Vidas: Hi guys!  This is Vidas.
 
Ausra:  And Ausra.
 
V: Let’s start episode 437 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast.  This question was sent by May, who is our Total Organist student.  And she writes:
 
Hi Vidas, Thank  you again for addressing to my concerns in details!  I have not had the time to spend on the 3 to 4 rhythms yet. In fact, I had to put the sight reading courses aside in order to focus on the harmony (which has been taking 1.5 hours each day from my practice time).  I simply don't have the time for writing out the chords beforehand (it would have taken me at least another 45 minutes each day to do so).  In your week 11 video, you said it would be easier if we write down the chords before doing the hands on practice.  How could practice in writing makes playing easier (for we are not looking at our chords when we play the harmonization anyways)?
 
And, she has questions on the week 11 of Harmony for Organist Level 1 video and exercises....
 
1. When you demonstrate exercise 1, you say aloud each chord (and how it connects to the next chord).  For the first 3 chords in the 2nd half of exercise 1, I think I hear you say "subdominant".  Should they be tonic?
 
2. In exercise 8, the 2nd note (A) in measure 3 belongs to tonic chord, and the 3rd note (D) belongs to the subdominant chord (See attached).  They are apart by a 4th.  In what way should they be connected using our rules?
 
Thanks in advance for your help.  
 
May
 
V: So, primarily, May is interested in harmony, right?  And I wrote to her my answer: 
 
Dear May,   Writing in practice makes playing easier, because it helps us think faster.  But not writing the chords is also fine, but you are exercising a different skill, basically, improvisation on the spot.
 
Answering questions:
 
1. Yes, in measure 5 and 6, these 3 chords should be tonic.  You have a good ear and eye.
 
2. In measure 3, yes, A-flat is the tonic and D-flat is the subdominant.  Do you know skips of the thirds?  It means the 3rd in the soprano or the tenor of one chord can jump to the 3rd of another chord, which is a 4th or 5th apart.  Common notes are held constant, the 3 voice goes to the nearest chordal note, and the bass jumps to the root of the next chord.  Position changes from closed to open and vice versa.  Starting from the bass, these 2 chords are spelled F-A-F-A-flat – one more time, F-C-F-A flat, and B-flat-B flat-F and D-flat.  Hope this helps. 
What do you think, Ausra?
 
A: Well, I’m thinking that, you know, you need to know the theory very well, and have quite a good performance skills in order to be able to understand the benefit of knowing theory.  I think for beginners, sometimes it’s very hard to understand why we at all need it.
 
V: Mm hm.
 
A: But really, knowing structure of the piece, knowing chords – it really helps.  But you need to reach a certain level to feel the benefit. 
 
V: And that’s why your kids at school are revolting sometimes?
 
A: Yes, and that’s why, you know, wanting to quit my job almost every day, after you know, teaching for a few hours.
 
V: But if you taught, let’s say adults, who are motivated, they come to you voluntarily?
 
A: Well, you know, I think each age group has its own problems.  Because like, kids sometimes don't have motivation but they are very good material to teach, because they can learn things very fast, not realizing that themselves, sort of they take everything from their surroundings.
 
V: Like a sponge.
 
A: That’s right.  And for adults, it’s another strength and another weakness.  Because we usually don’t question things, why do we need it, because we are more motivated, you know, of learning things.  But let’s face it, I feel it on myself, that with age, you lose ability to learn things as fast as you know, let’s say in your teenage years.
 
V: Mm hm.  Well, you have to have a constant habit of learning.  And many people who are adults quit learning after school.  Therefore, one of the reasons it’s harder, it’s just, they don’t exercise this muscle, don’t you think?
 
A: Well, yes, but…
 
V: And I’m not talking about organ or harmony, but in general.
 
A: But I think if you keep learning all your life, you know, you keep learning new things, I think you will be better than other adults that stopped learning, let’s say after high school or after university.
 
