Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start episode 272, of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Jur. And he writes: My biggest challenge is still to be patient and not rush ahead in a piece before I have mastered it bit by bit. I know this is a very bad habit and this is the reason why I never can play without making mistakes. I am trying to find the discipline! Practising just one piece does get a bit boring so in addition to BWV 639 I have now also started working on BWV 731. I have practised this in the past but with different fingering, I am now relearning it with yours. Best regards, Jur V: So Ausra, Jur is our Total Organist student. A: Yes, he is. V: And it’s very nice that people can take those pieces that we are fingering and pedaling them, and make them their own, right? They can apply to their own situation, and choose according to their level of mastery. A: That’s true. It’s nice when you can have a variety of things to choose from. V: Mmm-hmm. It seems that Jur likes Bach’s music a lot, right? A: True. Because all he talks about is Bach’s music. And I think his chorales is a good start for organists. V: ‘Ich ruf’ zu dir’ only has three parts: soprano part, the middle part played with the left hand and the pedals. They’re really relatively easy. I think it’s probably the most convenient way to start learning Bach’s chorales, or Bach’s music in general. A: Probably yes, because the tempo is slow. V: This was my first practice guide that I created when I started Secrets of Organ Playing back in 2011. So I intentionally first created the Vidor (???), how to master any organ composition, and I taught bit by bit how to master this particular piece. And then three months later I released this practice guide for people. But not only with fingering and pedaling, but I like to do step by step approach, with basically practice schedule. And the fragments that students could master for each day. So in the course of maybe two weeks, someone could learn this piece from our guidebook. A: Yes. So know you talk about BWV 639, and he says that he learned it earlier with his own fingering, and now he is relearning it. So what do you think about relearning pieces? Is it a good way or not a good way, relearning a different fingering? V: It’s been a while since I used somebody else’s fingering. I always create my own fingering, but I can imagine being in Jur’s shoes, or anybody else’s position that use a, let’s say, are used to playing with heels, or with finger substitution. And then he discovers something like my practice guide with a different system. Then, obviously, it takes a while to get used to the new method, right, Ausra? But I think it doesn’t hurt do to this. What do you think, Ausra? A: Well, yes. I remember when before going to study in United States, I played toccata by J.S. Bach, C Major Toccata, Adagio and Fugue. And I played it actually using not only toes, but heels on the pedal. And it think I might [have] used some finger substitutions, especially in the adagio part. But when I played it again in the states with a different fingering and pedaling, using only toes and no finger substitutions, and I think it worked better. V: How did your fingers react at first? Of course you know you have this muscle memory. And when you learn a piece one way, after a while, you come back to this piece, start learning it the new way, the old way sort of is still there. A: It’s was hard. I think it’s harder to relearn piece in a different manner, with a different fingering and pedaling, than to learn a new piece. But I managed it because it’s such a nice piece that you cannot just don’t play it. V: Yeah. You have to always look at your own goals. And if this piece suits your dreams, then you can learn it the right way, even if the old fingering and pedaling was ingrained in your own muscles and body for so long. But it takes open mind, yes? Sometimes, I get comments like, that ‘it’s not possible to play virtuosically, in using toes only’, for example with pedals. And I think we have discussed this earlier, right, on some podcast episode. A: Yes. V: I think it takes open mind. What do you think, Ausra? A: Yes, I think so. You need to be eager to learn all your life. V: And people will say that it’s not possible, from their experiences it’s not possible, right? That’s where they come from. It’s not necessarily true. So his challenge, Jur’s frustrated with practicing a piece, I think too fast, right, before he fully masters is bit by bit. This is a habit that we sometimes all get. A: It’s actually a very common thing. Everybody wants to play faster, very soon. But when you think about the final result, I think it should keep you slowing down and practice slower. V: But people still do it not often enough, right? What’s the main reason for this, Ausra? A: I think everybody wants to get immediate gratification. V: And that’s nothing bad about that, right? A: Yes, it’s nothing bad about that, yes. V: We seek pleasure and try to avoid pain. That’s all we do actually. A: That’s human nature. V: Yeah. Not only human, all living things. Even plants, right, they strive to get to the light because it’s good for them. A: That’s right. V: And they try avoid dark places. But I don’t know how they avoid dark places, (laughs) if people plant them in a dark room. But maybe they can move, you know, when we’re not looking, right Ausra? A: Yes, but I think this practicing slowly, I think we need to keep in mind that bigger, larger picture. That eagle vision, so called. If you would look at the final result from above, then you will find out that slow practice will lead you to that nice final result. V: Mmm-hmm. And this vision is appropriate for big things, for your big goal, right? A: Yes. V: And, what’s the opposite of that, of eagle vision? A: Chicken vision. V: (Laughs). A chicken vision, right? When we seek immediate gratification. A: Yes. V: I see. So, yeah. Probably Jur, and anybody else in his shoes, needs to find a bigger motivation for practicing the right way. Maybe a challenge of some sort. Maybe some public accountability, right Ausra? A: True. V: Maybe, to take it to the next level. If Jur is practicing for his own pleasure or not, but sometimes people get comfortable, or too comfortable in their own practice rooms, right, and only family members can see them, or hear them. Do you think that’s enough? A: Well, it depends on what kind of life you lead. V: Let’s say that a person only does this for a hobby, right, as a hobby. And doesn’t have any dream to play it in public. And the reason I’m advocating for playing in public now is that their playing will improve immensely, right? I understand amateurs and hobbyists. That’s really good. That’s what our organ fans are for. But sometimes you want to improve even more, right? A: True. And then the public performance is [a] very good way to do it, to achieve something. V: Right! And he knows that the reason that he can’t play without mistakes, is probably because he plays the piece too fast right away, and not master it in small fragments, right? So I hope he perseveres, and finds this inner strength to do this right. A: True. V: Let’s wish him well. Thank you 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!
This blog/podcast is supported by Total Organist - the most comprehensive organ training program online. It has hundreds of courses, coaching and practice materials for every area of organ playing, thousands of instructional videos and PDF's. You will NOT find more value anywhere else online...
