AVA145: I Have Been Informed That If I Do A High Volume Voluntary It May Disturb People Talking1/27/2018 Vidas: Let’s start episode 145 of #AskVidasAndAusra Podcast. Listen to the audio version here. How are you Ausra today?
Ausra: I’m fine. V: And what are you planning to do in your organ playing today? A: Heh, heh, well, I have a lot of work of snow for a while at the beginning, and then just to go to practice. V: Me too. A: Because we have such a heavy snow, in Lithuania right now. V: Yeah, I hope in other parts of the world it is a little better. A: Well, not necessarily. I heard in the United States we have an extremely cold winter this year. And in Australia where is extremely hot. V: Hmm. A: I guess we are lucky. V: Yes. So today’s question was sent by Michael and he writes: “Good morning Vidas. Thank you for your email and Organ tips. I do not know if it too late to reply to your email. To answer your two questions I will first of all explain my situation. I am Organist at St Lawrence’s Feltham Roman Catholic Church and I play at 3 Masses at the Weekend for which I receive a small stipend. I also play for Weddings and Funerals and Kingston and Hanworth Crematoriums to make ends meet. I am also playing for a Funeral Director’s Carol Service this year. My dream is to get better and better and maybe perform at a Recital. I am a keen pianist and I believe I have nearly mastered Chopin’s Etude No. 1 Op. 10, but also like J.S. Bach of course and other composers. Unfortunately what holds me back from my dream is that I can only manage to practise on the Organ for about an hour a week in Church, and not loud pieces because the Presbytery is joined to the Church and people are working there. So I content myself trying to master the Trio sonatas and gentle pieces. I do try and practise sometimes The Finale from Vierne’s Symphony No. 1 at reduced volume and adapt other pieces that way for a closing voluntary as I have been informed that if I do a high volume voluntary it may disturb people talking. I have access to a Piano that my Mother and I bought. Also I have a bipolar disorder but this is controlled very well by medication, but I need to concentrate especially well when playing for services otherwise I could make a mistake, and I try and control my nerves. Thank you again for your emails and tips. All the best and God bless! Michael.” V: First of all, Ausra, isn’t it annoying when people tell you that you playing too loud, you’re playing too soft, too fast, too slow? A: Yes, but that’s what organists expect, in the this life now. I remember once I went to church to practice and you know, and the lady who got to the church, she just talked ‘oh, could you just come back tomorrow, I have such a headache’. Of course, I didn’t practice that day, but it was annoying for me because it took me almost an hour to get to the church. So that’s perfectly normal and I can understand very well this problem. V: Exactly. So, for me too, sometimes I go to church and there would be like groups of tourists coming in and the guide would talk quite loudly for this group and whenever I play the organ in the church I might disturb the guide there basically talking, so some of them like organ music, but some don’t so I had to occurrences when from downstairs the guides would even shout for an organist to stop playing at all. It’s really annoying. A: It’s annoying yes. Plus in our church, you never know when the funeral will be and it might, you know, spoil all our plans of practicing and it’s especially annoying if your recital is coming up and you really need to practice in the church. V: But we both know a regular organ is there and we can still adapt right? What if a guest organist comes from out of town even, from abroad? A: I know it’s very hard for him or her not to explain the situation. Yeah know, it makes you really feel guilty and very uncomfortable. Although you know you are not the reason why he or she cannot practice. V: So, for Michael, he is right I think, in playing sometimes with soft volume, don’t you think? A: Sure, it’s better to be in a good relationship with people in your church. But you know, as he told us that he doesn’t have enough time to practice on the organ, maybe he could find also another church which would allow him to practice and he could do it more often. V: Mmm, hmm. A: In exchange, let’s see, some service, some playing. V: Yeah, that would be quite possible, I think. You know lot places, there is a need or shortage of organists, so without even over extending yourself, you just offer occasional service, or if you don’t want to play in public you can make a small donation. A: I know. And Michael, wrote in his letter that he plays for a Roman Catholic Church. Maybe he doesn’t