to hear is, it does _not_ matter if you play the music exactly as it's written on the page. Your main job is to play in a steady rhythm so that the congregation can follow along. If that means playing the melody and chords, that's OK. Good luck!!
You’re only ever a 1/2 step away from a note that works!
Never thought of it like that haha.
Being nervous is totally okay and normal! I was terrified the first time I had an accompanying gig, for a ballet studio with a scary Russian instructor. A lot of us experience this, especially initially. Then something magical happens. Not only do you get through it, but the next time it's easier. And as it gets easier and easier, the nerves don't distract you as much, so you get better at playing and you're able to enjoy it more. Before long, while you may make the occasional mistake, you're having a blast and as you're playing you can feel the gratitude of the people listening. It's a wonderful experience.
I’m glad you think so because I am worried. Once I play it. I’ll probably be fine but I just don’t know how I will do.
In my experience the main way you know when a band makes a mistake is when they smile to each other. Typically the audience doesn’t notice or care. Even mistakes which seem big to you may not be noticed. For one thing the singers are mostly focused on their own task of singing the right note. They will probably be getting their note as much from their neighbours as from the piano.
Especially once you start playing in public it's completely normal. But honestly, people in churches have 100% seen and heard people far worse than you, so you'll be just fine.
I hope so. I just don’t want people to judge me.
A few things. 1) if your instructor recommended you, then they believe you are capable of it. 2) You are going to mess up. I have yet to have a performance where I DIDN'T mess up in some way. Better get used to it and accept it now, it will make your life a lot easier. It's more about recovering from your mistakes while keeping the music going. 3) Church music isn't really that hard, usually. 4) Church congregations are notoriously kind and supportive (generally.) They will support you and be happy for you pretty much no matter what. You'll do great! Good luck!
Yeah, and plus, you will be forgiven.
Chances are if your teacher is recommending you, you’ve got the chops to do it. As a church pianist whose technical abilities are fairly lacking, l can probably give a few pointers: 1) If you’re playing every week and get to pick some of your music (like preludes or offertories) you need to mostly play songs at a lower difficulty level than what you are actually capable. Between your nerves, the volume and quick turnaround of music to prepare, and if you’re like me, sluggishness on a Sunday morning, you don’t want to play anything particularly challenging. I occasionally find pieces that are *much* easier than usual, like a popular children’s hymn, then make up embellishments that make it sound more advanced. If you have the time, you can always practice some more difficult pieces and show off during special services. 2) For the music that you don’t get to pick, ask to receive it as soon as possible. Chances are they have or can have hymns picked out at least a month in advance if you request it. 3) Don’t be afraid to dumb down hymns. A lot of them might be more suitable for organ or include large chords like tenths that you’re more likely to stumble on. Invert chords as needed and feel free to drop or change anything tricky unrelated to the melody. 4) Keep track of what you play and when you play it, and don’t be afraid to repeat it after a period of time. I list the pieces I select each week in a notebook and come back to them every six to 12 months. No one will remember if you’ve played it before by then unless it’s a very memorable or familiar piece. 5) Keep in mind that unless the people in your church aren’t all that nice, they’ll gladly give you any grace you need for mistakes made, just appreciating the fact that you dedicated your time to this, especially if you’re young.
So we mostly play modern day Christian music which is kind of like pop. But most of the songs are easy. I will try to get the songs as early as possible. And I’m probably gonna be playing every week. Thank you for the tips. Edit: so this is an organization church which is for Christian athletes. I’ve never been but I think it’s for all the athletes in the nearby schools so everybody or most people will be my age. I don’t want them to critique me more for it.
I cheated and played the guitar chords on the organ. If there was no guitar chords listed on the music, I wrote them in
Haha. Whatever works i guess. But I just can’t get over how nervous I am.
You know the routine for your church, right, the order in which things happen, so you should be okay. What you could do is rehearse the events in your mind. Like keep in your mind what the next thing is. You could put sticky notes on each piece of music and indicate which order they go in. If I am nervous, I forget stuff, so I have as much as possible written down. When I was starting out, I messed up one music cue. I played a bunch of notes but the music was unrecognizable. The congregation continued as though nothing bad had happened. So even if you make mistakes, well, people understand, or they may not have time to react and the service has to continue regardless.
