Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Graded List of LDS Hymns for Piano Students

This does not have anything to do with Gospel Doctrine class, but since I have been trying to find a list of hymns in graduated difficulty unsuccessfully for quite some time, I finally made one myself for my piano students.  I've worked on this for several years, and think I have it pretty well leveled.  Then I thought I'd just put it out there for other parents of budding pianists, ward pianists or piano teachers to use.  I don't really know where else to share it.  Maybe Google can find it here for the next person looking.  If anyone knows of a better place to post it, let me know.  In the meantime, share with anybody you think might use it.

(I hold the copyright on this photo of my daughter)

The Music Reading Levels are using a scale of 1-10, with 1 being a brand-new beginner student and 10 being a college piano major.  So the Beginner Hymns would possibly suit a diligent 4th-year student.  For lower levels, check out my list for the Hymns Made Easy at this link.

You can download all the hymns from lds.org. On lds.org, choose "Resources" at the top of the page. Then choose "Library at the upper left. Then all the hymnbooks appear. I have linked them directly below.


Here is my guide to learning ten of the Hymns Made Easy:

Here is a link for the regular hymns that go with my guide you already found.

​If you are a beginning piano student, you may want to start with the Keyboard Course, which has even easier hymns than the "Hymns Made Easy."
25 Beginner Hymns
(Music Reading Level 4-5 US, Grade 3-4 UK)
 These hymns are in easy keys, have few hand position changes, fairly simple rhythms, few accidentals, and slow to moderate tempos.
142
Sweet Hour of Prayer
302
I Know My Father Lives
116
Come, Follow Me
309
As Sisters in Zion
239
Choose the Right
152
God Be With you Till We Meet Again
38
Come, All Ye Saints of Zion
106
God Speed the Right
294
Love at Home
92
For the Beauty of the Earth
144
Secret Prayer
306
God’s Daily Care (As I Watch the Rising Sun)
3
Now Let Us Rejoice
304
Teach Me to Walk in the Light
19
We Thank Thee, O God, For a Prophet
301
I Am a Child of God
241
Count Your Blessings
131
More Holiness Give Me
100
Nearer, My God, To Thee
98
I Need Thee Every Hour
125
How Gentle God’s Commands
339
My Country, ‘Tis of Thee
67
Glory to God on High
94
Come, Ye Thankful People
204
Silent Night
 
25 Intermediate Hymns
(Music Reading Levels 5-6 US, Grade 4-5 UK)
These hymns have more hand position changes, trickier rhythms, more accidentals, bigger jumps, and/or faster tempos.
 
136
I Know That My Redeemer Lives
249
Called to Serve
338
America the Beautiful
105
Master, the Tempest is Raging
199
He Is Risen
243
Let Us All Press On
308
Love One Another
97
Lead, Kindly Light
14
Sweet is the Peace the Gospel Brings
108
The Lord is My Shepherd
30
Come, Come, Ye Saints
237
Do What is Right
89
The Lord Is My Light
7
Israel, Israel, God is Calling
206
Away in a Manger
23
We Ever Pray For Thee
113
Our Savior’s Love
21
Come, Listen to a Prophet’s Voice
96
Dearest Children, God is Near You
259
Hope of Israel
26
Joseph Smith’s First Prayer
219
Because I Have Been Given Much
193
I Stand All Amazed
85
How Firm a Foundation
319
Ye Elders of Israel
  
25 Advanced Hymns
(Music Reading Level 7-8 US, Grade 6 UK) 
These hymns are fast, have lots of big jumps, require the right hand to play three parts, have challenging rhythms and keys, accidentals, and/or parts that move at different rates.
 
5
High on the Mountain Top
227
There is Sunshine in My Soul Today
292
O My Father
298
Home Can Be a heaven on Earth
246
Onward, Christian Soldiers
134
I Believe in Christ
29
A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief
264
Hark, All Ye Nations!
2
The Spirit of God
335
Brightly Beams Our Father’s Mercy
60
Battle Hymn of the Republic
27
Praise to the Man
     255 Carry On
86
How Great Thou Art
52
The Day Dawn is Breaking
64
On This Day of Joy and Gladness
200
Christ the Lord is Risen Today
78
God of Our Fathers, Whose Almighty Hand
220
Lord, I Would Follow Thee
35
For the Strength of the Hills
263
Go Forth With Faith
203
Angels We Have Heard on High
340
The Star-Spangled Banner
256
As Zion’s Youth in Latter Days
254
True to the Faith

48 comments:

Larnie said...

