SECRETS OF ORGAN PLAYING - WHEN YOU PRACTICE, MIRACLES HAPPEN
  • START HERE
  • BLOG
  • STORE
  • TOTAL ORGANIST
  • LISTEN
  • ABOUT
  • RECITALS
  • CONTACT
  • LOGIN
  • LT
  • COMPOSITIONS

3 steps to mastering organ improvisation

6/12/2017

Comments

 
Picture
By Vidas Pinkevicius (get free updates of new posts here)

Ausra and I are in our summer cottage right now. It's beautiful out there and it's good to escape the noise of the city. Very green.

This morning while I was helping prepare the bread that Ausra's parents will bake in an oven with a real fire-wood ​I was listening to James Altucher's conversation with stand-up comic and actor Jim Morton. At the end of it, Jim shared his 3 steps in being a better comedian.

Afterwards I thought about what would it take for someone to master the art of organ improvisation. So here are my 3 steps:

1. Write down musical ideas every day. Have an idea notebook. Take it with you everywhere you go. Use it for sketches or complete compositions. Doing this on computer isn't very practical at least to me. I have to have a physical thing in my hands to hold. I use Sibelius for something else. But maybe I'm different from you.

2. Perform live every day. I don't suppose you have the privilege to play for a church service every day. That would be an exciting musical laboratory for you (and funny thing is so many organists I know don't even think about it). Also playing recitals every day is kind of above the limits of a mortal person. But you certainly can live-stream your improvisations wherever you practice on FB with your phone. This counts too. You get a built-in live audience and immediate feedback.

3. Record yourself and watch/listen to it. It's difficult to watch yourself play. Sometimes I'm so embarrassed that I can't stand listening my own pieces. But you have to. It's very important for growth. Learning from your own failures and successes. In one hour of improvisation I might find 3 minutes of music worth writing down for composition. That's a lot, actually. Many times, I don't. But it's not for me to decide, you know. My job is just to do it. I don't filter anything. Good or bad. I don't care.

So just write down, show up and learn.

That's all for now. Have to finish editing and uploading the podcast.
Comments

    GET FREE VIDEO PRACTICE GUIDE AND 10 DAY ORGAN PLAYING MINI COURSE:

    * indicates required
    Interest
    Sending frequency
    Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
    Picture
    Picture
    Photo by Edgaras Kurauskas
    Would you like to say "Thank You" to us? Buy Us Coffee.
    Authors
    Drs. Vidas Pinkevicius and Ausra Motuzaite-Pinkeviciene
    Organists of Vilnius University , creators of Secrets of Organ Playing.
    Picture
    Do you have a unique skill or knowledge related to the organ art? Pitch us your story to become a guest on Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast.

    Don't have an organ at home?
    Download paper manuals and pedals, print them out, cut the white spaces, tape the sheets together and you'll be ready to practice anywhere where is a desk and floor. Make sure you have a higher chair.

    Archives

    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011

    RSS Feed

Copyright  © 2011-2019 by Vidas Pinkevicius and Ausra Motuzaite-Pinkeviciene.
Vidas' blog on Steemit
​Ausra's blog on Steemit
​Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
  • START HERE
  • BLOG
  • STORE
  • TOTAL ORGANIST
  • LISTEN
  • ABOUT
  • RECITALS
  • CONTACT
  • LOGIN
  • LT
  • COMPOSITIONS