feel comfortable going to another new church denominational to ask if they would let him to practice. But I think he should be perfect lucky. V: Mmmh, hmm. A: Because, you know, for us organists, it’s just impossible to be connected to only one church. V: Exactly. A: So I think it’s perfectly fine to play in another church. At least in my opinion. V: And protestant denominations are more open actually A: Sure. V: For organist and musicians from all faiths. A: Because, you know, I miss that time that religion gives in the United States because there are so many open places just to go and to practice for us just being an organ student. Like in Michigan, in Ann Arbor, and Lincoln Nebraska you could go basically to almost any church to practice. And Methodist church were especially open for organists. V: Exactly. They have no problem with your faith. They don’t actually ask what your belief system is. A: Yes. V: At all. Unlike some of the Roman Catholic Churches. A: I know. V: Mmm, hmm. A: So, that might give him more opportunities, more time to practice on the organ. V: Excellent. A: But you know what I notice from his letter is that he is practicing trio sonatas and he can play them well. That is an excellent thing because I believe only experienced organists can master trio sonatas. So basically if you can play trio sonatas you probably can play almost anything. V: And he is playing Finale from Symphony #1 by Vierne. Yeah, so his level should be quite advanced, I would say. It’s very nice to be able to play those pieces. But should he stop here, and think that his skill is literally complete, perfected and set for life, or should he still try to improve? A: I think he, you know, each of us still has to improve something. None of us is perfect. V: And never will be. A: That’s for sure. V: Excellent. A: And you know he was talking about making mistakes sometimes, hard for him to focus during his performance. I think it’s not related actually to his illness, as he told us. But that each of us actually, has the same problem. I haven’t heard a person who would say ‘oh, it’s so easy for me to stay concentrated. I never make mistakes. Usually it’s otherwise. What do you think about that, Vidas? V: In this day and age, and in our society, there are more and more people who are in need of focusing because there are constant distractions everywhere, and it’s even harder to focus because we are bombarded by constant change of information, and it’s quite frustrating if you are playing the organ but your mind is all over the place, right? A: I know, but sometimes it’s hard to really concentrate, especially if you get some constant distractions. For example, during service, like, a baby starts to cry, or somebody starts to talk to loud during your prelude or postludes. V: Or a member from your choir comes up and starts to look at you or your music. A: Yes, that’s the thing, especially when you travel through Lithuania, you know, in order to perform, you have performance right after the mass, and the choir member of that local church who will sit in balcony, and will look at you like you would be, I don’t know, a monkey in a zoo or something like this. So sometimes people act really weird, don’t you think? V: Maybe they haven’t, you know, had an opportunity to look at such a high level organist from up close. A: But still we would need to think how you feel at that moment. You are a guest and you are performing and know. V: They think like it’s in a circus, right, you are a like a clown, not like a clown maybe, but like an athlete, like a circus athlete, or a circus artist and you are performing miracles in front of them, right, so they are in awe, basically. A: I know, but it’s still not good to look at you closely when you are playing or not to come and start turning pages of your score. Just to look around. I had an experience like that once. Or not to talk loudly among themselves, next to the organ bench. So that might be quite distracting. V: Could be. Could be. So, I hope this has been useful, this information, for our students, right? A: Yes. V: And now we’re going to go and practice some more, right? A: Sure. V: And take care of the snow, once it stops snowing. Of course it doesn’t make sense to shovel the snow while it’s snowing. A: I know, we cannot use our car. It will not move in the snow. V: And I will go to prepare the program notes for tonight's concert at our church, our guest organist is playing. And then later I’ll go to the concert itself. A: Excellent. V: Wonderful. Thank you guys, for sending these wonderful questions. Ausra and I are loving the process of helping you grow. And please send us more. We’re always here to help you out. V: And remember, when you practice, A: Miracles happen.
