11 Tips For Adjusting to Uncomfortable Organ

If you encounter an organ which is difficult to play, you need to learn to adjust to it. Otherwise, you will feel a lot of stress and your performance will be full of mistakes. Here are 11 things to keep in mind if you want to adjust to uncomfortable organ:

1. If the bench is too low, put wooden blocks or thick hymnals under each side of the bench.
2. If the bench is too high, sit on the edge of the bench (slide to the front a little).
3. If the music rack is too far from the player, you can put additional music holder on top of it.
4. If the music rack is too close, lean back, position the bench further from the keyboards, or play from memory.
5. If the key action is too light, play pianissimo and keep your fingers in contact with the keys at all times.
6. If the key action is too heavy, use a little more force, choose a slower tempo, and build up your technique over time.
7. If the pedals are too narrow, take your time in practicing the pedal part alone with pedal preparation repeatedly and very slowly.
8. If the pedals are too wide, look at No. 7.
9. If the reverberation is too dry, aim for more connected articulation.
10. If the reverberation is too wet, aim for more detached articulation, take your time in manual changes, and play slower in general.
11. If the stop action is too heavy, simplify the registration changes and choose the appropriate music.

FINAL TIP: don't fight the instrument - let it play for you, listen to the echo, breath, and choose the appropriate repertoire according to the historical period and national style of the organ.

By the way, do you want to learn my special powerful techniques which help me to master any piece of organ music up to 10 times faster? If so, download my video Organ Practice Guide.