V: Definitely.  What stops people from teaching themselves something?
 
A: Well, I think sometimes some of them maybe just, you know, already created comfortable life, and they are satisfied with it.
 
V: Living in their comfort zone, and don’t have the need to step out of it.
 
A: Yes, but some of them actually have you know, desire to learn new things all the time. 
 
V: Mm hm.
 
A: And some are put in the situation that we have to change something in life to learn new skills, let’s say to find new jobs.  So, there are, I think, different situations for different people.
 
V: And people who are comfortable where they are right now, I think they miss opportunities, right?  Because every day, we make choices to do this or to do that, to learn something or not learn something.  And if we stay where we are, we never reach a high level of our potential.  Never realize our potential.  And I think we will never reach our potential anyway, because life is short, and we as humans, are…
 
A: Limited…
 
V:  Not…I’m using a different…I’m looking for a different word.  We tend to save ourselves much more than we should, probably.  I’m talking about myself, Ausra, of course. 
 
A: (Laughs)
 
V: And you can talk about you, but I’m not forcing you.  But yes, I’m tending, I tend to be gentle with myself too much.  And therefore, I am maybe not pushing myself that hard, or harder.
 
A: Well, I’m always too hard on myself.  So if we would mix our skills together, we would get, you know, like a perfect person.
 
V: I don’t know.  I don’t know.
 
A: Very well balanced.
 
V: Never tried to mix two people together, so, two people’s skills together, so it’s really hard to imagine. Okay.  But anyway, May’s on the right path with her harmony studies, I think.  Even if she struggles with some weeks more than with others.  I think her brain will thank her in the long run.
 
A: Let’s hope for it.
 
V: Because constant learning postpones aging and cheats death, too, by proxy.  Thank you guys. This was Vidas.
 
A: And Ausra.
 
V: Please send us more of your questions. We love helping you grow. And remember, when you practice,
 
A: Miracles happen.

Would you like to learn to play the famous Carillon of Westminster by Louis Vierne?

You can do it much faster with my fingering and pedaling.

Thanks to Alan Peterson for his meticulous transcription from my slow-motion video.

Free for Total Organist students. PDF score (11 pages). Advanced Level. ​

Check it out here

Right now I'm going home after organ improvisation recital "Passion of Christ" based on the paintings of Aloyzas Stasiulevicius at St Joseph church in Kedainiai on the occasion of the opening of his exhibition. The challenge was to fit the style of the paintings with my improvisation on a one manual organ with 10 stops. Went better than expected.

Had only a short try on this organ after which discovered that 3 out of 13 stops are heavily out of tune. Local organist thought I was going to play at a Mass, haha! Had a nice walk in this town when we arrived.

After the concert the mayor of Kedainiai invited everyone to dinner. One of the symbols of the town is cucumber because they have this preserve factory. So they gave us cucumber ice cream, among other things which was kind of refreshing...

From the talks with the head of cultural center it looks like I'll have a chance to come back here with organ demonstration or organ duet recital...

Hope you will enjoy the video and if you want to see more photos from this trip, check out this post.

Have you ever wanted to start to practice on the organ but found yourself sidetracked after a few days? Apparently your inner motivation wasn't enough.

I know how you feel. I also was stuck many times. What helped me was to find some external motivation as well.

In order for you to advance your organ playing skills and help you motivate to practice, my wife Ausra - @laputis and I invite you to join in a contest to submit your organ music and win some Steem.

Are you an experienced organist? You can participate easily. Are you a beginner? No problem. This contest is open to every organ music loving Steemian.

Here are the rules

Would you like to master Three Part Sinfonia No. 9 in F Minor, BWV 795 by J.S. Bach?

I have created this score with the hope that it will help my students who love early music to recreate articulate legato style automatically, almost without thinking.

Thanks to Jan Pennell for her meticulous transcription of fingering from the slow motion video.

Basic level. PDF score. 2 pages.

Check it out here

This score is free for Total Organist students.

Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas.

Ausra: And Ausra.
 
V: Let’s start episode 428, of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Ariane. And actually it’s not a question, but a feedback, because Ariane is one of our Total Organist student, and once a month they get this question where we ask them “How is Total Organist working for you so far?”. And Ariane wrote:
 
Joining Total Organist is the best thing I’ve done since Christmas, and I keep telling everyone I know how amazing this program is.
 
A: Wonderful.
 
V: Hmm. This sort of feedback is so amazing to get, right Ausra?
 
A: Yes, it is.
 
V: Because, of course we love seeing people praising our program, that’s common sense and human nature, but also when we see people improve themselves, and become more advanced in their playing and reach another level faster than they would on their own. And with Ariane’s feedback, it’s quite obvious that she’s very happy about that and motivated to reach even further.
 
A: Yes, and I can believe it because Total Organist comprehend so many issues that are important to each organist, both church organists and concert organists, because it includes everything: hymn playing, sight-reading, improvisation, repertoire playing, and so on and so forth. So everybody can find something to improve in this program.
 
V: I think it’s modeled after us, after our vision of the organist itself. What kind of person does the organist have to be? What kind of specialist? Is it enough just to play the hymns if you’re a church organist? Is it enough just to play the repertoire if you’re a concert organist? Is it enough just to play your favorite pieces if you’re playing for your own enjoyment? Our vision is something more: you always try to do a little bit more than you’re capable right now, challenge yourself more, stay curious and open new horizons. Hence, we incorporated almost anything that is possible in organ playing. We’re not expert in every field, but we have good knowledge in many fields, and people also can choose: sometimes, if you’re not motivated to do all the things that we’re offering, maybe you can do some things, find some angle of organ playing that suits your goals and vision. And in general it’s much better than just sitting on the organ bench and playing without any goal, for example.
 
A: Yes, because in general I see the organist as a central figure in the church. Not replacing the priest you know, but like a cultural center of the church. So he has to communicate with the church staff, and also with the congregation and choir members, and conduct choir.
 
V: Plus, organists are most often the second if not first most educated person in the parish.
 
A: That’s right, so you need to be a learned musician yourself so that you can inspire other people around you, maybe teach some kid, give some lessons. So I think organists are a crucial figure in the church, especially in remote areas, where churches are a cultural center for the congregation and the town.
 
V: And for an organist to grow, for each of us to grow, we all need three types of people, not one, not two, but three I would say: this idea comes from James Altucher. He’s a blogger, podcaster, marketer and entrepreneur. And he says basically that we need people that are at our level, above our level and below our level, in our life. So of course we need people who are equal to us, sort of on the same boat, because we keep motivating each other right? For example, you and I Ausra? Do you consider me below your level or above your level? Or equal?
 
A: Hahaha, that’s a tricky question! Because in this question I have like a triple answer to you.
 
V: OK, give all of them.
 
A: Because if we would take musical level, I would consider ourselves on the same boat, except that I’m not a good improviser as you are. So in improvisation level, I see you above myself. But if we talk about domestic life and our sort of daily routine, cooking, cleaning etc, I would say that you’re quite below me. What do you think? Do you agree?
 
V: I couldn’t agree more. But I have to contradict you with improvisation. You think you’re below me in improvisation because you’re afraid to try. And when people are trying new things, they start to develop themselves much faster. If they’re afraid to try, they start to discourage themselves and think that they’re not worthy, or somebody else is better. And I’m not specifically talking about you, I’m talking about everyone that I know, including myself. Because even though I improvise, there are plenty of people I know that are better than me, like those masters you here sometimes in recitals. But that’s OK because I’m not trying to be like them, I’m trying to be like me, and that’s what I suggest to you and others as well. So Total Organist helps to stay on track and motivated by finding our peers on that program. On BaseCamp we have this chat everyday, and questions being asked, and people can really support each other. We also need people that are above our levels like masters, who could be beacons in our life, right? And hopefully, for our students, we should be beacons, because they look up to us, right? But also for us, we need other people that are above our level as well, right? Other masters from around the world, or maybe famous composers that have lived before us, that could be an inspiration as well. And then, we need people below our level, whom we could inspire and teach and elevate, and motivate to grow. And that’s what our community is all about. All those 3 types of people are present there, plus, minus and equals.
 