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Vidas: Let’s start Episode 114 of #AskVidasAndAusra podcast. Listen to the audio version here. And today’s question was sent by Kae. And she writes:
Hi again! How do you deal with the organ loft getting cold in winter? It doesn't even get that cold here in Seattle (compared to Vilnius!), but now that winter is on the way, I'm thinking of keeping blankets here! Do you ever find that it's too cold to practice for very long? First of all, Kae is helping us with transcribing our audio teachings. Ausra: Yes, she’s a great help. Thank you, Kae! Vidas: Without her, doing the work of transcription ourselves would be very difficult and long work. She’s very fast at typing and transcribing; thank you so much, Kae. And now going back to the question. I remember, Ausra, that you once worked in a very cold church, right? Ausra: Yes, that’s right; Holy Cross Church in Vilnius, yes. Vidas: What did you do there? Ausra: Well, there was not so much to do, because the priest did not let me put some electric device, you know, a heater, to keep me not as cold--to keep me warmer; so I just had to dress up very warmly. But it wouldn’t help so much, after sitting and playing for a longer time. So that’s a real struggle. But one thing that could help: bring with you warm tea, or hot tea, or some hot drink… Vidas: That’s a great suggestion. I kind of neglected this and thought about only clothes and blankets; but you know, warm beverages are great. Ausra: Yes, and you know, special gloves are very good, too, where you cut off the finger part of the gloves-- Vidas: Fingertips. Ausra: Fingertips, yes. And to play with them. That’s also a possibility. Vidas: You could do this yourself, or you could buy these specially prepared gloves without fingertips. Ausra: Yes, and another thing I found useful during wintertime while practicing at church--you don’t wear organ shoes at that time. Vidas: Why? Ausra: Because you can get your toes frozen, actually. Because the organ shoe is so tight, and your toes cannot move well enough in those shoes; so you can freeze them very easily. And that’s what I experienced myself many years ago, in Anyksciai in the northern part of Lithuania at the large English Romantic organ when I was playing an organ recital in January, I think. Vidas: And you had your organ shoes? Ausra: Yes. Vidas: And thin socks? Ausra: Well, the socks were okay; but of course you cannot add like, woolen socks in the organ shoes. Unless you would get, maybe 2 sizes bigger shoes! Vidas: So, your shoes should be quite wide, then. Ausra: Yes. Vidas: To be able to fit thick socks. Ausra: But you know, women’s organ shoes are usually very narrow. Vidas: Mhm. Ausra: So it’s better not to use them. Vidas: Mhm. Just learn, and adjust, and be prepared to play with your regular shoes. Not necessarily street shoes, because in wintertime… Ausra: Or just use woolen socks. That’s a possibility, too. Vidas: Woolen socks, exactly! Yeah. Ausra: That’s the best possibility. Vidas: In winter. Ausra: In winter, yes. Vidas: If you use some kind of other shoes, please wipe your feet on a special carpet so that your pedals will not be, you know… Ausra: Muddy. Vidas: Yes, your pedals will get muddy otherwise. Ausra: Especially in wintertime, when we have so much salt and sand on the streets in Lithuania. Vidas: Mhm. But today, I guess, you can also bring some electric heaters, fans... Ausra: Yes, I think that’s also the best solution, too. Vidas: Where to put them? Ausra: And remember, when I was playing Clavierübung Part III (that was my last doctoral recital at Lincoln), I played in the Cornerstone Chapel, which has also no heat--or at least, it’s very...not enough heat, because I think there it was like 10°C in the room. Plus 10. Vidas: Plus 10, in the room? Ausra: Yes (not minus 10!), in the room. So it was quite, quite cold. So I had a heater, and it was standing next to me, actually, in the organ loft. So it helped me a lot. Vidas: Now we don’t have this problem so much in our church, because the university keeps the heating during the winter. Ausra: But still it gets pretty cool--not now, not in November, for example, but I think in December, January, February, it will be cold. Vidas: If you play there for hours… Ausra: Yes... Vidas: Without moving, then it gets cold. You have to, I think, take frequent breaks, in general, right? Stretch and walk, basically, and drink some tea from a thermos. Ausra: Yes. But yes, I would not suggest for you to practice for long hours, if it’s really cold in the room. It’s not good for you. Vidas: So maybe a majority of your practice could be done at home, on the table or on a piano if you have one. Ausra: Yes. Vidas: Excellent. Ausra: And the most frustrating thing is when you have to play a recital during wintertime, and you sit down on the organ bench, and you have to start playing--and you just feel that you cannot move your fingers! I’ve had this feeling so many times, and I just hate it. Vidas: The last time I felt very cold was a few years ago, when I first played an hour-long improvisation recital on the occasion of inaugurating the newly-restored Romantic organ in Mosedis. And this is in a northern part of Lithuania, next to the Latvian border. And it wasn’t winter, but it was cold. So what I had, I had those-- Ausra: It was late fall, I believe. Vidas: Late fall. Like today (we’re recording in November). So I had those gloves without fingertips, and they helped me a lot, actually. I had to practice a little bit ahead of time, on different organs, to get used to the feeling of playing with gloves; but finally, it helped so much that I wasn’t really cold, playing. But the trick is to get a pair of gloves that are a little bit tight. They have to fit very very tight, maybe one size smaller than normal, or two sizes smaller. They would stretch, of course; they should be very thin gloves, and they should stretch like a pair of socks, basically--that feeling should be on your palm. But it helps a lot. Wonderful, guys. Experiment in the winter; please keep yourself warm, and drink a lot of hot beverages. Ausra: But don’t drink alcohol. Vidas: No! Ausra: Actually, some Lithuanian organists do that… Vidas: Yes, yes. Ausra: Yes, as we travel through Lithuania, sometimes we could find many alcohol bottles, empty, inside of the organ. So don’t do that. Vidas: Yes. Because it’s a tricky feeling, right? Yes, you will feel warmer, but just for a brief time. Ausra: Yes, and then it will be even colder, I would say. Vidas: Mhm. And please keep sending us your questions; we love helping you grow. This was Vidas! Ausra: And Ausra. Vidas: And remember, when you practice… Ausra: Miracles happen. PS African Savannah (Organ Improvisation). This improvisation reminds me of the vast plains in Africa, full of wild life. One word describes it all - freedom. This e-book is available here for a low introductory pricing of 2.99 USD until October 4.
