Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start Episode 214, of #AskVidasAndAusra Podcast. This question was sent by Tim. He writes: My dream for organ playing is to have the confidence to play publicly in church and concert settings. How can I get comfortable play for others and play as well then as I can when playing just for myself. Barriers include no local teachers in our small community. I’m learning on my own so get no critical feedback on my playing. Lack of opportunity to play publicly is number two. Presumably that could be resolved by joining a local church, but that would really be the wrong reason to join a church. Access to an instrument is not a problem as I have a fine Allen digital organ in my house, but access to a variety of instruments is a problem and limits opportunities to develop more sophisticated registration ideas. Tim V: So, Ausra, he basically wants to have a confidence to play publicly, in church and concert settings. As with many organists, this is a very fine dream, right? A: Yes. V: Because there is nothing wrong with it, right? A: Of course. V: If you can get comfortable when playing for others and even at the level how you’re playing for yourself, right, without playing worse, that would be very nice skill to have. A: That’s right. I got an impression from Tim’s letter that actually he plays more to himself because he has an organ at home and doesn’t go, you know, to play somewhere else often. But, you know, it’s some sort of interesting thing because if he wants to be able to play for other people, he needs to go out and to play for them. And for that he definitely will have to go to church. V: Mmm, hmm. A: And even maybe, you know, to apply for an organist position or part-time organist position, assistant organist. V: Or volunteer once a month let’s say, to play for them if they don’t have the resources to pay him. A: Sure. And as for not having regular teacher and, you know, not having a feedback on his playing, he should record himself more often and listen to what he has played. V: Mmm, hmm. And compare his playing in the recording to, I don’t know, recordings of other people that he can listen online. A: Yes, because now YouTube is full of, you know, of excellent organ work. V: It probably doesn’t mean that copying of recordings note by note is a good idea, because then you lose your unique input and touch. But at the basic level, yes, it helps. A: Yes, I think for a beginner it’s a great tool, to learn how to play. V: Mmm, hmm. If he doesn’t have local teachers of course, he could also, you know, use our material that we provide. A: Sure. V: At first, when we started doing this, we were sort of hopeful that people can teach themselves play, to play the organ, right? But we didn’t know if that was practically possible until John Higgins came from Australia to play for us earlier this month. So, we saw and heard with our own ears what a person can do on his own if, if he as a strong will and immense motivation. A: That’s true. V: Right? So, it’s possible to learn on your own. A: Yes. And you know since also Tim wrote that, you know, that he has a Allen digital organ at home; I think he needs to go to other places to find for other instruments. Because playing digital organ not always, you know, forms the right muscle technique. V: Mmm, hmm. What do you mean, Ausra? A: Well, you will not develop strong enough muscles in your hands and your fingers. So you would probably spend some time practicing on mechanical instruments, or at least on the piano, on the wooden piano. V: Can you compare playing on the digital instrument without weighted keyboard as, let’s say, living or working out in a zero gravity environment? A: Probably, yes. V: Like he’s in space, right? A: Yes. V: Yes. Astronauts of course, they do all kinds of exercise there but they do this, you know, even more than on earth because otherwise their bodies just, would just collapse. A: Yes. V: So, if you lived on the moon, you would have to exercise six times more because the gravity is less. A: I know. And you know, then you have your formation built up on the mechanical instrument. Then you can practice on the digital instrument and still sort of hold that feeling of the mechanical instrument. V: Mmm, hmm. A: But if it’s other way around, I don’t think, you know, then going to the mechanical after practicing all the time on the digital instrument that you will be able to perform as well as you did at home. V: Mmm, hmm. It doesn’t work both ways, basically. A: Yes. V: You have to find a weighted keyboard or at least a piano, mechanical piano. A: Yes. V: Right. What else can we advise to Tim? I think he can expand his knowledge of harmony, right? He doesn’t mention that has an experience with this or any goal in, in expanding his music theory and harmony skills. A: Not so many musicians actually do. V: They want just to play and perform. A: Sure. V: And in our school, when we teach, there are kids who love to play flute, violin, piano. But classes that we teach, ear training, music theory, harmony; what about them, Ausra? A: Well, not, not so many of them like those kinds, we don’t understand, that you know, being real musician, actually is like the synthesizing all those subjects together. That, that you cannot be well enough, you know, without having good ear. V: Mmm, hmm. Complete musician. A: Yes. Understanding musical language. V: That’s why we call our program Total Organist, right? Where we include everything you need to know in the current musical environment, including but not limiting yourself to harmony, theory, performance, practice, improvisation, even composition. A: Yes. I think in today’s global world it’s very important that musicians would be, sort of, you know, would know everything in their field. Would be complete, yes. V: Mmm, hmm. Because you have to, you have to, be unique in the world in order to be successful, right? Success of course means many things to many people, but still, in the eyes of others, you have to be unique. And your uniqueness might come from being the best in the world in their eyes at something. Maybe at one thing, but then it is very, very fierce competition, right? You’re competing with thousands of other organists who are doing the same thing. Or you could do a combination of things and be a reasonably good organist in, in combining a few subjects, right Ausra? A: That’s right. V: Then it’s much less competition this way. And even better if you combine subjects that are not easily combinable, not, not often combined, right? You have to find your other, perhaps passions and combine them with organ. Then you’ll be the best in the world in the combination. A: Yes, because you know, let’s, let’s take any, any type of, you know, organ composition in order to you know, to play it well, you need to have a good enough organ technique. You know, you, you have to know at least some of music theory, and, you know, in order to understand how the piece is put together, you need to have a good hearing in order to be able to judge if you are playing well enough. You know, record yourself and listen back to what you are playing to correct yourself, and even you know, when are listening to other people performing. You also need, you know, all that understanding, if you know, you like or not it and why. So you need to have some knowledge of musical history in order to understand the right style of particular composer. So it, it’s actually the whole world. V: Exactly. When you’re studying the organ art, you’re basically studying the, the entire input of humanity. A: Yes. V: 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!
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Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start Episode 213 of Ask Vidas and Ausra podcast. This question was sent by Brad. He writes: I am a 39 year-old music educator and church musician who has played piano for twenty years, and began studying/playing organ five years ago (with two years hiatus due to a significant job change). I returned to my study of the organ a year ago and have made significant progress. 1. My dream would be to become a proficient organist, capable of playing standard classical repertoire (Johann Sebastian Bach, especially) with good technique both on manual keyboards and on the pedal board (which I am currently struggling with), as well as being proficient/comfortable at hymn playing and accompanying a soloist/congregation. 2. Challenges 1) I am 6 feet, 8 inches tall and I have a size 16 foot. The majority of my height is in my legs. I find it very difficult to develop my foot technique on the organ because sitting at an appropriate height and distance on the bench often restricts my ability to move my legs with the necessary freedom from pedal to pedal or from pedal to swell shoe/crescendo pedal. I experience this issue on most church organ consoles. In addition, the size of my feet make it very difficult to play the pedals accurately because (even with a good set of organ shoes) the slightest change of angle in my foot can cause me to accidentally press another pedal. Have you known taller people who experience these challenges? 