Piano Players in Worship: Insights from Carson Bruce of The Worship Keys

By Luke Jackson

I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Carson Bruce, the founder of The Worship Keys platform, for an insightful conversation about piano playing in modern worship environments. As someone who has worked with countless church musicians, I was excited to dive into this niche but crucial area of worship ministry.

Introducing The Worship Keys

Carson has created a unique platform focused on equipping keys players specifically in the worship arena. The Worship Keys addresses four key areas: music theory, gear/software, ministry, and industry. Through his weekly podcast released every Wednesday, Carson interviews keys players from various backgrounds and shares valuable insights for church pianists.

With a background in piano since childhood and graduate studies at Middle Tennessee State University, Carson now lives in Nashville where he runs The Worship Keys full-time. His passion for helping worship pianists elevate their skills is evident in everything he does.

The Birth of a Platform

When I asked Carson about his motivation for starting The Worship Keys, his answer was simple yet profound: “I wish there was a platform like this when I was younger.” He noticed a gap in resources specifically tailored for worship keys players and wanted to create a dedicated channel where pianists could learn from experts in the field.

Carson explained that piano has always been special in his personal walk with God: “I remember as a kid just going through different things in life and always going to the piano and my prayer closet.” This deep connection between worship, prayer, and piano playing fuels his mission to help others develop their skills.

From Classical to Contemporary

One of the challenges many church pianists face is transitioning from classical training to contemporary worship styles. Carson addresses this gap by creating resources that help classically trained pianists adapt to modern worship contexts.

“From a piano perspective, a lot of us, when we go to lessons, we’re classically trained middle C, here’s the treble clef, here’s the bass cleft… Whereas with Guitar world or drums, sometimes you’re just copying what your teacher is doing,” Carson explained.

This insight resonated with me as someone who took 14 years of piano lessons before picking up a guitar. The learning approaches are fundamentally different, and many pianists struggle to bridge that gap when joining a worship team.

Essential Skills for Worship Pianists

When I asked Carson what skills young pianists should focus on developing, he emphasized that it starts with the heart: “If your heart is not in ministry for one, if you’re not for the church and for the people, you’re not going to stay on that stage satisfied.”

Beyond that, Carson recommends:

1. Learning to play by ear in a band context
2. Understanding the Nashville Number System
3. Training your ear by trying to play unfamiliar worship songs
4. Developing fundamental skills before worrying about gear

His practical advice: “Turn on a song that you don’t know, go on Spotify, they start suggesting other worship songs and then as you’re playing, just see if you can play it and match it. And then after that, pull up the chord chart. Did I play that correctly?”

The Value of Nashville Numbers for Pianists

One particularly interesting segment of our conversation addressed whether the Nashville Number System is actually helpful for piano players. Some argue it’s primarily beneficial for guitarists who use capos, but Carson made a compelling case for its importance to pianists as well:

• It facilitates communication with the entire band
• It makes modulating to different keys easier
• Numbers are quicker to call out than complex chord names
• It works internationally across language barriers
• It promotes a collaborative atmosphere rather than a “pianist knows best” mentality

As Carson put it, “If you’re not using the number system as a pianist, maybe you’re not meaning to, but it’s like you’re trying to say one up almost.”

Common Mistakes Worship Keys Players Make

Carson shared several valuable insights about mistakes he sees worship pianists making:

1. Not understanding frequency spectrum

Many keys players overuse the low end, creating muddiness in the mix: “A lot of worship bands stack up on that mid-range low-end in an unhealthy way.” Carson recommends understanding your context and band—if you have a bass player, you likely don’t need to play those bottom two octaves.

2. Doing too much

“In a lot of context with especially the CCM avenue of things, the fifths are so important. Open cords, extensions, the Sus two and sus fours are so important,” Carson noted. Sometimes less is more, especially in a full band context.

3. Breaking up chord patterns

Instead of playing full triads in both hands, Carson suggests simplifying: “When you’re playing a D major, just play the D and A, just do a little D2 or a Dsus depending on what’s happening.” This creates space for other instruments.

Technology Enhancing Piano Playing

Our conversation took an interesting turn as we discussed how technology can help worship pianists do more with less. Carson highlighted several options:

Software Options

• MainStage: Great for Mac users, easier learning curve
• Ableton Live: Most powerful but has a steeper learning curve
• Sunday Keys App: Affordable ($120), user-friendly iPad app with AI capabilities

Hardware

Carson introduced me to the Atmosphere pedal by Aerospace Audio—a physical pedal with high-quality atmospheric pads built in. This allows pianists to trigger beautiful pads without needing a computer or phone on stage.

Finding Your Setup

For churches trying to decide between software and hardware options, Carson offered this advice: “If you already have a good working keyboard in place… I say keep that keyboard. If you want to actually get better sounds, I would say don’t keep upgrading keyboards. Go the software route.”

He recommends the Sunday Keys app for those who want simplicity, MainStage for Mac users who want more control, and Ableton Live for those willing to invest time in learning a comprehensive system.

Inspiration for Today’s Worship Pianists

When asked about keyboard artists who inspire him, Carson mentioned:

• Red Rocks Worship (particularly Spooky Scott)
• Elevation Rhythm (especially their track “Goodbye Yesterday”)
• The Ramp Worship from Hamilton, Alabama

Final Thoughts

My conversation with Carson reinforced how important specialized training is for church musicians. The Worship Keys is filling a crucial gap by providing resources specifically for pianists in worship settings.

For worship leaders and music directors, understanding these piano-specific concepts can help you better communicate with and develop your keys players. If you’ve ever felt that disconnect between your guitar-based leadership and your piano players, the insights Carson shared might help bridge that gap.

You can find The Worship Keys on YouTube and Instagram, or reach out directly to Carson at Carson@theworshipkeys.com.