Practice Plan

Practice Parts in Combinations of Two

After learning all of the four parts by themselves, begin practicing the parts two at a time. Normally in hymn playing, play all manual parts on the Great. However, as you begin combining parts, maintaining the integrity of each part becomes an increasing challenge. Occasionally you may wish to split the hands between two manuals with contrasting registrations, listening for the integrity of lines.

Before beginning each step, review any individual parts that need it. Then return to a slower tempo, practicing the new step until it is easy to play it flawlessly 3-5 times in a row without much thinking. Then and only then should you move to a faster tempo. As usual, always practice slowly enought to stay in control.

As you begin combining parts and it becomes more of a challenge to keep the integrity of the individual parts, build a habit of staying focused on the listening skills. The next three screens will help you know just how to do that in Hymn Projects 4 and 5.