Total Organist helps you to master any piece, perfect your technique, develop your sight-reading skills, and improvise or compose your own music and much much more... Sign up and begin your training today. And of course, you will get the 1st month free too. You can cancel anytime. Join 80+ other Total Organist students here
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SOPP271: My dream is to become proficient at playing hymns on the organ, after years of not playing8/23/2018
Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start episode 271 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Becca and Becca writes: My dream is to become proficient at playing hymns on the organ, after years of not playing. Piano was my concentration of study. Besides serious practice, the following three things are holding me back: 1. Finding the best approach to reacquainting myself with playing the organ, in general. 2. Need to refresh the technique of playing the foot pedals. 3. A better understanding of the use of registration in hymn playing. V: So Becca wants to become better at playing hymns on the organ which is really nice for liturgy, right Ausra? A: True. And that’s why she needs a good pedal technique because it’s so important to play hymns with the pedal because it gives nice support for congregational singing. V: How did you understand this part of the question “Besides serious practice the following three things are holding me back.” What does she mean besides serious practice? A: That she does not practice seriously yet. That’s how I understand it. V: Hmm. Interesting, so she needs to find more motivation to sit down on the organ bench then. A: Yes, I think so. V: First of all I would suggest picking up a challenge. Either internal challenge or external challenge. What do you think? A: That might help. V: With internal challenge I could say she could pick a goal to practice for let’s say thirty days non-stop for every day for starters. Right? That would be her challenge. And probably on the calendar she would mark each day when she sits down on the bench and that would help her keep track of her practice and don’t break this pattern. A: Yes that might be very helpful and interesting. Now I think about that first thing that she writes, finding the best approach to reacquainting myself with playing the organ in general and then she talks about playing the foot-pedals. I would not separate these two points, the first one and the second one because if you are playing the organ then pedals are a part of playing the organ. V: Pedals are like a third hand. A: I know so you would not need to separate these two points. That’s my opinion. V: That’s understandable because piano was her concentration years ago and when she starts to practice the organ now her piano background comes up and she still thinks about organ playing in terms of keyboard playing, not pedal playing so much. A: But you know in that case she just needs to do more exercises with pedal. V: Would hymn playing help her improve pedal playing too? A: Sure, of course. V: Like maybe play any voice on the pedals. A: That’s right. V: But then she would need to do the pedal marking on the hymns correctly so she would know exactly which foot to use. A: That’s right. So the more she will work with pedals the better she will get. V: Right. Then probably registration in hymn playing needs to be approached from the angle of text-painting, right? A: Yes, of text-painting but first of all she needs to see for whom she will accompany and she will play these hymns because how large the building is, how large the congregation is, and do they sing loudly or not. So all these things need to be kept in consideration. V: Umm-hmm. A: Because if like ten people attending church and you play pleno the hymn it will not be good. And also if hundreds of people attend church and you will play softly on the flutes only, this will not also be good. So you need keep correct balance. People need to hear organ but you don’t need to be overwhelmed by it. V: Umm-hmm. So generally speaking a few principal stops would normally be suited to accompany any type of hymn, right? A: That’s right. V: 1, 2, 3, like 8’, 4’, and 2’. A: That’s right and then as you mentioned first you need to look at the text. What the hymn text is talking about because you also will not keep the same registration throughout the hymn. Let’s say the hymn has like five verses so you need to change registration for them. V: Most of the organs have a couple of manuals at least so she could jump from manual to manual. A: If you have pistons on the organ you could use them to set up the program in advance and then look at the text what the hymn is talking about. V: Right. Is it appropriate to use mixtures when playing the hymns. A: Well, I would use mixtures only very occasionally on very solemn occasions for example for maybe Christmas Eve service when there are more people than usually at the church. V: Umm-hmm. A: And you need them to support congregational singing. You always need to check because it might be too much adding mixtures, don’t you think so? V: Right. Maybe for the last stanza. A: Yes. V: What about the reeds, would reeds work? Trumpet, Bombarde? A: Also the same as mixtures, you only use them very little. Maybe for Easter. V: Right. What about 16’ in the manuals? A: Again it depends on how acoustically the church works and how many people there are. V: If it’s a live church and a lot of people and your mixtures are not as bright and pitched lower? A: Then yes, you could use the 16’ in the manuals. V: To add more gravity. A: That’s right. Because I remember once I played Christmas services at Christ Lutheran Church in Lincoln, Nebraska. There were so many people that I played with full organ and I could still not hear it, so you need to look at the particular registration. V: Have you ever played the hymns with flutes? A: Yes, actually I had. When we had small service like evening services for Vespers in the chapel and the organ was small and the room was small and there were few people, then yes, of course, why not? V: What about the strings? A: Yes, I would use them too. V: During Lent? A: Yes. V: Umm-hmm. A: For hymns with a softer character. For example if the hymn talks about gentle Mary, definitely would not use mixtures, and no reeds, and maybe fewer principals. V: You know what would be suitable for strings I think, some of the Gregorian chant. A: Yes, because there are even in the Protestant hymnals there are hymns based on Gregorian chant. V: Umm-hmm. A: So definitely they need to be played softer because the character is gentle and soft. V: Right. A: And usually when we have these special seasons like Advent and Lent we play more subtle repertoire and softer hymns. Because the text talks about awaiting Jesus birth or about suffering, especially during Holy Week before Easter. So you need to use softer stops and you need to save the louder stops for Easter morning. V: Good. I hope this was helpful to people, right? A: Well I hope so. V: So guys please send us more of your questions. We love helping you grow. And remember when you practice… A: Miracles happen.
This blog/podcast is supported by Total Organist - the most comprehensive organ training program online. It has hundreds of courses, coaching and practice materials for every area of organ playing, thousands of instructional videos and PDF's. You will NOT find more value anywhere else online...
Total Organist helps you to master any piece, perfect your technique, develop your sight-reading skills, and improvise or compose your own music and much much more... Sign up and begin your training today. And of course, you will get the 1st month free too. You can cancel anytime. Join 80+ other Total Organist students here
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V: Let’s start episode 270 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. And this question was sent by Juan. He writes: Hello Mr. Pinkevicius: Thanks a lot for your enormous work propagating the practice of organ. I followed your daily e-mails with special attention dissecting every sentence you wrote in the process of improving organ techniques. My case is a little different because I am man who plays piano for personal entertainment and now when I am retired from public work as software engineer I decided to explore the intricacies of organ playing and state of the art of this wonderful instrument. My knowledge of software, electronics and music had let me to begin the process of "midifying" my Rodgers electric organ aside of the adventure of playing it. And now, to answer your questions, (1) my dream is to continue improving my organ playing musically and technically, and (2) really the only thing that is holding me to get my dream is simply TIME but I think with patience and good tips I can get my proposal. Going back, the reason I got your web link was because I was looking for a student score of Toccata & fugue in D minor (BWV 565) with fingering, pedaling and tips for practical study of it. So I think with the guides you sketched in your e-mails and having the work done for fingering and pedaling I can embark in such work. Again, thanks for your help and additional idea I can assimilate. Juan A: I think it’s very nice, you know, that he wants to improve in his playing. I think it’s a common wish for all organists, and all musicians in general. Don’t you think so? V: I hope that everyone who plays the instrument wants to get better at it. If somebody is just playing for the sake of playing, then it’s not that interesting. Right? A: True. V: So, Juan now is retired. Do you think that people can improve faster when they retire? A: Of course, because they should have more time when they retire, and can be able to plan their time better. V: But Juan still writes that the problem is time, so what’s behind this question, would you think, Ausra? A: I think everybody would want to have more time. But, if you want to achieve something, you need to learn to plan your time. V: And planning probably means, first of all, prioritizing, right? Doing things that matter to you first. A: True, because you cannot do everything. Sometimes, our planning is unrealistic. So, when you plan your schedule, just be reasonable. Make it as realistic as possible. V: Are you one of those people, Ausra, who plans too much and does too much? A: Yes, I do too much. V: Is it because you want to do too much, or do you feel you need to do too much? A: I don’t know. I’m sort of that kind of person that, you know, I don’t know how to say, “no,” and always take too many jobs, too many responsibilities. V: In my case, I have too many passions. Not, perhaps, too many, but a lot. Right? And to do them properly takes a lot of time. That’s also time consuming, and takes a lot of planning and prioritizing what’s really important, and what to do first, and second, and third. A: But I’m thinking