Secrets Of Organ Playing Podcast

his question was sent by Katrine, and she writes, Thanks for asking about this Vidas. 1. To be as fluent and reliable at organ playing as I am at the piano (professional accompanist/repetiteur by background) 2. Getting the set-up right for feet and being confident that I am practising in a way that will lead to accuracy - not sure if stool height is correct, shoes are perhaps too wide etc. Unclear on where feet should be able to reach (get pain in legs if I stretch too far and have hurt knee trying to insist with my right leg that it can reach the bottom notes!) and not sure how best to practise pedal scales (have seen varying advice on toe/heel use). Many thanks! Katrine

This question was sent by Rosemary, and she writes,: “Happy New Year greetings to you all. This day dawned breathtakingly beautiful and we will all be glad of the shade in the garden as the heat rises. A new year ahead in which our prayers and hopes are with those frontline workers caring for victims of Covid 19, and discoveries for containment. May you all and your families stay safe. Your comments, goals and plans are incredibly inspirational for me, with renewed energy I have heaped my attention on BWV 529, and various choral preludes, BWV 604 a favourite. Studying your improvisation and trying out some variations. Thanks to you all and the very best of good wishes for a happy and productive year ahead sharing your wonderful talents. Rosemary”

This question was sent by Pieter, and he writes,: “Dear Vidas, Thank you for sending me the extra exercise supplementary to the sight reading course. I appreciate that very much. Firstly let me apologise for my late response after finishing the course. It has been rather busy with various things. You may recall that when I first approached you asking your advice my goal to improve my sightreading skills was very much focussed on obtaining the CRCO (Colleague of the Royal College of Organists) diploma. I had already achieved credits for the paperwork and repertoire but not the musicianship tests. I am pleased to tell you that I achieved the last part of the qualification in the summer session and I therefore now have my CRCO qualification! I was really delighted to achieve this as it was a real challenge for me but after a lot of work, my efforts paid off! There can be no doubt that the sightreading course helped me particularly with issues of rhythm which I always found a weak point so I am grateful for

This question was sent by Whitney, and she writes, My challenge is with getting enough courage to play hymns with pedals. I can do it fine when practicing, but I get way too nervous when I’m playing at Mass.

This question was sent by Graham, and he comments on my recording of the practice session of his Idyll. So he writes,: “Wonderful, Vidas! It was written in the summer of 2020 during the first lockdown of the Covid pandemic. I saw a competition advertised for a meditative piece for organ and this composition appeared nearly instantly! I do love Erik Satie's 'Gymnopedies' (I have heard you play No 2 on the organ!) and there is a strong French impressionist influence in this piece. It came together remarkably quickly from an initial improvisation to the finished composition as I was very near the deadline for submitting for the competition. As you know, I am not 'original' in my writing as I recognize everything I create is derivative - a fusion of everything I have ever heard or played. I love the music of Cole Porter and George Gershwin and Irving Berlin . . . so there is a trace of those songsters deep inside the piece as well. It sounds gorgeous on the Salisbury Willis - a sound I never expected to hear. T

This question was sent by Steven, and he writes: “Hi Vidas. Organ playing is going okay, thank you for asking. These days I am making more time for practice, which is key. I still feel like I am a slow learner, but I know how to pull apart a new piece and start making it work. Pedal work continues to improve, with the biggest aspect I'm noticing is my accuracy. The right foot position (like keeping toes touching the "black" pedals) seems to be super helpful. I have a teacher, and we have lessons every other week for one hour. I typically work up a couple hymns out of the ELW, sometimes an introduction or related piece with those hymns. Then I have several other pieces in various states of progress.”

This question was sent by Andrew, and he writes: “I just wanted to say thank you for your "Mastering" series on YouTube. I am a percussionist turned organist, and every time I'm struggling to learn a new piece, it really helps to watch your videos. Even though I'm not learning the same music as you, the same principles of practicing apply, and I learn so much better when I remind myself to take things in small parts in repetition. You are doing a wonderful job of producing great content to help people like me. Right now, I'm working on "In dulci jubilo" by JM Bach, "Nun danket" by Karg-Elert, and "I Love Thee, My Lord" by Shearing, as well as some other long term Franck pieces that will be taking me a while to finish learning. The most challenging thing for me in playing organ is developing my kinesthetic sense between hands and feet, so I don't have to look away from the music and lose my place. I'm not a keyboard player by training, so I'm trying to take things slowly and learn from my mistakes as the

This question was sent by John, and he writes, Dear Ausra, thanks so much for this superb recital! Sorry I couldn't join it live, I've been very busy traveling and catching up with family, Covid restrictions are returning in Australia so I am cherishing every moment with family. Well done on the Bach, it sounded great, your articulation was so clear! How do you decide on a tempo for these Prelude & Fugues, do we have any historical indications or is it more based on how it sounds in the acoustic you play in? And please thank Vidas from me for his lovely contributions also! I am so lucky to know you both as friends and my teacher, you are so inspirational! Happy New Year to you and your family! Please stay safe and well! Take care, John

This question was sent by Diana, and she wants to know: “Is there a reason for avoiding parallel 5ths?”

This question was sent by Sally, and she writes, "Do you have a secret to playing melody in the left hand and harmonies in RH?  I have a hard time with that. My brain doesn’t want to allow LH to take the melody, at least not for long."