2. I am a full-time public school music teacher and also work at a church part-time. I practice at church 4-5 times a week for 2-4 hours a day (with appropriate breaks). I also play one piece every Sunday at church for performance experience. I find it very difficult to keep up a consistent practice and performance schedule with the demands of both jobs. 3. I am improving in my comfort level with performing on the organ, but it is still a challenge to keep calm and collected when playing a challenging piece on organ with an audience. I often find it difficult to recover from a fingering mistake or other technical error during a performance--my mistakes on organ feel so much more exposed than mistakes I might make on the piano. Brad V: So what do you think Ausra? A: Well that’s a nice you know letter and very explicit. I’m sort of very much admire you know him for all his hard work. V: Yeah, he struggles with both jobs, right? A: Yes, and I know what he means because I am also teaching full time, not in public school, thank heavens, but I just can’t imagine what a hard job it is to teach in public school and music, not in math or literature. But I admire him for being able to practice for so many hours a week. V: Yeah. Two to four hours a day is quite a lot. A: Yes it is. And especially because I know how teaching job takes all the energy away. He really is very devoted to the organ. V: One thing he is struggling with is his height, being a tall person. A: And maybe you could talk a little bit more about it, not that you are so tall, but still you know you are much taller than I am and maybe you experience some similar problems. V: In addition to adjusting the height of the bench maybe with wooden blocks or maybe with hymnals on both sides of the bench he could maybe sit and position the bench further from the keyboard because he has long legs, right? When you sit closer your knees bump into the keyboards often and that’s not good so I assume his hands are also quite long then and he can reach the manuals too. A: If that’s the case I think it would be a good suggestion, but what if you know hands are not as long as you know as it would be comfortable to play and to reach let’s say upper keyboard. V: Umm-hmm. Then I would sit probably more on the edge of the bench to balance myself and be a little bit closer to the keyboards, but if I sit on the edge then I don’t lean backward so much and I can move my feet better and easier this way. A: Wouldn’t it be dangerous in falling down from the organ bench? V: Yes, if you sit too close. It has to be a balance, very delicate balance. You move yourself closer or farther a little bit. You experiment with certain distances and find your ideal spot. I think it will come to him naturally since on the organ he is less experienced than on the piano, right? Piano he has studied for twenty years. But on the organ he needs probably also more time to adjust and get better. And I think with experience and experiments he can also adjust and feel comfortable at sitting on the bench. Do you think so? A: Yes, I hope so, yes. V: It will not be the most comfortable position though, because yes, the benches are standard sometimes and if your height is not average, right? Then you have to sort of adjust but with time I think people find a way I think to do this. A: Yes, but remember that organ bench is not a couch at home in front of TV so you will never feel as comfortable as being home. V: Right, right. But you know some benches have the support for the back. It’s more like a couch. A: Well I wouldn’t wish to play such an organ. V: I see what you mean. So he wants to play standard classical repertoire, right? Johann Sebastian Bach especially. So his piano technique would help of course him. He just I think, Brad has to remember to articulate more with each note and also not to lift the fingers off the keyboards and pedalboard. A: Yes and no. Bach of course is standard classical organ repertoire but maybe he would also want to explore some other style of music. French music for example. And you know I thought if he is struggling with the pedal playing maybe he needs to play some of Cesar Franck’s music which is considered to be a standard classical repertoire but his pedal part is not as demanding as some pieces of J.S. Bach’s organ music. And since he must have quite a good piano technique so I would say that Franck’s music is more challenging in manual parts. V: Exactly. I think it should be doable for Brad. A: Sure and it’s such nice music. V: What about keeping calm and collected when playing a challenging piece in front of the audience. A: Well you know that’s a lifelong training that you should do. I doesn’t come so easily and there is no magic trick or magic pill that you could take and be calm while making a mistake. Anyway what helps me to stay relaxed is probably breathing. V: Umm-hmm. Because when we are frightened or panicking we forget to breathe, right? We imagine the worst possible outcome and lose control this way. And what we need to do instead is to sort of stick with the current measure. Our thoughts have to stick with the current measure. It’s easier said than done of course and the great deal of it comes from practice, from constant performing in public, right? A: Yes, I think that’s the best way to control it. To play in public as often as you can, but since you know Brad plays at church often so I think he’s on the right track. Maybe he could expand his solo repertoire. Right now he is doing one piece of music per week. Maybe you know in the future he could do more. V: I think what he also needs, I don’t know if he does that, is that maybe sight-reading could help him save time, right? And improvisation too. If he for example sight-reads regularly new music, like every day one piece of unfamiliar composition that he likes. Then little by little over time he will gradually build up the skill to sight-read slowly in public without mistakes which means you could put in some work for easier pieces but not too much and perform without mistakes in the concert tempo as well. Much faster to learn this way if you are constantly reading new material. A: That’s right. And he also mentions in his letter that you know that his mistakes on the organ sounds worse for him than his mistakes on the piano. But I think it’s very natural because an organ is such a much larger instrument than the piano is and it doesn’t have that sostenuto pedal so that’s natural that organ mistakes sounds worse than piano mistakes. V: Right. And to reduce the time for preparation for church organ playing of course improvising would help, right? People sometimes improvise because of lack of time. Because they don’t have enough time to sit down and practice diligently the pieces they improvise regularly. It’s like a practice, but then when time comes on the Sunday to play in front of public he could sort of compose on the spot while performing and this will be lifelong skill to have too. A: Yes, that’s true, and that’s a good idea except that some organists start to sort of improvise all the time and we stop learning the repertoire. V: Ah. So that’s a balance then you have to do a little bit of everything regularly. Sight-reading, learning your repertoire, and improvising a little bit. Thank you guys, this was Vidas. A: And Ausra. V: We hope this was useful to you and please send us more of your questions. We love helping you grow. And remember when you practice… A: Miracles happen. AVA212: I would like to know more about how to convert piano sheet music to organ sheet music5/5/2018 Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start Episode 212, of #AskVidasAndAusra Podcast. This question was sent by April. And she writes: Hello Vidas Pinkevicius, I am answering your survey. 