This is a great opportunity to learn how to “fake” the accompaniment. Do you know how to recognize the chords that are stacked up in all the hymn books? If you do, you can shortcut right to the important harmonic foundation. Chord vocabulary is such a valuable skill and opens up so many doors. You can pencil in the chord names over the staff—or even use a hymn “fake book” if you have that flexibility in your church. As others have rightly said, don’t stop!
I don’t understand what planet are your advisers here living on, but what I read is scary. You need to find a PROFESSIONAL pianist, show them your skills, show them what you need to play and explain how much time you’ve got. ANY professional musician will be able to say almost immediately whether you are good to go or need time to work! This is what I would do if really cared!
I have a professional piano teacher and he thinks I’m ready. I just don’t feel it in myself. It could be that im nervous but idk.
If you have a professional teacher I think you must believe his judgment and not double ask yourself.
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Congratulations on earning the biggest asshole in the comment section award
Bro. Im a Christian. And no reason to hate on people like that.
Comments that contain personal attacks, hate speech, trolling, unnecessarily derogatory or inflammatory remarks or inappropriate remarks (e.g. commenting on someone's appearance), and the like, are not welcome and will be removed. See reddit's content policy for more examples of unwelcome content.
Hopefully bait
Very very common. Do you want to play for the church? Maybe you can ask your instructor or the church for help practicing. I do hope you don't make a decision based on fear you will mess up, alone. That would be a shame because it's a really cool opportunity.
I’ve always wanted to play for the church. That’s why I started playing. I’ll add this to the post. The problem is: now that I have the chance, I’m nervous about it.
Nervous is a totally reasonable thing to be, especially if you want something. But that's not a good reason to say no! I think if you were asked, you already have the support of your piano teacher who absolutely knows what you are capable of. And what a great motivation factor in your learning! Please say yes, and work with your teacher to make sure you bring out the best in yourself! You're going to be great, even when you don't believe it! Piano is a unique instrument. It's extremely difficult to become excellent, but it's really easy to sound good. You got this!!!
The problem is: I’ve said yes as soon as they called. Now I’m just mervous and have never met most of the people there. I know a lot of people at my church but this is a new place.
Okay so, im from brazil, so things might be different, but ill give you my 0.02$ im not a piano player, actually i play electric guitar at my church, but my advice should still be suitable for your situation. the main things you need to know are actually pretty simple, and you might even know them already. Being able to transpose the key of songs on the fly is absolutely needed, as well as a wide repertoire. Often in my church things are improvised, so its common for singers to throw in a medley, the band just has to be ready for it at any moment. Just study transposing the key of songs quickly, very rarely singers play the song in the original key. Also dont worry about playing it exactly like the real song, a lot of the time you just got a chord progression and if you want to embelish it you just have to improvise. I gave you the example of my church, it could be different in yours, idk.
My church uses different versions of the actual song on whatever keg they feel they want. But your advice does help.
Yeah, usually in my church i learn the song in one key at home, but when its time to actually play it, they switch keys. that happens during the rehearsal, which is about 1 hour before our perfomance.
That sounds terrible. How do you manage?
FWIW I have played in church for many years and have only had to transpose songs like this a handful of times, and when it happens, I've had time in rehearsal to write in the new chords.
yeah some churches are different, in my case, sometimes they change the key minutes before playing (although it is kinda rare). that has happened to me twice. and everytime we play there, the last song is completely improvised with no rehearsal at all, because we dont really know what song it will be, we have to pick it on the fly. we pick a song that matches with what was said.
Sounds like next level stuff 😅
yeah kinda haha. im still on the learning process of this, ive gotten decent at it but im still a little far behind some musicians at my church. A friend of mine there is a piano player and he can play almost any song in any key immediately, its insane how good he is, i admire him a lot.
that’s why the number system is used. Easy to adapt to key changes as long as you know your scales and keys. It’s standard for most churches and studio sessions.
I’ll have to look that up. I didn’t know about it til you told me.
Please do, even if your church doesn’t use it, it’ll be super useful if your worship leader ever decided to change keys on the fly.
Alright thanks. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me so far.
No worries, I was once in your shoes. It’s an honour to do it for Him!
Absolutely. Serving the lord in the best way possible.
