Welcome to Episode 35 of On the Bench with Vidas series! Join me for an engaging livestream of organ music, featuring a program of sacred and secular pieces. The selection will include both organ repertoire and improvisations, offering a friendly environment for a live chat. Feel free to send me your requests. Hope you will enjoy it!

Today's sample sets are by Sweelinq 2.0.

PROGRAM:

00:00 1. Heinrich Scheidemann - 3 Praeambulums in d (Nos. 3, 4 and 5)
Georg Michael Telemann - 3 Chorale preludes:
13:50 2. Ach Gott und Herr
17:40 3. Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr
23:08 4. Wer weiß, wie nahe mir mein Ende
29:35 5. Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis - Fugue in C Major and Fugue in F Major
36:50 6. Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr - Hymn Improvisation
45:47 7. James Michael Stevens - Villa Katsura
Score: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/en/product/villa-katsura-organ-solo-22954844.html?aff_id=454957
50:24 8. Phil Lehenbauer - Ceremonial March
Score: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/en/product/ceremonial-march-an-original-organ-work-by-phil-lehenbauer-22952366.html?aff_id=454957
56:04 9. Vidas Pinkevicius - Dreamy Meditation, Op. 158
Score: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/en/product/dreamy-meditation-op-158-organ-solo-by-vidas-pinkevicius-22375907.html?aff_id=454957
1:00:42 10. I Will Sing a Song of Songs (Aš padainuosiu dainų dainelę) - Suite Improvisation

You can support this channel by becoming a member here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO4K3_6QVJI_HlI5PCFQqtg/join

If you like what I do, you can buy me some coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/organduo

PayPal: https://PayPal.Me/VPinkevicius

We support Ukraine: https://www.blue-yellow.lt/en

My Hauptwerk setup: https://www.organduo.lt/tools.html

Total Organist - the most comprehensive organ training program online: https://www.organduo.lt/total-organist

Secrets of Organ Playing - When You Practice, Miracles Happen! https://organduo.lt

Listen to my organ playing on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0ckKPIvTWucoN3CZwGodCO?si=YWy7_0HqRvaZwBcovL-

Vidas: Hello and welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast!

Ausra: This is a show dedicated to helping you become a better organist.

V: We’re your hosts Vidas Pinkevicius...

A: ...and Ausra Motuzaite-Pinkeviciene.

V: We have over 25 years of experience of playing the organ

A: ...and we’ve been teaching thousands of organists online from 89 countries since 2011.

V: So now let’s jump in and get started with the podcast for today.

A: We hope you’ll enjoy it!

V:  Hi guys!  This is Vidas.

A:  And Ausra.
V:  Let’s start episode 719 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Kurt, and he writes:

Dear Vidas,
Thanks for your newsletter and the advice and remarks for technical topics such as registration and daily exercises.
My dream at the moment (as on beginner level) is to coordinate the pedal playing - it causes me so much power (and pain?) to get the brain (and hands and feet) in the right moment on the correct key on the manual(s) and or the pedal. It seems this will be a long way to go and get the body "divorced" for the time playing the organ.
What holds me back?

First, my own impatience, trying to proceed quicker than needed or expected from my teacher.
Second, to leave the flat walking to the (cold) church for practicing....
Third is, to not have enough funds to buy an organ for at home (and the space to install it here in my flat).
So I hope you can follow my thoughts about organ playing and are of help for your new coaching program.
Wish You a great further day.
Best regards from Germany, Kurt.

V:  So, to summarize, Ausra, this long request by Kurt is that he wants to coordinate his pedal playing with the hands.

A:  Let’s talk about this first, okay, and then we can talk about other things.

V:  Okay.