that if you have, let’s say, if you can manage your time as much as you want, and to do what you want when you are retired… if you don’t have to go to a job every day, then try to do things that matter the most in the morning and at the beginning of the day. V: If he is a morning person. A: True. Morning time, relatively. If he gets up at, let’s say, 11:00 AM, then it’s morning for him. For me, morning is 7:00 AM or 6:00 AM. But it doesn’t matter. Do things that matter the most earlier in your day. V: So you think that the reason that he cannot find enough time for organ practice is that he’s not doing organ practice first thing in the morning, probably, right? A: I think so, yes. For me, at least, that works best. To do the most important things first. Do not procrastinate. V: And, of course, learn to say, “no,” to the things that don’t really matter. A: Sure. V: What could be some examples of that? Because, people sometimes get confused, right, what is important and what is not. A: I think, you know, to every person, it’s different things that are important and that are less important. V: Are there any general ideas you could think of? A: I don’t think so, because you know you can say things and offend people. V: Ok, let’s offend people. A: You can do that, I don’t want to do it. V: Because, we’re doing this now for educations purposes, of course. And, well let’s say, cleaning your house; Should it be on the top list of your priorities or not? A: Well, it should be, but you don’t do it every day, so… we have very different opinions, I think, about this, because for me, to live in a clean house is important. For you, it’s not, so, you know… V: I can live in a cave. A: True. V: With worms. Good. But it’s of course important, then to have an organ at home for us both. And Juan also has this instrument at home, and he doesn’t need to go to church to beg to anybody to let him play. He always has this opportunity. A: But look, organ playing for him is sort of hobby, yes? And I guess he has many other hobbies, too. I don’t know, I’m just guessing. Maybe reading, watching TV, fishing, swimming, or it could be many things. But, you know, then you need to think that playing the organ is such an activity that requires both mental and physical preparation, so you cannot play the organ when you are tired, for example, or exhausted. So that’s why it’s good to do it first thing in the morning. And then maybe do an activity that doesn’t require so much physical and mental power. V: Focus. A: Or focus. V: You’re right, Ausra, and you mentioned a very important thing here a moment ago. I want to focus on it for a second. You said that perhaps Juan might have other hobbies besides organ, right? And when people have a lot of hobbies, it’s difficult to do them all well, and sometimes, they all take too much time, and doing those activities, although it’s a pleasure for a person, might be selfish in terms of other family members. Imagine, Ausra, if I had 50 different hobbies every day and I would take up swimming, running, drawing, writing, reading, playing the organ, and whatever comes up to my plate, I would do it with passion: “this is my hobby,” right? My entire day would be filled with my hobbies. Would that be ok? A: Of course not. I think you already have too many hobbies. V: Right. A: And that’s why, you know, other family members suffer from that. V: Right. So, the way I look at it is you have to help other people with your own hobby, too. If it’s helping other people, then I guess this hobby can be practiced. For example, drawing—we both draw—and I think other people enjoy it when we share those things, so that’s why we continue to do it. A: So then, what about exercising? Does it help anybody else when you, for example, exercise? V: No, but what I hope with this is I hope to share my own experiences in a book afterwards, too. When you exercise, you have to exercise, physically, to be physically healthy and in a good state, right? And what I’m doing is I’m also documenting my exercising, which will later become part of the book. And other people can read about it. A: You know, I would disagree with you about making good things for other people. You are saying that you are doing everything for everybody, and I don’t think so. I think the most important thing for any person is to be happy him- or herself. V: Of course. A: Because, I think only a happy person can make others happy, too. So when you are saying you are only thinking about then others, I think that you are a little bit dishonest about it, because I think, first of all, you are making yourself happy. V: I didn’t say that I wasn’t thinking about myself first, here. Of course, I was thinking my hobby like this, let’s say exercising, I’m doing it for my own improvement, but not only for my own improvement. I am documenting the process and making it a part of the book, which might be helpful to other people later on. A: Yes, and now I think we need to switch and go back to the organ. V: So, organ playing for Juan, let’s say, is also a hobby, right? And I think he has every reason to practice it, right? Because, as you say, it has to make him happy. And if it does, he has to spend more time at this, right? A: True. V: And when you are retired, you can find more time doing it, and if you are a morning person, try to do this thing first thing in the morning. That would be helpful. Thanks guys, this was Vidas! A: And Ausra! V: Please remember to send us more of your questions, we love helping you grow. And remember, when you practice, A: Miracles happen!
This blog/podcast is supported by Total Organist - the most comprehensive organ training program online. It has hundreds of courses, coaching and practice materials for every area of organ playing, thousands of instructional videos and PDF's. You will NOT find more value anywhere else online...
Total Organist helps you to master any piece, perfect your technique, develop your sight-reading skills, and improvise or compose your own music and much much more... Sign up and begin your training today. And of course, you will get the 1st month free too. You can cancel anytime. Join 80+ other Total Organist students here
Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start Episode 269 of Secrets of Organ Playing podcast. This question was sent by Howard. He writes: One suggestion I have for your program is to diversify the focus to other kinds of instruments especially large British and American instruments that have pistons and toe studs. A program on the recommended piston settings for a ~30 min recital on an organ with say 6 General and 6 each of Divisional pistons would be great. Thanks. So obviously, this type of situation where you play modern instruments--not only British and American--is very common, Ausra, right? A: Yes, but what kind of problem is it? I don’t really comprehend the question, I think. V: Howard probably wants to know what kind of pieces you could play on an organ with general and divisional pistons. Anything! A: Anything; you could play anything, basically. V: If you have the opposite situation: a mechanical--purely mechanical--historical organ, let’s say from the 17th century or 18th century, then your choices are very limited. A: Sure; but on a modern instrument, with that combination system of pistons, you could play anything. V: Right. It doesn’t mean all the pieces will sound equally well or interesting... A: That’s right. V: But you surely could play anything. A: Because if you are playing a purely mechanical instrument, you are limited not to choose pieces that need a lot of registration changes. V: Sudden registration changes. A: Sudden, yes. Because it’s sometimes simply impossible to do all of them. But if you have a pistons system, that’s not a problem. V: Okay, so our friend Paulius is about to play a 30min recital in our cathedral in Vilnius. And we could discuss, a little bit, what he’s playing. And yes, he’s using that combination action. It’s not the same as pistons and toe studs as in British and American instruments, but it’s still modern type of combination action, where you can program in advance and push the button when you need it to change. Right? A: Yes. V: So it’s the same situation. I could imagine that Paulius could travel to another city with a modern organ with pistons and toe studs, and perform the same thing all over again. A: That’s right. I think sometimes it’s very nice when you can set up your registration in advance, and then to just press a button when you need to change it. V: Mhm. A: That’s what we did in London. V: Well, exactly, yes. So Paulius is playing a program with 5 or 6 pieces, maybe 5 pieces, and he’s using 5 combinations, one for each piece. And I’m helping to turn pages for him, so I know closely what he is doing. So basically, without giving too specific names of the pieces (because they’re less frequently performed and not well-known), we could give simple, general ideas, right? First of all, you need variety, contrast--right, Ausra? A: That’s right. V: Loud/soft, fast/slow, major/minor. What else? Those 3 are the main contrasts you should be aware of in your program. So it’s not good to play everything fast, right? Or everything slow, or everything loudly, or everything very softly, or everything just in a major key. Although it would be possible, of course, if it’s a festive occasion. Or just in a minor key--it would be perhaps too sad. You need variety. At least 1 or 2 pieces-- A; Well, what could you say if you have...let’s say, the general, as Howard told, six general pistons, what would you do? What would be your registration suggestion--what would you keep on those six general pistons, let’s say, if you would be a church organist? V: Probably for general...If I’m really scared to do the stop changes by myself, right, and I want to create a system where I could just sit on the bench and play whatever is in front of me, and I would push the button, and it will sound sort of okay--not, perhaps, perfect, but okay--so then, the six piston combinations would probably be pianissimo, piano, mezzopiano, mezzoforte, forte, and fortissimo. Sort of like Mendelssohn recommends, this kind of dynamic gradation. A: And what would you use for divisional pistons? Would you do some combinations for like solo voices, with you know, reeds or cornet stops? V: Obviously, yes, because you need to have solo registration sometimes in the RH or in the LH, and the other hand could play the accompaniment. I would check my instrument for nice solo stops: cornet, as you mentioned; krummhorn; oboe; trumpet. What else? Vox humana sometimes works well. Those few are the main ones. Oh, flute--flute combinations, like 8’-4⅕’, 8’-4⅓’, or just and 8’ flute and a third, 8’ flute and 2⅔...It’s possible to have variety in your colors. A: Okay, then you have an instrument with pistons. Do you use the sequencer, if you have one, or not? Do you think it’s a good idea to use a