Dear Piano Harmony Students,
As we continue anticipating our journey together through this 6-week YouTube Piano Harmony class starting Jan 13, 2026, I want to share something that will transform both your musical practice and your spiritual life: The Steadfast Heart: Psalms 1-4 sheet music collection.
https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/en/product/the-steadfast-heart-psalms-1-4-21987036.html
And a great keyboard harmony book to remember the basics!
Why These Psalms Are Perfect for Your Harmony Studies
We will be exploring the foundations of piano harmony—how chords work together, how melodies flow, and how music can express deep emotion. Now it’s time to put those skills into practice with music that feeds both your technique and your soul.
Connect Music with Scripture
The Steadfast Heart isn’t just sheet music—it’s a devotional practice at the piano. Each of the four psalms in this collection gives you the opportunity to meditate on God’s Word while you play. As you work through the harmonies, the scripture verses from the NIV translation become part of your musical memory, allowing you to internalize these ancient prayers in a uniquely powerful way.
When you’re struggling with a chord progression or working through a tricky passage, you’re simultaneously dwelling on verses that have comforted and strengthened believers for thousands of years. This is what makes The Steadfast Heart different from typical exercise books.
Built-In Lyrical Foundation for Melody Work
One of the challenges intermediate pianists face is creating compelling melody lines. These psalm settings solve that problem beautifully. Dr. Nicole Doran has crafted sweet, singable melodies that flow naturally from the poetic structure of the psalms themselves.
The lyrical quality of each piece gives you a clear roadmap for phrasing, dynamics, and expression. You’ll learn how melody and text work together, training your ear to hear the “song” within the harmony—a skill that will serve you in every piece you play from now on and elevate your lyricism from Folk Songs or poems more suited to youngsters.
Explore Three Keys and Their Emotional Landscapes
Each psalm in this collection is set in a different key, and you’ll discover how key choice profoundly affects mood and meaning. You’ll experience:
- Major keys that express joy, confidence, and praise
- Minor keys that convey longing, reflection, and the depth of human struggle
- The subtle shifts between modes that add richness and complexity
This hands-on exploration of tonal color will deepen your understanding of why composers choose specific keys for specific emotions. It’s one thing to learn about key characteristics in theory; it’s quite another to feel the difference under your own fingers as you move between psalms of triumph and psalms of petition.
Room to Improvise and Make It Your Own
Here’s where The Steadfast Heart becomes truly special for harmony students: Dr. Doran’s arrangements leave space for you to apply what you’re learning in our class. The accessible intermediate level means you can:
- Add your own embellishments to the melody lines
- Experiment with different voicings of the harmonies
- Try substituting related chords we’ve studied together
- Vary the texture between imitative counterpoint and fuller harmonization
- Explore different registers and dynamics to personalize your interpretation
Each time you return to these psalms, you can try something new. They become a safe, structured playground for the harmonic concepts we’re exploring in class.
A Pedagogical Work of Art
Dr. Doran describes The Steadfast Heart as both a pedagogical work and a journey of faith, and she’s absolutely right. These pieces are carefully crafted to teach you about:
- Modal and tonal harmonization
- Imitative counterpoint
- Register shifts and their expressive power
- The miracle of harmony itself—how many tones blending together show the wonder of unity in diversity
Every technical element serves both your musical growth and the spiritual message of the text.
Your Practice Space as Sacred Space
In these uncertain times, thousands of people are trying to memorize and meditate on the Psalms. What better way to join that movement than through your daily practice? Your time at the piano becomes a shelter, a place of refuge where you can explore these timeless prayers until you’re ready to share them with others.
And this is just the beginning—The Steadfast Heart is a journey through all 150 psalms, with new sets releasing in December, March, June, and September. Starting with Psalms 1-4 gives you a solid foundation for this multi-year adventure.
Ready to Deepen Your Practice?
Get The Steadfast Heart: Psalms 1-4 here →
This digital download gives you instant access to all six pages. You can print them at home and start playing today.
As we continue our harmony class together, I encourage you to weave these psalms into your weekly practice routine. They’re the perfect companion to what we’re learning—practical, beautiful, and spiritually nourishing.
Let’s make music that feeds the soul while it sharpens our skills.
To your musical and spiritual growth,
Your Piano Harmony Instructor
P.S. — If you’ve been looking for a way to combine your love of music with your faith, or if you’ve wanted to memorize scripture but didn’t know where to start, this is it. The Steadfast Heart meets you exactly where you are musically while inviting you deeper into the heart of God. Use your unique human capabilities in Music like Bach and Beethoven and experience the peace and joy thay comes with new knowledge, community and productivity in 2026.
(This is me getting ready for the course and demonstrations of what you may be able to do)
Doran Music Studio 