Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas!
Ausra: And Ausra! V: Let’s start episode 472 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. In this question, William writes: “I worked on Meditation of Vierne. Not used to playing double flats. It was fun.” V: What do you think, Ausra, about double flats? A: Well, I think they are the same as double sharps! V: Easier or harder? A: Actually, it doesn’t matter if you understand the harmony well enough, and you are accustomed to keys that have more than a few accidentals. V: In which cases do they write double sharps, and in which cases double flats? A: Well, it depends on which way the melody moves, and well, if we are in a major key, then it’s more likely that we will have double flats, and if it’s a minor key, then it’s more likely that we will have double sharps. But of course, if you are playing in a key such as C major, then I doubt that you will encounter either double flats or double sharps. V: Mhm A: Usually, double sharps and double flats start in the keys with 5 accidentals. V: That’s right. A: And, when you have double accidentals, usually it’s either a chromatic line when you need to fill out the gap between two notes, or it’s related with melodic minor or harmonic major. V: I see. A: That’s most often the keys in music when you use double flats and double sharps. V: So, when William is encountering double flats in Meditation of Vierne, this means that probably this piece has more than 5 flats, right? A: Yes! Or at least some spots, because the keys might change in the middle of the piece, and change for a few times in a piece, or even more. V: What I meant is, in that spot where double flats are, it is a key with more than 5 accidentals, probably. A: Yes. You know, the thing that makes me wonder is that for some people it’s still such a joy to find double flats, because do you play much attention to double flats when you are playing music? V: Not anymore, but I wouldn’t say it was a joy. It was, I would say, frustrating for me, those double accidentals, at first. What about you? A: True! Out of both, the most frustration is that some of my students still don’t know how to write them down. V: They ask you, right, “How to write double sharp? How to write double flat?” A: Yes. That’s right. V: Usually, they know how to write double Flat, because they write two flats. A: Yes, that’s what they want to do with sharps, too. V: Really? A: Yes, double sharps, too… just to write two sharps. V: You can learn so much from your students. A: True. V: So many new things! Excellent. So, it takes time, probably, to master those accidentals, and master those keys. If it gives trouble to William and anybody else, I would suggest working on scales, practicing scales with many accidentals; sharps and flats, and then you will encounter double flats and double sharps this way. Right? A: That’s right. V: And then arpeggios, and chords in those keys, on the piano probably would be a more natural way to play scales, but on the organ, you can also play scales as well. Right Ausra? A: Yes, that’s right. V: So, in general, you need to practice and have lots of experience with keys with many accidentals, and then things like double flats and double sharps will become a normal thing. Not a sort of extraordinary, frustrating thing, but part of the musical language the composer uses. A: True! V: Okay guys! We hope this was useful to you. Please apply our tips in your practice; they really work for people who are action takers, and send us more of your questions; we love helping you grow. And remember, when you practice, A: Miracles happen.
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Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas!
Ausra: And Ausra! V: Let’s start episode 469 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by William, and he writes: “I worked on Meditation by Vierne. And the first page of Vierne Carillon. Very discouraging. Just can’t seem to bring tempos up after practicing. When you practice over and over slowly it is difficult to get pulse of to sound musical. Any thing I can do. Do I just keep going slow? At what point do you move tempo?” V: Well Ausra, what do you think? A: Well, it’s a tricky question, but it seems for me that maybe these pieces are too hard yet for William to play. V: Either this, or I would add this special trick in reaching faster tempo by stopping, let’s say at each beat, holding the chord, preparing for the next chord, and playing notes in between the beats at a concert tempo—very fast. But in very short segments. And then, after one week maybe, I would double the segment when I stop, and stop after two quarter notes, maybe—a half note. Or later, I would do it stopping after each measure, and so double the fragment every week or so. Would that work? A: Well, if you have patience. But it seems to me, from this message that maybe William wants to have a fast result, and to learn everything very quickly. V: These are very difficult pieces—well, except Meditation, perhaps. A: Yes, but Carillon, I’m talking about Carillon. V: Yes, Carillon is difficult. So yeah. You have to arm yourself with patience and perhaps also at the same time work on several easier pieces, so that your technique will progress, and you would get faster results from other pieces, and more enjoyment. A: I find myself, sometimes, that it is much harder for me to learn pieces that I know. I have listened so many times as, for example, this particular piece by Vierne I’m currently on, because you know it so well! But you haven’t played it, and you want to sit down on the organ bench and know how to play right away as you have heard on the recording. V: Plus, the Carillon of Vierne really requires very good finger technique, because they have many parallel intervals, like double sixth, and that’s difficult. A: I think this is a good piece to practice on the piano. Don’t you think so? ...the manual part. V: True, yeah, I would do that. Absolutely. I would spend much of my practice on the piano, because the pedal part is not very complex. A: Especially if you are playing not on the tracker organ. It doesn’t give your finger enough work to develop your muscles. V: You mean workout. A: Yes, workout. That way, piano could help. V: Good advice, I think. A: And I think, also, when working on achieving fast tempo, I think working on the piano would help, too. V: Right. When we’re working on French symphonic music, we have to realize those people were excellent piano virtuosos, too, most of them, and had tremendous power in their fingers. Plus, French cathedral organs have very light touch, and it’s easier to play, of course, if you have great finger technique and a light touch on the keyboard. A: But then there’s sort of also this danger, that when you are playing on a light keyboard all the time, you might lose control, and things might get muddy if you are playing fast all the time and are on a light keyboard. At least, that’s my experience with such kinds of pieces and… V: I’ve read many times that the French school recommends also practicing piano works regularly, like etudes by Chopin and Liszt to improve your technique, and maintain your technique as well! A: Yes, true. But I guess, you know, even playing etudes by Czerny wouldn’t hurt. V: Yeah, also Hanon excercises. So, lots of ideas to apply for William and anybody else who is struggling with virtuoso music by Louis Vierne. Please, guys, send us more questions; we love helping you grow. And remember, when you practice, A: Miracles happen.