A:  So that’s…that’s a challenge that every organist, every beginner organist face, because I haven’t heard a person who would say “Oh, it was very easy right away from the beginning.” Everybody struggles with it; some more, some less, but I think everybody has to overcome this problem.  And I remember myself, I’m a right-handed person, so I had trouble playing and coordinating my left hand with the pedals, because always my pedals wanted to play the same notes as did my left hand.  It was very hard for me to separate the left hand from the pedals.  Especially the left hand would be moving up and the pedals would be going down.  That would just tear my brain apart, you know.  It was really, really difficult.  But patience is the essence solving this problem because you really need to work and work slowly and work patiently and work every day, and if you are right-handed as I am, you need to pay more attention to your left hand and pedals,  So you really need to work, if you’re working on a piece, work in combinations, not play everything together. But learn the pedals first, then your hands separately, then do right and pedals and left and pedals, and then put everything together.  And especially focus on working on your left hand if you are right-handed, and pedals at the same time.  Because this gives you the most of a struggle.  And everything about hymn playing, you know, that also might be difficult adding pedals, and if you are right-handed, then the trouble will be with your tenor voice, which left hand plays.  And despite that I am playing organ for many years now, still it’s quite challenging sometimes when I’m playing unfamiliar hymns.  Of course I can do it, but it takes some courage and some strength from my brain to tell my body what to do at the right moment.  What about you, Vidas?

V:  Well, so much information, my brain melts!  Not from Kurt’s request but from Ausra’s replies.  Because it’s almost the same as I would say.  What to add to this useful information…maybe emphasize more patience, yeah, as Ausra said.  But I will reinforce that at the end that patience is everything.  It takes 20 years to master the art, and afterwards it’s easy.  So for those 20 years, you have to be persistent and satisfied with seemingly zero progress from day to day practice.  When you look back, like four weeks from now, or two months from now, or six months from now, you WILL see some progress definitely.  But day-to-day activities not necessarily give you that impression.  And therefore you are probably discouraged and maybe not happy with yourself and want to skip practice.

V:  Let’s talk a little bit about the challenge walking to the cold church for practicing.  Leaving your flat and then walking.  You know, it’s a privilege if they let you go into the church and practice the pipe organ.  I’m not sure if it’s a pipe organ or digital organ, but still, if it has pedals if it has a couple of manuals, it’s a decent tool, and as long as you don’t have anything else to practice on at home, this should motivate you, right?

A:  Yes, and I’m sure it’s a pipe organ, because this is Germany, and I guess history, keep the organ level at the churches and church music at a very high level, so I think it’s a pipe organ.  At least that’s my impression, but I might be wrong.  But you know, yes, as Vidas said, practice is a real privilege, so enjoy it while you can.  And of course I know it can be really, really hard, especially in wintertime if the church isn’t heated, it might be hard for your muscles, for your joints, but you still have to do it.  And you know, even if you only have a very small flat, maybe you could afford to buy some kind of instrument.  Or at least like one keyboard and like, pedalboard, and you know to construct some sort of virtual organ for yourself at home.  That would help a great deal.  Because you know, like now are various models and different sizes and abilities, and many possibilities, at least much more possibilities than we had 20 years back.

V:  Yeah, it’s very easy to go to eBay or to some platforms where people sell stuff, used items, and you will find many digital organs there.

A:  Yes, because obviously you should have a table at your flat.  So if you can fit one keyboard to put on that table and you could squeeze the pedals below the table.

V:  Yeah, and buy pedals and keyboard separately for now…

A:  Yes.

V:  If you don’t have the space or funds to buy a complete instrument, even a used instrument.  Maybe that’s for the future, if you are persistent, if you feel the need to upgrade later.  But for now, you could spend 50 euros for a keyboard, another 50 euros for another keyboard if you want two of them, right, and you can put, you can stack two keyboards via the help of books.

A:  Yes.

V:  The second keyboard could be higher, put on top of the first, but its further end could be put on books.

A:  But even one keyboard is really good for a beginner.

V:  Yeah, sure.

A:  So you can even work the pieces like trios on one keyboard.  You just need to be creative to…

V:  Yeah, yeah.  And pedals, of course.  Pedals is more expensive.  But if you go to those places where they sell used items, you could find also used pedals, digital pedals, midi pedals for a few hundred euros, definitely.

A:  And of course you have some sort of computer at home or laptop, that should be because they also have very simple and free programs for playing the organ.

