When it comes to hymn playing, one of the most common questions is “What do I do with my left hand?” The right hand has it easy by playing the melody and a few alto and/or tenor notes, but the left hand is where you get to be creative! I was taught the “octave-chord” method, which, to be honest, I had a love-hate relationship with as a kid. At times it is monotonous. However, it does help to lay a solid foundation to build upon. The left hand pattern is simple:
- In 4/4 time, the left hand will play an octave on beat 1, a chord on beat 2, an octave on beat 3, and a chord on beat 4.
- In 3/4, the left hand will play an octave on beat 1, a chord on beat 2, and a chord on beat 3.
- In 2/4, the left hand will play, you guessed it, an octave on beat 1 and a chord on beat 2.
In the arrangement of “Trust and Obey” we implement the 3/4 left hand pattern while playing the melody in the right hand.
I would love to hear in the comments how you learned to play hymns and how you teach your students as well!
Emily Forster 