Vidas: Hi guys! This is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start episode 474 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Tim. And he writes: Well, I work as a musician playing organ in churches for weddings, services and funerals, mostly funerals. So the challenge for me is always staying on top of the work. Sometimes also arranging music choices so that they can be played on the organ. Obviously, this is a question for Tim when I asked him how his organ practice is going, and what are some things that are challenging for him. So, he’s a church musician obviously, and probably needs to find more time to practice, is what you understand, right? A: Yes, and also how to arrange the repertoire, how to choose the repertoire probably. V: Oh, you mean… A: I think it’s… V: Choral pieces or piano pieces. A: As he says, arranging music choices. V: What does it mean? A: Well, don’t you remember, when working a church, you had to select what to play? Was it always easy for you? To arrange music or to, maybe sometimes you would choose not original piece, you would have to adjust it to the organ? V: Yes, so you mean like piano piece or choral piece. A: Yes, that’s right. V: Um, that’s I think, so usual for church musicians today. Sure you can work through your organ repertoire in church, but in most cases, requirements are much wider. And sometimes you have to adapt choral music, piano music, music for other instrumental ensembles, if you find that suitable for your occasion. And that’s an extra skill to learn. A: True. And it’s interesting that Tim’s playing mostly for funerals. So I guess it must be an old congregation that there are so many funerals. V: Mm hm. A: More funerals than weddings. V: Bach would be glad, right? A: Yes, because when Bach went to live and to work in Leipzig, he was promised to be paid extra for such activities as playing funerals. But apparently he didn’t have too many of them to play, because he was writing to his friend, to Poland, and complaining in his letter that healthy wind is blowing and nobody is dying. So at least, Tim has more funerals to play than Bach did! V: Right. A: I hope he gets paid well for them, as well. But definitely, it’s not the most pleasant thing to do, to play for funerals. I guess you might get used to them after playing for many years, but it’s still not the easiest task. V: Mm hm. Can you select, maybe ten pieces for your funerals, and rotate them, so that you can be prepared for any occasion? A: I think that’s what you should do, probably. Because deceased wouldn’t complain probably. Don’t you think so, Vidas? V: Deceased might not be angry with you, but their relatives might be. A: True, but still, you know, unless there are like some people who often attend funerals just because they like it, and they might notice that, you know, a few funerals, that you are playing the same music over and over again. V: You mean like funeral crashers? A: Yes. V: Uh huh. But I think it’s a good idea for people with less experience, with little experience, to gather ten or twelve pieces in your repertoire, and play a number of them in one funeral, and then select another choices but from the same program in another, and rotate them, and then gradually you start learning something new. A: And I have seen many collections that are used for weddings, written for wedding music, collect for wedding music, and usually they contain lots of arrangements, but actually, I haven’t seen any for funeral, funeral collections, funeral music. Have you seen? V: There must be. A: There must be some. But definitely, if you have a couple collections for funeral and couple collections for wedding, I think it’s more than plenty. V: We never needed those collections, because we selected our own repertoire, or improvised, like a chorale prelude, which would be played on a soft registration would sound very nice, I would say, for any funeral. A: True. And plus I think a lot of that funeral music might be used in service to (another) occasion. V: During communion, you mean? A: Yes. Or offertory. V: During funeral, your purpose probably is to play in a manner that wouldn’t distract the family in attendance and mourners. Basically, it should be like background music, meditative music. A: True, true. V: So, there is plenty of such meditations written throughout ages. As I said earlier about chorale preludes, communion pieces, in later times. Elevations, also. A: True. V: All right. So, I hope Tim will find something for himself as well. And, arranging for music, of course, is a different, separate skill that he needs to work on. I think writing it down is a good idea for beginners who have never done this before. A: Probably, yes. When I just started to play in church, when I was in the second grade of Academy of Music, I wrote down many church hymns. Because some of them were not harmonized, it had only one voice, and some were written in very uncomfortable keys, and because it was new, all that liturgy playing, it was quite hard, because you have so many things to absorb and to do. So I would write them down. V: But now you don’t have to do it anymore, right? We are playing a symphonic poem by Mikalojus Konstantinas Ciulionis, Lithuanian romantic composer and painter, and from the beginning of 20th century – it’s called “In the Forest.” And we’re playing from the piano duet performance arrangement, but we’re playing on the organ, as an organ duet. Obviously for piano, this texture works just fine. But for the organ, we need to adjust it in many cases. But I chose not to write it down, and do it on the spot. Would that be accessible for beginner? A: I don’t think so. I highly doubt it. V: Mm hm. A: But that’s what we do, actually, because we realized that, instead of writing it down, we better practice more. V: Right. At our level, it’s already doable. So, guys, we hope this was useful to you. Please send us more of your questions. We love helping you grow. And remember, when you practice… A: Miracles happen.