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Vidas: Let’s start now Episode 72 of #AskVidasAndAusra podcast. Today’s question was sent by Matt, and he writes,: “Vidas and Ausra, I have enjoyed your posts and appreciate all the work you put in. My goal is to be a better church organist.”
So Ausra, can we help Matt today with this goal, and give some pointers that he could apply in his practice? And perhaps other people as well, who would want to become better church organists over time? Ausra: I hope so. Vidas: So, what’s the first step in order to become a better organist, in your mind? Ausra: Well, we should keep in mind that now we’re talking about church organists. So it means that liturgy comes first. And that is a crucial point while being a church organist. You must know what is going on in the liturgy, and to select your repertoire appropriately, and to play appropriately. What do you think about it? Vidas: The number one skill that organists need when playing at church services is probably playing hymns. Ausra: Yes, that’s number one. Vidas: Then accompanying choir, perhaps, too. Ausra: Yes. Vidas: And then providing organ music for preludes and postludes, and maybe communion when the choir is not there. Even an offertory when you play, when the choir is not singing. Sometimes you need more than just the prelude and the postlude. Ausra: Definitely. Vidas: So in general, it’s like a public performance. Some sort of performing for people in general, but with additional element of hymns. Ausra: Yes. Vidas: For the most part. Ausra: And while playing in church, you always have to know what time of the liturgical year you’re in--if it’s Lent, or if it’s Advent, or Easter and Christmas, or just regular time with no particular festivity; and you need to choose your hymns and your music appropriately. Vidas: Probably the first thing that every organist needs, to be a better church organist or a concert organist, in general is solid technique. Ausra: Yes, definitely. Vidas: And good sight-reading skills. So those two things will lead to better results while playing in public for church or in concerts. I would say that first of all, sight-reading is even more important than having virtuoso technique for church organists, because you have to constantly play a lot of unfamiliar hymns. Ausra: Yes, and the more you will sight-read, the easier you will prepare for your services. Because you have to play so much music, if your job in the church is regular. Vidas: Sometimes I ask my students at school if they like sight-reading on their instruments, and just a few of them say they do. But from those who say that they like sight-reading, only one or two actually do it regularly enough. So I think a lot of people underestimate the value of sight-reading over time; but still, it’s quite important to start, just start with a simple voice. I know the trickiest part of sight-reading is they cannot really play four parts in the hymns right away. So they make mistakes, they try to play maybe fast or slow, it doesn’t work, and they quit. Ausra: Yes. Vidas: What would you suggest for them, Ausra? Ausra: Well, just keep going. Just don’t stop practicing! Vidas: Do you think that reducing the texture would be a better solution than to simply go in with four parts? Ausra: Yes, that’s true, and the same works for church organists--if you are not in your best shape yet, or you have not reached a very high level of performance, just pick pieces that you can play and practice them. Maybe easier at the beginning, maybe with less pedal; and even when accompanying hymns you can play in octaves--just playing two voices. Solo melody in parallel octaves, with both your hands. Vidas: That’s a good technique, because then people will know exactly what the melody is, especially on an unfamiliar hymn; and both your hands will be active at the same time, and soon enough, let’s say, after a few weeks or months, you are ready to tackle the next challenge: basically two-part texture. Ausra: Yes and if you want to be a good church organist, the collaboration is so important. You must find out what your priest or pastor expects from you, what the congregation expects from you as an organist; if you have a music director, also you have to collaborate with the music director--that’s a crucial thing to do. If you have that good relationship, then everything should work just fine. Vidas: Do you think that keeping a steady tempo in playing hymns is good and