Secrets Of Organ Playing Podcast

Let’s start episode number 313, of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. We had a discussion in our communication channel on Basecamp recently. And Jay wrote that ‘he’s feeling a bit frustrated with seemingly little progress’. And then he wrote some details: “For one thing, I have a similar problem that Dianne posted about slow practice. I'm trying slow down things that are more difficult and go through many repetitions. Maybe I'm not going through enough repetitions. And, I know we shouldn't compare ourselves with others–it's easy to do though. I see others posting about getting perfect on things that I can't even play. I am enjoying practice though. I just would really like to improve faster. And like someone else who is 71 recently said, that at this age, it just takes longer to get things. Perhaps that's where part of the frustration is”. V: Diane answered: “I agree with everything you said. I tend to compare myself now to when I was younger, and I get frustrated that I can't play things perfectly

Let’s start episode 311 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by David, and he writes that he is dreaming to play organs for fundraising concerts and for worship accompaniment, but obstacles in the way of his dream is a busy life, and that means that he cannot practice as often as he’d like.

Let’s start episode 312 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. Today I’d like to share with you the discussion that was going on our communication channel on BaseCamp between Total Organist students. Annabelle wrote the answer to the question “What is she currently working on?” and “What is she struggling with?” So she is playing Wedding March by Wagner and she writes: Annabel: I'm playing for a wedding in October and have some issues with performance anxiety. So I thought it would help to learn it by heart. David: Great idea I have the anxiety issues, too. 2 bananas 30 minutes before performance has been helping me keep my hands and ankles from shaking so badly and slows down my racing heart. Recently my doctor suggested trying a medication called Propranolol, so this Sunday will be the first run with it. I don't always need that kind of help, but when my performance anxiety gets out of control, I need just a little help. Annabel: I’ll try bananas, that's very interesting. Is it the potassium? I'm fi

Let’s start episode 309 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Michael and he writes: "Hi Vidas, You're very welcome! I very much enjoy your music scores, and I intend to purchase more in the future. Thank you for making them available for purchase! They are all excellent works. I was hoping you and Ausra might consider discussing the following organ history subjects in future podcasts: 1. When was the organ introduced into the Christian liturgy? Where were the first church organs installed (e.g. in which regions of Europe or Western Asia, etc)? How did the earliest organists serve in the context of the liturgy? Were the service-playing responsibilities quite different from that of a parish organist today? What was the medieval (pre-Tridentine) mass like? 2. Historical tunings/temperaments: Pythagorean tuning, Mean-tone temperament, the "well-temperaments," etc. When and were where these tunings were used? 3. Compositional practices/features of organ music prior to 18th century? Who

Let’s start episode number 310, of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by C.K. And C.K. writes: C.K. Hi Vidas, 1. My dream is to become a competent, versatile and creative church organist. V: And the obstacles toward this dream are, ​C.K. 2. Modulation skill; improvisation technique; setting registration. Regards, C K

Let’s start episode 308 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Jaco, and he writes: Dear Vidas Thank you for your daily posts - it is really an inspiration! I really like Bach's Toccata in d (Dorian). It is a piece that feels like it has perpetual motion - something always keeps moving in it. It is quite a difficult piece to master, but I decided to learn it. The edition I am playing from is the new 2012 urtext Breitkopf & Hartel edition. It indicates a trill in measure 29 on the top e in the RH (please see below). However, it does not indicate when this trill should stop. The note is held on for another 2 measures. When should that trill stop? I don't know how to play the RH in measure 30 if trill has to continue, since a lower voice starts with that hand halfway through measure 30. Another question - I know the piece has to be played articulate legato. However, it does sound quite nice if the first 2 semiquavers on the motive on beat 1 and 3 are slurred (played legato). I

Let’s start episode 306 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Jack and he writes: “Hello Vidas, I practice every day for 1 or 2 hours, sometimes even more. But I make slow progress on e.g. Bach level 1 course. Probably due to my age (71) and the fact that I didn't play for almost 30 years. But the good point is that I ENJOY the practicing now, thanks to your inspiring learning materials. Rgds, Jack”

Let’s start episode number 307, of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Tamara. And she writes: Hello Vidas– I have been following your Secrets of Organ Playing emails—very helpful, thank you! Do you recommend total legato for hymn playing in any situation? I did learn and follow the 4 ways to render a hymn in the Ritchie book (Chapter 7). It seems that the best, most efficient hymn playing is balance of legato and articulation, distributed among the SATB parts. Thank you. Tamara

Let’s start episode 305 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Alan, and he writes: ​ Vidas, we are back from our travels. I enjoyed the Bach organ tour but the big surprise was how sharp most of the organs were. It wreaked havoc with my absolute pitch and made it very difficult to play. It didn't get easier, but I didn't push it too much as there were others waiting for a chance to play the organs. For something else to do I took measurements of the temperament octaves of many of the organs in order to make some comparisons. A podcast on coping with different pitches would be good.

Let’s start episode number 304, of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Jeremy. In response to my weekly questions in our Total Organist Basecamp communication channel. When I ask ‘What’s the most frustrating thing for you this week, that you’ve been struggling with’? And Jeremy wrote: Focusing. During the postlude at this mornings service, about half way through the fugue of BWV 555 bad things just started happening. I tried to bring myself back into the moment, but it took about ten measures to get back into the zone. I am trying some of the techniques you mention in your "focusing at the organ" lessons, so the fugue didn't completely fall apart. Just a few hairy moments on a piece I felt completely fine with yesterday. I will say, ten years ago I would have stopped the piece and tried to restart it somewhere, so that's a win.