Vidas: Hi guys! This is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start episode 471 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. And this question was sent by Jeremy. He wrote on our Basecamp communication channel for Total Organist Community: Going to be a busy week, so I hope to get to the organ a little more than I think I will. We are having new floors put into our upstairs, so I will be hanging around the house. Piano practice will probably not happen, and my dogs will be going a little nuts with the construction happening. If possible, I will practice on the G minor Little Prelude and Fugue for Postlude on Sunday, and Demessieux's Attende Domine for Prelude. After that, I will be working on my normal repertoire. And I wrote to him: I have a feeling your congregation will enjoy hearing Demessieux. Do you write some program notes in the church bulletin? And Jeremy answered: No. Only a portion of the congregation listens to the preludes and postlude, so that lets me plan things like the Demessieux or even Messaien. And then, Dianne jumped into the conversation as well: A portion is something! When I subbed for my daughter, I played the last half of a 3 minute postlude to an empty sanctuary, save one little old lady, who stood up and applauded when I was done! My daughter says this is normal for her as well, and she is an excellent organist. And they mostly talk through the preludes, or enter the sanctuary at the last moment. To this, I responded: This is all quite sad to hear. Really what happens is that service starts with a prelude and ends with a postlude. So lots of education needs to be done. Including clergy. Maybe write short program notes about the music to be played that week in the church bulletin. What do you think about our correspondence, Ausra? A: Well, that’s very nice that people on Basecamp can communicate between themselves. I think it is very helpful. We can share problems, we can support each other. But the thing that struck me was that old lady who listened to that postlude and applauded afterwards. And it makes me feel that, you know, it doesn’t matter how many people listen to you. You always have to do your best. Because sometimes one old lady might be more important than entire crowd. V: Yes. A: You never know when you will reach somebody’s heart with your music. V: And this old lady might be a very famous organist, for example, traveling the country. A: Well, it doesn’t matter if she is famous or she is not. The most important thing for me is that you reach her, you touch her with your music. And that’s, you know, I think that’s what music is about. V: Touching people’s hearts? A: True. Don’t you think so? V: Of course. Then, I would think that educating people, educating congregation would help here a lot. Do you remember our church, Grace Lutheran Church, when we worked in Lincoln, Nebraska – they had a tradition that musical director, Sara Schott, would write a short note about today’s music selections. And I’m not sure if people read it or not, but it was there, and anybody who was interested could actually get educated this way. A: I don’t remember that, actually. Probably I haven’t read the notes. V: Well, you were busy playing. A: True. V: And, what’s your impression about preludes and postludes in our church, at Grace Lutheran Church at that time? Did people listen? A: Well, some of them listen, but some of them do not. I think it’s common for many congregations around the world. V: Mm hm. A: Somebody cares, and somebody not. You know, I remember thinking in Catholic Church, I sometimes observe people during the mass, that as soon as we receive communion, we leave the building, church building. V: Wow! A: Yes, we, some of them really doesn’t wait for final blessing and the end of the mass. What could you, how could you force them to stay and to listen to your prelude, I mean, for your postlude, if we leave right after receiving communion? V: Maybe you could play the postlude during communion! Ha ha! A: That wouldn’t be good. You would be kicked out of church! V: Yeah, that’s a tricky situation. When people don’t care, what can you do? A: But you know, when we are talking about this problem, I remember this comic strip on the, I believe it was on Dr. Quentin Faulkner's door… V: Yeah. A: Where you know, old lady… V: Brenda. A: Brenda, yes – she was standing next to the organ bench with a long… V: Gun? A: Gun. It’s like hunting gun, I believe. V: Gun shot. A: Yes. V: Shotgun! A: Yes, shotgun! And it said, “Brenda silenced the crowd for her prelude.” (laughs) And I have experienced episodes like this, when I’ve wanted to shut people down for my prelude or my postlude. Especially when I would learn something really sophisticated. V: Yeah. Ausra stands up from, on the organ bench and yells, “You should have listened to my prelude!” A: But the most important thing, I think, and one of the hardest things while serving the church is to play as well as you can, no matter what happens downstairs. And just focus on your music, no matter what. V: Mm hm. It would be interesting to hear other listeners’ opinion and feedback in their churches. Do people appreciate music, or is it just a background noise? A: I think it’s different in each case. I think you can find people always that appreciate music and people who don’t care about it. V: Mm hm. That’s right. The good thing today is that you can find fans for your music, listeners for your music, much easier with technology than earlier. Playing in church is no longer a, you know, one opportunity for the organist to play in public or engage with the organ nowadays. A: You mean not the only opportunity, yes? V: Not the only, yes. Put it online, put your video online, and watch it spread. A: Yes, like Vidas does! V: And sometimes Ausra! A: Yeah. V: Excellent. Thanks, guys. This was Vidas. A: And Ausra. V: Please send us more of your questions. We love helping you grow. And remember, when you practice… A: Miracles happen.
