1. Precise releases. In Redeemer, each time a repeated note or a phrase break appears, take out exactly an eighth rest from the note preceding the break. To be sure of this, count “One-and-two-and-three-and-four-and-” and see that the release occurs exactly on either a number or an “and.”
After you have gained the discipline to do this precisely, you may wish to lengthen the note and shorten the rest slightly to improve the flow of the line.
In the slower-moving, more meditative hymns an eighth rest may cause a choppy effect. Instead, you might take out a triplet-eighth rest or a sixteenth rest.
Whatever you decide, the timing of each release should serve to enhance the musical line, and the breaks must be clear and distinct.