A: Yes, and helping each other, which is so important.
 
V: Yes, that’s according to James Altucher, very good idea I would say. No one is living in a cave, alone, like a hermit. And we need to stay in a group, in a community, even though we might never see each other physically, but today with technology we can easily connect with just about anyone on earth. So I’m really amazed by Ariane’s response, and I’m really happy that she’s happy. And she’s telling everyone she knows about our program, she’s evangelist, our ambassador, which is really great.
 
A: True, because when you praise your own program people might get suspicious but then somebody else says a nice thing, which is very pleasant.
 
V: Hmm. But sometimes we need to tell good things about ourselves as well. IF we know that this program is really working, is great and suitable for many people, why should we stay silent you know?
 
A: True.
 
V: In a perfect world, our students could spread the word for us, but it doesn’t always work that way, because our students also look up to us: if we’re not confident about our program, they won’t be confident either haha. So we’re telling everyone right now that this program is working. Ariane and tenths of other people around the world are a proof of this, and if you want to grow faster in your organ playing than on your own, consider joining us. We’ll see you on the inside. And remember, when you practice…

A: Miracles happen!

Would you like to master Three Part Sinfonia No. 11 in G Minor, BWV 797 by J.S. Bach?

I have created this score with the hope that it will help my students who love early music to recreate articulate legato style automatically, almost without thinking.

Thanks to Juan Osorno for his meticulous transcription of fingering from the slow motion video.
Basic level. PDF score. 2 pages.

Check it out here

This score is free for Total Organist students.

 Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas!
 
Ausra: And Ausra!
 
V: Let’s start episode 439 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Ariane, and she writes:
 
“More improvisation and some theory on counterpoint and how canons are constructed - a lot rings a bell now, especially the stuff on consonant intervals and countermovement.”
 
She is our Total Organist student and answered this question in response of my asking her what is she currently working on.
 
A: Okay!
 
V: So, she’s working on improvisation and theory, counterpoint, canons, and she says that a lot of that is familiar to her, now.
 
A: Do you think it’s important for everybody to know the polyphonic techniques that composers use?
 
V: It depends on the goals, of course. If you want to understand the music of great composers, it’s impossible to understand it without getting a good grasp of counterpoint and polyphony.
 
A: Do you think it’s important to know it in depth or not? Or just to be familiar with it?
 
V: Well again, if your goal is just to play the music of other people and understand it to some degree, then what you might do is create some counterpoints and analyze their music from the scores, but not too much, probably concentrating on the performance itself. But if you want to start writing music or improvising music, I think these techniques are indispensable—to know and internalize them.
 
A: Well, what collection would be a good way to start to analyze in order to learn these things?
 
V: You mean canons?
 
A: I mean all polyphonic techniques, because canon is only one of them.
 
V: I always recommend people start where they are, what they are playing, and look for techniques in their own pieces. If they are playing a piece by Franck, for example, they might find a canon or two very easily, because Franck used canons all the time. If they’re playing other composers, let’s say they are playing some baroque music, obviously polyphonic techniques are even more important there. So wherever you are, open the score, and try to find out what you are seeing on the page.
 
A: I think that’s very good advice.
 
V: What would your approach be?
 
A: I would start with probably two-part inventions. Even with the first invention in C major. Basically, Bach used most of the polyphonic techniques in this first invention.
 