Vidas: Hi, guys, this is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra V: Let’s start episode 470, of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by James. And he writes: Playing an Eminent digital organ in a local church last night, I discovered that by pressing a couple of buttons I could bring up Netherlands tonality and Kirnberger III tuning! Almost Heaven! Best wishes James V: This is James Spanner, an English organist, who visited Vilnius and played his recital in our church, number of years ago. And from time to time he writes updates about his like and work. So we keep in touch. And I thought of including his feedback here in the podcast as well. Do you like, Ausra, Dutch organs? A: Yes. I like them. It amazes me actually, most of them, because they are so big and have a very narrow keys, but very high pipes. And sometimes, it’s hard to imagine how could we fit all those pipes in such a narrow organ case. V: It’s been a while since we visited the Netherlands, but last time I heard Dutch organ sound, it was not long ago. It was recently submitted a video for our Secrets Of Organ Playing Contest by Partitura And he has several samplers on his digital organ, and he uses Dutch Deventer organ sound. A: And it’s very nice. V: Absolutely gorgeous. A: Yes. But I think that if you wouldn’t see the side of it you might not, that you wouldn’t recognize it’s a real organ, though it’s a digital organ. So I guess nowadays technique makes miracles. Although of course, if you could choose the real thing, you would probably choose the real thing. But nowadays the Netherlands are selling the instruments to Africa and South America. It makes me sort of sad, because those great historical instruments might diminish. V: Mmm-hmm. We’ve been just talking about that the other day—how European churches tend to be emptier and emptier. A: Shrinking, basically. V: Yes. Attendance in liturgy, liturgies of various denominations are shrinking. I’m not sure about organ concerts but the most direct usage of the organ for church services is on decline because of people going to the church less and less. A: And of course government cannot support each single church’s historical monument. So it’s a big dilemma what to do. V: And in many countries, they don’t pay taxes—people don’t pay taxes for churches, like in Germany. In Germany you have to choose either you are a Catholic or Lutheran, and then… A: That’s right. V: your portion of the tax goes to the church. But in other countries it’s divided. The state doesn’t support the church. A: Actually we were surprised so much when we were in London last summer, and gave a recital in St. Pauls Cathedral. Basically it’s really one of the best known Cathedrals in the world. And they also said that it is difficult for them to make a living and they have to take donations. V: Yeah. Government support for keeping the building as a historical monument is not enough for their activities. A: That’s right. V: Obviously they have to get additional funding. And they usually get it from donations, from visitors, and from members of their congregation, probably, who are proud to support such a church, such a cathedral. But we’ve been talking about the Dutch organ quality, right, and to me, I kind of marvel at their pedal towers. And that is very significant for German organ building as well. A: I think they have many similarities… V: Yes. A: Netherlands organs and German organs. Basically, it’s still, you could call it the same region. V: Mmm-hmm. And Kirnberger III tuning, is in our church too. A: Yes, at St. Johns. It’s a nice temperament because you can change so many keys. Basically everything up to three flats or sharps sound well on this temperament. V: Much more, I would say. A: Hmm, well, yes. V: Much more, but what is still present is individuality of the keys. Like C Major is a little bit different than D Major—sounds a little bit different. And D Major is a little bit different than F Major, let’s say. A: So that’s a nice temperament. V: Yes. I guess those digital organs which have samples of various important historical instruments from around the world, make people easy, allow people to have easy introductions to historical sounds, and let people to have those sounds at home. A: That’s very often, when you start to talk about tuning, and temperaments, people cannot comprehend it. V: Mmm-hmm. A: Because if you are only talking about it and you cannot play examples, it doesn’t make sense, most of the case. I think mainly string performers can understand what you are talking about, but others not so much. V: It only saddens me a little bit that James heard this organ, or played this organ at the local church. Not at somebody’s home or his house, but at the church, because usually churches invest in pipe organs. A: Well, not so much anymore. V: Or should. A: Not so much anymore. V: I would say ought to invest in pipe organs—quality pipe organs. And digital organs could be best used for private use. A: But I think it’s all about money. V: Of course. Thanks guys. This was Vidas. A: And Ausra. V: Please send us more of your questions. We love helping you grow. And remember, when you practice… A: Miracles happen! SOPP466: I could not stay with my new organ teacher after all because I am just so busy at work7/25/2019
Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas!
