Playing piano at church goes way beyond just playing the chords on the chart, you'll often be asked to “fill space,” cover a smooth transition between songs, or even play underneath your pastor during a prayer.
What you play in these moments can vary a lot depending on factors such as:
The band size - do you have a drummer and electric that weekend, or just you and the acoustic guitar.
Song selection, tempo, and key.
The direction your worship leader wants to go - slowing things down to reflect, or building up to a new song or chorus.
The good news is that you can prepare for these moments in advance, so instead of feeling stressed or overwhelmed the next time you have to cover a transition or play solo under your paster, you'll be equipped and can find joy and inspiration as you play.
This video covers all the basics to get started, including how to adapt your playing style for a small acoustic band, or if you play in a large band also using tracks, how to create seamless transitions between songs, making key changes less noticeable and natural, and even how to underscore and add depth to quiet moments such as altar calls, prayer, or communion.
Great tutorial for the responsibilities of the keys. There is one thing that I teach my keys players and she did it in demonstrating, but didn’t mention it. That is to play each chord of the progression, and then add the 2 of the chord just after you play it. Adds color and works on major and minor chords. But not Chord #3, add the 7th to that one.