Secrets Of Organ Playing Podcast

This question was sent by Dan, And he writes: "Hi Vidas, I noticed that you’d uploaded to YouTube, a version of Carillon of Westminster by Louis Vierne, where you’re playing it slowly. I know you normally do this, so people can transcribe what you’re doing, and eventually produce a print score with fingering and pedaling. This as well, may help me, as I learn things by ear here, due to being totally blind, and finding Braille music to be tedious, and slow. So along with helping people to transcribe stuff, I’d say what you’re doing with that, is also helpful to me too. Take care." And then I asked Dan this question: What is the easiest way for you to learn music by ear? When you hear entire texture or separate hands and feet? Or even separate voices? And Dan replied, "What I usually like is to have separate hands and feet, and then entire texture to work with. That has worked well over the years for me. I’ll then take that and work on its parts separately to start out, then manuals only, then right

This question was sent by Dan. He writes: “Hi Vidas, the whole incident at Notre Dame in Paris, France is shocking, and sad at the same time. It’s really, really good, that the main organ wasn’t damaged by the fire. Very cool that you’d visited that instrument back in 2014. Is the other choir organ that they have, a totally separate instrument, with its own console and everything? If so, how many ranks is it? And is it Cavaillé-Coll as well? A podcast talking about your experience there, due to all that’s happened, would be cool. When you were there in 2014, did you get to have a go at the organ then too? And did you get any audio recordings, or YouTube videos when you were there then? If so, links would be greatly appreciated. Take care, and all the best from Dan in Ontario Canada.”

This question was sent by Michael, and he writes: Hi Vidas and Ausra, Thank you again very much for liking and reposting music! I cannot thank you enough, and I am extremely honored by your likes and reposts! I have given some thought to blogging—particularly since my studies focus on early music (particularly English composers like Byrd, Gibbons, Tallis, etc.). I've always loved early music, so it was not difficult for me to decide on what part of the repertoire I wanted to focus. I have given some consideration recently to creating a website for my work in general (compositions, studies, recordings), and I have also given some thought to recording an album of my clavichord music. I am still researching into how I can do all these things. I know there are some free domain sites, but I am not sure about PayPal so people can purchase my scores or recordings, or how to add a feature that allows people to peruse my scores before purchasing them, etc. I am hoping to do all these things before university res

This question was sent by Alan. And he’s a member of the team who transcribes fingering and pedaling from the videos, and prepares nicely done fingering and pedaling practice scores. So Alan writes: Vidas and Ausra, I enjoyed this episode, thanks. You mention Sauer’s crescendo roller. We saw one of these demonstrated by Andreas Sieling when we toured the Berliner Dom last year. I didn’t quite understand this unique device ; perhaps you could explain exactly how it works in a future episode. Is it selectable to specific manuals? Does it change wind pressure or add/subtract from registrations? Thanks and regards, Alan Peterson

This question was sent by Erika, and she writes: “I’m working on the choir piece for Easter. Beautiful piece. Quite a bit trickier than I usually do. It’s become an Easter tradition. A couple of sections are like a fugue and there is one section that I didn’t practice as I should have when I first learned it several years ago. So now I have to drill it every year or my fingers seem to fall into the wrong place at the wrong time.”

This question was sent by May, who is our Total Organist student. And she writes: Hi Vidas, Thank you again for addressing to my concerns in details! I have not had the time to spend on the 3 to 4 rhythms yet. In fact, I had to put the sight reading courses aside in order to focus on the harmony (which has been taking 1.5 hours each day from my practice time). I simply don't have the time for writing out the chords beforehand (it would have taken me at least another 45 minutes each day to do so). In your week 11 video, you said it would be easier if we write down the chords before doing the hands on practice. How could practice in writing makes playing easier (for we are not looking at our chords when we play the harmonization anyways)? And, she has questions on the week 11 harmony video and exercises.... 1. When you demonstrate exercise 1, you say aloud each chord (and how it connects to the next chord). For the first 3 chords in the 2nd half of exercise 1, I think I hear you say "subdominant".

This question was sent by Ariane. And actually it’s not a question, but a feedback, because Ariane is one of our Total Organist student, and once a month they get this question where we ask them “How is Total Organist working for you so far?”. And Ariane wrote: Joining Total Organist is the best thing I’ve done since Christmas, and I keep telling everyone I know how amazing this program is.

This question was sent by Ariane, and she writes: “More improvisation and some theory on counterpoint and how canons are constructed - a lot rings a bell now, especially the stuff on consonant intervals and countermovement.”

