Not Just Another Praise Book, Book 1: Piano Book & CD

These arrangements strike a balance between contemporary simplicity and musical sophistication. The harmonic language feels grounded and accessible while still offering enough color and movement to keep listeners engaged; worship piano at this level usually settles for either overly basic or unnecessarily complex, but this book finds the middle ground where students can actually make music.

Early intermediate pianists ready to move beyond method book-style pieces into real repertoire with harmonic substance. Students in church or worship settings will find immediate application, and secular piano students building their sight-reading skills and voicing vocabulary benefit equally from these carefully constructed arrangements.

• Listen to the CD recording first to internalize the harmonic movement and rhythmic feel before diving into the written part; these arrangements assume familiarity with the recorded style.
• Pay attention to dynamic markings and articulation throughout. Early intermediate students sometimes rush through accompanimental figures, but subtle shaping here makes the difference between accompaniment that sits back and accompaniment that breathes with the melody.
• Practice hands separately initially, especially in passages where the left hand carries harmonic motion that doesn't align with the right hand's melodic rhythm.
• Allow space where the accompaniment pulls back; your job is supporting the vocal or lead line, not competing with it.

Use these pieces in a church or school chapel setting where a pianist accompanies vocalists or a full praise band. They also work beautifully as solo recital pieces for students exploring contemporary repertoire, or as part of a broader curriculum unit on harmonic function and voicing in modern worship styles.

• Left-hand voicing patterns in contemporary harmonic progressions
• Rhythmic coordination between hands in contemporary rhythmic styles
• Reading and interpreting dynamic and articulation markings in a stylistic context
• Accompanying singers and ensemble parts with appropriate textural support
• Recognizing and executing common chord progressions in contemporary Christian music