V:  Yeah, and then you would need an organ bench.  If you use organ pedals, then you would need bench.  Again, used organ bench is probably best solution for now, and I think that’s all you need.  Some cables to connect those keyboards and pedals to your computer, and then you can start using either a virtual platform called Hauptwerk - it’s a little more expensive than Sweelinck for example.  Sweelinck is even less expensive.  Hauptwerk produces more realistic sound; Sweelinck produces a little bit less realistic sound, but it requires less resources, so it depends on your needs and wants, right?

A:  But it’s definitely something that can improve, help you to improve your technique.  Because you don’t have to perform symphonies on that home organ, you just need to build up your technique.  And that would help you to coordinate your hands a feet a lot, because you could do it regularly every day, maybe even more than once a day.

V:  And if you don’t have enough funds to spare for buying those used organ parts, several hundred euros basically, up to 500 euros, you could buy…I think you can even find for 500 euros a used two manual electronic organ with pedals, but you could really look for it, search for it.

A:  But you know, Kurt said that he has very limited space.

V:  Yes. So maybe that’s not possible.

A:  So it’s why I suggested him to buy separate pedals and keyboard.

V:  And if you want to save money, you could always skip, let’s say coffee in a cafe or coffee machine, it takes a few euros, right, but it adds up, if you have a bank account where you have ae saving for that goal.  You know, it’s not a terribly, terrible amount like for a car or a house, where people save thousands and tens of thousands of euros or dollars, but several hundred euros, anybody could start doing this, skipping things, and saving here and there a few euros per day.

A:  Yes, but I wouldn’t skip my daily coffee.  At least, maybe not in cafeteria, but at home.

V:  That’s because you have your instrument, you don’t have that need.

A:  I have other goals (laughs), other things I’m saving for.

V:  That’s true.  As long as you can afford your other things, you can drink your coffee, obviously..

A:  But we have an instrument at home saves you a lot of time and a lot of energy.  Really, it helps a great deal.  So think about it, and maybe you will find some solution.

V:  All right.  Let’s hope this was useful to Kurt and others who are in a similar situation. Please send us more of your questions.  We love helping you grow as an organist.  And remember, when you practice,

A: Miracles happen.

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A: It has hundreds of courses, coaching and practice materials for every area of organ playing, thousands of instructional videos and PDF's. You will NOT find more value anywhere else online...

V: Total Organist helps you to master any piece, perfect your technique, develop your sight-reading skills, and improvise or compose your own music and much much more…

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2025 marks 150th anniversary of the greatest artist from Lithuania of all time - composer and painter Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis (1875-1911). So today I'd like to share with you my rendition of Fugue "Kyrie eleison" in C Minor, VL 19 which I recorded using Sweelinq Augustijnenkerk sample set. Hope you will enjoy it!

You can support this channel by becoming a member here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO4K3_6QVJI_HlI5PCFQqtg/join

If you like what I do, you can buy me some coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/organduo

PayPal: https://PayPal.Me/VPinkevicius

We support Ukraine: https://www.blue-yellow.lt/en

My Hauptwerk setup: https://www.organduo.lt/tools.html

Total Organist - the most comprehensive organ training program online: https://www.organduo.lt/total-organist

Secrets of Organ Playing - When You Practice, Miracles Happen! https://organduo.lt

​Listen to my organ playing on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0ckKPIvTWucoN3CZwGodCO?si=YWy7_0HqRvaZwBcovL-

Today I'd like to share with you my rendition of the famous Fanfare in D Major by J.N. Lemmens which I recorded on the two manual harmonium by Mazet, 1889 at St. Joseph Church in Haarlem. Thanks to Erik Jan Eradus for letting me and Ausra try out his amazing collection of keyboard instruments!