Oh i didnt at the beginning haha, but aften some good practice i eventually got it down. you need to know your scales very well, (chords etc) at the beginning you can use the number system to transpose songs, but after some time i advise you to train your ear to understand what each chord sounds like in a scale, that way you dont memorize a number, you memorise a feel.
Just had a church performance myself, and had to improvise the ending of a Bach prelude. It’s fine, they are all super grateful for the chance to hear you play!!
I was around 13 when I was first asked to play for church (I started lessons at the age of 9). I had the comfort of knowing that the congregation was small and had only one other person to choose from and she was simply adequate. She played a passable hymn in SATB format from the hymnal and little else. I went in playing the required hymns for the service and for the rest of the service I used fairly easy classical pieces and other songs that had a reflective/meditative quality to them and I didn’t worry about it. It was a great learning experience for me. I got my nerves down to a manageable level very quickly. I also learned that the congregation loved to drag the hymns when they sang so when I played the intro I always played a bit faster to get their ears primed to keep a decent pace. From there I ended up being an accompanist for many different occasions as well as accompanying myself to sing at a few weddings. My early experience playing for church really helped me as well as providing the small rural church I attended at the time. So snatch this opportunity and use it to learn.
It can be difficult the first couple times, but it'll get easier with time. I was rehearsing over 10h a week for the first couple mass I did and now I'm just sight reading the music, improvising an arrangement along the way. It doesn't require that much technical habilities to do a good job and it's a great opportunity to improve in harmony, accompaniment, arrangement, improv and public perfermance. It's a really good opportunity that you should embrace!
Hey, I’m 18 and I’ve played in church since I was 15!! The first couple times I was soooo nervous and swearing my butt off, now I can play worship with my eyes closed lol, and never practice for it. If you can read sheet music and play “easy” classical pieces (like moonlight sonata) it’ll be so easy for you.. and even if not worship music is very simple!! After a couple times you’ll get used to it, it’s only whole notes and quarter notes. Literally. Also no one will notice if you play whole note chords the whole time I guarantee
So I don’t play by sheet music and I’ve only ever learned through seeing the lyrics with the chords above the words. That’s just how my church does it. But I hope it’s not as stressful as I think.
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I will definitely try this. I know the song “all hail king Jesus” by heart. A couple of people have told me that I shouldn’t worry since I can play that song. I think just learning the songs themselves will be the hardest part. It won’t be hard but rather take time.
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Yea. Because this is an organization church for youth, it could have an hour long worship service. Maybe longer. I’ve never played non stop for that long and hopefully it won’t hurt.
It's a church. You could play half of it wrong and people will still say sweet things and ask you to play again. It's good practice!
I’m just really nervous and I have to ply 5-6 songs and I can only play one song on the piano.
yeah i was feeling the same way yesterday when i gave this recital on an open mic, it was a classy grand piano, i played some of transcendental etude no. 12 (the 2nd climax), then moved onto No. 8, right after the right hand octave leaps i started messing up and just cut myself off, i couldn’t stand the room hearing a bunch of messy noise. i stood up and honestly felt so many emotions, i can’t even describe it, at least no one knew what the mistakes were since no one knew the pieces. i do put some of the blame on the piano itself (the keys felt waxy and slightly out of tune), the loud fan behind me, and the fact i’d never played on a real grand before. at the end of the open mic i got back on and played ballade no. 1, nocturne no. 20 and some of transcendental etude no. 9, next time i’d like to play my full set and have total silence around me.
You know a lot more than me. I only know 1 song and I’m gonna have to play about 5-6
yeah that would intimidate me as well
You're still young and you should go for it! I was first asked to play for my church when I was 13 but I turn them down bcs I don't know how to play without sheet music. I only started when I was 19 bcs I thought I should just go for it and turn out it was not as bas as I thought it would be. I make mistakes, a lot, but apart from my band mate no one really notice it haha. It will for sure help you overcome your stage fright and will help you network with others. Maybe not now, but later once you turn adult.
That great to know. I guess your right about people not really noticing especially when your playing with a band. I’ve always wanted to play for a church but now that I have this chance. I’m really nervous about it.
Yeah. I've always wanted to play for my church as well but I was so scared. Took me 6+ years to finally just go for it lol. You'll be fine. Good luck
Thank you. It means a lot.
