Secrets Of Organ Playing Podcast

Today’s question was sent by Matt, and he writes that his challenge is with registration flow and marking: “How to use pistons and stops, to flow through pieces and mark them well in the score.” So as I understand, Ausra, this is a question about practicing registration changes and basically how you mark registration changes! Oh! That’s very simple. Secrets of Organ Playing: http://www.organduo.lt

And today’s question was sent by Matt, and Matt has a problem with pedal accuracy, especially across different pedalboards--flat or curved. Secrets of Organ Playing - When You Practice, Miracles Happen: http://www.organduo.lt

Today’s question was sent by Peter, and he writes that his main challenge is old age and lack of practice. To be more specific, he writes: “I would be interested in any techniques to promote a more flexible heel - the kind of thing you need when playing trills (even slow ones) with one foot. Also can you explain why, after 40 years or more, I can still hit the wrong pedal note? (This must mean that, after all this time, I am still not sure of where each pedal is on the pedalboard. I don't have this trouble with fingers on keys. If I make mistakes there, it is nearly always because I mis-read the note, or failed to read the note at all, because I was looking somewhere else on the score.)” Secrets of Organ Playing - When You Practice, Miracles Happen: http://www.organduo.lt

Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast #111! http://www.organduo.lt/podcast Today's guest is an American organist and harpsichordist Dr. Kathleen Scheide who has concertized as a harpsichord and organ soloist throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, Russia, the Far East and Caribbean. She has received touring artist grants from the Arkansas Arts Council, California Arts Council, the American Embassies in Prague and Vienna, and the Czech Embassy in St. Petersburg. Dr. Scheide regularly performs chamber music with Le Meslange des Plaisirs and Voix seraphique on historic string keyboard instruments; and as Due Solisti (flute/organ) with Czech flutist Zofie Volalkova. Scheide earned degrees in early music (with honors) and organ performance (organ department prize) at New England Conservatory and the University of Southern California. Her teachers have included John Gibbons and Cherry Rhodes. She teaches harpsichord at Westminster Choir College of Rider University, Princeton, and teaches onl

Secrets of Organ Playing: http://www.organduo.lt Vince writes: “Dear Vidas and Ausra: When I am playing hymns or a classical piece with 4 parts, sometimes a mistake happens where I can not tell which voice has the mistake. If performing, and not able to stop and figure out where the mistake is, the error may carry over to subsequent notes in that part because I don't know WHERE to make the correction. I'm not tone deaf, but at times the mistake totally eludes me, even so far as, the mistake is in the pedal but it sounds like it is in the soprano! Any advice on how to deal with this? Please don't say "just play perfectly!" :-) Perhaps ear training, but what method? Thank you very much. I enjoyed the interview with Kae Hannah Matsuda.”

William writes, “My question is I started working on the first sonata of Mendelssohn. How is it to be articulated. Detached or legato? The fast passages are very difficult to keep smooth at tempo. Also who has ideas on how to register this opening movement. I am working from score from 1920's. I think there has to be some thought on playing these great works of Mendelssohn!" Get more organ playing advice and inspiration when you subscribe at http://www.organduo.lt

This question was sent by Patti, and she writes, “Dear Vidas and Ausra, here is a question that you might be interested in addressing in your podcast. It is about learning to cope with differences in resonance and delay when you play the organ. The church where I normally play has a very “flat” acoustic -- no resonance -- and the organ sounds immediately, with no delay. So when I play a note, I immediately hear that note, and that’s what I’m used to. If I try to play somewhere that has a quite noticeable delay, or a lot of echo, I can manage simple or medium-difficult pieces, but if I try to play something that requires difficult coordination (a Bach fugue with a very active pedal part, for example) the delayed feedback is confusing and I can’t keep myself in sync. How do you manage this? Do you play more slowly, or more detached? Is there a way to learn not to listen to yourself, for example by practicing silently? Thanks for any tips on this, and thanks for all your advice and encouragement to us or

Dan asks: How not to find multiple keyboards of the organ to be a bit intimidating? Get more organ playing advice when you subscribe at http://www.organduo.lt

Kae asks, “When do you usually register a piece: before or after you learn to play all the notes? I think registering a piece can be the most fun part of preparing a performance, but maybe it should be saved for last? If my piece is very loud, I will usually practice using softer registration, but this means I get used to the quieter sound and start to prefer it. I don't know. What is your opinion? Thank you for all your work, it's wonderful to read all of your posts. I especially like your new podcast feature with text instead of just audio.” Get more organ playing advice when you subscribe at http://www.organduo.lt

Adeniyi has no organ to use and we try to help him find a solution. Get more organ playing advice when you subscribe at http://www.organduo.lt

Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast #110! http://www.organduo.lt/podcast Today's guest is Pieter van Dijk who is City Organist, and organist of the Grote Sint Laurenskerk, in Alkmaar, the Netherlands, where he acts as custodian to two of the world’s most significant historic organs. As one of Europe’s most sought-after teachers, Van Dijk is Professor and Head of Organ Studies at the Conservatory of Amsterdam, a position he combines with a Professorship at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hamburg. Together with Frank van Wijk, he is Artistic Director of Organ Festival Holland, which places the renowned Alkmaar instruments at the center of a prestigious international organ competition, organ academy and concert series. Pieter van Dijk was a pupil of Bert Matter at the Arnhem Conservatory, before going on to further his studies with Gustav Leonhardt, Marie-Claire Alain and Jan Raas. As a performer he was awarded prizes at international competitions in Deventer (1979) and Innsbruck (1986). His

Today’s question was sent by Adeniyi, who says that he has no organ mentor--that’s his challenge. And today we we’re going to try to help him out. Get more organ playing advice when you subscribe at http://www.organduo.lt

Today’s question was sent by Minori. He writes that he has a small physique: “My height is 155 cm; small hands (I reach an octave, but not beyond); I have difficulty in maintaining postural stability while playing organ works with pedal part (perhaps because of poor muscle strength). I am always wondering what kind of exercise would improve my postural stability while playing the organ.” Get more organ playing advice and inspiration at http://www.organduo.lt

Today’s question was sent by Minori, and he has a challenge with articulation and phrasing in the pedal part. He writes, “while playing the organ, I just can manage to coordinate my hands and feet and it is not easy for me to care about articulation and phrasing in the pedal part.” Get more organ playing advice and inspiration at http://www.organduo.lt

This question was sent by Minori, and he writes that he is having difficulty in adjusting his organ playing to the individuality of every organ he meets. He writes: “Every organ is unique with its own touch of the keyboards and pedal. It often happens that I can play well on my practice organ but not on other organs, especially when I play on them for the first time. I am a Roman catholic (a religious minority in Japan as a Buddhist country), an ex-amateur pianist (intermediate level), now a small parish church organist with only four years of experience of organ playing. So many challenges to tackle ahead, but I am enjoying and improving gradually. I am learning a lot from your Secrets of Organ Playing. When I practice, miracles do happen. Thank you, Vidas and Ausra. Minori “ Get more organ playing advice and inspiration at http://www.organduo.lt

Christa writes: “Hello Ausra and Vidas, Thank you very much for your podcast. It is easier for me to follow the written version, so thanks a lot for it too. My question is: How can I avoid hitting two keys in the pedals at once? It happens easily, when I have to turn a bit over the middle and play lower notes with my right foot and higher ones with my left foot. Best wishes, Christa” Get more organ playing advice and inspiration at http://www.organduo.lt

Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast #109! http://www.organduo.lt/podcast Today's guest is a Canadian organist Francine Nguyen-Savaria. She entered the piano class of the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal at the age of sixteen. Two years later, she entered the organ class, studying under Jean Le Buis. She graduated from the Conservatory in May 2011. ​Francine is the recipient of many prizes and scholarships, which have allowed her to participate in the Mount Royal College Organ Academy in Calgary, Canada, and in organ courses, studying with Jean Galard in Paris and Cherry Rhodes in Los Angeles. She completed her graduate studies at the University of Southern California in December 2013. Awards include the John Goss Memorial Scholarship from the Royal Canadian College of Organists and the Irene E. Robertson Music Scholarship from the USC Thornton School of Music. She recently performed the complete organ work of Johannes Brahms at the Calgary Organ Festival and Symposium. She also played with th

#AskVidasAndAusra 56 - Can you introduce us to the easier toccatas? by Vidas Pinkevicius

This question was sent by Morton, and he writes: “Dear Vidas, recently more people have wanted to practice on the organ in the chapel that I practice on. It is a 3 manual Johannus, and it is just fine for me. We are asked to sign up in advance for no more than four hours a week - I usually sign for two hours on two separate days. Naturally if no one has signed up, I guess anyone can practice during that time. During the first semester a number of sections of a university required class have to visit the chapel during one week. That means that the time available to those of us who want to practice is more limited. We don't have that problem the second semester, - at least so far.” And here is the question that Morton is writing about: “My struggle is bringing pieces I learned many years ago back to life again. Why didn't I keep them up? Because previously I didn't have a 32-note pedalboard for a number of years at my disposal - and I had no opportunity to play JSB's Prelude and Fugue in D (which I've bro

Today’s question was sent by Morton, and he is struggling with Guilmant’s prelude based on the hymn “Thine is the Glory,” which is the paraphrase of a chorus in Judas Maccabeus. He writes: “I really hope to get that up to standard by Eastertide of 2018. My "struggle" is with certain places where I have to coordinate my hands and feet together..." http://www.organduo.lt