1. What is your dream for your organ playing? I would like to know more about how to convert piano sheet music to organ sheet music. Our hymn book for church is written for piano and I struggle with creating a reasonable, but fairly easy, pedal line and deciding which stops to use. 2. What are 3 most important things that are holding you back from realizing your dream? Access to organ sheet music. Practice time. Using the pedals because I am only 5 feet tall. I am enjoying your organ coaching and it helps. Thank you. April V: So, Ausra, this is probably the question about making organ arrangements. A: Yes, that’s true. V: Don’t you think? A: But it, but because it’s more related, as I understand to hymn playing, hymn accompanying on the organ. So I guess it’s not more question about making an organ transcription but about adjusting hymns written for piano to the organ. V: Uh, those hymns might be written on two staves. A: Yes. V: Have you ever seen a hymnal, where hymn harmonizations are written on three staves? A: Mmmm, not a full hymnal, maybe I saw, like V: Organist addition. A: Additional, V: Supplement. A: Supplements or additional hymns, but not full hymnal. And I haven’t seen an organist version that would be three staves. V: Uh-huh. Yeah, you’re right because organist usually have to adjust themselves. A: Yes. But I wish, you know she would send us at least one page of example of that hymnal. Because if how it’s written, if it has like melody and then sort arpeggio piano accompaniment, yes. Then she would need to work out to, you know, to, to fit the organ. But if it’s four part harmonization and you just can play it on the organ. And play the bass line with the pedal. V: And the tenor would be played with the left hand. A: Yes, that’s right. So you would have two voices in your right hand, one voice in the left hand, and one voice in the pedal. V: Important thing is not to double the tenor with your, um, not to double the bass with your left hand. A: Yes, that’s right. Some organists does it for like a hundred years and he cannot learn it. And it really sounds bad if you you know, double pedal and left hand—bass lines. V: Mmm, hmm. They can’t develop hand and feet coordination this way. A: That’s right. And you know another thing if you know you have some hymns written for piano you can just take a melody and you can harmonize it yourself as you like and play it on the organ. V: Exactly. A: And that way if it’s more comfortable you could use the three stave notation. That’s a possible too although I think it’s a bit harder for people. With less experience, to read from three staves. V: If you are a beginner then, then playing just two outer voices, soprano and the bass, with your hands only, would be fine for starters. A: Yes. V: I don’t know if she’s a beginner or not, but for some people this might be an answer. A: And, you know, she also asked about which stops to use. So, it depends on what kind of organ, you know, you play and how large your congregation is. V: Always include 8’ stops. A: Yes, definitely! You need to do. And I would say 8, 4, yes. V: Eight and four, yes, because otherwise 8’ alone will be too soft for congregation and accompaniment. A: Yes. And if congregation is big then you can add, you know, 2’ stops and even a mixture sometimes. V: What about 16’ stop in the manual if you have it? A: Well, I would use it because I like it. But again it depends on the complete organ and complete room. V: You mean specific room. A: Yes, specific room. V: Some organs have mixtures that are based on 4’ pitch level. Then you actually need 16’ to use in the manuals together with. Otherwise the mixture would be too, too, too low and without foundation. A: That’s true. So I guess it, it not would be like too low but it would be too, it would stand too much out of, you know, other stops. It would not blend in well. V: Yeah, yeah. You’re right. Okay, and um, um, April writes that she doesn’t have an access to organ sheet music, which is only very easy to solve, right? If she went to Petrucci music library which is at IMSLP.org, and type in any composers name that she likes or even a title of the piece, she might find it there, especially if it’s public domain music. A: Yes, because you know, Petrucci’s music library has so many organ music sheets that I don’t think that you would have enough time in your life to play them all. So I think now-a-days it’s not so much you know a problem to get music sheet. V: Exactly. Practice time! She probably lacks practice time, like we all do, right? If we’re busy. A: That’s true. V: But for most people being busy is not the problem. I think for most people prioritizing their time is the problem. A: Yes. That’s true and we have talked about it so many times, V: Exactly. A: You know, about finding the practice time. V: If, if organ playing is important for you enough, you will find time. A: Yes, that’s, that’s right. That’s right. V: If it’s not important enough for you, you will not find time. A: You know, we are not the kids anymore, you know, that our moms would make our daily schedule, and tell us, you know, now you will eat, now you will wash your hands and brush your teeth, and now you will play the organ, and now you go to sleep. V: And some kids even resist that, and they still don’t follow the schedule, right? Because it’s not important for them. It’s not their schedule, it’s mom’s schedule, right? And they want to play with their friends or their cell phone. A: That’s right. V: Um, so, I think we all need to reevaluate our vision, right? Why do we need organ in our life? Why? Why do we need? Is it just like another hobby, or if one more burden on us? Then it’s not worth bothering, right, because it sucks out energy out of you and also doesn’t give you enough enjoyment. But if you feel that the pain you feel while not playing the organ is bigger than the pain you have to go through in finding the time, right? Then you know that are called to play the organ and it’s no, no brainer. It’s non negotiable, right? A: Yes! Very well said, Vidas. V: Thank you! A: And now let’s talk about, you know, that pedal playing, because she writes that she is only five feet tall. Well, many people who have very long legs also complain that it’s hard to play with feet. And, and vice versa. (Laughs). So, it seems like nobody is happy when we are talking about pedal playing, but you know, as long as you have feet and you can move them, I think you can play the pedals. It’s just a matter of adjustment. Just adjust your organ bench. Maybe it’s too high for you. Maybe you need to lower it. V: Maybe too far away, the bench is. A: Yes. Maybe you sit too far away from the keyboard. And you know, another thing that for, you know, short people is hard to reach the upper manual if the organ has more than three of them. But as, as long as you are using only first and second keyboard, two manuals, I think it’s okay. It should be okay. V: Ausra, there is a situation sometimes when people with short legs cannot reach their heels, right? But they could reach with toes, right? A: Yes, that’s true. Then you know, play more Baroque music. V: And for Aprils’ situation, because she was writing about hymns, right, hymnals. Do you think that playing hymns could be done without heels, at all? A: Yes, definitely. I think you can only use your toes for hymn accompanying. V: Uh, huh. It’s not chromatic. A: Yes. V: Too much, right A: Yes. V: And you could even pretend to be playing legato or almost legato. A: That’s right. V: Uh, with toes only. Slide if you need, use alternate toes whenever possible. And then your bench height or length would not be too much of a problem. A: Yes, and I don’t think it should be such a problem. You really can adjust. I know it from my experience. I’m also don’t have a long legs. But I have played however many great and difficult composers. V: Mmm, hmm. How tall are you, Ausra? A: I don’t know how much it would be in feet. V: In centimeters? A: In centimeters it’s 1 meter 62. V: 162 centimeters to feet; let’s convert it right away. 5.3 feet Google says. A: Yes. V: So it, your are little bit,,, A: So I’m a little bit higher, taller. V: Mmm, hmm. A: But still it doesn’t make such a you know, significant difference. Of course there are also proportion of the body, because even with the same height then people have longer legs, and some, some, some not so. V: Let’s see what kind of a giant I am. I’m 180 centimeters, which is 5’9. Ummm! Not bad. A: So know I need to feel bad that, you know, I’m V: No, no no, A: short, and you’re tall. V: I’m just thinking about myself. Do you think Ausra, that I could grow a little, to reach six feet? A: (Laughs). I don’t know. V: Maybe sideways, right? A: Yes, sideways, yes. V: (Laughs). A: I think that’s what you are doing (???-12:50). But you I, once I taught one piano doctrinal student at (???-12-55), you know he was having some organ lessons and he was really tall guy. And he would keep complaining each time, because he has such a long legs. And I just thought, you know, would you like to change, you know, switch places with me? V: Umm, mmm. A: Probably not. V: Yeah. A: But you know, I, I notice that some of the really excellent virtuosos, they’re not tall, at all. And they just play extremely well. V: And this question about adjusting because of your body length, for example, body height maybe, correct word would be, is more or less suitable for people who haven’t played for many years regularly. If you have played for a few years in a row, by that time I think your body will have adjusted. A: I think that’s true. V: You just need to spend a lot time on the bench, not, I mean not a lot of time during one sitting, but across many months, right, let’s say. A year or two and after those two years let’s say, write back to us, right, and see if you still feel that you are too short. A: That’s right. V: I don’t think so. Do you still feel, Ausra, that you are too short, after twenty-five plus years of playing? A: No! I’m perfectly fine. V: Okay. Would you like to play with high heels? A: Well, high heels helps if you need to play legato and use a lot of, you know, of the heel. V: Mmm, hmmm. So that’s another recommendation for April. A: That’s true. So if you know, your shoes will not have heels, then it will be uncomfortable to play legato, especially. So,,, V: Good! Thank you guys for listening to this conversation. We hope this was useful to you. Please send us more of your questions. We love helping you grow. This was Vidas. A: And Ausra. V: And remember; when you practice… A: Miracles happen! Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start Episode 211 of #AskVidasAndAusra podcast. This question was sent by John, and he writes, Could you also talk in your podcast about actually recording the CD, like where to place the microphone, or what sort of microphone to use. How to pick the repertoire, what sort of editing processes should be used, and how to organize the actual recording schedule. For example, did you do the whole CD in one hit, or over several days or weeks? Did you record at night when there is less background noise (in a city location). So Ausra, this is a question which needs a lot of technical knowledge, right? A: Yes. V: We have recorded several CDs, but those were taken from live performances. A: Yes. And actually, in some of those cases, we just hired a professional sound engineer to do it. As, for example, at Eastern Michigan University, remember? V: Oh, so that was additional? Additional cases? A: Yes, but we have the CD from that. V: Mhm. Additional, or a couple of CDs that I did alone, or with a soloist or with the choir at our church. A: Yes. V: So yes, to hire a professional sound engineer is probably the best quality choice, right? Because if you do it all by yourself, then it puts a lot of stress on yourself. A: That’s true. Unless you know about where to put the microphones, I think in each case it’s the individual’s choice. It depends on the organ, and the room that organ is built in, and so on and so forth. But of course, if you will record, then it’s best to do it at night; then you have less outside noise. V: Mhm, mhm. And it’s important not to be interrupted, right? A: That’s right! V: Because even the slightest noise can be heard in the final recording, and it will be evidence, basically--and it will be there forever! A: That’s right. Now, about how to record it, it depends on how you want to do it. If you want to have a live performance, that’s one way to do it. Then you will just have to play everything, each piece, from beginning to end. And if you are thinking about editing things, then you can do several “shots” of each piece. And the most important thing that way is that you would pick up the same tempo each time. That way you will be able to edit, to cut some things, and to edit some things, and to glue things together. V: Mhm. Yeah, sound engineers can do that without the slightest break. A: Yes. Although for myself, I prefer a live recording, without any cuts and edits. V: Depending on how long the piece is, right? If it’s like, let’s say...Let’s say you’re playing Sonata by Reubke, which lasts 25 minutes, right? And to play it at a level suitable not only for a recording, but as evidence for years to come for you, it might be exceedingly difficult. A: Well, yes, that’s true, but you know, it depends on what is the reason for your recording. V: Hmm. A: If you want to sell it, then yes, do as much editing as you can. But if you are required, for example, to send a recording for (let’s say) an audition, for (let’s say) a recital in some famous cathedral, or you are applying for an organ competition somewhere--you are required to send a live recording. V: Yeah. A: Without any edits, any cuts. So it depends on what your final purpose is. V: Or if the mistakes are very minor and not really obvious… A: Yes. V: Then it might be okay for a gift recording. A: That’s true. And sometimes you even have to provide a witness, somebody that the people that you’re sending a recording to actually know and can trust-- V: Mhm. A: That you really did it without any editing. V: Right. So, those CDs that we recently published with Kunaki--we chose live performances we’ve played, from real concerts that we felt were sort of acceptable. They might have one or two very minor things, but we didn’t notice them, right? We didn’t look at them under a microscope. And nobody will look through the microscope at your recording. Basically, you have to be happy with your performance, and the most important thing is that you feel satisfied with the quality level for many years to come, right? And then you can release it as a public recording. Don’t you think, Ausra? A: Yes, I agree. V: Some people are too meticulous for my taste. They work in small fragments, like several measures each, and then basically spend weeks with their sound engineer. Not only is it very expensive to do it this way, but it takes the life out of the recording. A: That’s true. I think the live recordings are the most exciting. V: Mhm. A: Of course, there are people who just listen to the CDs or to any recordings, and the main goal of their listening to it is to find your mistakes. V: Mhm. A: There are people like that. V: Mhm. A: But usually, those are people who cannot play well themselves. V: Exactly. And if you receive a harsh comment from them, and you ask them to give an example of their playing, they usually back off--and disappear! A: I know. V: So...for John and others who are wondering how to record a CD, we would like to offer the following advice as a summary, probably, of what we have said so far: that yes, you need to be basically prepared. Regardless if you are playing it live or not, with a sound engineer waiting for you, you have to be as well-prepared as possible. Don’t waste your or your engineer’s time. Right? Not only is it expensive to do many many takes over and over again, but it’s not really professional, right? A: True, true. V: Your sound engineer might be annoyed. And so, spend as much time as you can preparing yourself. And you can do the following: if you have a good camera, video camera or even a microphone with an audio recorder, you could record your own live concerts, and play as best you can; and then, you can freely choose whatever you like. Even some pieces you don’t like, you can omit, right? And you can make a compilation CD out of 4 or 5 or 6 “recitals” over the years, not necessarily in one sitting. But those pieces would be done live, right Ausra? A: Yes. V: Without any extra work on your part. You just show up and play, and if you like the performance, you can publish it in a recording. A: Yes, and these make great gifts for your friends. V: Mhm. But if you do need a sound engineer with some editing, I think playing your piece at least 3 times would be helpful. A: Yes, that’s true, because sometimes things happen like, you play a piece straight through V: Mhm. A: Without any stopping. And somehow you feel that everything went just fine. But then, after listening carefully back to your recording, you might find some small things that you would want to change. V: Exactly. That was the case with me, playing d minor Toccata by Bach. And the first passage, or a couple of pages, went really smoothly--I thought. And I left it without any repetition, without any retakes, because I was happy. But then, when I brought the recording to a sound engineer, we both listened, and right at the end of the first page, I made a small--the slightest!--mistake. And I didn’t have a second run, or a third run, like I did for the Fugue, for example. And he had to work really really hard to cover my tracks. A: I remember that time, actually. And you know, it’s a funny thing, very bizarre thing: I hadn’t heard that mistake either. I was present; I was turning pages for you. V: Mhm. A: I don’t know what happened to us. Seems like an elephant stood on our ear that night. V: Haha. So, I hope an elephant will be present in the room, but not on your ear, when you record. So try it out; try both ways: live recording, or with several takes, and see what you like most, right? One last thing, Ausra: when are you more relaxed, when you know that somebody is recording you, or when you don’t? A: Of course when nobody’s recording me! V: So, if let’s say, if we said, “This recital will be recorded and hopefully published as a CD,” you will be very stressed out, right? A: Sure! V: Me too. And whenever I play this way, I make one or two mistakes; I get very nervous about the entire recital. And it’s not good. I think when you make a mistake like this, you have to relax and say, “Oh, NOW it’s official. You made a mistake. It’s not for public release. ...Now we can make music!” And guess what? Maybe other parts of the recital will be suitable for public release. A: That’s true, yes. V: Because of this. 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. Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start Episode 210 of #AskVidasAndAusra podcast. This question was sent by John, and he asks, “Could you do a podcast about making a CD, please?” So he returned back home from his trip to play in Vilnius, and now he’s in Australia. And he’s thinking about recording some of his organ performances on CD and presenting them as a gift. So, I thought we could talk about how I do it. And I use Kunaki service--it’s an automatized service you can find on Kunaki.com. And once you create your account, you can simply order a CD or a DVD for as low as $1.10. This is a really nice price, and I’ve been using it, and the quality is quite good. So what you do is, you create the account there with your password, and then you log in; and then they say you can make a CD or a DVD, because Kunaki offers a new web-based software which works on Mac, Apple, PC, and Android, and this allows you to quickly and easily create CDs and DVDs. And you click on this link--I did--and I’m transferred to the page for uploading your material, basically. Is it simple enough, Ausra? A: Yes, I think it’s very simple. And you have done both--audio and video, yes? V: Yeah, DVD, too. A: Yes. V: For the same low price. A: Yes, that’s amazing. V: And, for example, in order to create a new product, in most cases a professional-looking, shiny, cellophane-wrapped, retail-ready CD or DVD will be available for sale within an hour. Very quickly, because it’s all-automated system. The downside is that you cannot change anything once you publish, and you have to order at least one unit of your CD or DVD every six months--every 180 days. A: What if you will not order? V: You can order just for yourself, you know. I’ll do that, too. Because if nobody buys your CD over that time, they will de-list it. A: I see. V: So you have to occasionally order...It works as a gift very well, because it’s all professional-looking, and you will not regret it. I think for the first time, once you do this CD or DVD copy, they can even send you a free copy to check the quality, if you are happy with it. And after that, you can release it. So you have--in red color--the audio CD option which will work on all CD audio players; in yellow color, an mp3 CD that will work on audio players that support mp3; the green option, a video DVD that will play on all DVD video players; and that DVD or CD has a blue color option. And audiobook--you can even record an audiobook that will work on audio players that support mp3. The black color version is simple DVD storage and backup. You can store anything on the disc without any artwork. And the last option is an empty, printed disc with no case. So basically, it’s everything you need on one page, right? Let’s say John needs an audio CD which will play on all CD players. Right? But I also need an mp3 CD. So maybe let’s do the version with mp3 CD. So you upload artwork for the jewel case, and audio files, right? And you click this link to do this, and you are transferred to the page which lets you upload. Right? And in this step, you can open a design software, and design--you can design your own artwork, too, which is very handy. A: Yes, that’s very useful. V: This is a matrix for ?? CD jewel case, and you can do an insert, too...You can upload or you can format it on this side, too. And then you can upload a back tray image, too. And then you can select and upload audio files, up to 20 files--the normal length of a CD. A: Yes, it is. V: And then enter your product information. Only title and label are required, but you can add subtitle and release date, copyright message, label website, performed by...performer website, composer--even assign a catalog number and genre, even put a description. The description is for convenience, if you decide to sell the CD on your website. Because this CD will be available--it will have a separate catalog page, if you have several CDs--let’s say 3 or 5 CDs--you can sell it and receive your payments through PayPal. Right? And you click the green button, “Submit Product,” and off you go--in a few moments, they will be uploaded, depending on your internet speed; and within a few hours at least--maximum, I think--you will get notified in your email inbox that your CD, your product, is retail-ready. So then you can simply order it for yourself, or send it as a gift to other people, other addresses--and even publish it on your website for other people to buy. A: It’s amazing how easy technology makes our life nowadays. V: You can assign your own price, right? Any price you want. And if you send it to yourself, you just pay for the production cost, which is $1.10 for one CD or DVD. You see? It’s really simple. It’s all automated, and therefore you will not receive any customer support. Therefore, if something goes wrong, you have to delete this product and start over. Which is understandable. A: Well, things happen. V: That’s why they keep this price so low. Because it’s all robot-based somewhere in, I believe, the US--maybe Montana. So, what do you think about it? A: It’s amazing. I really like it. V: Yeah, I even recommend this Kunaki service for my colleagues here in Lithuania...I’m not sure whether they’ve taken advantage of it yet because they’re so...they lack initiative. Other than your mp3 files and pictures for artwork, there’s nothing really stopping you, right? From doing this? A: True. V: To do a DVD is a little more complex, because it takes more space, right? A gigabyte or something. But still, I did 8 or 9 improvisation CDs, and they worked well, too. But the simplest way is, of course, CD. A: Sure. V: You upload artwork, and upload your mp3 files, and description, and off you go. A: And that’s a great gift for your friends, family, and followers! V: Well, exactly! For example, for your students and friends, for your colleagues in church, if you have some supporters--they will definitely appreciate it. If you have a Patreon page where somebody can donate to your support, like a subscription-based support for you as an artist, you can send your CD as a gift to them--your best supporters, too. Wonderful! 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. AVA209: I listened to most of my recital last night, and it was incredible reliving the experience5/2/2018 Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start Episode 209, of #AskVidasAndAusra Podcast. This question was sent by John, from Australia. When he got back from his European trip, and he visited us and played the recital at our church, Vilnius University, St. John’s Church. And upon returning he sends this question, feedback basically. And I’d like to read an excerpt from his letter because his feedback about his own playing is so fascinating. Let me, let me find the suitable place to start: Dear Vidas and Ausra, I am still buzzing with excitement from my trip, my pilgrimage to see the master! I think it is only just starting to sink in now, the enormity of meeting you and playing an international recital. It felt so easy being with you, because even though it was the first time we’ve met face to face, we’ve been friends for more than seven years. I listened to most of my recital last night, and it was incredible reliving the experience. I remember a football coach once said, “things are never as good as they seem, and things are never as bad as they seem”. I think honestly that there is lots of opportunity for improvement, you have been very kind with the words you have said, but I want to get better. I can understand how you thought when was I going to crash! I was fortunate to somehow “save” it a few times, maybe muscle memory saved me. I felt like it was “so near yet so far”, some pieces were sounding so great and then, woops, messed up there! Ha ha! But the context is I had only been in your amazing country for 18 hours before the recital with about 4 hours practice! So on the plane coming home I wrote a list: What went well: My research and preparation
What didn’t go well:
Overall, my biggest lesson was, more SLOW practice required. What do you think? As your student, what would you like to see me working on in the next 2 years? V: So, Ausra, what do you think about his feedback? A: I think it’s very, you know, deep, and I don’t think I would do better for myself, you know, if I would have to analyze my own recital. He has such a great analytical thinking about everything. And I think he, you know, he thought of, each single detail of his performance. This I think, is very amazing. V: Yeah. This is really exciting to, to, to read this through and I hope people who are listening to this also understand how much thinking went into after the recital experience. A: Yes, that’s right. V: And before too, you see what his preparation was. For example, he asked me to, to send a specification of the, of the organ which is normal, but then I had to take lots of pictures with the layout of the stop list, stop knobs, actually. And he would practice using those stop knobs in advance, and choosing the stops correctly, which actually almost worked. A: Yes. He only needed to do a few corrections. And the entire program which I found also amazing. V: Probably, the most tricky thing for him was the pedal board which was flat parallel pedal board, German style, and he was more used to the, I don’t know, maybe radiating pedalboard. A: Yes. V: But it takes a while to get this experience. A: I know. If he would have a few days, you know, to practice on that organ, I think he would be just okay. V: Uh, huh. A: With it. V: Because normally people arrive a couple of days before,,, A: Sure. A: And get two more practices on each, on this organ. So, he asks, what he should be practicing now, in the next two years. Maybe