sequencer? Let’s say your organ has not 6 general, but many pistons, like we had at Pease Auditorium at Eastern Michigan University. Have you used the sequencer? V: Yes, I did--I have. And I would use it if I’m playing my pieces from the beginning until the end without stopping, for a performance like this, for a concert; and this is useful because you don’t have to worry about pressing the correct number of pistons. A: But yes, and what will happen if you would miss to push it once, or you would push twice instead of once? V: Then you would have a different registration. A: I know, but then you would be screwed! Don’t you think so? V: Obviously, yes. Obviously you have to be really careful; it has those disadvantages, too. But it’s a big help, you know, if you’re a traveling organist, used to one particular type setting with toe studs and pistons, then you don’t have to worry about where this piston is, under which key--number 2 or number 4 is. You just look where the sequencer is--sometimes to press it with your foot, sometimes with your hand. A: And I think the advantage of having piston and toe stud system is, you only need to program your registration for a particular registration once, and then you have it. Next time you come back to rehearse, you don’t have to set it up again, so it saves time. V: Exactly. Local organists will probably tell you what number to use... A: That’s right. V: What memory level. And you’re free to do whatever you want within that memory level. So, that’s the idea about using toe studs and pistons for registration changes, right? It saves a lot of time, but you have to also think about divisionals, right, so that your RH registration and LH registration would have variety. A: Yes, true. V: Mhm. One last thing, Ausra: On a big organ with, let’s say, 100 stops, would you ever play without a combination system--or just pulling the stops by hand? A: Well, I might do that, but probably not during a recital. V: I did that for trying out the organ at St. Paul’s Cathedral, when I improvised for maybe 5 or 6 minutes. I created those registration changes, and even dynamic changes, with my hands only. But you know, I was free to create whatever I wanted, because I was creating the music spontaneously. If you’re playing from a sheet of music, you’re restricted by what’s in front of you. A: Yes. V: And that’s why combinations and pistons are helpful. A: True. V: Thank you guys; this was an interesting discussion. We hope this was helpful to you. Please send us more of your questions; we love helping you grow. And remember, when you practice… A: Miracles happen.
This blog/podcast is supported by Total Organist - the most comprehensive organ training program online. It has hundreds of courses, coaching and practice materials for every area of organ playing, thousands of instructional videos and PDF's. You will NOT find more value anywhere else online...
Total Organist helps you to master any piece, perfect your technique, develop your sight-reading skills, and improvise or compose your own music and much much more... Sign up and begin your training today. And of course, you will get the 1st month free too. You can cancel anytime. Check it out here Here's what one of our students is saying: I really like the sharing. It's interesting to see what other organists are working on and how they go about learning new pieces. (Anne) Would you like to receive the same or even better results that Anne is getting? If so, join 80+ other Total Organist students here.
V: Let’s start episode 268, of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Lorelei. And she’s our Total Organ student. She writes:
Dear Vidas, I think it might not be a bad idea considering my case, to do a podcast or an article on how to keep the back and neck pain free and hopefully injury free while practicing piano and organ etc. I must say I have in the last 5 weeks a very keen interest in the subject. Thank you for your well wishes and again, thank you for your wonderful contribution to the music world. Lorelei V: So Ausra, have you ever had a back or neck pain? A: Of course. I think every body who plays [an] instrument has experienced this. V: Why do you think organ is so, organist sometimes get this kind of pain, or more often than on other instruments? A: Well I think that everybody who does the sitting, jobs, gets this pain. I think this pain is also often, in those people, who for example work with a computer all day long. Because I think in general, back doesn‘t like this sitting position, and especially when you play organ because you cannot place your feet on the ground. V: Mmm-hmm. A: You have to keep them on the pedalboard. V: And they‘re playing, and you have to find the balance and it‘s a very delicate thing. A: So, the spine suffers from it. V: Remember at musical academy, we had this friend Vitalijus, who had back problems many times. A: Yes, I remember that. V: So, one thing that was recommended to him was probably some kind of yoga stretches. Don‘t you think that‘s helpful? A: I think you need to be careful with yoga and stretching. You really need to know what you are doing because you may hurt yourself even more. I think in general, maybe not so much stretching is important, although it is important, as it’s important to strengthen your back muscles. V: Oh, so that‘s where Pilates might come in. A: Yes. V: Mmm-hmm. A: I think Pilates might help. V: Tell us more. A: Well, what? (Laughs). I‘m not a Pilates instructor, but i know I,,, V: Is there one particular exercise from that program that you attend which helps to support your back muscles? A: Yes, actually it‘s a very simple one. You just have to lay down,,, V: On the stomach? A: Yes, on the stomach, and then you have to take your hand and leg, opposite side. V: Mmm-hmmm. A: And to,,, V: Slowly raise them. A: Slowly raise them, and then to put them down, and then to do that with the other side of your body. V: So then when you raise your right hand, you at the same time raise the left leg. A: That’s right. V: And then you slowly lower them down, and you raise the left hand, while raising the right leg. A: Yes. So, it should be always on opposite hand and opposite leg. V: Mmm-hmm. A: Or I should say arm, because you have to raise entire arm. V: Mmm-hmm. A: So basically this is a classical exercise for stretching your back. V: They also have this, Superman, remember, pose,,, A: Yes. Where you,,, A: Yes. Although Superman is harder sort of exercise. If you are just beginner then you better start with the first one. V: Or a swimming exercise: You lie on the stomach, you probably raise a little bit your front, and with the hands extended, you do some kind of swimming motion, right? And the same with the legs too, at the same time. A: So there all kinds of exercises you need to know, to try some of them. And of course, another thing; if you are experience the pain, you need to break between your practicing. V: Mmm-hmmm. A: You could not sit and play for a few hours in a row, without exercising and taking breaks. V: Mmm-hmm. Taking breaks usually works for me every twenty-five minutes of the thirty minutes. I get also tired and I need to talk a walk, get a glass of water, stretch. I do this Salutation of the Sun, collection of exercise. It takes only a couple of minutes, but then my entire body is stretched and warmed up and ready to do some work in many positions. Not only in sitting but I could do some strenuous strength training afterwards. A: Another thing that would might help would be swimming. Swimming is also very good for back. V: Mmm-mmm. A: And in general for your muscles. So, you need to try some of these exercises, swimming. And never think you need to check if you are sitting right on the organ. Maybe your position is incorrect. V: Right. A: Maybe you are sitting to low, or too high. V: If you are sitting too high then I think it’s easier than too low, for your back. A: Well, it could be either way. Because also if you are sitting to high as you try to reach the pedalboard, you might injure your back too. V: Hmmm. Right. So the classical sitting position on the organ bench is when you place the bench in parallel to the pedalboard, yes? And when you sit, your feet have to touch the pedals, but only gently, without depressing them. And the bench should be positioned in relation to the manuals so that your toes should almost touch the sharp keys, right? A: That’s right. V: Naturally, while you relax your feet. Then you know you are sitting correctly and efficiently. Some people move the left side of the bench further from the keyboards. Is that healthy? A: I don’t think so. I don’t thinks so. Because in that case you need to twist your back a little bit and I don’t think it’s good. Also I found sometimes you have to practice your hands on a different manual. And for example, if you practice for a long time, and let’s say your left hand is always above the right hand; let’s say you have a three manual organ and you practice the right hand on the first manual and left hand on the third manual. I had experience like this. And if you practice for an hour or two in such a position, you back is sort of twisted. It also might hurt your muscles. V: Right. So change the position of your hands frequently. Right hand goes on the upper manual, and then left hand goes on the other manual, and vice versa. Switch them up, maybe with each repetition of the piece, right? One repetition could be this way and the second repetition could be that way. A: Yes, and this is especially useful when you practice for example, such piece as trio sonata. V: Mmm-hmmm. A: And it’s also, if you practice on one instrument and when you will go to perform on another one, it will be easier for you to get used to the new instrument. Because you never know for sure how you will register it when you will be finally arriving on the organ,,, V: Exactly. A: On which you will perform. V: I remember the time when I was a student and it was really difficult to adjust on the situation when my right hand was supposed to be on the top manual, and then I had to switch to the lower manual, because my professor suggested also this way. Now I understand I had to practice constantly, changing the manuals. A: Yes, if your back problems, or neck problems will increase or will not release you from the pain, I think it’s better if you will consult your physician. Because it might a serious condition, really serious. V: Mmm-hmm. Our advice is very basic and general. Of course, it is applicable for people who don’t have a back pain but want to prevent back and neck pains in the future, right? But if you have something really serious and specific for your situation, obviously you need to check with your physician. Thank you guys. This is interesting discussion. We hope this was helpful to you. Please send us more of your questions. We love helping you grow. And remember, when you practice,,, A: Miracles happen!
