Secrets Of Organ Playing Podcast

This question was sent by Jeremy, and Jeremy is on our team of people who transcribe our podcast conversations. So one day, he wrote that he received word that he passed the CAGO examination from the American Guild of Organists. And I asked him what the requirements were, and he writes: I found out about three years ago that I need some type of long term goal to work towards in my life. The easiest thing was to become certificate in something. It began with my Masonic organization, which I received a Masonic Instructor in the state of Iowa. I have been playing the organ for church for about ten years now and two years ago, I decided to take it more seriously by seeking out a teacher. Dr. Christiansen got me involved in the local AGO chapter, and encouraged me to work towards the Service Playing Certification and continued my education to get the Colleague certification. We now have a blood pact! If I take the Associate exam next year, he will take the Fellow exam. That being said, the certification progra

This question was sent by Ron. He wrote: Hi Vidas and Ausra, Thank you for the nice comments on the post. The improvement I’m feeling may not be apparent, but I have pushed through several things in my contest attempts. I’m starting to learn and mentally catalogue groups of note fingerings. Speed is still a problem, but I know that comes with time. Keeping to the correct notes is becoming second nature, and I’m starting to get a kind of grip on forms I can re-use. The recent lessons you posted, like the 9 day Bach style improv is one of those things, and helps to make sense out of a sort of chaos—when you first start out you think you have to do everything, when in fact.. it seems that just to get one or two things down well is an actual accomplishment. I’m also learning how to record the entries better, so’s not to make people have to listen with difficulty, while not making my early attempts too long, either (in hopes I don’t drive people away!) I do hope the others continue to send in contest record

This question was sent by Michael. He writes: Hi Vidas, I had private lessons with Michael Schneider in the 70s and 80s for 13 years - I am very satisfied with my playing technique and don’t have serious difficulties with the literature. I had a 30 years break - settling in my job and having a family with 2 kids. In 2010 I discovered the Hauptwerk software and bought a three manual console and several sample sets. I took up practicing again and brushed up most of my repertoire. A few pieces are still open: JSB Toccata in F, P&F in E flat and in E minor, Dupré op. 7 - but this is only a question of time, not of difficulties. At present I am studying Carillon de Westminster - it is almost finished. My challenge is to keep all these pieces warm, so that I can play them without too much preparation time. If you are interested in my performances, go to contrebombarde.com and search for bartfloete, my musical nickname. All the best for you and Ausra and thanks again. Best regards Michael

This question was sent by William. And he writes: Do you have any advice for organists who have never played hymn melody in feet or in tenor range? I have been trying all week to do this on hymn amazing grace. I am having hard time. Is it a waste to learn this process? I am trying to begin to improvise and so much I read say to do this and then practice in different keys. It is really hard for me. Is this a God given talent or something that I can learn by practice? Someone told me today if cannot do it it is you can not learn. Another I read to transpose everything to C Major and then you can eventually play by ear instead of thinking about intervals. Do you have as part of your course a step by set way to learn to improvise? I just want so bad to learn improvisation. Is ear training the basic problem? Thanks. William

This question was sent by John. And he wrote: Dear Vidas, I improvise at every service. I often improvise before the start of Solemn Mass (generally an improvised prelude on the first hymn) and always at the Offertory - during the censing of the altar. The only times I do not improvise at the Offertory are during the seasons of Advent and Lent. On Palm Sunday, I improvise on Stations of the Cross at the evening service. [On Maundy Thursday, the organ is silent after the solemn procession until the Gloria at the Easter Vigil.] Best wishes, John

This question was sent by Luciano and he writes: Dear Mr Vidas, Thanks for your reply. Apart the mini course I have a question /big doubt and hope you can clarify. -I found your article "Steps in Composing Organ Sonata " of 13/09/2012 and found it very interesting and clear: it is a kind of Template which I'm using with satisfaction (I'm Composer Amateur and write music only for my satisfaction). - Many years ago I studied the Book of Marcel Dupré :Cours Complet d'Improvisation à l'Orgue" and find something similar but not the same : it is a Binary form exposition I'm sure you know this book and -my questions are 1)are these Templates (yours and the one of Dupré the same thing or not ? 2) Dupré explanation does not mention a secondary theme (is he referring to a monothematic exposition?) 3) In the Dupré Book 1 Page 59 there is a General Plan of "his" Form But now I'm confused since there are substantial differences if compared with your Steps Thanks in advance if you will have time to clar

This question was sent by David. He writes: Hello Dr Vidas I love playing the organ but I never learned how to finger a piece so as to learn it well. I lack confidence in fingering and get frustrated. Will your online course help me? I am learning Bach’s Jesus Joy of Man’s Desiring which I received from your website. The other piece is by Alexander Guilmant---Offertoire from 18 Pieces Nouvelles op 90. David

This question was sent by Jan, and She writes: Dear Vidas, Thanks for answering my question. I was just wondering how one knows to play on the manuals or pedals if the notation is not the usual 3 staves. Now I know! Last question...does that then mean that organists also have the discretion of playing other early Baroque pieces (such as Titelouze) on manuals and pedals. I always wondered how my teacher knew what to play when there were only 2 staves and I was asked to play with pedals.

This question was sent by Mark. He writes: Unfortunately I am not playing the organ at present due to a hand injury. I should be most grateful if you would cancel my subscription to Total Organist at present and not automatically renew my subscription when it becomes due. All being well I will rejoin your site once I am back playing in the future.