next two years is a very long time to think ahead, but let’s say, in the next few months, for his next maybe performance in public. Let me, let me, while you think Ausra, let me, let me say a few suggestions: I think it would be nice for him to continue to improvise. Every practice session he could start with, I don’t know, maybe, a few minutes of improvisation as a warm-up. And then, he should choose at least three pieces from different periods of organ compositions. Let’s say, maybe four pieces, yes? One piece would be a Baroque piece, early Baroque, maybe 17th Century. Then one piece would be Bach, one piece would be a Romantic work, and one piece could be a modern composition—Twenty or Twenty First Century. What do you think? A: Yes. I think that’s a perfect suggestion. Because I think he needs to build a repertoire to standard, to expand it. And I would definitely suggest him to play some of the modern German music. V: Mmm, hmm. A: Buxtehude, perhaps. V: Chorale based. A: Yes. Or some free works as well. He, Buxtehude wrote so many nice praeludiums. V: Exactly. Um, and if he does this he little by little can expand his repertoire while not putting many hours actually, per day, because he doesn’t have that possibility to practice for hours, because he has a family to take care of and a very demanding job. And other things to do too, besides organ. But learning three or four pieces a little bit at a time, is doable. A: I also thought, you know, about playing some French Noels because I know that he’s preparing for lessons in carols. V: You’re right. A: I think this would be a nice occasion to play French Noels so he could easily pick up something from, let’s say,,, V: Probably, D’Aquin... A: Or Balbastre... V: Or Dandrieu... A: Yes. V: Those few. A: And it’s nice about those, you know Noel-based variations that you don’t have to play them, the whole set of variations. You can just stop after any of them, so… V: Right. You, you can perform partially. A: Yes. V: That work. A: Yes. V: Exactly. And for people who are in John’s situation, this is a very good advice: Start expanding your repertoire a little, and also, remember to repeat your old pieces from time to time. A: Yes. V: So that your repertoire would grow really. So that you’re not only working on the new stuff but basically expanding, really expanding your bag of tricks, so to say. A: That’s right. V: Excellent. So we really hope that John can, can find, let’s say Bach’s piece. He started playing a few preludes and fugues from the Eight Little Preludes and Fugues collection. Now he can take one step further, right? Maybe like the fugue BWV 578 in G minor, or a shorter but not very long intermediate level of preludes and fugues (BWV 533 or BWV 549). What do you think? A: Yes. It would be I think, a great idea. V: Or a chorale from, from Orgelbuchlein, other than Ich ruf zu dir. A: True, and since, you know, as we gave him, you know our CD’s. V: Yeah. A: And he wrote that he liked, you know Schmucke Dich by J.S. Bach. I think it might be still be too hard for him to play at the moment, but if he really likes that kind of style, he could even try the Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 659. V: From the same collection… A: Yes. V: of Eighteen Great Chorales. A: Because it’s, it’s less demanding than Schmucke dich. Nevertheless it’s very beautiful. And it has this nice ornamental soprano voice. V: And it will work for lessons in carols, I think. A: Yes Because, it’s you know, based on advent, on advent chorale. So… V: So things like that would be very suitable for John to take one step further, expand his repertoire, and make the pieces a little more complex now. A: Sure. V: But not too complex. Just,,, A: Yes. V: A few steps further. 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! I hope you'll enjoy reading the 1st part of the interview I did for Steemit Art Centre.
This is what other people are saying about it: Glenn R Tompkins: This is an outstanding interview and a wholly inspirational format for fellow artists, musicians, writers, bloggers and enthusiasts. Bravo, Vidas Pinkevicius, for sharing these remarkable insights! lildebbiecakes: You did an awsome interview @organduo. I’m so impressed with you and @deemarshall, your incredibly talented sir. I pictured you and your wife a much older couple. Probably because you say such profoundly wise stuff sometimes, like a wise old owl. You have a wonderful partnership in marriage. So wonderful to see it. Drawing pictures to each other how beautiful and quite endearing, friend. Bless you for sharing your creative abilities to the world. magiccleatus: What an awesome interview, it is a nice insight into @organduo as a person. I like the quote from his father "No day without a line" as I have a similar passion for drawing art! veta-less: Thank you for nice interview @deemarshall. @organduo thank you for telling us about yourself! Your organ playing is amazing!! I really enjoyed it. What an interesting story of the characters Pinky and Spiky. You inspired me to draw comics with them and I loved them so much). Yes, you are right. Notepad and oil pastel are easy to carry in your bag. And my drawings stop because they require water and paint. An Interview with the Steemit Artist @organduo - What Makes Him Tick? (Part 1) Check it out here Let me know what you think about it and stay tuned for Part 2. AVA208: Is there a source on the Internet for all of the toe-toe, heel/heel scale patterns?4/27/2018 Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start Episode 208 of Ask Vidas and Ausra podcast. This question was sent by Jane. She writes: Is there a source on the Internet for all of the toe-toe, heel/heel scale patterns? I am playing 15-20 hours per week in preparation for some private lessons in Paris this summer. I am an accomplished musician, but my pedal technique has become lazy over time. Working it back into shape as I am playing repertoire such as the Guilmant, op. 42 which has very demanding pedal passages. Thank you for your inspiration! Jane V: So Ausra I think the best place to look for solutions for pedaling patterns playing scales in all keys is probably our Pedal Virtuoso Master Course. A: Yes, I would say so because it has all kinds of scales you know and all kinds of pedalization. V: It’s quite demanding because right away from week 1 we start with C Major pedal scale over one octave and every day for six days in a row you learn four different keys, four different scales in ascending number of accidentals. C Major, A Minor, G Major, E Minor. Then day two D Major, B Minor, A Major, F# Minor and so on. So by the end of week one you have the knowledge of playing those scales over one octave. Is this enough Ausra? A: For starters yes, but when you need to expand you know that basis and to play not in one octave but in two octaves. V: Right. We do that in week two. The same order of keys but now we expand into two octaves. And the principle for somebody who has never done it before is very systematic I would say. We try to keep both feet together, and your knees together, and your heels together. Basically you two feet have to move as one unit. Right, Ausra? A: Yes, but it nevers works for me for example because I have short legs so you know I have to play scale in two octaves I wouldn’t be able to keep my knees together because I would fall down from the organ bench or I would injure my spine. V: So, this is just for improving your technique or course. In real life those kind of passages over two octaves is rare to find. A: Because it’s good if you are playing in a middle range. Then it’s OK. It’s fine. You can do that. But when you go extremely high up or extremely lower down then it’s much harder unless you have long legs which I don’t. So... V: And basically when I first released this course I received a feedback from one of my earlier students playing C Major scale that it wasn’t really comfortable to play with both feet in the extreme ranges you know When you play C, D, E, F. In theory C with left toe, D with right toe, E with left heel and F with right heel. And then turn to G with left toe, A with right toe, B with left heel and C with right heel. So this is system we use, but in reality it is completely unnatural to do this in the lower range of the pedal board up to let’s say bass G. So then I changed the first five notes from C to G I recommend playing just with the left foot. A: That’s what I would do too because otherwise I wouldn’t be able to reach such lower notes with my right foot. V: And then the same is with the last few notes in the tenor range. Let’s say A, B, and C now I think is best to be played with the right foot alone. A: Sure, yes. V: So the principle is we keep is quite straightforward, right? We alternate toe-toe, heel-heel for both feet wherever possible but of course when you get keys with accidentals then you get into some tricky situations and sometimes you have to think whether to start with the toe or with the heel in order to land on the toe when you are playing this sharp. A: That’s true. V: Like in E Minor. E would be left heel, F# would be