Leading a congregation
Leading is a different skill from playing. Your job is to give the congregation a clear starting pitch, a steady tempo, and a clean ending. A missed chord matters less than any of those.
Starting a song
- Introduction. Play the last line of the hymn as an introduction. This is the traditional organist's "give-out," and it sets the key and the tempo. A simpler option is to strum the home chord for two bars.
- Count-in. In tempo, say "one, two, sing," or take a visible breath and nod.
- Tempo. Choose the speed you can keep through your hardest chord change, not your easiest one.
During and after
- Between verses, strum one bar of the home chord.
- The last line: slow it slightly, then strum the final chord once and let it ring.
- If you get lost, strum the home chord and keep singing. The congregation will carry the melody.
Using the capo to match the hymnal
If the hymnal key is too high or too low for your shapes, clamp the capo at the fret shown below and play the shapes as written. The congregation then sings in the hymnal's key.
| Hymnal key | Play shapes in | Capo at fret |
|---|---|---|
| C | C | none |
| D | C | 2 |
| E♭ | C | 3 |
| E | C | 4 |
| F | C | 5 (or play in G, one step higher, if the tune isn't high) |
| G | G | none |
| A♭ | G | 1 |
| A | G | 2 |
| B♭ | G | 3 |
Congregational range
A comfortable congregational range runs from about the A below middle C up to the D an octave above middle C. If the highest note sounds strained, drop the capo one or two frets.