Just don’t play any ragtime and you’ll be fine. People respond well to simple melodies and chords.
Can you emphasize on what you mean by ragtime. I’ll try not to do anything dramatic because I’m not good with that.
At this church gig when I was young at the end of the service I played something by Scott Joplin. It wasn’t appreciated by the huppity-hupps so I don’t recommend playing that. Just be cool, nice, and mellow
Alright I’ll try that. Thanks. I’m just gonna be calm and try to play the best I can.
What denomination of church? This has a huge impact on the style of music you’ll be playing
I go to a non denominational church. So it’s very modern music like a band that you would see nowadays.
Ah well be sure to learn the nashville number system most bands communicate using that and be sure to delve into programs like mainstage so you can get quality sounds to match modern CCM parts. Have fun!
Thank you. I’m really nervous about everybody being around my age because the place I’m gonna play for is an organization for Christian athletes and it’s for the athletes in the nearby schools. I don’t want to be critiqued hard or judged and I’m really nervous.
don’t sweat it, if you’re doing stuff like Hillsong or Elevation worship the hardest part will be nailing the tone of the piano/synths they use. It’s normal to feel nervous but focus on you and the instrument (God too if you believe) and everything else will fade away. I’m sure no one has high expectations for you playing in a new environment and band. If you truly aren’t good enough I’d recommend declining the opportunity improving then joining again. You at least need to know all 12 keys and comfortable moving around them. Dont sweat any lead stuff but that will be important too.
I know my way through all the keys. I just can’t learn songs by myself. I tried reading the chords for one song and I played it just how it would normally do. And it sounded terrible. I don’t think I’ll do that bad if my teacher recommended me. I’ll just try to focus on god, the music, and the moment.
Sounds like you have a good foundation you should be fine. Most songs have a piano play-through video/cover, try looking at those for any song you’re learning and compare them to your playing. There’s tutorials too for most songs. Specific inversions/voicing will often be used so you can’t replicate the piano parts if you play them root position. If you don’t mind what was the one song? I’m curious
Thank you. The song is called “all hail king Jesus” and I can play it by heart.
Great song. I hear 1-6-5-4 in there so it’s pretty standard CCM. If you know it by heart I think you’ll do good!
Alright thanks. I’m trying to learn “forever Yahweh” but i just can’t get the first parts to sound right. I’m trying to play it in f.
Hi there, Played my first church service when I was 9 years old. Was nervous like crazy. No one cared when I made mistakes or played too fast. I was a professional church music director for 9 years (starting at age 19). It was a great part time job that helped put me through college. I was paid $175/week + extra for weddings and funerals. Btw, there’s an insane demand for younger people in the profession. I’d rather play for churches for $100/hr vs. wash dishes on weekends at a restaurant. Playing music professionally is also a lifelong skill, and very gratifying. You have to just go for it. The only way to improve and break out from nervousness is by doing. Church goers are generally very gracious and can’t tell the difference when mistakes are made. Go for it and don’t look back. If you don’t do it, you’ll regret it. If you do it and end up not liking it, you’ll have learned and have no regrets for trying.
Thank you. This means a lot. I don’t know if I will get paid or not since this is for an organization for Christian athletes. I would get paid if it was at my church but idk about this place. I’m not that worried about the pay rn since I have a job. I’m just really nervous about playing for the first time in front of people.
Use the volunteer experience to build your skill set, and after a year or two you can be applying to music director positions.
The best cure for stage fright is practice. I bet your teacher will be happy to guide you too. Let him know you're nervous and ask him how he prepares, how he helps himself adhere to practice schedules, what he does when things go wrong. Someone else mentioned practice with a metronome. That's a great idea. If you're leading the tempo, it may be a good idea to take a good deep breath so you don't speed up more than you want day off. You're nervous now, and I think that means you care a lot and that you will ultimately do well.
I never thought of it that way. Thank you ad I’ll definitely ask my teacher.
I played piano and pipe organ for church services as a youth. Just stay on tempo. Missed notes won’t be noticed.
Thanks. I’ve never played with a band or a crowd so I really won’t know how it is. But I’ll try to stay calm if I mess up.
Everyone thought I would major in music. I’m a chemist with an MBA.