important? Ausra: Yes, it’s very important, if you’re leading congregational singing. Vidas: And a lot of organists do, right? Ausra: Yes. Vidas: So what’s the best way to keep the tempo steady? Can singing yourself help? Ausra: Yes, and that’s what I always do. That doesn’t mean I’m singing aloud; most of the time I just sing the hymn in my mind. But I always sing. That way, you will know, for example, how long it will take you to take a breath at the end of the phrase, and how to choose the right tempo. So that’s very important. And you have to read the text, too. And it will help you to register right. Vidas: Exactly. Ausra: Because not all verses of the hymn must be played with the same registration. Vidas: Exactly, Ausra. People can really sing and read the text and discover the different meanings of the stanzas. Maybe choose one stanza with reeds, another stanza with principal chorus; even softer, meditative hymns could be registered with some flutes, especially in Lent, right? But you have to know what people are singing about. Ausra: Sure. Vidas: So in general, we mentioned three steps, right? Sight-reading, technique, and then keeping a steady tempo while singing yourself. Three things to keep in mind. We haven’t talked a lot about technique, yet. Can you mention some of the things that would be helpful? Ausra: Well, you know, the technical things will be the same as for somebody who isn’t a church organist, but organist in general. Vidas: Hand and feet coordination, first of all. Ausra: Yes. Vidas: So when you practice hymns, it’s very similar to sight-reading, actually, hymns; except, when you practice and perfect them and polish them, you have to repeatedly play them over and over. Maybe not even an entire hymn, but maybe one phrase of the hymn. So also don’t start with four-part texture right away. Maybe start with a single line, maybe then proceed to two-part textures, then three-part textures, and so on. What would you think about that, Ausra? Ausra: Yes, that’s a good technique, and a good way to do it. Vidas: And then choose a few preludes and postludes for your church services, also working and practicing in a similar way. Treat your hymns as organ compositions, and treat your compositions as organ hymns singing each line; that would be the easiest way. Ausra: Yes; and if you will pick your music, try to find, for example, organ compositions based on those hymn tunes that you will be accompanying the congregation, that’s also a good thing to do. That way, your services will be more complete and more unified. Vidas: For example, if the opening hymn is based on a specific tune, so your prelude could be based on the same tune. Ausra: Yes. Vidas: Or your postlude could be based on one of the hymns that is sung in the church service that day. Ausra: Because most people appreciate music that sounds familiar to them. So the more you will repeat the same hymn tune, the more people will like it. Vidas: What to do if I can’t find a piece of music written on a specific tune? Ausra: You could improvise. Vidas: I knew that would be the best solution, right? Ausra: Yes. Vidas: So guys, please improvise more; it’s probably the easiest way to find the most suitable repertoire for your church services. You don’t have to start with advanced versions. You could simply harmonize some tunes, add a middle part, extend a little bit with interludes and recurring melodies, like ritornellos; or, for the postlude, you could add a toccata-like figuration in the hands, and let the feet play the melody with the 16’ registration--maybe Posaune in the pedals as well, with slow rhythms in the pedal. Would that be a nice start? Ausra: I think so! Vidas: Excellent. So, of course look at the example that every master wrote, that every piece that you’re playing on the organ could be a model for you to improvise. Ausra: That’s right. Vidas: And we also try to incorporate improvisations in our practicing, and we also try to analyze pieces that we play; so our advice and suggestions are based on what we do exactly, too. We hope this will help you to grow as an organist. And please send us more of your questions; you can do that by subscribing to our blog at www.organduo.lt if you haven’t done so already, and reply to any of our messages that you will get. That’s the easiest way. Thank you so much for listening and applying our tips in your organ practice. This was Vidas! Ausra: And Ausra! Vidas: And remember, when you practice… Ausra: Miracles happen.