This question was sent by Ruth, and she writes: I am working hard on the pedal parts of every piece I practice. I do this at a large organ in a local church. I isolate the parts first and listen carefully and repeat. I then attempt to memorize, although that is s long process. All of this is a labor of love.

This question was sent by Ariane. And she writes: When I am doing the hymn improvisation, should I think in 3rds and 6ths or should I think harmonically?

This question was sent by Gena, and she answers my question for Total Organist students on Basecamp, where I ask, “What are they struggling with this week.” So she writes: “Slow practice for accuracy” “Isolating tricky sections to practice them repeatedly”, and, “Faster more accurate manual changes” So basically, those three things were the most challenging for her.

This question was sent by Irineo, and he writes: Now that WAS an interesting post. I recall when I started to think of pedal exercises in order to achieve as close a legato as possible. I took a long look at the pedalboard and imagined which pedals would turn out to be most comfortable for each foot while playing scales upwards. Then downwards. It became clear rather soon that the bottom C would be perfect most of the time for your left foot while the upper C for your right. But when I started playing pieces a bit more demanding, I realized that not all the time that would be the case. For instance, when I played my own arrangement to Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition", there's a measure where you should interchange your left and right feet at bottom C [while playing C(left)-F(right)-G(left)-C(right)-F(left)-G(right)-C(left)]. Afterwards I thought about what would happen if I turned things around while playing the "regular" or "standard" order while rehearsing scales/arpeggios. What I'm getting at is

Sally wrote: “I struggle with finding time to work on expanding my organ skills and techniques. It seems I spend most of my time at the organ prepping for choir rehearsal and weekend Mass. I also work full time, so there not a lot of hours available for practice.”

Today, I’d like to talk a little bit about what Jeremy wrote about Total Organist when I asked him how is total organist working for him so far. He wrote: "Just so much to learn! Loving every second as it gives me something to work on daily."

This question was sent by May, and she writes: Hi Vidas, Thank you very much for addressing to my concerns in this email! I have been spending over an hour each day on the harmony exercises for a few weeks. I worked on the difficult way whenever possible (using 2 fingers from each hand) as suggested by you in an earlier email. Ever since I could manage to use to play the bass part (of hymns) with the pedals, I always use the pedals. I find it much easier to play the hymns with 3 fingers and both feet. Now I am not comfortable at all playing hymns with hands only. I am hoping I can slowly regain my hands-only hymn playing skills by doing these harmony exercises. For quite many chords in the exercises, there is no way I can play them with hands only and 2 fingers from each hand. I need the help from the pedals anyways. I always wonder how piano players practice these chords. A question from the week 8 harmony exercises… we should skip all D-T sequences starting with the 3rd note (from the dominant chord

This question was sent by Marjorie. And she writes: Thank you! You were very helpful. My problem: I passed my Grade 7 for Associated Board Organ Exam about twelve years ago. Since then, my playing has deteriorated. I play for church services every Sunday, but I am not challenged. I play a two manual tracker organ with limited stops, and only a bourdon in the pedal. I took my exam on a four manual Cathedral organ. My dream is to play fluently on the organ. Pieces grades 6 and 7 standard. Thanks -Marjorie

This question was sent by John, and he writes: I have struggled to get much quality organ practice in the last 2 weeks, but family has to come first. Prior to that I have been diligently practicing the first 10 Hanon exercises with a metronome, starting at 60 bpm and working my way up to 80. I started noticing a few small issues where I was drifting off beat. I have also tried practicing pieces to a metronome as I am subconsciously changing the tempo without realizing. I have learnt the first 2 pages of Wachet Auf from Schubler chorales, and playing it ok, it took quite a while to get the chorale tune, it certainly tests my coordination and independence of RH, LH and pedals. Page 3 with the modulation to minor mode is taking even more work, but slow practice is working. I am playing for our church service on Sunday, I am really excited as I haven't played at church for since January due to Isaac arriving. One of the hymns is a new one, and when I practiced it, I had a special moment of realizing how much

This question was sent by Jay, and he writes: Hymns for church service on Sunday. Trying to get to the point where I know the music well enough, to recover quickly if (or when) I mess up.

This time, Colin writes: "Thank you for the bonus materials for the Pedal Virtuoso Master Course, I shall look forward to working on them."

This question was sent by Irineo. He writes: Hello back there maestro! Now that was an interesting discussion you had. But I wonder, which other clefs are there besides two G, two C, and one F? Those are the ones I’m familiar with. And while transposing, you mean when you’re writing a score or improvising? Thank you. Very truly yours, Irineo