V: And you’re right! Those inventions, and later three-part symphonias form a basis for every pianists repertoire, and technique as well! And that was in Bach’s time! He created those short little gems as exercises for his own students! But not only to be played on the harpsichord, but also to be used as examples in composition, so that his students would not only play them, perform them, develop their own techniques, but maybe use them as models for their own creations. This is teaching by example, obviously, and Bach was a champion of that. He almost didn’t write any treatises, just one short page about counterpoint, but basically, his music speaks for itself!
 
A: True, and I wonder how much the world has changed after that, because in Bach’s time, he and his contemporaries wanted students and pupils to study and to take example from them. And nowadays, I think everybody requires originality. And if you will copy something, it will be very bad.
 
V: At first, it’s okay to copy, I think, even today.
 
A: What about authors’ rights?
 
V: When you are a student, I mean. If you are copying a composer who is long dead, who cares?
 
A: But would you achieve much in the area of composition if you would compose in the style of Buxtehude or Pachelbel?
 
V: To some degree, we all start there as beginners in school, and then move on to something which is more innovative and more interesting to our ears and our age. Maybe this classical education won’t last long, maybe a year or two, but even those people who create today avant-garde music, I think they all went through the rigid classical education at some point. Maybe they hated it. That’s why maybe they changed gears later in life, but this classical education gave them something, too. What do you think?
 
A: Yes, I guess you are right.
 
V: Obviously, at the same time when you are studying and playing Bach, if you are really inclined on originality, you would do well on sight-reading music by modern composers—at least twentieth century composers, or even living composers, even better, and see what other people are doing today. And this way, you will discover things that they are not doing, maybe, and you will get more ideas by synthesizing their own ideas!
 
A: Yes, but don’t you feel sometimes that it’s so hard to create something really new, because  so many ideas there are already expressed by somebody else?
 
V: I think somebody wiser than I said, “Whoever wants to be original will never be original.” You know, if we focus on originality, this is not the point, because we have to focus on authenticity. It doesn’t have to be new, it has to be yours, this music. And even if you create something really old fashioned, chances are that nobody else has created this, because music has so many thousands and millions and billions and trillions of combinations, that obviously, it’s impossible to exploit all that. It might sound similar to other music, but it’s definitely something new.
 
A: It’s like a miracle, knowing that everything is created only from twelve different sounds.
 
V: Exactly. So, Ariane and others would do really well by starting where they are, looking at music of further composers, and writing down and improvising their own creative things, starting with consonant intervals! That is required for classical counterpoint, and avoiding parallel fifths and octaves, and employing a lot of contrary motion to achieve this. Excellent guys, please send us more of your questions; we love helping you grow. This was Vidas!
 
A: And Ausra!
 
V: And remember: when you practice,
 
A: Miracles happen!

If you are not far from Denmark on July 31, come listen to our organ duet in Svendborg International Organ Festival 2019. On the program - Lithuanian organ music for organ duet; lots of pieces will sound for the first time on the organ, including symphonic poem "In the Forest" by Mikalojus Konstantinas Ciurlionis.

This year together with us the guest participants will come from Germany, Italy, Denmark and Poland.

The church of St Nicholas has this large 4 manual Marcussen organ:

It will be especially handy for the symphonic poem "In the Forest" by Ciurlionis because each of us will need two manuals most of the time. Hopefully the sound will imitate symphonic orchestra pretty well. If not, it will sound like a new organ arrangement which is also nice.

We are thankful for an official invitation by organist and composer Tore Bjorn Larsen who is the organist of this church. Tore is the driving force behind ”Svendborg Internationale Orgelfestival” and of all the noon-concerts in Svendborg.

He has been my guest on the Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast:
https://www.organduo.lt/podcast/sop-podcast-79-tore-bjorn-larsen-on-choosing-to-be-an-organist-composer-creating-with-pencil-on-paper-and-connecting-organists-in-organ-festivals​

After the recital in Svendborg we will spend a few days in Copenhagen. Ausra wants to see the Mermaid...

So professionally it's gonna be an exciting summer with lots of work ahead of learning new music.