Today's question was posted by Sandra, our Total Organist student. She writes:
"Thank you so much for the wonderful first podcast about keeping a steady tempo! It was wonderful! I enjoyed the walk in the woods with you and loved hearing your beautiful voices and the birds singing. Also, to count out loud in a loud voice was wonderful advice and I am using it with my bell choir (who object to it more loudly than they will count out loud haha!) but I will tell them about your podcast! Again, MANY THANKS!!!!!" The head pastor told me he thinks I "perform" rather than simply "present" the accompaniments to the hymns. What should I do? " Listen to our full answer at #AskVidasAndAusra If you want us to answer your questions, post them as comments to this post and use a hashtag #AskVidasAndAusra so that we would be able to find them. TRANSCRIPT Vidas: Hello, guys. This is Vidas … Ausra: And Ausra. Vidas: We're starting our #AskVidasAndAusra Podcast 13. Today's question was posted by Sandra, our Total Organist student. She writes, "Thank you so much for the wonderful first podcast about keeping a steady tempo. It was wonderful. I enjoyed the walk in the woods with you, and loved hearing your beautiful voices and the birds singing. Also, to count out loud in a loud voice was wonderful advice, and I am using it with my bell choir, who object to it more loudly than they will count out loud. But I will tell them about your podcast. Again, many thanks. The question is this. The head pastor told me he thinks I perform rather than simply present the accompaniments to the hymns. Perform or present?" What's the difference, Ausra? What do you think this pastor means? Ausra: Well, maybe by the word perform he means Sandra exhibits herself, and maybe he wants her to just simply accompany and don't add anything. But I would say don't be afraid of performing. If you would just have to present hymns, we could use the recorder to play it. But because you are a living musician, they have to learn to appreciate you. Vidas: Because you are an organist and human being, basically an artist, and artists usually do the things differently every time. As Ausra is saying, playing it simpler, just presenting, not always is a good idea. If you can do this in more advanced fashion, it's always better. Of course, there are some caveats, some disadvantages, because then you might look like concertizing to the congregation sometimes, who are not inclined to not listen to concerts, who want to pray, for example. Ausra: Yes. Vidas: Did you yourself, Ausra, ever have received such a comment, feedback, about your playing of hymns, for example? Ausra: Not exactly in the same way as Sandra said, but, yes, I had that thing, especially when I was working at the Lutheran church in United States. I felt that pastor sometimes is unhappy. I think he felt a little bit envious to the organ, because it was such a crucial part of the liturgy, and I was sort of stealing attention from the altar. But I think that's the way it should be. Vidas: You alternate attention. Ausra: Yes, I alternate attention with the pastor. Vidas: Yeah. Sometimes in Catholic churches, they especially dislike organists who can do more than asked, more than the bare minimal, just playing the hymns four-part harmony and using two or three cords, that's it. That's what they need, usually. But if you add the fourth cord or the fifth cord, oh, that's the concert, that's too much, you're showing off. Ausra: I think if you want to serve in church and to do good things for congregation and for God, so you need to do your best. Vidas: You present the best of your abilities to the congregation, to the Transcendent, to everything. You give your best, as you say, right? Ausra: Yes. Vidas: That's important. What would your skill be and artistic ability be if you only give just mediocre work, and if everybody around you knew you could do maybe five times better? Of course, you would be unhappy with yourself, if you just went through the motions, right? Ausra: Yes. I think you need to talk, probably, more with your clergy and to explain your point of view. Vidas: To connect, basically? Ausra: Yes. Vidas: Communicate in a diplomatic, of course, fashion. Ausra: Sure. Vidas: Because they have their own point of view, right? Ausra: Yes. Vidas: Which we not always understand. It's the liturgical and theological point of view, which church musicians aren't always even aware of. So if you could speak their language, in theological terms, then you will obviously find some common ground. Ausra: Sure. Vidas: Guys, I hope this advice was useful for you. Send us more questions, of course, either by email or use hashtag #AskVidasAndAusra and in the comments. Also, please subscribe to our blog at www.organduo.lt, because you will also get 10-day mini-course, which is free for this initial period. You will get 10 lessons on how to master any organ composition. This is extremely rare advice that we are giving, and the feedback was wonderful so far from people who already applied it in practice. Okay. This was Vidas … Ausra: And Ausra. Vidas: And remember, when you practice ... Ausra: Miracles happen.
Today's question was posted by Sandra, our Total Organist student and she asks if she should only double the voice part in the Kyrie, Sanctus and other chants.