This blog/podcast is supported by Total Organist - the most comprehensive organ training program online. It has hundreds of courses, coaching and practice materials for every area of organ playing, thousands of instructional videos and PDF's. You will NOT find more value anywhere else online...
Total Organist helps you to master any piece, perfect your technique, develop your sight-reading skills, and improvise or compose your own music and much much more... Sign up and begin your training today. And of course, you will get the 1st month free too. You can cancel anytime. Check it out here Here's what one of our students is saying: I am learning greatly from the sharing of other organists on their experiences with composers, some of whom are new for me. I find inspiration from them, too. Total Organist is a community builder. (Ruth) Would you like to receive the same or even better results that Ruth is getting? If so, join 80+ other Total Organist students here.
Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start episode 267 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Heidi and she writes: May I ask you if you use a software program to create your musical compositions? If so, I would be interested in knowing what you use, and if it is somewhat intuitive or what I’d call, “user friendly". I own Sibelius but haven’t used it since taking Theory in 2009. Hope all is well with you both, Heidi V: Oh, this is a question about Sibelius that we have. A: Yes, because we use Sibelius. V: Did you try anything else before Sibelius, Ausra? A: Well I did try Finale because these two are the main musical programs. Of course nowadays there are many more created. V: Like MuseScore, NoteFlight, probably Composer, there is a software called Composer. What else did I try? Those few are somewhat known to me, but yes, Sibelius and Finale are the main ones and the most expensive ones. A: That’s true; the price just goes above the sky. V: But the features that Sibelius now has also makes composing really not only fun but relatively fast process I would say because when you connect MIDI keyboard to the computer you can directly input your notes onto the screen and either adjust the rhythms with your mouse, select on the keypad, or you can use what they call flexi-time input with the metronome and you can actually either improvise or play it from the music real notes and real rhythms and it would appear magically on the screen. A: Yes, true. And you know since we are using Sibelius for many years now I think it’s improved a lot in this particular field of making things easier. V: The reason it is so expensive of course is that it has so many other features that not everybody needs. It has complete library of Sibelius sounds. You could create orchestral pieces and they would sound like orchestra. You could create piano pieces that would sound like piano. And various samples, right? Not too many people need everything, right? Only the most professional composers which keep creating variety of pieces for a variety of instruments and samples need those features. You could even create cinema scores with this. That’s why it’s so expensive I guess. A: So really if you want to get Sibelius you need to look at what kind of computer you have because Sibelius also takes a lot of space. So if your computer is not a new one it may slow down the whole system a lot. That’s what we have at our school and our computers are not the newest ones so I had even to uninstall Sibelius in my classroom because computer worked too slow. V: Right. Would you switch to Finale now? A: I don’t know. Probably not, I’m used to Sibelius. But in terms of any musical program you use you need to use it on a regular basis. Because for me for example I don’t use it as often as Vidas does and every time when I have to go back to it I feel that I am starting everything from the beginning. V: But starting from the beginning, is it difficult Ausra? Intuitive? A: Well… V: If I wasn’t around could you figure it out on your own? A: Yes, of course I could figure it out on my own but it would take me probably a lot of time because each little version there is something completely new. For example the fourth Sibelius is so much different from Sibelius number 6. V: And we have Sibelius Ultimate which is basically just a small variation of Sibelius 8, but with Ultimate they increased the prices extremely and we don’t know why because the features are not that different from Sibelius 8. A: I know. V: And they want to incorporate this subscription model when you pay monthly or yearly subscription fee and use this program relatively inexpensively then but I didn’t want to pay subscription, I wanted to have entire software on my computer indefinitely so I bought it for a higher price. But for educational discount, they offer educational discount and since we both work at Vilnius University that’s what we got. So guys, please choose the tools wisely. If you’re not sure if you will need professional software like Sibelius or Finale for your compositions or transcriptions or whatever you will need do you think Ausra they need to invest right away. Like $400.00, $500.00, $600.00. A: Well I don’t think so if you don’t need it for your daily use maybe you could just try to borrow a program from your friend or to use it in a library somewhere because I think musical libraries might have it for use. V: The only reason actually I’m using Sibelius over free versions of MuseScore which is available freely on the internet is that I can really input notes in real time with a keyboard. There is one more software which I know can do this which is called Composer which only costs about $100.00 or euros so it’s less expensive but to my knowledge Sibelius does it more user-friendly way. That’s why I’m still sticking with Sibelius although other software is cheaper. A: So if you are professional then get Sibelius but if not then just experiment with other programs because I think in most cases you can experiment with them for free until you decide what you really need and what you really want. V: And of course some versions of Sibelius has this other feature called PhotoScore Ultimate which we haven’t discussed before is that you can scan music like a sheet of paper or PDF or even hand-written score from your sheet of paper that you have written before and it will produce rather clean looking musical notation on the screen which you could adjust and correct. But now it does a really good job in comparison of what it was capable to do a couple of years ago. A: I remember how much trouble I had when I had to put in the Sibelius harmony exercise book which was published in the mid-twentieth century and I could not scan it anyway. It was about ten years ago. V: And you could not even play it in real-time because we didn’t have keyboards with us. A: So I did it just manually. It was an all summer project. V: Umm-hmm. Luckily you had entire summer and you had me too. A: True, because at the end of that book I asked for your help because it was driving me crazy. V: Yeah. Ausra do you think that people could compose with a pencil and sheet of paper today? A: Of course, why not? V: You don’t really need computer. A: No, you don’t. V: But what happens if you want somebody to play your pieces? Would they agree to play from your handwriting? A: Somebody may agree, it depends on how nice you write. V: Umm-hmm. A: But of course it’s better for people to give a printed score. V: Right. It’s easier on the eyes. A: Yes. And in that case you show more respect for people. V: Yes. And if you show your autograph like handwritten score to a person and ask them to play your piece it’s just one more reason for them to say “No.” A: That’s true. V: And because people will generally play something old and not new, right? Pieces that were written by masters rather that living people, right? In general, but not always. Then of course you have to do everything you can to facilitate this process for them to make it easy. A: That’s right. V: OK guys, please keep sending us your lovely questions. We love helping you grow. And remember when you practice… A: Miracles happen.
