In General

Introduction

Hymn playing is an art. Even accomplished concert organists can find satisfaction accompanying an enthusiastic congregation in hymn singing. As in any artistic activity, there is quite a range of currently “accepted” practice in hymn playing. But the door remains open for the more creative organist to blaze trails through new territory.

This lesson deals with registration in hymn playing for congregational singing. The guidelines introduced here are applied by many organists throughout the world. For the reason mentioned above, however, they should be considered “widely practiced procedures” rather than “standard rules.”

Learn thoroughly the guidelines introduced in this lesson, and then use them as a foundation for a lifetime of exploration into hymn registration. These guidelines are also listed as "Guidelines for Hymn Registration" in the Hymn Playing section of the workbook.