Ausra: And Ausra! V: Let’s start episode 466 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Ariane, and she writes: “I don’t know, I am a bit lost. I could not stay with my new organ teacher after all because I am just so busy at work. Ever since I moved to my current city I have found it almost impossible to practice regularly. Maybe I should just have a break or only play what I feel like playing and watch the world move around me. I also wonder whether it is worth working towards a music exam I will never need anyway.” V: Ausra, have you been ever lost in your organ playing goals? A: Well, yes! I think everybody experiences it sooner or later. V: I can remember, I was a little bit lost when we first came back from the United States to Lithuania, I didn’t know what to do. I did know what to hope to achieve. And, I think maybe 6 months or so was just wandering around. But then, somehow, I found my purpose, which by the way, has changed, and has been changing from time to time, and it’s okay. A: Because, you know, I think there are a few reasons why people practice organ. One thing, I think, if you are a professional and you make your living out of that, you must practice. That’s no matter what; you will practice. Another possibility is that you serve for church. Maybe you are not a main organist or not a music director at church, but you do some sort of service at church, and it doesn’t make your entire living, but it helps to make your living, so that way you have to practice, too. And another case is if you are just playing for fun—if it’s your hobby—you like organ, you like organ music, and you practice because you like it. So, basically, if you are none of these, then I don’t know what kind of motivation you would have to have in order to keep practicing. V: You definitely need some sort of community support in order to stay with this habit for a long time. Right? Because, only very few people I know can stick with the habit and do it when nobody is looking, for no one’s benefit, just for the sake of practicing. Right? And then this practice is no longer an art, because art has to touch other people. And it’s just practice, which is not bad at all, but it’s very difficult to stick with it this way. A: So I guess if you see no goal, you need to find a goal. V: Yes, maybe your goal would be to find a goal—your short term goal would be to find something. To find a purpose why you practice. Ask yourself: If you skipped practice today and tomorrow, would you feel bad about it? Would you miss it? And if your answer is “no,” then maybe organ practice is not so necessary for you, for your well being. But if the answer is yes, if you do miss days when you sit down on the organ bench, then it means something for you, you just have to figure out what does it mean. A: And I think it means a lot for Ariane, because she wouldn’t write such a letter. V: Obviously, plus she is our Total Organist student. And we already have this BaseCamp community which support each other. A: But anyway, since she moved to a new location, as I understood from this letter, I think that might cause this situation, too, because sometimes it’s hard to adapt to a new place. It takes time. V: Exactly, and she had, probably, this organ teacher with whom she studied for a while, and now she cannot do it because she is busy at work, and all this means that she has to find inner motivation. Not external, but internal motivation. If you have a real physical teacher to whom you go every week, then it’s like a deadline for you to prepare something every week. Or, if you go to church and perform for services, the same thing. Or if you perform at recitals, public performances, the same thing. It’s external motivation. But she no longer has that. A: True. V: So maybe she has to find it. A: Yes. V: Not necessarily in the form of a teacher, but for example, participating in our Secrets of Organ Playing Contest. And people who participate, we have just a few people, a very small community there, they participate every week, and sometimes they alternate in judging other people’s work as guest judges. Those people really quadruple their motivation to practice, and also their results. A: Yes, I think it’s a big benefit to participate in something. V: We saw many videos of those participants over time—over tens of weeks. I don’t remember how many weeks we were doing this. But those who stick with it are definitely progressing very fast. A: True. V: So maybe it’s for Ariane and others who are feeling a bit lost at the moment. Alright guys, this was our advice. Maybe think about your goals and reasons why you practice, and if you’re not feeling motivated, maybe give it a try. Give our suggestions a try, and let us know how it goes. And send us more of your questions, because we love helping you grow. And remember, when you practice, A: Miracles happen!
Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas!
Ausra: And Ausra! V: Let’s start episode 463 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Anne, and she writes: “I am finishing up learning the notes to the Bach Prelude in D, BWV 532. This has been a long road to learn this piece – I started working on it again in January but put it aside in March for the Easter season before getting back to it in late April after Easter was over. I am currently practicing the spots that I have trouble with slowly each day and then I play the entire Prelude up to speed as many times as it takes to get through it with the least amount of errors. Staying focused is my biggest problem at this point. My mind tends to drift when I’m doing all the repetitions. However, each day it feels as if it is becoming more and more familiar and I hope this eventually will allow me to play through the piece with few errors. I will continue doing this for the next month before I begin to think about performing it. I have a lesson this coming week so I’ll be interested to hear what my teacher has to say. I have not had a lesson for a while due to the Easter Season. Hopefully, he will like what I have done with the piece.” V: So, Ausra, Anne’s biggest trouble is with concentration. Right? About when she’s playing BWV 532 Prelude. A: True. I think to be concentrated throughout performing is really challenging for many organists. How can you focus? What do you use? What kind of techniques do you use? V: I use my breathing to help focus. Sometimes, I breathe in and out very slowly and deeply through the nose, and rhythmically. I do this… it depends on the rhythm, sometimes, of the piece, and tempo. Maybe once a measure in, once a measure out. A: Well, I do that breathing exercise when I go to bed in order to fall asleep easier. V: And, does it help? A: Yes! It helps, so if I would use the same technique on the organ bench, I don’t know what would happen. I might fall asleep in the middle of my recital. V: But there are more things to it, I think. Right now, I don’t really need to concentrate on my breathing to stay focused. You know? Because I have 25 plus years of experience playing organ, and I think those years add up, and it gets easier with time. You don’t pay attention to external noises and things that might distract you at first. A: I think that you might lose your concentration when you are playing without a specific goal; when you are not giving yourself a specific goal—why you are repeating this piece over and over again. I think you need to raise a goal for yourself each time playing through. V: Could be. A simple goal like this: The first time she plays a piece or an episode of the piece, she would notice a few mistakes. Right? And the second time, she would try to correct just one mistake. The third time just the third mistake. Would that work, Ausra? A: Well, that might, for her, but when I’m talking about making a goal for yourself, I’m thinking more about, let’s say, “Now I will play this through, and I will really listen to the tenor voice, for example. V: Oh! Interesting. That might be even better! A: Or, “Now, I will play this piece, and I will subdivide everything into 16th notes,” and things like this—musical goals. V: To keep your mind focused. A: Yes, or, “This time I will play this piece through, and I will always lean on the strong beat of each measure.” And when you have this kind of goal, it helps you to keep focused throughout the piece. V: Good idea! I think this is helpful for everybody, not only for playing D major Prelude by Bach, but in general, when you are doing multiple repetitions. A: True! V: Okay, guys, please apply those tips in your practice; this really works. And, keep sending us your wonderful questions; we love helping you grow. And remember, when you practice, A: Miracles happen!