This blog/podcast is supported by Total Organist - the most comprehensive organ training program online. It has hundreds of courses, coaching and practice materials for every area of organ playing, thousands of instructional videos and PDF's. You will NOT find more value anywhere else online...
Total Organist helps you to master any piece, perfect your technique, develop your sight-reading skills, and improvise or compose your own music and much much more... Sign up and begin your training today. And of course, you will get the 1st month free too. You can cancel anytime. Check it out here Here's what one of our students is saying: I am learning greatly from the sharing of other organists on their experiences with composers, some of whom are new for me. I find inspiration from them, too. Total Organist is a community builder. (Ruth) Would you like to receive the same or even better results that Ruth is getting? If so, join 80+ other Total Organist students here.
Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start episode 266 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Dan. He writes, in response to my question about how he became fascinated with the organ. So he continues: For me, I’d say even back then when I was really young, I had an interest, and fascination in the organ. And as I still do to this day, whenever I’d hear the organ played at the church i’d attended at the time, which had really nice, excellent acoustics, i’d listen to every little detail of the organist’s playing. Some friends of ours had one of those little spin it organs, made by a company who I don’t think was really known for making stuff like that - Electrohome. Whenever we’d go over there, I’d never want to get off of that instrument. It was one of those that had slightly shorter manuals than a conventional 61 key manual. They only went down to an f, so they were shorter on the bottom end, and only 13 little short, tiny pedals, which you could only play one note at a time on. But back to that organ in the church i’d attended, I one time, had attempted to talk to the organist, we’d went up to the console after a service, and I’d asked if I could take a look at the instrument, it was a two manual Allen organ, from the late 1980’s I think. She’d pretty much said no, that I couldn’t, but i managed to get a finger onto the bottom notes of one of the manuals. She’d either totally turned off the organ, or just didn’t have any stops on, I’m not sure which it was, as when I’d pressed the keys which I did manage to touch, I didn’t hear any sound at all. I was disappointed, after we’d left there. I think it’s important, for organists to show people, no matter how young or old they are, the instrument, if they’re interested. I later did get to try that organ, but that was a couple of years later, after that first experience. Dan V: So, Ausra, I think the main idea that Dan is trying to communicate is his disappointment in the situation that the local organists didn’t show him the organ. A: Yes, it’s very disappointing, you know, for a kid. V: Did you have something like that in your life when you were growing up? You said your first experience with the organ was in Nida, right? A: Well, when I heard the homeland organ recital, yes. V: Did you want to go upstairs and try out the instrument yourself? A: No, because I think I was just too shy for such a thing, but I remember that recital. It was really something! And then also afterward, I finished my first grade of elementary school. We had our choir concert at the Philharmonium building in Vilnius, which has this big Schucke instrument. And Bernardas Vasiliauskas, actually, he was the man who played that organ recital in Nida at the first organ recital that I have ever heard, he actually showed us that organ from inside, and I just remember that feeling—it was so fascinating. I just could not imagine that there could be so much space in the instrument, so… V: Ausra, now tell us a little bit… how did you become a professional organist? How did you decide to become a professional organist? Who suggested for you this idea? A: Well, it was actually by accident, I think, that I became an organist. V: Right, so…. A: Because simply, I graduated from National Čiurlionis Art School, where I teach now, and I didn’t want to go the Acadamy of Music, because my major at the time was choir conducting, and I didn’t want to lead a choir. And, I wanted to study history at the University of Vilnius. But, then I met one professor, a piano professor from our Academy of Music, and he listened to my piano playing, and he told me that I should study at the Academy of Music, and if I don’t want to study choir conducting, I could study the organ. V: That’s right. And you said yes, right? Did you spontaneously agree, or did you….? A: Well, yes, I almost spontaneously agreed, because I have never thought about that possibility, but since childhood, the organ fascinated me. And then, he told me about this possibility, I was sure right at that moment that it’s the right path for me. V: So you say that when you said “yes” to that piano professor, in your memory, this Philharmonium Schucke organ experience came out, right? A: Yes, and the Nidas recital, too. So, I think it’s very important, what you experience as a child. V: Imagine that Bernardas Vasiliauskas would have been busy or not there, and didn’t show you this organ from inside. Your curiosity about this instrument might have not been great at that moment. A: That’s true! That’s true, because I think that children are the most eager to accept things and to experience things, not an adult. I think so many adults with the years just lose the curiosity, and it’s just too bad. V: And when my teacher were at the academy of music because of the organ, too. A: That’s right. V: So, we probably wouldn’t be speaking today to you guys, if not for Ausra’s first grade experience, right? When someone really great introduced the organ to the entire class, group of children, and for me, probably, too! If my mom didn’t show me the instrument in our summer place where we stayed—small village church, anonymous builder organ without pedals, and she pumped the bellows for me by hand—I probably also would have chosen a different path, maybe choir conducting! A: Yes. V: Because, I had probably a stronger interest in choir conducting than you at that time. A: So, I think it’s a good lesson from Dan’s letter that we can learn, all of us, you know who are organists and have access to an instrument, that if somebody, especially children, show interest in the organ, we need to show them around. Let them play. Of course, not damaging the instrument, but you know, really, we need to guide them, and to show them the instrument, because one day, maybe they will decide to learn this profession! And I think it’s so important nowadays when organ art is slowly dying. V: And, for example, if you are doing organ demonstrations to a group of kids, it’s really a great idea to let them draw the organ. Not only play, but draw. So, maybe one or two are playing at the moment, sitting on the bench, or sometimes even three, but the rest of them could draw with pencils or with crayons, or pastel, something that you could all bring together, like a story about the organ, and that way they will internalize the instrument and experience much deeper. A: That’s right. V: Thank you guys, this is a lot to think about for us, and hopefully for you, too. And please keep sending us those wonderful questions, we love helping you grow. And remember, when you practice, A: Miracles happen.
This blog/podcast is supported by Total Organist - the most comprehensive organ training program online. It has hundreds of courses, coaching and practice materials for every area of organ playing, thousands of instructional videos and PDF's. You will NOT find more value anywhere else online...
