Course Description

This course includes one hour of instruction and a study guide with classwork and examples. “Transpose” is a word that nearly all church pianists hate to hear. Without question, it is an advanced skill. But it is a skill that you can learn if you approach it from the right perspective.

There are three ways to transpose:

  1. By ear
  2. By trying to shift every note on the page a specified interval away
  3. By transposing harmony only and simulating the original style

You may not know how to play by ear yet, and the second way is practically impossible. The third way is easy and well within your ability, and that is the way that is taught in this course.

In this course, you will learn four simple steps to transposing church music. The course focuses on simple songs, but in the end, a more complex example is examined.

This is a 1-hour course and includes a study guide with illustrations and assignments.

Suggested Prerequisites

We suggest that you know the following to be able to understand this course:

  1. How to read music (general basics such as naming notes, counting, key signatures, etc.).
  2. Basic theory. You need to know how to play a major scale. Ideally, you can build simple chords such as major and minor triads. If you need help in this area, consider purchasing Theory for Church Pianists.
  3. How to identify chords and chart a song. You should be able to work through a typical song in the hymnal and write in the chords you see. If you need help in this area, consider purchasing the course How to Chart a Song.

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