Vidas: Hi, guys, this is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start episode 467, of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Jeremy, who is on the team of transcribing our videos into scores with fingering and pedaling. And he writes: It seems I forgot the Rep I was going to work on at the church yesterday. So, read through some of Guilmant's Practical Organist and started work on Franck's First Chorale. Question: At the opening where it is written in the manuals, do you take some of the large stretches by putting the bass note in the pedals? Or do you play all of the bass notes in the pedals coupled only to the Great? Or just simply wince at the pain of the stretched 11th interval....? I was able to redistribute some of it between the left and right hand, but there is at least one stretch on the first two pages that seems to be physically impossible (I believe it is a E, B, G-sharp in the left hand with a wide stretch in the right. I don't have the music here in front of me.) V: Do you remember this E Major Choral with Franck, right? A: Of course. Uh-huh. V: This is the famous opening and a lot of organists struggle with this. A: It’s one of the most beautiful organ pieces, I think. And that’s definitely, it has really wide stretches, especially in the opening section. As does Franck’s Prière, which is very beautiful piece too. V: Um-hmm. A: And if you remember his picture on the Dover edition—Franck’s picture, I mean—you could see how wide his, how big his arms are. And his hand is just huge with these long fingers. I don’t think it was, he had technical difficulty to play his music. V: Yes. Some musicians had enormous palms. For example, Liszt. People saw his, I think print of his palm, and basically it was very, very wide. I think he could reach not even eleventh, but twelfth, interval of the twelfth, which is an octave plus a fifth. A: Yes. It’s an enormous stretch. V: Mmm-hmm. So on the piano, he writes various passages that require wide intervals. On the organ when you have such an opening like Franck's E Major Chorale, there are two opinions, I think. A: Yes. One is to play it with the pedal to help yourself. V: But do not use pedal stops, just couple… A: Sure, of course. V: couple with the manual. A: And what would be another option? V: To train your left hand, stretch it and then try to do like it’s written. A: And remember once we attended Cavaillé-Coll conference. V: Yes. A: In Oberlin Conservatory, when we were back in the states. And there were very many famous French music experts from all over the world. And there was I believe Jean Boyer from France, and he plays French music so well. He played, because you know, he is no longer with us, and his performance of Widor, I don’t think I have ever heard anybody playing Widor so nice. So actually he talked about this chorale and this opening section. And he wasn’t a big man. He was really [a] tiny man, I would say, and really didn’t have huge hands like Franck or Liszt. But he would suggest to do it all by hands and not to use pedal. V: Mmm-hmm. A: And he demonstrated that because on example, he went up to the organ loft and played this opening section of this chorale and it worked pretty well for him. So I guess it’s possible to stretch arm. V: But that’s advanced level. A: It is. It is. V: Mmm-hmm. A: So I would guess if, let’s say, your palm is really narrow then don’t do that. Don’t hurt yourself. Just use the pedalboard to help yourself. V: Mmm-hmm. A: But if you feel like after playing for sometimes you might be able to do it, then yes—you can try and play it manually. V: Sure. I think those two options, either playing with the pedal coupler, or stretching your hand without the coupler, would be the only options, I think. A: Sure. Because what else? Could you sing those missing notes? V: Maybe you could skip some of the notes, but I’m not sure if the harmony… A: I think that’s the worst probably, solution... V: Mmm-hmm. A: to skip some of the notes. At least not in this piece. Sometimes maybe in other pieces by other composers where the texture is so thick. Maybe it’s possible to skip couple notes. V: You mean Reger. A: Well, some of Reger’s scholars would kill me for this phrase. But I don’t think that in large acoustics and very thick textures, somebody would miss, let’s say, couple notes of, I don’t know, one page. V: Don’t worry! I will protect you from those Reger scholars. A: Okay. Thank you. V: Your welcome! So guys, try both versions out and see what works for you, for your hand, for your physique. But whatever you do, don’t hurt yourself. Stop practicing before you feel pain. A: Yes, that’s a very good advice, Vidas. V: Thank you! So please send us more of your questions. We love helping you grow. And remember, when you practice… A: Miracles happen!