Let’s start episode 303 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Michael and he writes: “Hi Vidas and Ausra, Thank you for your recent email, to which I am now responding late (I apologize). My dream for my organ playing is that I would like to apply for, and be admitted into, a doctoral program in Organ Performance. I am currently pursuing a master’s degree in Organ Performance. At this time, I cannot think of three hindrances to my dream, but I can think of one in particular that is proving to be, and has always proved to be, a great problem for me: I am very shy about people hearing my practicing the organ - the repetitions, making mistakes, etc., that attend the process of learning a piece of music. I am a very introverted person (which I have found is not a very common personality trait amongst organists; at least, not amongst the organists I know personally). I believe that my fear of people hearing my practicing may (at least partially) stem from the shyness and introve

This question was sent by Henry, and he writes: I would like to start accompanying the congregation using an electronic keyboard. My question is, when and how do i start learning congregational opening hymns? Please i need your piece of advise on this issue.

On September 23, 2018 when Pope Francis visited Lithuania, I had an opportunity to make music on the organ, together with choral polyphony and Gregorian chant while he was visiting Museum of Genocide Victims in Vilnius. The performers were chamber choir "Aidija" and Schola Cantorum Vilnensis", led by Romualdas Grazinis and myself at 3 manual digital Johannus organ which stood inside a special tent in front of a huge crowd in Lukiskiu Square. My role was to improvise versets and accompany Gregorian chant. Towards the end we were not sure when the Pope would appear so we kept performing a mix of Tu es Petrus and Ubi Caritas... If you want to find out what happened, here's the audio recording.

This question was sent by Dan, and he writes: Hi Vidas, back in June, i’d tried out a small casavant organ, in a place which is used for people to stay at, they do corporate events there, and other stuff, and the owner of the place, doesn’t really play the organ. She wants me to play it on a couple dates in november. It’s a 1929 Casavant organ, and it’s their opus 1375. ​When I’d tried the instrument, I was mainly using the crescendo pedal to control it. Those can give you sometimes less than desirable results. I’d asked her if she could provide me with a stop list for the organ, so I could know what it has on it, so I can have finer control over the instrument. Her response was that she doesn’t play the organ, and that we’d have to get somebody in to help. Does Casavant, or any other organ builder for that matter, have an online database with specs on every instrument they’ve built that I could access? OR would it be worth contacting Casavant about this? Secondly, the instrument hasn’t been looked at

This question was sent by John. And it doesn't start like a question, but rather like feedback or response to another question that we discussed earlier about improvising alternate hymn harmonizations. So John writes: There are a number of books of varied accompaniment [published by companies such as Kevin Mayhew and Novello], but these are for hymns sung by English-speaking congregations. Eric Thiman composed two books of excellent accompaniments [published by Novello and OUP, still available]. A very effective way of beginning a final verse is by playing a flattened seventh on the pedals. Other devices include: introduce a dominant pedal towards the end of the hymn, changing major chords into minor [if possible], playing the alto line above the treble, placing the treble line in the tenor [fauxbourdon - this is quite difficult and needs to be written out in full]. My advice would be (i) get hold of Thiman's books to see the techniques he uses and (ii) if you require a varied accompaniment for a choral, wr

This question was sent by John and he writes: “Hi Vidas and Ausra, Thank you for your amazing blogs lately, there's been some great discussions and I value the different perspectives you both bring. I'm wondering if you could please talk about how to improve finger accuracy, especially with fast passages. Specifically I'm trying to play In Dulci Jubilo BWV 729 by Bach, your training videos were great and I surprised myself how fast I was able to learn it (for me), it still took 2 months. Now my problem is trying to speed up to concert tempo. Most professional organists on YouTube seem to play this piece in 2:40-2:50 minutes, your Christmas Concert video shows you play it in about this time. I seem to be able to play it in about 3:10 mins quite ok without mistakes, but when I go faster, I seem to slur lots of notes by brushing against the key alongside, for example playing the note A I might bump the G sharp alongside. It feels like my fingers fumble, and I make mistakes in random places and even lose my

This question was sent by Anne, and she writes: Dear Vidas, Could you help me out a little with registration? I am quite confused about how one should register for many compositions by Bach, in particular his Trio Sonata in E flat (BWV 525). I understand that it was not common practice in his time to list out particular stops one should pull for each piece, and that it depended rather on the organist himself and the place he was in. But I don’t know where to start. If it doesn’t trouble you too much, I’d definitely appreciate your help. Regards, Anne

I hope you'll enjoy this improvisation on the Bruno Goebel organ at the Cathedral in Panevezys which I played before my organ demonstration there on September 21, 2018. The organ was built in 1931 and has 3 manuals, 25 stops and pneumatic action. It came to Panevezys from the chapel in Konigsberg. There is room for 13 more stops which could be added in the future. Goebel made a new organ console with 38 stops which would fill the Cathedral space.

This question was sent by Dineke. She writes: Much pleasure with my pedal course. The first week I was some ill and the printer was new....I am studying with pleasure and it s just have been good I had basic knowledge of Theory..... we continue....beside my usual lessons. Nice you had a good Saturday with books meeting. Many greetings from Dineke. Secrets of Organ Playing: https://www.organduo.lt

I couple of days ago I shared with you my rehearsal on the largest mechanical organ in the world before improvising for an hour "David and Goliath". I hope that today you will enjoy the actual recital recording. NOTE: When there were about 5 minutes before the end of the recital, the power of the blower disappeared. Make sure you listen the very end of the recording to see what happened... Luckily it wasn't the middle or the beginning, isn't it? Organizer later explained to me that the organ builder checked and it turned out that the electricity company forgot to make the connection for one of the phases. It was not enough power. Secrets of Organ Playing: https://www.organduo.lt