Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast

Today is Thanksgiving so all of our subscribers, readers, listeners, students, customers we want you to know how much we appreciate you and we are grateful for the fact that we are all in this together for what, seven or eight years now. So Ausra if you could start the list of three things you are grateful with our Secrets of Organ Playing community what would that be? And I’d like you to start th...

This question was sent by Denham. And he writes: My dear Vidas, I hope you and Ausra are doing well. My name is Denham and I live in Sri Lanka and I am about to start learning the First Final from Louis Vierne’s No.1 for Christmas this year. I’m hoping to learn one page a week in order to master it well. The question that is in my mind is I am unsure of how to register the organ to play it. Please...

This question was sent by Neil and he writes: “Hi Vidas and Ausra, Thanks for your email and I love your wonderful conversational style! I take it that Lithuanian is your native language but your English is delightful! I admire that so much, as I'm afraid we Americans are mostly unilingual. My grandfather sang songs in Lithuanian, Polish, Russian, and English. His father was Polish but he grew up...

This question was sent by Jan. She is on the team who transcribes our fingering and pedaling scores. And she asked: I attended a djembe African drumming workshop at my local library. I had a great time. It was so much fun to play music as part of a group. I have a question...to remember the rhythms, would a classically trained musician automatically translate these rhythms into notation? (Sort of...

This question was sent by Lukasz. And he starts with his questions, with a quote from our previous podcast conversation about performing the Dorian Toccata by Bach, where Ausra, says: ..."A: Well, unless you would use the 5th and 4th finger to make the trill. V: “Oh, that’s...that’s torture!” A: “It is! Or maybe you could play those 16th notes with your left hand"… So Lukasz later writes: I think...

Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas. Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start episode 332 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Steven and he writes: “Good morning Vidas, Hope all is well with you. Thank you very much for your helpful podcasts. Today and tonight I accompanied several choral numbers and performed a few hymns and Campra's Rigaudon at a very large venue out of town on a ve...

This question was sent by Lev, and he writes: Hello Vidas, Could you please (if you find time) take a look at my suggestions for progression T1TS2SD3DT4T in C major and a minor (Exercise 9-2 from Harmony for organists course) and give me short feedback about mistakes. I'd like to make sure I've understood the harmony stuff correctly so far. Thanks in advance and best regards

This question was sent by David. And he writes: Hello Vidas and Ausra, This past Sunday I completed the 40-week course. I really liked the course and thank you for it. As requested here are my comments. Yes I can sight read better but still need more work. I tried several new pieces I had tried before the course and I was better. I was away for 2 weeks in the summer and caught up by doing 2 days i...

This question was sent by Hanna and she writes: “Hi Vidas, I am having pain in my inside right groin from trying to hold my knees and feet together. It was all I could do to do 10 reps of the Master organ course Week 2 Day 1 this morning. I am only 5' 1" and it is difficult for me to perch on the edge of the organ seat to reach the pedals as you describe. I can only hope that the pain will decreas...

This question was sent by Timothy and he wrote: “I recently purchased your fingering for BWV 553 (https://secrets-of-organ-playing.myshopify.com/products/prelude-and-fugue-in-c-major-bwv-553), and I stopped dead at the transition from the first page to the second. The last right-hand note on the first page specifies finger 3, and the first note on the second page is also 3. Is that a misprint? Am...

This question was sent by Steve from http://www.organbench.com. And he wrote: Good morning Vidas, Hope all is well with you. Most of my compositions are listed now for sale with Sheet Music Plus Press and Noteflight Marketplace. Under the terms of this arrangement I retain ownership of my compositions and copyrights and can exercise control over listed retail prices and product descriptions. Royal...

This question was sent by Tomás, and he wrote: My dream in organ playing is to play impressive songs with lots of stops. I would like to change them (the stops) during the song playing.

This question was sent by Barbara, and she wrote that she struggles with two related things: 1) keeping my mind from wandering when I'm doing repetitions to teach my hands/feet the fingering/pedaling, and 2) resisting the temptation to sightread at tempo (with mistakes).

This question was sent by Andrea. And she writes: Dear Vidas, Stage fright, shyness, lack of confidence and lack of patience for the last 10% to make the piece perfect. I have a teacher now for 5 years, tough lady, very demanding. So I am not in the organist’s desert. Kindest, Andrea

Let’s start episode 324 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Dieter and he writes: Good evening Ausra and Vidas. Just recently something electrical malfunctioned on our Churches organ. As a result we lost the 32' and 16' ranks in the pedals. Only 8' and 4' left. I have heard it is possible to create the illusion of say a 32' by playing two notes on a 16' in the pedals. I...

Let’s start episode number 322, of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Rob. He writes: Hello Ausra and Vidas, Today, I have a few things to share with you that relate to subjects that both of you discussed in recent SOPPs. Please feel free to use it as “ammo” to elaborate on as you see fit. 1) Accompanying the congregation in singing This is something that I’ve been doing f...

Let’s start episode 320 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Hanna, and she writes: Hi Vidas, This is what I studied and practiced last month, just recently adding the 2 Minuets and this new one. I don't speak German so can't pronounce it. 10-Day Pedal Exercise Ich Ruf zu Dir Praise to the Lord Doxology If you Could Hie to Kolob- piano/organ duet I am working on to play i...

Let’s start episode 321 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Heidi and she writes: “Wow! Vidas Pinkevicius, what an Artist you are! Runs in the family, except your media is painting with music, rather than oils. The music you’ve created and performed here is deeply profound and moving to me. At times, I also noticed that it is so far 'above my comprehension' that I feel a...

Let's start episode 319, of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Irineo. He writes: Have you ever partaken in an event where 2 organs (or organ + harpsichord/2 harpsichords) were played simultaneously? Very truly yours, Irineo.

Let’s start episode 318 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Sjouke and he writes: “Hi Vidas and Ausra, Today I have finished a morning practice session for about 2 and a half hrs, and than after that I was done for, meaning very tired. I get that way, my back is hurting and between my shoulder blades etc. Although I am not very good at it, playing the organ that is, stil...

Let’s start episode 317 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Barbara, and she writes: My challenge continues to be aware of posture + unrelaxed hands, arms, and shoulders to prevent numbness in my hands (especially my right hand). This came to a crisis 2.5 yrs ago. I've been to doctors, occupational therapist, and Alexander Technique teacher and am determined to control i...

Let’s start episode 316, of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Regina. And she writes: I enjoy reading your blog and find your responses to be absolutely spot on. I am a retired music teacher and choral director. Piano was my primary instrument (began lessons at 4). Upon retirement, I decided to pursue a life-long dream (the number one item on my “ bucket list” lol) to lea...

Let’s start episode 315 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Dianne and she writes: “I’m struggling with the pedal exercises that call for playing a fourth with heel and toe of one foot... And doing so legato without playing pedals in between. Some of the 3rds, depending on octave and foot called for, are difficult as well. My feet don't bend and stretch that way!”

Let’s start episode 314 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Dianne, and she writes: ​ I am struggling with keeping the practice slow. I am too goal oriented for my own good. And then of course I am more easily frustrated when I make mistakes. Working on patience and enjoying the process!

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 throu...