Vidas: Hi guys! This is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start episode 468 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Taiwo, and Taiwo writes: I want to become a world-class organist, and I have difficulties in playing advanced musical pieces. V: This is his answer to my question when people just sign up for our newsletter after this mini-course, after 10 days or so, they get this message from me, asking for answer to list their goals in organ playing, and also the challenges that they need to work on to achieve this goal. So, many people are more detailed than this one, right? Taiwo writes just two phrases: to become a world-class organist is his goal probably, and the challenge is that he has trouble playing difficult musical pieces, right? But we don’t know anything else about Taiwo. A. So I guess, if he cannot play advanced musical pieces yet, it means that he is not ready to play them yet. V: He needs to practice maybe intermediate musical pieces, or even basic musical pieces, or even maybe beginner musical pieces. Whatever the level of advancement is, it’s good enough for starters. So start wherever you are. A: Because, you know, without step by step approach, if you just keep practicing very difficult pieces that are too difficult for you to play, you will not reach your goal. And the results won’t be satisfying. V: Exactly. And we can compare this with many different areas in life. Not only in organ playing. Whatever you are trying to achieve, you have to do it step by step with the easiest step first. And it might seem and sound like too simple. You might not feel like a beginner, right – it might feel like a boring task at first. Even for several months it would seem like that. You want to jump through some leaps and go to the next level too soon. But if you do that, chances are you will not stick with this practice, whatever you’re practicing with. Because it’s too difficult. I, for example, started to practice doing dips. Do you know what dips are, Ausra? A: No. V: Physical exercise which is contrary to pull-ups. When you pull up, you pull yourself up, but on the dip, you try to lower yourself down, and then push yourself up. It’s like doing push-ups, but not on the floor, but on the bars, or in my case, on the rings. I have now two sets of rings, and one is for pull-ups in our garden, which is hanging higher. And another is for dips which is lower. I have to reach comfortably. And, it’s extremely difficult to do those dips if you’re not ready. So the first step is simply to hold your body up straight while holding on those rings. And even that might be too difficult, so maybe you have to, or I have to lower those rings so that I would comfortably reach the bottom, the floor, for example, with my feet, and I have to support myself. Not the full body weight, but the partial weight. And maybe a few weeks later, I can move the rings higher, higher, higher, this way. You see what I mean? A: Yes, so I guess what you are telling us, it’s the same with performance practice, that you have to go step by step. V: Yes. A: And you cannot jump from beginner level right to advanced level. V: Yes. A: That you need to fill out all the constant daily work. And, I guess it’s becoming harder and harder nowadays when people want to have immediate gratification right away, you know, when we live in this era of technologies. V: Ausra, would you imagine, if you just started organ playing let’s say this summer, or this year, from the beginning of the year. Would you have the motivation to persevere and to stick with it for years? A: Well, now it’s hard to tell. This is very hypothetical question. I don’t think I could answer it, you know. V: I think you might. Because you are a patient person. You, in general, are… A: You think so? V: Yes. A: No, I am very impatient. V: Look, you are reading books. A: I’m very impatient. V: You’re reading real books. A: Because it gives me pleasure. V: Ah! Pleasure is good. You have to derive some kind of pleasure out of every activity. A: But organ practice also gives me pleasure. V: Right. If organ practice didn’t give you pleasure, it would be much more difficult to persevere, right? You are a professional. Then, you might have a goal, or a deadline, external motivation to practice. But if it would not be a pleasurable activity for you, then I wouldn’t think organ playing would make you happy. A: Yes, but in order to get pleasure, you need to select right repertoire. Because if you will always select pieces that are too easy for you, you will get bored, and if you always play pieces that are too hard for you yet, well, you get tired, too. So basically, you need to select your organ repertoire that it wouldn’t be too easy, but it wouldn’t be too hard. V: And you can do that by experimenting with a wide range of repertoire, right? If you don’t know your level yet, you take a piece which is maybe too difficult, and work downwards, until you find your level. A: True. V: Excellent. We hope this was useful, guys. Please apply our tips in your practice, because they really work. We’ve been hearing this feedback from people who apply such techniques in their practice. And keep sending us your wonderful questions. We love helping you grow. And remember, when you practice… A: Miracles happen.