left toe, and G would be right toe, A would be left heel, B would be right heel and so on. Right? So we have to think about what’s possible and sometimes you have to skip sometimes some notes because when you get to more accidentals like F# Major for example then it’s you have to even do substitutions. A: Luckily you don’t have many passages in organ music where you have to play F# scales in the pedals. V: Um-hmm. Um-hmm. But I think it’s useful for people at least from the feedback we received so far. It’s not easy. You have to understand that. A lot of people start with week one, maybe week two and then they stop and don’t continue. Because later we have arpeggios over tonic chord, and then arpeggios over dominant seventh chord and dominant seventh scale degree diminished chord, and chromatic scales, and the same with double octaves you know. This is really a virtuoso organ pedal technique course. But it starts with a single octave scale. A: Yes, and it doesn’t mean that you have early to work on the pedal course. V: No. A: You need to play repertoire as well you know in addition to this because if you will play only pedal exercises you will get bored after a while. V: Exactly. And the point of this is just to give you enough tools for later practice because when you learn those scales let’s say over two octaves you can easily incorporate those exercises as a warm-up. A: Yes. V: After you complete the scores, you know to keep the technique flexible because the entire point or the mystery behind the perfect pedal technique as Marcel Dupre said is the flexibility of an ankle. So while doing those tricky exercises you develop flexibility of an ankle. A: That’s true, yes. V: But it’s not for everybody for example people who like real music will get bored very quickly while playing those scales and arpeggios, right Ausra? A: Yes, that’s true. V: Would you do the scales yourself? A: Well, it depends. V: At which point of your development you are. A: Yes, if I would get this kind of course at the beginning of my career then yes, I would do it. Now, I would probably not. V: Or if you need to perfect your pedal technique in a you know rather short period of time to play at a symphony of some sort, or a you know french symphonic piece, maybe Franck’s “Grand Piece Symphonique.” A: Well, talking about Franck I think his pedal part is so easy. I know very few French organ composers who wrote pedal part as easy as Franck did. V: Or let’s say Reger, if you wanted to do Reger. A: Oh yes, you would have to do it. V: Or Durufle probably. A: Yes and Vierne wrote also some very tricky pedal parts, but not Franck. V: So investigate your choices and vision in your pedal technique development in the future. What would you like to accomplish? And if you want to get flexible ankles and be able to play those tricky passages with your feet then this course might work for you. A: Yes, definitely. V: 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. Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start Episode 207 of #AskVidasAndAusra podcast. This question was sent by Ahra. And she writes: Dear Vidas, My name is Ahra Yoo. I am an organist in Korea. My recital is coming up in Germany, and the organ has short octave. I have never been played on short octave organ and I read your article about ‘CDE Octave’ Could you recommend any appropriate pieces for this organ? I am in trouble to make a program. It will be very helpful any of your advice. Thanks, Ahra So. It’s wonderful that people from various countries are trying to play on historical organs, right Ausra? A: Yes, that’s wonderful. V: And it might be surprising for Ahra, because in Korea, they might have replicas, but not historical organs A: Yes, not originals, yes. V: Mhmm. So, what do you need to recommend to Ahra, in this situation? What is C-D-E and short octave? A: Well, yes...You know, it doesn’t matter what kind of repertoire you will select--you will still not be able to avoid the short octave; so you will really have to learn how to play it. So of course, the earlier the music you will select, the better it will work. V: Until the 18th century, probably. A: Yes. Don’t play Bach with the short octave; it might not work. V: Uh-huh. A: And also, the fewer accidentals the pieces will have, the easier you will adapt to that particular organ. So I would say: because your recital will be in Germany, play German music. V: And look at the pieces that you want to play, and circle all the short octave notes. If it’s C-D-E, this means that there isn’t C♯ or D♯ in the bass octave. A: That’s right. V: If it’s C-D-E-F-G-A, then it means there are no accidentals of C♯, D♯, F♯, and G♯. Even more limited. And whatever you do, you need to adjust your fingering this way. A: Yes, that’s right. And you know, what I did when I knew that I would have to perform on an organ with a short octave? Of course I circled the notes that belonged to the short octave, as the first step, as Vidas mentioned; and then, while practicing my organ that I had as a practice instrument, I would play it that way, imagining that it is with the short octave. V: Even though it sounds-- A: Yes, it sounds horrible that way. But in that case, you will build up your muscle memory, which is very important for us as keyboardists. V: Uh-huh. C-D-E organ short octave has a layout that C is where normal D is, and D is where normal D♯ is. So the lowest note is D. And you depress it, and it sounds C. And in another version, if it’s C-D-E-F-G-A, then the lowest note is still C but it looks like E. And then D is where F♯ should be, E is where G♯ should be, F is where F [should be], G is where G [should be], and A is where A [should be]. A: So anyway, you will have fun! V: It’s really fun, but very confusing for the first time. A: Yes, it is. V: So take Ausra’s advice, and play on your normal modern keyboard, pretending that it is a short octave. A: Okay. Now let’s talk a little bit more about the repertoire. What would you play on such an instrument? V: You already suggested to avoid most of Bach’s works, right? Maybe some early Bach works would still be ok. A: Maybe something written in C Major. V: Mhm. Or G Major, or F Major. Those 3 keys in major, or d minor, in minor key. That would be probably the best solution for starters. And in general, if you look at earlier music from the 17th century, I think most of this music would still be composed with just 1 accidental, or even less. A: Yes. And remember that short octave might be in the pedal as well. V: Definitely. I think the most common version of short octave is: in the pedals, C-D-E, and in the manuals, C-D-E-F-G-A. But in her case, I’m not sure. Maybe C-D-E is in the manuals, too. A: Yes, I don’t know exactly how it is. So I would play probably some Scheidemann on such an instrument; I think it would work well. V: Yeah. She could look at Scheidemann, and Scheidt, and Sweelinck, probably, too. A: Yes. V: “Tabulatura Nova” by Scheidt. And any piece in Tabulatura Nova could be played by manuals only. A: That’s right. And if you would need more manual pieces, you could also play some Pachelbel; I think he would work well, also. V: Yes. Pachelbel...What else? A: Some Buxtehude, probably? V: Easier Buxtehude. A: Yes, easier pieces. Also Bach’s pieces too. V: I made a big mistake for my first try on the mean-tone temperament organ with split keys and short octave...choosing a piece in E Major. A: Hahaha that’s a horrible mistake! V: And you? You did something else in C Major. A: Yes, Yes. I actually played in e minor. V: E minor? A: Which is also not as good selection for mean-tone temperament and split-key action...but that’s what we did! V: Hopefully Ara will not have to deal with split keys just yet; but some time in the future, she might. A: But I think pieces by Buxtehude--such as Chorale fantasy, Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern--I think would work quite well on an instrument like this. V: True. A: And it has almost not pedal parts. This would also make life easier. I think some pieces by Böhm would work well on such an instrument. Don’t you think so? V: Yeah. So you could choose between those authors Pachelbel, Böhm, Scheidemann, Scheidt, Buxtehude… A: Sweelinck. V: And Sweelinck. Those 6. A: Yes. V: What else? Maybe some early Bach, right... A: Yes. V: If you really like playing Bach. Do really think, Ausra, that modern music created in the 21st century would still work on an organ with short octave? A: Yes, I think some of it might work. But you’d need to make a selection very carefully. V: Or even improvise. You could improvise. A: Yes, that’s right. And you know, I thought also of another composer that would work, I think, very well on such an instrument: that’s Muffat. V: Georg Muffat? A: Georg Muffat, yes. His “Apparatus musico-organisticus.” V: Ahh. A: It consists of many toccatas. There are, I think, like 4 volumes of it; and you could select quite nice pieces. They are not too hard, and sort of sectional. V: Mhmm. They’re a little bit Italian-influenced, or French-influenced as well. Do you think Italian music would sound good on this organ, too? A: I think so, yes. V: Something like Fiore Musicale, by... A: Sure. V: ...Frescobaldi. A: Frescobaldi. V: Mhm. A: And maybe some Fröhberger, too, if you like him. V: So in general, 17th century music would work well… A: Yes, yes--I think that 17th century music… V: Except for French music. A: Oh yes, that’s right! French music wouldn’t work! V: Mhm...Spanish, maybe? A: I...wouldn’t risk it. V: Early Spanish. Renaissance Spanish... A: Yes, that’s true, that’s true, yes yes. V: But not 18th century Spanish. A: But still, because you are going to Germany, you want to honor German composers first. V: Right. Play some Korean music, too. That would be nice, I think--to bring your own cultural flavor to Europe. People will appreciate it. Lots of Korean music is written in pentatonic, so you just to be careful with accidentals; but if anything happens, you could still play in C Major without the fourth or the seventh scale degree A: Yes, if it will sound good… V: Without F or B. Or improvise something in pentatonic, and say it’s an original Korean melody! Nice. Wonderful. Thank you, guys, for listening. 