Practice Plan

Now you must BREAK IT DOWN into small pieces for practice. Although the size to which you should break down each piece may vary for each individual, the following plan can be used by most anyone.

Break it down VERTICALLY (into sections). Many hymns break down neatly into 3- or 4-measure sections. Determine the size of your sections, and then number them. The example to the right breaks “Redeemer” down into four sections, marked by the blue numbers. Section 1 is highlighted in yellow.

Break it down HORIZONTALLY (into lines or parts). Most hymns can be broken down neatly into four horizontal lines or parts:

• SOPRANO (higher part in treble clef, played by right hand)
• ALTO (lower part in treble clef, played mostly by the right hand, with occasional help from the left)
• TENOR (higher part in bass clef, played by the left hand)
• BASS (lower part in bass clef, played by the feet)