Vidas: Hi, guys, this is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start episode 464, of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by James, in response to my email where I ask him ‘what is his dream in organ playing, and what are some obstacles that are challenging for him’, and he wrote: 1* to play hymns with a very clean and clear technique, and with spiritually inspiring embellishment and improvisation. To come out of “Ordinary organist”. 2a * accurate counting. (Naturally and effortlessly) 2b * natural and easy interpretation of embellishments 2c * self concept. (“I am just an ordinary organist, and won’t reach the top”). ........................................................................ I play digital electronic 2 manual organ with full AGO pedalboard. Rodgers C505. In the past I neglected to develop a firm technique for counting, metre and beat sub division. Theory is good. Organ understanding, pretty fair to good: Roger Davis Manual. Practice habits, fair to good. I had a 15 year gap not playing, restarted in 2017. ...... Thanks VP and A. Blessings! V: Alright! So, I think James wants to learn hymns and play them with improvisation and embellishment which will help him to come out of, what he calls ‘ordinary organist’. What’s wrong with being ordinary organist, Ausra? A: Well, don’t think there is anything wrong with this. But I don’t think that we are ordinary. I think each of us is a little bit extraordinary. V: In which way? A: That each of us is unique, I think. V: Mmm. Interesting. Could you develop this idea a little further? A: Well, for example let’s say, you are better improviser than I am, but I might be better in another field… V: Mmm-hmm. A: of organ playing. V: I see. So you’re saying that James has to find his strength. A: Yes, I guess so. V: Not comparing himself with others, but find his uniqueness. Do you think sometimes our strengths lie where our wishes are, or not always? A: I think most of the time, yes. But I think we feel our strengths and I think people tend to improve these strengths not their weaknesses, in many of case. V: Mmm-hmm. A: And that’s probably not a good thing when we are talking about practicing. V: Why? A: Well, because if you want sort of to really improve, I think you need to work on the weaknesses too, that they would become your strengths. I don’t know if that makes sense. V: What is my weakness? A: I don’t know. I’m not an analyst. V: But from the side you could see easier. A: I think your lack of constant work. V: What do you mean constant work? Working day and night? A: No, I mean that you start one project and then you drop it and you jump to another. V: Consistency maybe. A: Yes. Consistency. That’s right. You are like this type of enthusiasts. V: I’m a squirrel. A: Yes, and you are very enthusiastic about planning something but not so much about executing it. V: Uh-huh, so if I worked on this weakness, I would flip it and make it into my strength. A: I think so. V: Do you think it’s realistic for me? A: Well, probably not, but … V: Knowing me for twenty or more years. A: Probably not. I think everything is easier when you are younger and it gets a little bit harder with years to change yourself. Sometimes it’s almost impossible. But what I like really about this letter that he says things so clearly and sort of really knows what he wants to achieve. Don’t you think so? V: Mmm-hmm. I think he has a good analytical mind. A: True. And that might be very helpful too, in his practice. V: If he assesses himself well, right? A: Yes. Because I really doubt it that many organists could make a list of what we really need to improve. V: Mmm-mmm. A: What [our] weaknesses are. so that’s a really good thing. V: So in the past, he writes, he neglected to develop a firm technique for counting meter and beats subdivision. A: Yes. This is actually a crucial technique for any musician. V: I see sometimes people in our studio, Unda Maris studio, playing either faster or slower without any sense of pulse. And in difficult spots slowing down, and easier spots a little bit faster. Sounds very musical, right? A: True. It’s like in that Bach’s Prelude in A minor—remember, that there was a time at the Academy of Music when a few students at the same time, played that prelude and fugue. And beginning is quite easy… V: Mmm-mmm. A: because sort of like a recitative… V: Mmm-mmm. A: at the beginning but then it gets harder and harder. And I remember one student starting quite fast and then just slowing down. So at the beginning of the first page at the end of it the tempo was completely different. V: Right. A: So I guess there are two things when talking about counting and keeping meter and tempo. You really need to choose your tempo really wisely. You need to choose accordingly the harder spot, not according to the beginning. And then of course you need to count, but then another thing, you need to listen what you are playing to because I believe that if you cannot keep steady tempo, either you have really technical challenges, and this piece might be too hard for you… V: Mmm-hmm. A: yet, or you simply don’t listen what you are playing. V: Oh. So, you mean that people who played at the academy in the past, students, they didn’t record themselves. A: Well, that’s true. Because if you would listen to yourself from the side, you get another impression about your performance. V: Mmm-hmm. I’m recording myself everyday. Actually I’m live-streaming my performances. A: But are you listening back to what you have recorded? I somehow doubt it. V: But my question is ‘am I playing with constant pulse, or not’? A: Yes, I think so. V: So maybe that does help. A: Well… V: Even though I don’t… A: Anyway when you are playing Gaudeamus each time, what ten times a day? V: Yes. A: Or even more. V: Mmm-hmm. Pomp and Circumstance now. A: True. Is it pomp or is it pump? V: Pomp. But pronounced like pump. A: So, okay. V: Alright. So Roger Davis Manual—we have this red book, right? A: True. I play some pieces from it occasionally. Well, I don’t like this edition too much about the… V: Early music. A: Yes... V: Mmm-hmm. A: about the early music, but, well it’s a handbook. V: If James applies early techniques in this collection, and ignores, for example, slurs, legato indications or heel, for example in the pedals, then I think it is a very strong collection. Yes. Okay. So, let’s wish James good luck on the organ bench, and for other students who are listening this, please send us more of your questions. We love helping you grow. And remember, when you practice… A: Miracles happen! |
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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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