Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast

Today, we would like to talk about our recent trip to Denmark to Svendborg and Copenhagen. In Svendborg, we played our organ duet recital, in the Svendborg International Organ Festival, so I thought it could be a nice opportunity to talk about it in greater detail.

This question was sent by Susan. she writes: Hello Dr. V. I have subscribed to the pedal virtuoso master course. I am 76 years old, started playing organ after retiring from a non-musical career at age 70. I have taken organ lessons for 5 winter seasons in Florida (I am a snow-bird). I have fibromyalgia and found after week 1 of pedal exercises that my legs were very sore and tired; can deal with...

This question was sent by Tamara. And she writes: Starting out “with a bang” on the 10 Day Pedal Challenge and Pedal Virtuoso course. It’s already Day 4 for me! My biggest issue will be making time every day to practice, say, for ½ hr or so, instead of trying to cram everything in on 1 or 2 days per week. So far I’m on a regular schedule. Could use support from the gang here in staying on track! T...

This question was sent by Ruth. And she writes: "Today I will be going over hymns not familiar to my congregation. The reason is that I would like to select several for them to learn, but only one at a time."

This question was sent by Ruth. And maybe this is not a question per se, but an observation. I asked Ruth, who is our TotalOrganist student, to write what she has been working on and she wrote: Our church organist has been in the hospital with a very serious illness. I am an ordained minister, with some experience in music. In this geographical area, it is difficult to find substitutes for organis...

This question was sent by James. And he writes: Dear Vidas, Forgive me emailing you again so soon, but I have recently been to two recitals by world—famous organists that were very disappointing. Reason? Playing in churches with very resonant acoustics which turned the music into a mere muddle of sound. I played one of those organs today (see attached) similar acoustics and layout to St John's Vil...

This question was sent by Suzy. And she writes: Dear Vidas, ​One of my dreams for organ playing is reaching higher and lower for pedals with confidence that I hit the right pedal. What is holding me back is: 1. Performance Anxiety which fluctuates. I have rituals for getting into a good mindset. I have a breath deeply, and center the mind so it is not fighting itself eg right and left centring. I...

This question was sent by Ariane, who’s our Total Organist student. And I asked her on Basecamp, what is she struggling with, in organ playing. And she writes: I am trying not to worry about struggling, I just want to make music as good as I can.

In this question, William writes: “I worked on Meditation of Vierne. Not used to playing double flats. It was fun.”

This question was sent by William, and he writes: “I worked on Meditation by Vierne. And the first page of Vierne Carillon. Very discouraging. Just can’t seem to bring tempos up after practicing. When you practice over and over slowly it is difficult to get pulse of to sound musical. Any thing I can do. Do I just keep going slow? At what point do you move tempo?”

This question was sent by Tim. And he writes: Well, I work as a musician playing organ in churches for weddings, services and funerals, mostly funerals. So the challenge for me is always staying on top of the work. Sometimes also arranging music choices so that they can be played on the organ.

this question was sent by Jeremy. He wrote on our Basecamp communication channel for Total Organist Community: Going to be a busy week, so I hope to get to the organ a little more than I think I will. We are having new floors put into our upstairs, so I will be hanging around the house. Piano practice will probably not happen, and my dogs will be going a little nuts with the construction happening...

This question was sent by James. And he writes: Playing an Eminent digital organ in a local church last night, I discovered that by pressing a couple of buttons I could bring up Netherlands tonality and Kirnberger III tuning! Almost Heaven! Best wishes James

This question was sent by Ariane, and she writes: “I don’t know, I am a bit lost. I could not stay with my new organ teacher after all because I am just so busy at work. Ever since I moved to my current city I have found it almost impossible to practice regularly. Maybe I should just have a break or only play what I feel like playing and watch the world move around me. I also wonder whether it is...

This question was sent by Anne, and she writes: “I am finishing up learning the notes to the Bach Prelude in D, BWV 532. This has been a long road to learn this piece – I started working on it again in January but put it aside in March for the Easter season before getting back to it in late April after Easter was over. I am currently practicing the spots that I have trouble with slowly each day an...

This question was sent by Jeremy, who is on the team of transcribing our videos into scores with fingering and pedaling. And he writes: It seems I forgot the Rep I was going to work on at the church yesterday. So, read through some of Guilmant's Practical Organist and started work on Franck's First Chorale. ​ Question: At the opening where it is written in the manuals, do you take some of the larg...

This question was sent by Taiwo, and Taiwo writes: I want to become a world-class organist, and I have difficulties in playing advanced musical pieces.

This question was sent by James, in response to my email where I ask him ‘what is his dream in organ playing, and what are some obstacles that are challenging for him’, and he wrote: 1* to play hymns with a very clean and clear technique, and with spiritually inspiring embellishment and improvisation. To come out of “Ordinary organist”. 2a * accurate counting. (Naturally and effortlessly) 2b * nat...

This question was sent by Mike, and he is answering my question to him when I asked what is his dream in organ playing and the obstacles that are holding him back. So he writes: “It's just the learning process. Your pedal videos helped a lot and getting pretty comfortable with the first octave and working on the second octave now. Your advice to practice slow and take a couple of measures at a tim...

This question was sent by Fedor, and he writes: Hello Vidas, Thanks for your helpful video and advices. I'm not a musician, but have primary music education on piano (7 years of music school). Many years I'm fan of organ music and play something in piano transcriptions. But, at one side, these transcriptions is often so difficult and I should simplify them, whereas in organ scores the musical tiss...

This question was sent by William, and he writes: I want to learn Carillon of Westminster by Vierne, which I purchased score from you. I can play pieces like the Te Deum of Langlais. Dupre Cortège and Litany. Do you think I would be capable of learning this piece if I practice one page for a week or two very slowly? I am working now on relearning 8 little preludes and fugues. I don’t want to take...

This question was sent by Guinn, and Guinn writes: Good Morning, I purchased 10 Day Organ Pedal Playing Challenge last night. I have a flat Baroque 27 note pedal board, normal for Baroque which is what I play. I cannot possibly play those exercises as indicated with toe and heel. Most of them have the incorrect clef marking. Treble clef is marked, this must be an editorial mistake. What must I do?...

This question was sent by Bass4Art, and he writes: “Hi Vidas I have a Kawai Electronic full console organ here at my house. While I took some time away from practicing, I have been taking piano lessons, in fact, I am up to advance level 5 and beginning level 6 and still plugging away at it. Now I have gotten myself up to that level, I like to push my organ playing up to that level as well. I do ha...

This question was sent by Blackstone, and Blackstone writes answers to my question about the dream in organ playing and three things that holding back from the progress. 1. My dream for my organ playing is to spice my music creativity with some great organ sonic vocabulary. 2. The 3 things hindering my progress are: (i) Inadequate practice, (ii) lack of instructional resources, (iii) Don't have my...

This question was sent by Alessandro, and he writes: Dear Vidas "The Total Organist" has the taste of being very intriguing and complete. But from your video I have not well understood: 1) The total duration of the course 2) The total price of the course 3) If one has to master every section of a level before passing to the next level, or the pupil can choose exercises by carefully looking at what...