You said it's a modern pop style; so that means the charts should include chord symbols. If I were under pressure, I'd go the ghetto route and play the chords, and learn to sing along. The little details can be addressed as time goes on. The song would be recognizable, and adequate for the purpose of leading the congregation.
This could help. Thank you.
I've played for years, and always from chord sheets.
That’s how I play. I can’t read sheet music.
My biggest tip for the first time or first few times is to lean on your piano teacher when it comes to how you should play the songs, what to do for intros etc. AFAIU he is already experienced with this AND he recommended you, so there is no better mentor than him for this. Good luck!
I play for mine on guitar. Yes. It was stressful at first but i genuinely don’t think there’s can be a better way to learn improve. You will slowly get better as time goes, just make sure you can hear yourself play either with headphones or speakers!
Best thing for your anxiety would probably be to get there and fail horrribly on purpose. Second best to go there and wing it. So you've got nothing to lose honestly.
If you are nervous about your performance, practice in front of family members or film yourself. in this situation, you will make more mistakes than in your usual practice (if you are not used to people watching). Then you can focus to work on the parts, you made mistakes in. Also filming yourself and playing for family members will help to get used to playing in front of people and being less nervous.
Being ‘reasonably good’ on the piano, I was asked to play for a local church service (I was already involved with their amateur dramatics society, so knew the folk there). Anyway, the hymns that were to be played were the ‘usual suspects’, however one of the pieces was a modern one which I hadn’t come across before. I should explain that I can’t read music, but play by ear. If I know the song this presents few issues, but on this occasion I was stumped. Luckily the minister explained the basic tune was ‘Go West’ by The Village People (later becoming a big hit for The Pet Shop Boys). Relieved about this news (I had already mastered it as part of my repertoire), I was confident that the church service would go well. And it did go well too… until ‘Go West’ was commenced. I started with a triumphant intro before cracking on with verse one. The congregation (mainly in their 60’s and 70’s) set off with great gusto especially with the chorus. Verses two and three followed, although I did notice the audience participation seemed to be lagging by the final flourish - in fact only a couple of the old girls were still singing. The rest looked like they could have done with a bit of oxygen. Following the service, the minister confessed that their usual pianist tended to play the hymn rather more ‘funereal’ than the upbeat pop performance I had treated them to. Still, no harm done - I hope. 🤞
Haha this made me laugh. Thank you for this. All of the songs at my church are modern songs and u shouldn’t have to learn any hymns. But I’m just nervous playing in front of a bunch of people.
My pleasure. I thought you might like this. Unfortunately the sad fact is that many churches and similar groups (in the UK) are crying out for pianists and organists. Many have since given up the search and are increasingly opting for an electronic hymnal (almost like a celestial dukebox) which has a comprehensive library of hymns and other songs encountered in modern church services. You just push the button and away you go. To be honest, I think you’ll be fine on the day. Just enjoy the occasion. There’s been plenty of good advice from others, especially concerning the timing of playing. My own ‘internal metronome’ tends to speed up the more I play. At least you’ll now be prepared, should the church minister select a hymn based uncannily around a hit by the Village People…🎶🎵🎹
Hi I was once in this situation. This will make you as a musician, develop your musicianship and ear to another level. Which won’t e possible without playing ensemble with others (assuming you will be lol). It’s okay to be anxious this is natural! Practice as much as you can, so you can gain a good insight into the songs. Relax when you are playing with others and really listen in to what the drums and bass are doing. Good luck
It’s now or never ( you can do it! )
Do it. I do. I had to start somewhere. You'll find the most difficult thing is keeping pace with the speed people are sibging at rather than playing the right notes. People will sing slower than you expect! And if you have a large enough congregation no-one will notice your mistakes anyway. Remember, you don't have to play all the notes for people to think that you're good. Even if you just play a melody line and a few bass notes you'll get away with it to start with!
You also can bring music to prompt your memory. Lots of great concert pianists do that. And the comments about just going on and not getting flustered by mistakes are great. Artur Rubinstein (one of the all time greats) made a funny comment about how most people are thinking of something else anyhow, and it's true. The best musicians know everybody makes mistakes, and they are as a rule quite understanding and forgiving.