As we understand she wants to accompany them on the organ and she is wandering about whether or not she should add other parts besides the soprano on the keyboard. We also talk about some of the basic rules of how to accompany Gregorian chant on the organ. Listen to the full answer at #AskVidasAndAusra If you want us to answer your questions, post them as comments to this post and use a hashtag #AskVidasAndAusra so that we would be able to find them. And remember... When you practice, miracles happen. Vidas and Ausra (Get free updates of new posts here) TRANSCRIPT Vidas: Hello guys. This is Vidas. Ausra: And Ausra. Vidas: And we're starting #AskVidasAndAusra podcast episode number 10. And today's question was sent by Sandra, and she asks this question: "Should I only double the voice part in the Kyrie, Sanctus, etc.?" So, it's a little bit tricky to understand this type of question. We've been talking and wondering with Ausra, what does she mean? Do you think, Ausra, that Sandra means that she has to accompany Gregorian chant, and she wants us to advise her if she has to double the chant melody or just to add something else like a harmony, four part chords? It could be this type of question. Ausra: Could be, I guess. That's the closest guess I have. Vidas: Yeah. So what do you think, if it's okay to just double the melody, or should she add harmony? Ausra: Definitely think she has to add the harmony. Otherwise, I don't know how it would sound to have only that one melody voice. Vidas: To have a single voice for the hymn, it's only possible when the hymn is very, very new, right? Ausra: Sure. Vidas: If you want to play in octaves, let's say- Ausra: Yes. Vidas: -right hand and left hand, one octave apart, and your congregation doesn't know your hymn at all- Ausra: Sure. Vidas: -and you can play just one verse like this. Maybe like an introduction, not entire verse, but just introduction, without people singing. That would be possible, right? Ausra: Yes, I think so. Vidas: But to have a harmony is always better than to have a single voice, right? Ausra: Sure, definitely. Vidas: I think that explains how she should do. Gregorian chants sometimes might be left unaccompanied, right? Ausra: Sure. Vidas: Because that's how it originally was sung. Ausra: Yes, that's true. And for this reason, it's always very hard to harmonize it, to do it in four parts in her accompaniment. Vidas: What are some of the tips you could give to people who are trying to accompany Gregorian chanting? How it's different from tonal harmony? Ausra: Well, basically, it's very different. It's a modal harmony, so you have to avoid some of those rules that you are using in classical harmony, common style harmony, common style period harmony. Vidas: And you probably mean that when you look at the music, let's say Kyrie, of Gregorian chant, you have to mentally know what kind of mode it is written. Ausra: Sure. Vidas: You have to play all the notes of the chant and try to put it into a scale, into a mode. Ascending, basically, mode. And then you will see the lowest note and the highest note, which will be an octave apart, and you will maybe think, "Oh, it's like the mode in D, but without accidentals." Ausra: Sure. Vidas: That would be like a Dorian mode- Ausra: Dorian mode, yes. Vidas: -in modern terms. So, do this first. What else should people do? Ausra: So, the best you could do actually to add as little chords as you can. Just choose a few chords that suits this mode and use them. Vidas: For example, always, you could use three chords- Ausra: Sure. Vidas: -tonic, subdominant, and dominant, but make sure you don't add any additional accidentals. Ausra: Sure, that does not belong to that mode. Vidas: For example, in D Dorian, you would not add B flat. Ausra: Sure. Vidas: And you would not add C sharp. Ausra: Yes. Not like in regular D minor. Vidas: So your dominant will be minor, and your subdominant will be? Ausra: Major. Vidas: Major, yes. Very, very different from tonal thinking. Those three chords would be just enough to get you started in harmonizing a majority of chants, and that would be a good way of thinking in general. Don't add any foreign accidentals to the mode, and you will be in a good style, I think. Okay, guys, this was Vidas- Ausra: And Ausra. Vidas: -and send us your corrections either by comments and use #AskVidasAndAusra or maybe you could send it as a reply to an email, send us an email message and we will be glad to try to answer. We are not promising that we know everything, but we certainly try to help you grow as an organist. Okay, and Ausra, if they want to get a deeper involvement with us, maybe subscribe for a daily dose of inspiration, what should they do? Ausra: Well, they need to subscribe to our Total Organist program. Vidas: Yeah, we have right now a 30-day trial period and a lot of people are joining and we're very happy to be communicating with them. And they are asking other questions; it's like a small community-within-community, like an inner circle. So if you want that extra help and support, and of course you will get all the downloads and practical advice and exercises and training programs and coaching, inside of the membership area. Right now, I've been working and dumping all of our previous programs that people would get in weekly installments, one piece a week, one exercise a week ... I thought maybe people want to pick and choose which ones to get, so we've been doing this, putting everything that we are creating on Total Organist. And people can download and sign up for any coaching program, any training that they want right now. They don't have to wait for weeks and months, when their week comes. They can choose what they want to practice right now. So Total Organist right now has free trial for 30 days, so you can really take advantage of this. Thanks, guys, this was Vidas- Ausra: -and Ausra. Vidas: And remember, when you practice- Ausra: -miracles happen. By Ausra Motuzaite-Pinkeviciene (get free updates of new posts here)
