The Piano Student's Hymnal: Piano Book

Name: The Piano Student's Hymnal: Piano Book
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-18114
Price: 8.99 USD
Availability: InStock

30 Hymns Simplified for Late Elementary to Early Intermediate Pianists

Arr. Gayle Kowalchyk and E. L. Lancaster

Level: Late Elementary / Early Intermediate

Item: 00-18114

$8.99

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This collection contains 30 hymns that have become favorites of congregations through the years. The hymns have been simplified from four-voice textures to primarily two- and three-voice textures. Special attention has been given to eliminating cross voices and big stretches in the hand. "It Is Well," "Standing on the Promises," and "There Shall Be Showers of Blessing" are Federation Festivals 2016-2020 selections. A Federation Festivals 2020-2024 selection.

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, The Piano Student's Hymnal: Piano Book comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.

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Publisher: Alfred Music

Page Count: 32

UPC: 038081166742

SKU: 00-18114

More about this title

About the Arranger: Gayle Kowalchyk

Gayle Kowalchyk holds an Ed.D. in piano pedagogy from Teachers College, Columbia University, and has shaped piano education through three decades of teaching, research, and curriculum development. She has served on the faculty at California State University, Northridge, Eastern Illinois University, Oklahoma Baptist University, and the University of Oklahoma, while also directing preparatory piano programs and presenting at major national conferences including the Music Teachers National Association, Music Educators National Conference, and World Piano Pedagogy Conference.

Working alongside her husband E. L. Lancaster, Kowalchyk has co-authored over 300 educational piano books, including the widely adopted Alfred's Premier Piano Course and Music for Little Mozarts series. Her clinician work with Alfred Music and her background teaching students across all ages inform her deep understanding of what makes repertoire both accessible and musically meaningful for developing pianists.

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Why we love this

These arrangements strip away the complications that often intimidate students without sacrificing the spiritual warmth that makes these hymns endure. The deliberate elimination of hand stretches and cross-voice writing means late elementary and early intermediate students can focus on musicality, phrasing, and pedal technique rather than wrestling with awkward finger positions. Three selections earned recognition in Federation Festivals competitions, confirming what teachers already know: accessible doesn't mean artistically thin.

What to expect

Singing these hymns at the piano feels natural and unhurried. The simplified textures let the enduring melodies breathe without the density of full four-part harmony, creating an intimate quality that invites reflection rather than display.

Who it's for

Late elementary and early intermediate pianists who are ready for something beyond simple folk songs but need arrangements that respect the physical limitations of developing hands. Students preparing for recitals, church services, or festivals will find both familiar melodies and a bridge toward standard four-voice hymn arrangements they'll encounter later.

How to get the most out of it

Let the pedal sustain the harmony rather than relying on held notes in your left hand; this mirrors how hymns sound in congregation and frees your fingers for cleaner voice leading.
Shape phrases in two and three voices the way you would sing them; give yourself permission to breathe between musical phrases even when the written notes don't rest.
Begin slowly enough to clearly hear each voice, then gradually increase tempo only after the harmonic progressions feel natural under your hands.
Experiment with light rubato in the melody line to bring out the text-inspired phrasing, even though words aren't printed here.

How to use it

Build a recital around these hymns as a thematic set, pairing them with secular repertoire at the same level to show students hymn music's place in the broader piano literature. They work equally well as individual pieces woven into a mixed program, or as performance material for students who volunteer at their churches or attend faith-based schools.