I have a list of hymns grouped by "Unique Playing Styles" that you might enjoy – but I can't figure out how to email them to you.

Nancy Wyatt Jensen said...

Sounds great! Sorry, I didn't realize that my e-mail address was not posted in my profile. Here it is: thepianoisgrand@gmail.com

Rachel said...

Thanks for posting this! I've been trying to come up with something like this for my students. This is perfect and will save me a lot of work! Thank you!

Nancy Wyatt Jensen said...

Rachel, I did a Hymns Made Easy list after posting this one. You can check that one out, too: http://gospeldoctrineplus.blogspot.com/2013/08/learning-aids-for-lds-hymns-made-easy.html

Carrie said...

This is perfect. Thank you so much for compiling this list. I'll be able to give it to my son's piano teacher so that she can start assigning him appropriate hymns to learn.

Joanna said...

Thank you very much. My 12-year-old daughter was just called as the YW Pianist, and this will be very helpful for her!

Kerri said...

I've been searching for something like this! Thank you. I have done a progressive list for the simplified accompaniment book, but hadn't started the regular hymn list yet.

Nancy Wyatt Jensen said...

Kerri, I would love to have your list as a cross-reference. If you get this message, e-mail it to me! thepianoisgrand@gmail.com Thanks!

Lorraine Butler said...

Thanks so much--Google did find it for me! It's just what I have been looking for.

Kasandra said...

Thank you so much for this post, but I can´t download the sheet music I would like to play the beginner and intermediate hymns, here is my email kasamatus@gmail.com, I´m writing from Mexico :)

Nancy Wyatt Jensen said...

You can download all the hymns from lds.org. On lds.org, choose "Resources" at the top of the page. Then choose "Library at the upper left. Then all the hymnbooks appear. I have linked them directly below.

Here is a link for the "Hymns Made Easy" book: https://www.lds.org/bc/content/shared/english/pdf/callings/music/hymns-made-easy/Hymns_000_HymnsMadeEasy_eng.pdf?lang=eng

Here is my guide to learning ten of the Hymns Made Easy:
http://gospeldoctrineplus.blogspot.com/2013/08/learning-aids-for-lds-hymns-made-easy.html

Here is a link for the regular hymns that go with my guide you already found.
https://www.lds.org/music/library/hymns?lang=eng

​If you are a beginning piano student, you may want to start with the Keyboard Course, which has even easier hymns than the "Hymns Made Easy."
https://www.lds.org/bc/content/shared/english/pdf/callings/music/KeyboardCourse_33620_eng.pdf?lang=eng​

Anonymous said...

I found this through Google- thank you very much! It is just what I was looking for!

Mysha said...

These are great! Do you have a guide to the children's songbook?

Mysha said...

These are great! Do you have a guide to the children's songbook?

Nancy Wyatt Jensen said...

No, I haven't done the Children's Songbook. Brent Jorgensen (or Jorgenson) has done some nice simplified versions of Primary songs, however, in graded books.

The Hastings Family said...

Thanks! Really Useful for our family. X

Anonymous said...

Also found you through Google - thank you! The first hymn I picked for my student was way too hard :) So glad you put this together.

Casey Hall said...

Wonderful! Just purchased my new keyboard and am learning the hymns.

Natalie Larsen said...

Thanks so much! My son just turned 12 and I'm hoping he learns several hymns for his Priesthood Opening Exercises :)

Ashlee said...

Thank you so much! This will be so helpful!

Emily and Seth said...

Thank you very much! I've been teaching myself to play for a few years and can play all the hymns made easy now. I am the piano substitute in my branch now, and I'd like to start developing a list of regular hymns i can play. This is a great help to start!!

Sarah Jane said...