Total Organist helps you to master any piece, perfect your technique, develop your sight-reading skills, and improvise or compose your own music and much much more... Sign up and begin your training today. And of course, you will get the 1st month free too. You can cancel anytime. Check it out here Here's what one of our students is saying: I really like the sharing. It's interesting to see what other organists are working on and how they go about learning new pieces. (Anne) Would you like to receive the same or even better results that Anne is getting? If so, join 80+ other Total Organist students here. SOPP265: What do you think about the tempo to be kept in the Alla Breve section of BWV 532?8/13/2018
Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start Episode 265 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Andrea. And Andrea writes: Hello Ausra and Vidas, Thanks for your hints and the talks you share with us! I would like to know your opinion about the prelude in D, BWV 532, from JSB, a piece I run into a few days ago, after years of oblivion past the days I studied it... As we know, the piece is divided into three parts, the second of which is marked Alla breve. What do you think about the tempo to be kept in this section? Shall we keep "Alla breve" as an indication of style, i.e. the Stylus Phantasticus, so to be played fast and virtuoso, or shall we think of it as a tempo indication, so to played crotchets in the region of 60-66? I would like to know your ideas about this... Right now I'll go playing, because "when we practice, miracles happen"!!! Have a nice summer! Andrea So Ausra, we’re looking at the score now, right? A: Yes. V: And what do you think, for starters? A: I don’t think it’s related to stilus fantasticus--this particular episode. I think that the previous one was more in the stilus fantasticus style, and I think that in this particular spot, alla breve means that...At the beginning of this prelude, we had the meter...common meter, yes? V: Yeah. A: It meant that we have 2 strong beats in a measure: on the first beat and the third beat. But starting from the alla breve section, we have only 1 strong beat per measure. It means that from that particular spot, you have to play everything...double as fast as it was before. V: Twice as fast. A: Twice as fast, yes, twice as fast. It means that if previously you had 16ths, so now your… V: 8th notes. A: Your 8th notes have to be played as the 16ths were. V: Mhm, that makes sense. And for people who want to be really virtuosic here and play really fast, they need to start really fast the Praeludium, the pedal scale in D Major. And then keep the same tempo in alla breve, but twice as...fast. A: That’s right. So you really need to think carefully before taking the opening tempo. V: Right. Umm...Those tempo relationships are very important in Baroque music, right Ausra, because in sectional pieces, if we play separate episodes in a variety of tempi, then what happens? A: Well, the piece might lose unity. V: Because it lacks unity anyway, and we need to keep at least something unified; so one of the elements is tempo. A: That’s right; and I think it’s a question that raises so many questions and so many discussions. And think even about the Fugue, like in E♭ Major, yes? from part of Clavierübung by J. S. Bach. I have heard so many discussions about that, how to put all those 3 fugues together in terms of the right tempo, what their relationship between fugues should be. But obviously, this is...you know, the style of Bach, it’s just still young Bach; so you have that Northern German feeling in it. V: Like Buxtehude, you mean? A: That’s right. Like Buxtehude. V: This is directly related to Buxtehude’s style, too. Probably he picked up this writing when he went to Lübeck. A: Yes, I guess so. V: On foot. A: Yes. V: How many miles? A: Well, many many miles! V: 250. Somewhere...like 450km, I think. On foot. A: No wonder his trip lasted longer than he expected! That he even lost his job! V: Yeah, his church officials weren’t particularly pleased that the main organist of Arnstadt Church had left--for the holidays, for Christmas--the church to the substitute. A: That’s right. V: Mhm. A: But anyway, this piece, this Praeludium and Fugue in D Major, is a very exciting piece. Especially Praeludium. V: Right. And not particularly easy to play, in general, this cycle, Praeludium and Fugue. What are some of the difficult spots here? A: Well, you know, I remember myself playing this piece, and I remember that I often messed up right at the beginning. V: The pedal scale, you mean? A: Yes. I don’t know, it gave me such nerves! V: Did you play with toes only, or with heels? A: No, I played with toes only. V: I see. A: Because I worked on this piece when I studied with Dr. Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra at Eastern Michigan University, and she would not allow me to use heels. Thanks for her! V: We have prepared this score with pedaling and fingering here, and looking at the choices of D Major scale ascending version from the beginning here, it looks strange for many people, right? To play toe-toe, for the left foot; and then right-left, right-left, right-right. It’s really strange for people who never touched a historical pedalboard. A: That’s right. V: What’s the strangest feeling about this passage? What is different than people would normally pedal it? A: Probably that you have to use the left foot right at the beginning, hit the D, and E. V: And in the same manner as at the end, C♯ and D are right-right. A: That’s right. V: Why is it so important to do this? What do you think? A: I think it’s important because it gives the right articulation. And in this case, you would be able to play it on the historical instruments, or replicas built in a historical style. V: What would happen if people started to play left-right, left-right, left-right, left-right? Why can’t we play it like this? A: Hahahahahaha! Well, I think you would just fall down on the pedal, if you would play like this! It’s possible, but-- V: It’s POSSIBLE… A: But, but--Yes, it’s possible, but I wouldn’t do it. V: But the grouping of notes is different, right? A: Yes, because if you think about playing that F♯ with the left foot, and then you know, crossing legs...I don’t know. V: Uh-huh. A: I think it would be too hard. V: Plus, in this grouping, you always play the stronger beat with the left foot, if goes upward. A: That’s true. V: So D should be stronger than E. But it’s the opposite, right? It’s E that is stronger than D. Therefore we reserved D and E for one foot. Right? Left-left. And from E we start to do alternate toe pedaling. A: That’s right. Well, at least that passagio, you know, which goes down from the broken arpeggio--that is easier, at least. You know what to do: it’s left-right, left-right, and so on and so forth. V: To me, alla breve seems kind of slippery to play, because it’s so rhythmically consistent, and there’s no way to slow down here and adjust the tempo. A: That’s true, and that’s often the case with the stilus fantasticus pieces, because if you would look at Buxtehude’s Praeludium, he often mixes these strictly rhythmic episodes with those free episodes. V: Fugal, plus free. A: Yeah. V: Fugal and improvisatory episodes. A: Yes. And even in Bach’s other earlier pieces, you can find that like, in A Major Toccata, for example. And Fugue. It also has something there, you know, Northern German-ish. Don’t you think so? V: Could be. So guys, approach this piece with caution; don’t play it too fast, because it’s risky! A: It is. I never went back to this piece, and it’s just too bad, maybe. I need to repeat it at some point. V: Maybe for the next Bach’s Birthday. A: Hahaha! Could be. It would be fun. V: Right. What would you recommend for me to play, then? A: Well, I don’t know. Maybe 6 trio sonatas! V: Too much! A: Hahaha! I’m just joking. G Major, of course. V: G Major! Let’s start from the last one! Not the last one. The last is--The last is G Major! A: Yes! It’s G Major, yes. V: Oh! So.. A: Well, my first was C Major, which is the fifth sonata, so… V: Mhmm...We need to do pedaling and fingering for those remaining sonatas, because up till now we have E♭ Major prepared for people. A: That’s right. V: I guess that would be helpful. Thank you guys, you gave us a lot of ideas for the future. Please keep sending us those 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 264, of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by David. And he writes: Dear Vidas and Ausra. It seems to me that there are basically 5 types of music that the organist has to be ready to play in church other than accompanying hymns and choir anthems. They are: Preludes, Postludes, offertories, introits, and interludes. Perhaps interludes aren't so common in most churches now. What are the important aspects to know about each of those in order for the organist to select or improvise an appropriate piece of music for each? Are Preludes usually longer, more meditative? Of course we know that Postludes must be played as loud as possible to prevent idle and rude chatter while the organ is playing (I'm joking, of course). But what makes a piece more suited for a Prelude, and another piece more suited for postlude. Do offertories have special characteristics? When a church uses them, what is appropriate for an introit? Are there any special guidelines that generally can be applied? Obviously every church and denomination is different, and differing themes and seasons will affect this, but I'm looking for general principals for the average service or Mass. Thank you, David V: What do you think, Ausra? A: Well it’s a very broad question and as David said himself at the end of his question that everything is different in different church. Yes, different denomination, and different tradition, and depending on the season. But if we could give sort of general outline; I think what preludes differs from the postludes. I think preludes must be probably a little bit more solemn in character. And sort of not maybe as fast in tempo as postlude, because prelude is sort of preparation for the service itself. So it should not distract probably as much as postlude. V: Mmm-hmm. A: What do you think about it? V: I agree. And usually, we can take a look at introit and it’s text and it’s melodies. And David here mentions introits. But introits usually are sung, right? So,,, A: That’s right. V: So, if before the mass you sing an