Accompaniment Patterns for Worship Piano - Right Hand

One of the most common questions I am asked as a worship piano teacher is, "What are some interesting accompaniment patterns I can use?" In this tutorial, you will learn several beginning- and intermediate-level patterns that you can use in the right hand.

Pattern 1: Basic Chording

The most basic pattern (and the first one that you should learn) is Basic Chording. For this pattern, simply play a chord on every beat:

This video demonstrates the Basic Chording pattern in more detail, using the songs "Majesty" and "Way Maker":

This accompaniment pattern is the foundation of all other patterns and is used the most often, so be sure to master it before moving on to the other patterns.

Pattern 2: Skip Beat 3

The Skip Beat 3 pattern is a variation of the Basic Chording pattern. For the Basic Chording pattern, we play on every beat (beats 1, 2, 3, and 4). However, for the Skip Beat 3 pattern, we play on every beat except beat 3. So we play on beats 1, 2, and 4:

This video explains the Skip Beat 3 pattern in more detail:

Pattern 3: Decorative

The Decorative pattern is a variation of the two previous accompaniment patterns. For the Decorative pattern, we play a complete chord on beats 1 and 2, and then we skip beat 3. Then on beats 3&, 4, and 4&, we play the single notes of the chord starting at the bottom. (If you don't know how to read music, this explanation is probably quite confusing... so skip on down to the video and it will make more sense!)

This video shows the Decorative pattern:

Pattern 4: Rocking

For the Rocking pattern, we split each chord into two parts: the top two notes, and the bottom note. Top two notes, bottom note, top two notes, bottom note, etc.:

This video explains the Rocking pattern:

Want to learn more?

If you would like to learn more accompaniment patterns as well as how to play worship piano like a pro, check out my Worship Essentials courses. This unique approach combines a simple, easy-to-follow method of learning the piano along with teachings on the heart of worship - and it has proven successful for people of all ages and levels.

Or, if you would prefer one-on-one instruction, consider online lessons. Lessons incorporate the same content of the Worship Essentials courses but have the added bonus of one-on-one coaching and instruction.

Happy worshipping!