This question was sent by Rosemary, and she writes, Hello Vidas Firstly can I thank you for the wonderfully informative emails you have sent during the last week, To date I have found them very helpful and thought provoking.  A good beginning to the information I need to develop my study for the next 12 months. In reply to your first question. My goal for this coming year is a 30 minute lunchtime recital on 8 October 2021. My practice situation is a small instrument, one manual with a full pedal board and 5 stops in our local church  (country town). The recital is on an instrument 8 times this size in a provincial city 45 km away. Aug 2019 I was included in the programme and played an all Bach programme  (BWV 554, BWV 555,  BWV 604, BWV 536 and BWV 570 )  I lacked confidence and found it a rather tough experience and have resolved to better the experience. Important aspects to address. Developing a plan for the year's study.  Developing the programme. (Bach again as his musi

This question was sent by Andrei, and he writes: “Hi Vidas and Ausra! I have a question for you: If in a church there is a need for an organist, and the only two keyboardists are a professional concert pianist and a mediocre/intermediate organist, who do you think would be better to play on the organ?”

This question was sent by Stephen, and he writes: “At 72 years of age my goal is to play some of Bach's organ music with musicality and appropriate style...i.e. registration ...trills ..phrasing. I have explored the "Little preludes and Fugues"  using Soderlund's book on authentic technique for that period.   To be able to continue to practice.  (I own an Viscount Digital Organ with appropriate AGO standards. I also studied formally with an organist for 2 years) To be able to improve my pedal technique. I have used your Pedal Mastery Course to help in that regard. I purchased it when you first offered it to us.  I would like to know other sources of exercises that might help in improving. To be able to memorize even at my age....I find that practicing the organ and piano HELP keep my mind sharp ...Excellent therapy... Stephen”

This question was sent by Scott, and he writes, Hi Vidas. I'm new to organ playing and came across your site. Do you have a course that goes in order from kind of the beginning? I'm an intermediate piano player who doesn't read well yet. I also don't have pedals nor multiple manuals right now. Just using a midi controller with organ presets. Can a membership on your site help me where I'm at now with organ?

This question was sent by André, and he writes, Hello dear Vidas, I received the statement from Patreon about your support. I am extremely honored and grateful for your help, which means a lot to me. First, because I’ve been following your channel for many years, long before you started using Hauptwerk. In fact, many years ago you recorded a video about possible works to study with only a manual, which was a starting point for me in the organ. And finally, I printed the paper pedal board that you made available on your website! Anyway, receiving your support means a lot because you have always been a person who inspired me! Here in Brazil things are scarce in relation to the practice of the organ, but I was never discouraged, I was always positive. And now with Hauptwerk, and with my future equipment, I will be able to study this instrument that I love so much more! Thank you very much, affectionately, André Barbosa

This question was sent by Mario, and he writes: “Hello Vidas, my name is Mario I am a 25 year old musician from Panamá. My dream is to become Panamá's first organist, we have two pipe organs in the country and lucky for me I have access to both. One is Spanish pipe organ with 2 manuals and 30 note straight pedalboard and 51 keys on each manual. Second is a Renaissance pipe organ built in 2019 by a Polish organ company, it has 3 manuals with 51 keys also and a 27 note pedalboard. I am very interested in developing my sight reading abilities to a high level, where I could Just grab any composition and play it at tempo, and I mean piano or organ composition. I am wondering if your sight reading course would be good for me. I am comfortable sight reading hymns, but I don't have knowledge on pipe organ repertoire, only Bach. I practice on a digital Piano a Yamaha p155. I bought an AGO pedalboard and it should arrive in 2 weeks. Let me know if you can help me become a master at sight reading.”

This question was sent by Diana, who transcribes fingering and pedaling from our videos, and she writes that: “Sometimes I read a treble clef like a bass clef...”

This question was sent by Keith, and he writes in response to my letter asking what are his goals and challenges in organ playing.  He writes, Vidas, Thank you for sharing your knowledge and love of organ playing. My dream for organ playing is to facilitate the expression of worship in music, with the language of harmony. What things are holding me back from my dream? 1. My ignorance/lack of skill. - In February I dusted off my marginal four years of grade school piano lessons, after 34 years. 2. Realizing what good technique is - what such technique should feel like when I practice and play. 3. Practice method/discipline - What is a minimum of major/minor scales, vs Hanon finger exercises, vs practicing a piece. - I practice about an hour a day, some days twice that. Wish I could practice more. The mini-course emails have been very helpful to me.  I let them queue up behind each other, until I have a chance to fully consider each one. Regards, Keith

This question was sent by James, and he writes, Thanks Vidas for acknowledging my donation.  With lockdown and retirement I have a bit more time to work at learning the organ.  I am now 73 so things are a bit slower for me. I have an old analog Viscount organ but I have found that my new iPad can produce even better and authentic sound. Favourite at the moment is Pipe Organ and St Just. So I have brought out my old Casio keyboard which has a MIDI possibility and bought the necessary connectors and connected it to my old stereo system, it really can sound amazing and have to keep the volume down. Love the “pedal notes”. Over the winter I shall follow your example and buy new keyboards, I think it will be better than only one. Music wise I continue to work away at hymns and have started flowkey. I bought your Prière à Notre-Dame as it is just about my level though hard work with all the accidentals. So I would appreciate you doing more of the simpler stuff, I am not quite ready for the toccata.&nb

This question was sent by Abe, and he writes, I had a stroke which hit my left hand very hard.  It is slow and lazy.  Any suggestions?