An Introduction to hymncharts.com
Hi, I'm Don Chapman, the arranger and creative energy behind hymncharts. Take a quick tour below of the website and learn about the different features:
Streaming: Yes, you can stream hymncharts arrangements! Learn more about unlimited streaming.
MP3 vocal demos and tracks. I launched hymncharts on March 6, 2002 as a sheet music website with no audio - I assumed hymns were so well-known I didn't need to record them. After beginning with the standards like Holy Holy Holy and Amazing Grace I discovered that people on my own church praise team, people who had even grown up in church, didn't know most of the hymns! One year I was all excited about my arrangement of Come Ye Thankful People, Come for Thanksgiving and discovered during rehearsal that nobody on the praise team knew it! It was then I knew I had to start recording the arrangements. I'm in the long process of getting them all recorded, and you can keep track of which tracks are finished on the audio page. Feel free to download the vocal demos, burn CDs, email MP3s and use worship planning websites to help your praise band and vocalists learn the music.
Don't drag MP3s: Some people are having trouble using the MP3s in iTunes and other software because they're trying to click and drag the MP3 from the hymncharts webpage into their software. This won't work - you have to download the MP3 to your computer first, then you can load it into your software.
The transition from 2 part vocals to SAB. When I started hymncharts I had these vocal versions: "praise choir" and "2 part vocals choir with optional alto." As hymncharts has evolved these parts have changed to SATB choir and SAB choir.
Piano parts. I'm a classically trained pianist who walked into college not being able to improvise - I could only play the notes off the page. Now I've learned to write, arrange and improvise music and play in church rock bands (how'd that ever happen!) All that to say, I have a heart for the typical church pianist who has found him/herself in a new world of pop music. Each arrangement has a piano part that will be a first step for the classical pianist to learn how to "groove" and play rhythmic patterns that fit with a praise band.
Search hymn lyrics. Every page has a lyrics search. To my knowledge, I don't know that this search exists, solely for hymns, anywhere! This will greatly help your worship planning. Is your pastor preaching on "grace?" Type it in and find which hymns mention it! Quotations help narrow the search - blessed assurance finds any arrangement with ANY of those words, while "blessed assurance" finds that exact phrase.
Copy and rearrange. Yes, I really do give you permission to make as many copies of the music as you need for your ministry. If you own a copy of Finale you can even change the key and the arrangement. By the way, you don't have to buy the expensive version of Finale, the PrintMusic version works with my arrangements. Finale at one time had an ever cheaper version called "SongWriter" that also works - you can sometimes find this version on eBay and Amazon. You can download a working demo at the Finale website.
Logging out of the website. It is not necessary to log out of the website - simply close your browser and your session will end. If you do wish to log out, click the "Account" link at the top of any page, then "Logout."
Account info. If you need to change your email or login, go to your account page.
Find any errors or bugs? As with any website, there are sure to be glitches and errors. If you find a broken link or an error on the sheet music, could you take a moment and let me know? At the top of every page you'll find a link called "contact" then select "errors." Click it and please let me know what's wrong.
Thanks for subscribing. I hope you enjoy the website and I appreciate your business! - Don Chapman
Streaming: Yes, you can stream hymncharts arrangements! Learn more about unlimited streaming.
MP3 vocal demos and tracks. I launched hymncharts on March 6, 2002 as a sheet music website with no audio - I assumed hymns were so well-known I didn't need to record them. After beginning with the standards like Holy Holy Holy and Amazing Grace I discovered that people on my own church praise team, people who had even grown up in church, didn't know most of the hymns! One year I was all excited about my arrangement of Come Ye Thankful People, Come for Thanksgiving and discovered during rehearsal that nobody on the praise team knew it! It was then I knew I had to start recording the arrangements. I'm in the long process of getting them all recorded, and you can keep track of which tracks are finished on the audio page. Feel free to download the vocal demos, burn CDs, email MP3s and use worship planning websites to help your praise band and vocalists learn the music.
Don't drag MP3s: Some people are having trouble using the MP3s in iTunes and other software because they're trying to click and drag the MP3 from the hymncharts webpage into their software. This won't work - you have to download the MP3 to your computer first, then you can load it into your software.
The transition from 2 part vocals to SAB. When I started hymncharts I had these vocal versions: "praise choir" and "2 part vocals choir with optional alto." As hymncharts has evolved these parts have changed to SATB choir and SAB choir.
Piano parts. I'm a classically trained pianist who walked into college not being able to improvise - I could only play the notes off the page. Now I've learned to write, arrange and improvise music and play in church rock bands (how'd that ever happen!) All that to say, I have a heart for the typical church pianist who has found him/herself in a new world of pop music. Each arrangement has a piano part that will be a first step for the classical pianist to learn how to "groove" and play rhythmic patterns that fit with a praise band.
Search hymn lyrics. Every page has a lyrics search. To my knowledge, I don't know that this search exists, solely for hymns, anywhere! This will greatly help your worship planning. Is your pastor preaching on "grace?" Type it in and find which hymns mention it! Quotations help narrow the search - blessed assurance finds any arrangement with ANY of those words, while "blessed assurance" finds that exact phrase.
Copy and rearrange. Yes, I really do give you permission to make as many copies of the music as you need for your ministry. If you own a copy of Finale you can even change the key and the arrangement. By the way, you don't have to buy the expensive version of Finale, the PrintMusic version works with my arrangements. Finale at one time had an ever cheaper version called "SongWriter" that also works - you can sometimes find this version on eBay and Amazon. You can download a working demo at the Finale website.
Logging out of the website. It is not necessary to log out of the website - simply close your browser and your session will end. If you do wish to log out, click the "Account" link at the top of any page, then "Logout."
Account info. If you need to change your email or login, go to your account page.
Find any errors or bugs? As with any website, there are sure to be glitches and errors. If you find a broken link or an error on the sheet music, could you take a moment and let me know? At the top of every page you'll find a link called "contact" then select "errors." Click it and please let me know what's wrong.
Thanks for subscribing. I hope you enjoy the website and I appreciate your business! - Don Chapman