When you listen to my full band demos here at Worshiphymns, you might think “that sounds great, but my worship team is two people and a prayer!” Good news: you can pull off every one of these arrangements with just a piano and an acoustic guitar.

Here’s my secret: at the core of every arrangement is a piano part that carries the whole thing. The drums, bass and electric guitars on the demos are icing. The piano is the cake. I compose these piano parts myself and write them out in musical notation – what you hear is what you see!

Why Hymns Fight Your Band (and How I Fix It)

Hymns were written for pipe organs, not guitars. The chords change on nearly every beat, and guitarists hate that. They want to strum a while and build momentum (and groove). So I smooth out the chord structure and give the accompaniment a modern feel, while keeping the melody exactly as you’ll find it in your hymnal. No jazzing it up. People want to sing hymns; they just don’t necessarily want to sing them the old fashioned way.

The same goes for pianists. Most of us were taught to pound up and down the keyboard to carry the congregation. These arrangements tone the keyboardist down and teach them to play rhythmically, so your pianist and guitarist lock into a tight little band of two.

Maybe Hymns Aren’t Your Thing

Here’s something I’ll say to my fellow modern worship leaders: you personally may not gravitate toward hymns. That’s fine. But people in your congregation most likely do, at least toward the most popular hymns, which are exactly the ones I’m building here at Worshiphymns. These arrangements give you the chance to use hymns that will bless the people in your pews yet fit seamlessly into your modern worship sets. Everyone’s happy. When was the last time your twenty-something drummer and the 60+ crowd loved the same song?

Built for Congregations, Not Concerts

Every arrangement is created to support group singing, not show off a big band. Start with piano and acoustic guitar this Sunday. As your team grows, add the other parts one player at a time. The arrangement works at every size in between.

And the stripped-down versions aren’t just a backup plan. They shine in acoustic sets, Christmas Eve services, weddings, funerals and small campuses. They’ll also save you on that Sunday when half your band calls in sick.

Hear It for Yourself

Don’t take my word for it. On this page you’ll find sound clips of my arrangement of “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name” two ways: the full worship band demo and the acoustic piano-and-guitar version. Same arrangement, same charts. Listen to both and you’ll hear exactly what I mean about the piano carrying it.

Bottom Line: If you have a piano and an acoustic guitar, you have everything you need to lead a Worshiphymn this Sunday.