3 Steps to Your Own Hymn Reharmonizations
Date/Time
Monday, July 01, 2024
11:00 AM – 11:45 AM
Presenters
Description
Reharmonizing stanzas of a congregational hymn can result in better, more engaged singing, as unexpected chords heighten the hymn’s text. While many excellent published reharmonizations are available, the imaginative organist might want to explore ways of creating their own. This workshop introduces “progressive reharmonization,” a method of modifying and adding harmonic elements to a standard (hymnal) harmonization while avoiding chords that might confuse the singers. Topics covered will include the principles of traditional harmonic progression, how to introduce chords and non-harmonic elements that intensify those progressions, and how to use chords with harmonic extensions. No prior knowledge of advanced music theory is needed for this workshop.