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 206, of #AskVidasAndAusra Podcast. This question was sent by Alison. And she writes: Hi Vidas, I enjoying reading your blog and would appreciate some advice on repertoire using the mutation stops. I am to give a recital on an organ which has 3 mutation stops and would like to demonstrate all 3 during the recital. I have looked out a Cornet Voluntary by John Stanley and a tierce en taille by Michel Corrette, but perhaps you could suggest some other repertoire I could play? Here is the full specification of the organ: Department and Stop list Pedal Key action Suspended Stop action Me Compass-low Compass-high Keys 1 Sub Bass 16 RDH Bourdon Manual I Key action Suspended Stop action Me Compass-low Compass-high Keys 2 Principal 8 3 Stopped Diapason 8 4 Octave 4 5 Fifteenth 2 6 Nineteenth 1 1/3 7 Twentysecond 1 Manual II Key action Suspended Stop action Me Compass-low Compass-high Keys 8 Gedackt 8 9 Chimney Flute 4 10 Nazard 2 2/3 11 Flute 2 12 Tierce 1 3/5 Console Console type attached Stop type drawstop Pedalboard radiating concave Naturals black, sharps black/white; couplers by hitch down pedal; Couplers Manual II to Manual I Manual II to Pedal Manual I to Pedal I hope you will use this question in your blog. Best wishes, Alison V: Basically, you can find the specification in the description of this conversation as a text. But we could also summarize, right? In the pedal, if it has only one stop, SubBass 16’, in the first manual, if it has Principle 8’, Stop Diapason 8’, Octave 4’, 15 2’, 19 1 1/3’, so that’s the mutation. And then 22nd one foot. And then on the second manual, Gedacht 8’, Chimney Flute 4’, Nazard 2 2/3’, Flute 2’ and Tierce 1 3/5’. Basically on the second manual it has two mutations—a fifth sound and a Tierce sound. And in the manual one he has a high pitched fifth; 1 1/3, right? A: Yes, that’s right. V: So the most common mutations, I would say. A: Yes, yes. V: And if he has suspended key action, which means the keys should be depressed quite lightly, in Italian fashion, I believe, according to this specification. A: Yes, it looks like very much Italian, because it doesn’t have reeds. V: So, so she chose Cornier Voluntary by John Stanley. Let’s see if we could build the Cornier. For Cornier remember we need five banks. A: Yes, that’s right. V: 8, 4, a fifth, a two foot and a third. So on the second manual you have all, everything you need, right? Because we have to remember that they have to be flutes. A: That’s right, so it looks like, you know, the second manual is actually a Cornier. V: Exactly. A: If you pull all stops together. V: And then Tierce en Taille by Michel Corrette is something different. Tierce en taille. Tierce en taille means, it’s like a Cornier but in the tenor. A: That’s right. It’s a French manor. Piece written in French manor. V: Maybe without Nazard. Maybe, maybe Gedacht 8’, Chimney Flute 4’, sometimes for depth and reinforcement and this Tierce. And that might be enough, don’t you think? A: Yes, I think so. I actually have to listen to that balance. Because sometimes its sort of risky you know, to decide to, what stops you will pull out before you actually, you know, play on that particular organ. Because, well, some, some stops, sometimes stops sound so much different from what you imagined. And from sort of, common, common stops. So you need to adjust right on the spot. But, but I think it might work. V: And, my guess is that 1 1/3 19th on the first manual might be a principal stop. A: Yes, that could be. Because it looks like you know, the first manual is stronger. It has no other principles. V: So what we’ll be suggesting next might not work for the first manual. What about the ornamented chorales? You see? They’re probably more suited for the second manual, right? A: Could be. But then it would probably be hard, you know, to select something for accompaniment on a different manual. V: Well, sometimes you can play with Octave 4’ but one octave lower. If the tenor is not lower than tenor C. A: That’s right. But then again, you know, maybe you could use one of those new principles. Probably Principle 8’ not a stop Diapason. What do you think? V: Yeah, if it’s not too loud of course. A: I know. You need to check the balance. V: If it’s too loud then check Octave 4’ one octave lower and you have a couple of choices here on the second manual, to bring out the melody. A: What do you think; would it possible to accompany the Gedacht 8’ on the second manual and then play solo on the first manual? V: With 19th? A: Yes. V: And stop Diapason? A: Yes. Would that be possible, a possibility? V: It could be possible, yeah. It could be possible. If it’s not too harsh, this 19th. If it’s not… A: Yes. Then again you have to check on the spot to listen to how it sounds. V: Right. So any type of ornamented melody in the soprano might work for any of those mutations, high pitched 3rd stops, like 1 1/3’ or Nazard together with Gedacht, right? Or a Tierce together with Gedacht, without Nazard. A: What, let’s say, you know, if you would go to that organ and you would find out that mutations are just really loud. What would you do? V: I don’t… A: I think, I think it would work for Stanley like, you know, well, that piece, but, but for major ornamented chorale it would be too much. Would it be possible to register and not use mutations? V: Yeah. Principle 8’ or Octave 4’ one octave lower, would be perfectly suitable for the solo voice, I think. A: And what would you do when for accompaniment on the Gedacht 8’ or would you also add Chimney Flute 4’? V: Chimney Flute 4’ of course. And we have to probably recommend to Allison to use Chimney alone sometimes in the demonstration too. A: Yes. That would be nice. Because some pieces sound just beautiful played on the 4’ flute. V: Or Flute 2’ on some passages. A: That’s true. V: If it’s a full, full demonstration too. So lots of choices even though it is just a twelve stop organ. A: I know. You could also use some gap registrations as well you know, like 2’ 8 and 2 together. V: Oh, you mean on the second manual Gedacht 8’ and Flute 2’,,, A: That’s right. V: Would sound perfect for, or even for ornamented chorale. A: That’s right. Sometimes it works very nice. V: Or remember you played the Canzona by Scheidemann this way. A: Yes. I did it, and it worked quite well. V: Mmm, hmm. It think you have to, you have to maybe play with coupler in the pedal, sometimes, right? To reinforce,,, A: Yes. Yes, I think so, yes. V: Because Subbass alone is not enough sometimes. Then you need to do either pedals to manual two or pedals to manual one, depending on which manual is accompanying. V: Yes. But I think it’s, you know, its a nice, nice size instrument. It seems like it’s not a big one but you can still do lots of things with it. Don’t you think so? V: I think so, yeah. And hopefully the room is a little bit reverberant so it can even enlarge the sound and reinforce the acoustics. Excellent! Lots of variety. It can be done very nicely I think during the recital. So you don’t need to have hundreds of stops to register some elegant and delightful organ music and play for, for thirty minutes or entire hour this way. V: Yes, that’s right. V: Even solo organ music, you don’t need to play with, with a friend or a singer. I mean you could, if you have an instrumentalist, but it’s perfectly possible to do a solo recital this way. V: Yes and I think some Italian music would work well on this kind of instrument. Remember those sonatas, by,,, V: By, by, I’m thinking about, eh, you’re thinking about Italians, right? A: Yes. V: And we played it? A: Well, yes you did. Remember, at the museum. V: Oh, Gaetano Valerj’s sonatas are perfect for this too. A: That’s what I thought but I also forgot his name. Getting old. V: Mmm, hmm. 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! |
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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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