How would you feel if your pastor wrote thanks to you for leading the music making in the church service? I know, you would feel grateful, right? That's how one of our subscribers, Carolina felt. A while ago we received a this message from her: "Dear Vidas and Ausra, I am forwarding an email from the pastor that led the service yesterday. I am a relief-organist and literally played in every church in our town. Thanks for your assistance from afar. I had so many silly questions and they were all promptly answered in a way that made me feel “I can do that”. Many times the emails sent by you were about techniques of aspects that I have been lying awake about. My son plays the trumpet – he passed the Gr 6 Trinity exam last year and enjoys playing in church. We played the prelude and postlude together." This is what her pastor wrote to her: "Good evening Carolina, thanks for inspired and inspiring music and accompaniment this morning. The congregation sang with gusto!" Isn't that great to have such appreciative pastors or priests? It feels very rewarding. You want to keep extending your gratitude to other people around you. You also want to make an even better job next time. And so the cycle of gratitude continues. Hold on to these people. They are very precious. (Ignore the toxic trouble-makers. It's not for them that you dedicate your best work. It's for that woman in white coat who can't seem to hide the smile off her face looking up while you demonstrate a metal principal stop in the organ facade.) By Ausra Motuzaite-Pinkeviciene (get free updates of new posts here)
Have you ever didn't get payed for playing at the funeral? Vidas has. Last Thursday he accidentally went to our church for practice and found out that a guest organist will be playing pre-service music for the funeral that day. It turns out that organizers thought this organist will play for the funeral service but because of some sort of miscommunication he had some schedule conflict and had to be in another place during this service. Vidas told me that because he is the person who closes the door when it's cold in the room without being asked, he politely offered for his colleague to jump in an save the day by playing at the funeral which he did. After the service obviously everyone left for the cemetery and Vidas didn't get payed without any explanation or feedback. Because he is polite and understands that during funerals people have so much stress and grief on their mind that it's natural to simply forget to pay the organist (or perhaps they thought the organist should play for free). However, I think it's important to not be silent about it because not paying for music might become the norm in your church. Obviously, if one hates asking for money in person, then after the initial call from the organizers or relatives of the deceised one could send a simple text message with some information about organist's rates and payment method, perhaps also with titles of music selections. Have you ever been in such situation? If so, how did you handle it politely and with respect to everyone involved? By Vidas Pinkevicius (get free updates of new posts here)
Does your church has a system of rotation between the musicians (organists, keyboardists, ensemble members and singers)? Sounds like in this situation all the musicians combined give an amazing value to the church. However, it also sounds like the church isn't willing to invest in their musicians for their service to grow. It's a one way street. One side is always giving and another - taking. This is the case with some of the churches in my town too. They have rotation between the ensembles, no one is paid, no big deal - one person has to show up about once a month. What will happen though, when the enthusiasm of the musicians dry up and some of them decide to stop coming to this church? Nothing. There isn't a shortage of anonymous musicians willing to do it for fun. Sadly, they are interchangeable cogs in a big machine. However, there is always a shortage of people who are willing to put themselves on the line, take a risk and become vulnerable to failure. Generous churches always invest in those kinds of interactions. Generous musicians also. It helps them to become one of a kind. By Ausra Motuzaite-Pinkeviciene
Can you practice organ in the unheated church during the winter? Yes, you can, if you have gloves with the fingertips cut off. Make sure the size of the gloves is on the small side because it will not bother your hands when you play. Put the woolen socks on too as your feet will freeze dangerously in your organist shoes. Perhaps it's even wiser to play without the shoes but with warm socks in this case. It goes without saying that you will need a winter coat and a scarf as well. Also place an electric heater behind the organ bench. This way you can stay warm and play comfortably for practice, church services or recitals. |
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Drs. Vidas Pinkevicius and Ausra Motuzaite-Pinkeviciene Organists of Vilnius University , creators of Secrets of Organ Playing. Our Hauptwerk Setup:
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