introit, it’s a good idea to play a prelude based on those ideas, and melodies and texts, and characters, too. So, sometimes if a Sunday is solemn and festive, introits will be also more festive and preludes therefore will be more festive with loud registration, that’s possible. And depending on occasion, it could be meditative character too. A: What about length? Do you think that preludes should be shorter, or the same as postlude? V: It could be as long as you want, but you have to end in time for the singers to sing. So you have to collaborate with whatever choir is singing at the church, or maybe you are leading your choir too, so you have to count those minutes, how many stanzas there are in your introit, or if you are in protestant denomination, then opening hymn, you have to count how many minutes do you need for opening hymn and then improvise or choose a prelude to fit that timing and end on time. What do you think, Ausra? A: Yes, I think that’s a very good suggestion. Well, then let’s proceed further. V: Mmm-hmm. A: What about offertory? V: Offertory in Catholic Mass, has it’s own text and melodies, so if the choir is not present, you can improvise something based on those Gregorian Chant melodies, suited for that particular mass and liturgical calendar. A: What if you are in protestant church? V: In Protestant churches, I think it could be longer. Because the offerings are usually collected during that time, right? A: But what about character? Should the offertory be loud or quiet or soft or meditative? V: Remember in Baroque times, 18th Century, Cuperin and French classical composers created offertories very long… A: Yes. I think the offering was the longest part of organ composition for the mass. V: So that meant that at that time, before probably Vatican II, you were allowed to play almost non-stop during the mass, except perhaps for the Elevation, and then shortly picking up after that. So offertories could have been much longer and louder that way. Today, it’s different, right? I think today could be, depending on the length of the offering itself, you have to choose probably quieter character. What you think? A: Yes, I think so. I don’t think it would be suited in church to play offering loud. V: What about Ausra, communion? A: Well, communion, well, could be I think a little bit maybe louder than offering but also quiet, not too loud. V: I see what you mean. Because people are walking in the church, right? A: Yes. So you need to sort of cover that noise. V: Mmm-hmm. A: Step noise. V: And usually they’re longer than offertories because it takes a while for everybody to take communion. A: Well, and if choir sings during communion, that often happens. organist has to fill in after that. V: Right. So choir could sing a hymn or two, and organist could gently continue in the same mood as the last hymn. A: Yes, I think the selection of repertoire suited for service is nice if you play for your all the parts of the service something related to the hymns of that day. I think it’s very nice. V: Right. Can you play Gregorian Chant melodies during the communion? A: Of course you can do it. Why not? V: Like Ubi Caritas. A: Yes. V: Or something suitable for that occasion. And every Gregorian Chant collection for the, from the Gradual of the mass, it has the place for communion too and you can choose the melodies and text for the service and liturgical calendar. And then, you could improvise, right? I always tend to look what Charles Tournemire did with his l'Orgue Mystique collection. He composed organ masses for every Sunday of the year, basically. A: So you could just take his collection and use it. V: You could. And Introit, Gradual, Offertory, Communion, four pieces are shorter and easier to play. And the last one, Postlude is long and elaborate, like fantasia. A: Don’t you think it’s sort of pity that the postlude is place where organist can show himself, what he’s capable of, and not so many people will hear it because so many people after service just want to quit the church as fast as possible. V: It is. And you have to sometimes get used to that congregation. Sometimes, make them, or help them trust you. Maybe talk to them afterwards in general, basically. Keep in touch with them. So then they will react to your playing more personally and don’t neglect it. A: Yes. Hopefully. So let’s then conclude that preludes should be not as loud maybe and not as fast as the postlude. And if it’s occasion is solemn you could play a march too, solemn character. And then of course the all middle service might be played softer and slower. V: And the postlude of course, has to be quite probably joyful, right Ausra? A: Yes. Definitely! Of course if it’s Lent, maybe not as joyful, but anyway, it’s character must be more vivid than communion and offering. V: Thank you guys. Please send us more of your questions. We love helping you grow. And remember, when you practice... A: Miracles happen!
This blog/podcast is supported by Total Organist - the most comprehensive organ training program online. It has hundreds of courses, coaching and practice materials for every area of organ playing, thousands of instructional videos and PDF's. You will NOT find more value anywhere else online...
Total Organist helps you to master any piece, perfect your technique, develop your sight-reading skills, and improvise or compose your own music and much much more... Sign up and begin your training today. And of course, you will get the 1st month free too. You can cancel anytime. Check it out here Here's what one of our students is saying: Very happy. It's helping to keep the organ in front of me every day. I have a tendency to procrastinate, and when I procrastinate enough, I forget. This helps a lot. I like the course I'm taking right now on transposition, and look forward to others in the future. Thank you, Vidas and Ausra! (Laurie) Would you like to receive the same or even better results that Laurie is getting? If so, join 80+ other Total Organist students here. It’s a little difficult for me to answer this question because I’ve been creating every day since Christmas 2011. And played organ long before that too. At first, I wrote blog posts, then created videos, then courses for my subscribers. Later I started to compose, improvise and draw. I also started creating podcasts. Well, maybe not every day. Sometimes Ausra and I produce a few of the posts and podcast episodes back to back and schedule them to be published in advance. Our subscribers receive them every day but we don’t have to actually record them every day. On the days I don’t record anything, I try to at least create Pinky and Spiky comic strip and write a blog post, and of course play the organ. My recent memory of not creating almost anything perhaps was in London when Ausra and I played organ duet recital at St Paul’s Cathedral. I didn’t take my laptop with me to that trip, prepared a few blog posts in advance for our subscribers and had only my pocket notebook and a black pen. I didn’t want to miss creating during this trip so I at least drew a comic strip once a day. To find a day of not creating, I actually should dig deeper into my memory. Maybe on the days when I was sick, maybe when I had a lot of errands to run. I don’t remember exactly when such rare occasions happened but I do remember the feeling from these days. I would be grumpy, even angry with family members and I definitely felt that something important was missing in my day. Even now I don’t necessarily compose music every day. This bothers me. I don’t have any excuses for this, of course. Like many people, I still hesitate. And when I don’t compose, I don’t feel whole. I feel like I’m not living up to my potential. I feel like the days go by too easily. I should be more tired before going to bed. Like an empty cup, to be refilled during the night. Do you have this feeling when you don’t create? Sure, physically and emotionally your day might be exhausting, you might get a lot of things done and be spent like a sponge at the end of the day, but if you don’t have anything to show for yourself and others what you have created, how does it make you feel? I’m pretty sure not everybody feels this emptiness. People who have silenced this childish voice of curiosity long time ago and buried it underneath all the mundane worries and fears might not even remember how it sounds. They might look at the sunset or sunrise and don’t feel the awe at the beauty of nature. So naturally they don’t feel any urge to create and express this beauty which is all around them and actually inside them. To them the world is not a happy place, a place for sorrows, worries and fears. They don’t have anything to hope for. But even for them the miracle can happen. I believe everyone is capable of seeing the beauty of the world and expressing it in art. Sometimes all it takes is one life-changing moment or event and the world will never be the same for them. But if you are a creator, if you feel that deep down you have something to say and offer to the world and you’re not doing it, how does it make you feel? Or if you are doing the bare minimum and you know you could create more, do you feel like cheating? Because I do. And I hate this feeling. That’s what helped me to pick up that pocket notebook and a pen and create a comic strip about Pinky, Spiky and the dancing shoes yesterday. This blog/podcast is supported by Total Organist - the most comprehensive organ training program online. It has hundreds of courses, coaching and practice materials for every area of organ playing, thousands of instructional videos and PDF's. You will NOT find more value anywhere else online...
Total Organist helps you to master any piece, perfect your technique, develop your sight-reading skills, and improvise or compose your own music and much much more... Sign up and begin your training today. And of course, you will get the 1st month free too. You can cancel anytime. Check it out here Here's what one of our students is saying: I Joined TO 3 weeks ago! I Started sight reading course. I like TO and I'm sure to obtain a lot of improvements from this opportunity. I will let you know more in the future. (Ferruccio) Would you like to receive the same or even better results that Ferruccio is getting? If so, join 80+ other Total Organist students here. |
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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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