Thank you for posting this. I have been growing my list of hymns I can play this year - from 6 to 30 - and have wanted a list of hymns like this. Also, I am teaching my kids piano and am excited to use your list for very early hymn players. Thanks! And yes, I found you on google.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for posting this! I'm in charge of choosing hymns and this will help me have a better understanding of what I'm asking from our pianists/organists.

Unknown said...

This is so helpful! Thank you for this, and the other great resources on this blog!

famhistory said...

Thank you! What a wonderful idea. I'm so appreciative you shared these lists through the internet.

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for posting this! I'm thirteen (and the beehive president) and because my friend who'd played the piano moved I'm expected to play the piano for young womens and combined even though I can't play that well (as no one else can play- or is willing to admit that they can.) This list is super helpful! Thanks again!

Naomi Jones said...

Don't know how I've never noticed this link at the side of your page, even though I come here pretty much every week for Sunday School help! This is brilliant, thanks for your hard work putting it together. I'm the Ward Music Director as well as the Gospel Doctrine teacher and this will be really helpful for the budding pianists I'm trying to encourage, to give them ideas what to work on next to increase their repertoire of hymns.

Anonymous said...

Thank you! This is so helpful. I found it on google.

Emily said...

Great list! Thank you!

Emily said...

Great list! Thank you!

Jules said...

Found through Google--thanks for posting!

Sarah said...

Thank you for this! I was looking for an outline like this for my piano students! You're great!

Sarah said...

http://bairdmusic.blogspot.com/2013/06/music-grading-lds-primary-childrens.html?m=1
I found a music grading for the children's songbook. I haven't checked it out yet, but I thought I'd share the find!

Beth & Rob Bailey said...

Thank you for all your list. I do OK at choosing hymns (remembering sine that were my first to learn), but with the list, I don't have to flip through the book every lesson to find the next to assign to my children. Also, thanks for the hymns made easy list. I like the tips for what to point out.

Jayme said...

OMG!! This is great!! Thanks once again for sharing your genius!!

Sheree Peterson said...

Great list! I've been looking for something like this for my piano students. THANKS!!

Emily said...

Thanks for the list!

SMJ said...

Thank you for compiling and sharing!!! Years later, this is still a valuable post!

Wendy T said...

Nancy, do you know of something like this list for organists beginning to use pedals?

Anonymous said...

Suggestion for Wendy T: check the Brigham Young University organ workshop info for a list of 6 levels.

Nancy, I'd like to include your list in a handout I'm preparing for 2019 UtahMTA state conference on using hymns as part of the piano repertoire in lessons. May I do so? Also, I've noted which hymns were designated as hymns to be included in every language/hymn book throughout the world. Thanks for creating such a great list! Saved me a lot of time when I discovered this one day through Art of Piano Pedagogy Fb group!

Anonymous said...

This is fantastic! I'm a teacher, trying to teach more people at church to play the hymns, so it isn't always me! Actually, I don't mind playing at all, but I know this skill is great for our youth!
Terri

Nancy Wyatt Jensen said...

I'm sorry I didn't get notification from Blogger on these last two comments. I do hope that you used my lists for the UMTA Conference. And I will just state here that anyone can use and distribute these lists as needed for teaching in the piano studio, just as my copyright on the blog says anything here may be copied for teaching in the church and home.

Amber said...

Thank you so much! You are correct- I googled it, and there was your page. Wonderful

M.Primeau said...

Thank you from 2022. It was more a trial and error approach. Maybe a suggestion but I would add more Sacrament hymns. Most are slow and easier to play than what we use for intermediate hymn to wake people up.

Cindy said...

Thank you for posting this! Amazingly helpful!!

Anonymous said...

Google found this great resource for me 10 years later! Thank you!! (I am an accidental teacher (have taught for years and years prior). Couldn't say no to this wonderful lady whose husband helps me so much in by hauling away yard debris that I work so hard to produce.)

Kevin said...

Great List. There are lots of other popular hymns that are pretty challenging. 223 Have I done any Good. 89 The Lord is my Light. 1 The Morning Breaks are just a few examples. It takes hours and hours of organ time to get these hymns sounding good.

Carenna Martin said...

Thank you! My 17 year old son is working on hymns to play in Seminary class and this will help him choose hymns to learn.