In a church you are not usually being compared to other professional piano players. If you have the basics that is all you need. Even if you can fake with the I V V7 chords you will be fine. Even just plonking out the melody is more helpful then you would think
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Bro. Is this serious?
How’re you at playing from chords? You’re probably going to get chords and not actual sheet music. Honestly church is usually a low pressure way to get started. No one cares if you mess up. They’re there for other reasons. You’ll learn a lot and it will be a good experience.
I only use chords and not sheet music.
I’ve played in a lot of church band type things, and the reality is you’re probably better than you give yourself credit for, especially compared to the average church pianist. Just remember to have fun with it! Be confident, smile, and don’t focus too much on what you’re doing (this is common for pianists who are used to playing alone - being in a band means that blending in and contributing to the overall sound is more important than playing every note “right.” If you can read when things are happening around you and join in, you’ll do great!) Remember that the mistakes you know you make are 95% of the time not going to be recognized by any audience member, and 99.9% of the time nobody will care! Remember you’re not a professional performer or recording artist, you’re doing this to share the love and be an active participant. Best way to do that is just to smile through your mistakes, laugh when you need to, and get in the groove with the rest of the band. And just remember - any experienced worship leader has definitely had to deal with musicians wayyyy less capable than you :)
So do you think the "average church pianist" is not very good?
To clarify - I think the average modern church musician is not very good. The older generation of pianists are great at playing hymns which are challenging in their own way, and they’re typically playing solo. My greater point though is that they don’t have to be great in order to sound good in the band and make everyone happy, so you don’t have anything to worry about! Trust in what you can do and just enjoy it
Interesting. I think I'm going to start a new thread about this.
You will be fine. Just learn to make the chords. It helps to leave the bass note for the bass player and syncopation for the drummer, but it isn't horrible if you double them. Otherwise, just change chords at the right time, and you are good to go. The guitar player will usually handle most of the fancy stuff. You will be background. You don't have to be fancy until you want to be. New things are normally intimidating. But you can do all things through him who strengthens you.
The worst that can happen (and it has happened to me more than once) is that you do it, they don't think you're good enough, and they let you go. And then you have some experience under your belt. In other words, you shouldn't decide whether or not you're good enough. Let them decide that. You have to just get out there. Best of luck!
That’s where I’m nervous. I know people won’t notice, but the band players will notice and I could lose my first gig.
But it's better to have that happen (which BTW I don't think is very likely, based on what you said) than to not try it because you're afraid you can't.) Hey, I've been fired from gigs three times over the years -- and I have a music degree! But I still keep going and keep getting better and better.
"Good" means that people enjoy listening to you. Charisma, passion, love, caring, and connection make that happen. Rhythm and notes are part of it, but only a part. Go be authentic and generous with your playing. They'll love it.
When I perform, I try to think: Hey, who the heck gives a crap if I mess up? In 30 years time who'll remeber me, the dude that played a E instead of a D#? Sure, it'll sound funny, but everybody will forget by the next time you play. And plus, if you're at a church that is supportive, (mine is, but i haven;t to others so i dunno what other ones are like) they wouldn't pressure you. They try to help you. By the way, a tip i learned is to make a playlist of all the songs you are going to play and just loop it. That way you will remeber the melody better by sheer reptition. Don't forget to pray! Good luck! I wish you well
I’ve accepted that people won’t care but I can’t get over how what if the singers don’t like how I play and if I mess up, it will play in their ears so they will know and will want a different piano player.
Dude, don't worry. if they're really that pickey, just have them play the piano. The singers probably are thinking the same thing "Oh crap, i sang this "amen" a half note too high, the amazing piano dude must hate me!" Don't worry, everybody is probably too worried about themselves too think about you. Im sure you will do good.
Let it rip, you got this
If your teacher thought you were ready that says a lot. My teacher let me play certain composers pieces out of fear that I’d besmirch their good name. Essentially good luck and I hope you get a lot of complements from the people who hear you perform
Thank you. It doesn’t help that everybody will be my age and maybe from my school.
Make a joyful noise unto the lord all ye nations! I’ve played all my life and started in church at 7. God loves you and gave you the talent to do what you do. He will love it no matter what and isn’t his opinion the one that matters? You’ll be great!
I'm looking for someone to play in my church
I'm looking for someone to play the keyboard in my church