Hymns & Chorales

The regular practice of hymns and chorales have a myriad of benefits that extend far beyond just sight-reading, which contribute to the making of a complete musician. Cory is a huge proponent of hymn and chorale playing, which is too often neglected in traditional piano systems. (Bach’s chorales are generally more complex than most church hymn arrangements.) Playing Bach’s four-part chorales in a musical fashion with heartfelt expression is no easy skill, even for seasoned virtuosos. It is, as Robert Schumann exclaimed, the “bread and butter” of piano playing. Find a pianist who can play Bach’s four-part chorales expressively at a convincing tempo with good pedaling, and you have just found a fine pianist and musician. Find a pianist who cannot do this, and you have just found a pianist who needs the recommended books below!

Cory has published five books with BachScholar that specialize in Bach’s chorales. These are all fine books that all pianists should have in their libraries, which can be found nowhere else! To purchase the PDF Edition of any of these books, please click on the link where you may also find the link to order the Hardcopy Edition.