Would you like to play a beautiful and charming Andante in D Major, MWV W 32 by Felix Mendelssohn? It's a theme and variations on a very sweet melody. You will love it! 110 percent guaranteed! It's Ausra's favorite work by Mendelssohn. In fact, she first heard it play on our Vilnius University St John's church organ back in 2007 by the great Swiss organist Guy Bovet. We both fell in love with this piece at first glance. And last year she played this piece during our Fantasia Chromatica recital. But days before it, we came into the church to practice and I secretly recorded Ausra's performance from up close so that the hands were clearly visible. She wasn't very happy about it when she found out I made a recording because my filming interfered with page turning (I held the camera with one hand and with the other turned pages). And I think I missed one or two page turns... But now she is no longer upset because this recording allowed Jeremy Owens transcribe the fingering and pedaling and produce a nice sc

This question was sent by Koos and he writes: Hi Vidas, I am an organist that plays mainly organ in church services of a Christian commune in the Netherlands. Also I play at home on a classic digital organ, spiritual classics and music. Baroque and romantic. My biggest wish is that I can improvise. Although I do have time to practice I manage not to learn it. Apart from this wish I would like to be able to play better pedal; I make too many errors. I am searching for organ shoes, but can’t find them in the Netherlands. Also, I am learning to harmonize but that goes slowly. This is what I would like to pass on. Thank you for your articles on playing organ. Koos from the Netherlands.

This question was sent by Prince. He writes: I’m Prince from Ghana....l wish to become a great organist in future but my problem is my family can not afford to buy me an organ so l move from church to church playing the organ and l also cannot practice everyday because l don't have the organ in my house so my organ playing does not improve...

This question was sent by Jeremy, and he writes: I’m trying to speed up the Toccata from the Suite Gothique by Leon Boellmann. I am planning on playing the entire work for church in two or three weeks: Chorale and Minuet for Prelude, Prayer for Offertory, and Toccata as Postlude. I've played the Prayer a couple times as preludes or offertories over the past year. I've got the Toccata up to 100 to the quarter note. Any tips on speeding it up?

I think a lot of people start with copying others, in any medium--in visual arts, in poetry, if you write a poem, right? If you read a lot of poems by other poets, you fall in love with them, and you create something similar. So with improvisation it’s kind of the same: you try to copy the style of your favorite composers. And a lot of people try to imitate Bach, which is probably one of the last texts we should do, because he is so advanced! It’s better to imitate some of his students, right--or masters before Bach, if you want to imitate anyone at all. And I think this stage is good, because it allows us to learn the basics of compositional technique, or improvisation. I don’t feel there is much difference between improvisation and composition. Composition is just written down, on paper or with the computer, and improvisation is the same composition but performed at the same time as it is being created.

This question was sent by Ron. He writes: Hi Vidas and Ausra, Thank you guys! What a wonderful response to my email note to you. You’ve got me right, and I feel you understand my level of playing (yes, at home, and lucky that I have an organ for that reason.) I am paying attention to this, and I am going to try this ha-ha-no-longer-secret model. Yes, and I love Cesar Franck, too. What is very nice about your blog-podcast is that Ausra and Vidas are like a Socratic dialogue, and by bouncing things off of each other, so much more information comes out and is expressed. Your comments contain a wealth of information and understanding. I really appreciate this, it is very inspiring, and will keep us moving forward. Cheers, Ron

This question was sent by Tomeu, and he writes, Dear Vidas, Thanks a lot for your advice about how to improvise Prelude in Bach’s style. It is very interesting and useful how the information is organized. I keep following you.

This conversation continues from previous podcast episode: AVA232 where David asked how often we improvise in a church service.

This question was sent by David. He writes: So...I keep hearing you and Ausra saying to improvise for service music during communion etc. How often do you improvise for a service? Every week? Once a month? That certainly seems much more doable than learning 27 pieces a month in the beginning... Though once the hymns are all learned, it would reduce to 11 per month to not repeat for 1 year.

This question was sent by Robert. He writes: Hi Vidas, ... It's hard to get Bach’s In dulci jubilo, BWV 608 from Orgelbuchlein up to speed .... 3 sharps and some significant contrary motion. Pedal no issue but the left, right hand ... some serious reading there.

This question was sent by Ronald. He writes: Dear Vidas, The programme that I have thought of studying for the diploma is the following: 1. Buxtehude Prelude and Fugue in D, BuxWV 139 (c. 6 mins) 2. Franck Prelude, Fugue and Variation in B minor , Op.18: no 3 from '6 Pieces' (c.11 mins) 3. Stanford Postlude in D minor: no 6 from '6 Short Preludes and Postludes, 2nd Set, Op 105 (c.5 mins 30 secs) 4. Bach Chorale Prelude "Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme", BWV 645 (c 4mins) 5. Jongen Petit Prelude (c. 3 mins) 6. Vierne Symphonie No 1 in D minor, Op.14; 6th movement, Finale (c 6 mins 30 secs) The total programme duration is around 36 mins. I am not young. I am 52, work as a self-employed accountant and also hold a Masters in Environmental Planning and Management which I use in my role as a member of the Maltese Catholic Church Environment Commission. Some 13 years ago I had obtained a Diploma in Music Studies from the University of Malta focusing on organ performance and composition. I still do some compositio