Score with fingering and pedaling: https://secrets-of-organ-playing.myshopify.com/products/fanfare-by-d-major-by-jacques-nicolas-lemmens-with-fingering-and-pedaling?_pos=1&_sid=20875fd0a&_ss=r

You can support this channel by becoming a member here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO4K3_6QVJI_HlI5PCFQqtg/join

If you like what I do, you can buy me some coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/organduo

PayPal: https://PayPal.Me/VPinkevicius

We support Ukraine: https://www.blue-yellow.lt/en

My Hauptwerk setup: https://www.organduo.lt/tools.html

Total Organist - the most comprehensive organ training program online: https://www.organduo.lt/total-organist

Secrets of Organ Playing - When You Practice, Miracles Happen! https://organduo.lt
Listen to my organ playing on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0ckKPIvTWucoN3CZwGodCO?si=YWy7_0HqRvaZwBcovL-​

Today is February 24, 2025. Exactly 3 years ago Russia started unprovoked, brutal, full-scale war on Ukraine with terrible loss of life. On this sad occasion and to celebrate incredible bravery and resilience of Ukrainian people I'd like to share with you my improvisation of 5 part Ukrainian Folk Suite, based on 5 famous Ukrainian folk songs (March, Cantabile, Scherzo, Meditation and Finale). Thank you for your support to Ukraine through the charity of choice. We support Ukraine through Blue and Yellow organisation. The link to donate is in the description. Pray for the victory of Ukraine! Slava Ukraini!

We support Ukraine: https://www.blue-yellow.lt/en

00:00 I. March - Оi bida bida, bida, chaitzi nebozi
03:02 II. Cantabile - Homin, homin, homin po dibrovi
05:35 III. Scherzo - Ihav kozak za Dunai
08:15 IV. Meditation - Kozak Odizhdzhae, divchynonka plache
11:42 V. Finale - Za Niman idu

Today's sample set is Sweelinq Goch.

Ukrainian Songs for Organ, Vol. 1: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/en/product/ukrainian-songs-for-organ-vol-1-by-vidas-pinkevicius-22262491.html?aff_id=454957

Ukrainian Songs for Organ, Vol. 2: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/en/product/ukrainian-songs-for-organ-vol-2-by-vidas-pinkevicius-2022-22282713.html?aff_id=454957

​You can support this channel by becoming a member here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO4K3_6QVJI_HlI5PCFQqtg/join

If you like what I do, you can buy me some coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/organduo

PayPal: https://PayPal.Me/VPinkevicius

My Hauptwerk setup: https://www.organduo.lt/tools.html

Total Organist - the most comprehensive organ training program online: https://www.organduo.lt/total-organist

Secrets of Organ Playing - When You Practice, Miracles Happen! https://organduo.lt

​Listen to my organ playing on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0ckKPIvTWucoN3CZwGodCO?si=YWy7_0HqRvaZwBcovL-

Welcome to Learn with Vidas series! Today I'm going to teach you how to improvise a simple yet effective postlude using ostinato techniques based on HERZLIEBSTER JESU hymn tune. Hope you will enjoy it!

Today's sample set - Sweelinq Goch sample set.

You can support this channel by becoming a member here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO4K3_6QVJI_HlI5PCFQqtg/join

If you like what I do, you can buy me some coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/organduo

PayPal: https://PayPal.Me/VPinkevicius

We support Ukraine: https://www.blue-yellow.lt/en

My Hauptwerk setup: https://www.organduo.lt/tools.html

Total Organist - the most comprehensive organ training program online: https://www.organduo.lt/total-organist

Secrets of Organ Playing - When You Practice, Miracles Happen! https://organduo.lt

​Listen to my organ playing on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0ckKPIvTWucoN3CZwGodCO?si=YWy7_0HqRvaZwBcovL-

Today I'd like to share with you this lyrical Prelude Serene by James Michael Stevens. I recorded it on the elegant Baroque-style organ at Vilnius University Aula Parva which was recently renovated by Janis Kalnins and his team from Latvia. Hope you will enjoy it!

Score: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/en/product/prelude-serene-organ-solo-22925771.html?aff_id=454957

You can support this channel by becoming a member here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO4K3_6QVJI_HlI5PCFQqtg/join

If you like what I do, you can buy me some coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/organduo

PayPal: https://PayPal.Me/VPinkevicius

We support Ukraine: https://www.blue-yellow.lt/en

My Hauptwerk setup: https://www.organduo.lt/tools.html

Total Organist - the most comprehensive organ training program online: https://www.organduo.lt/total-organist

Secrets of Organ Playing - When You Practice, Miracles Happen! https://organduo.lt

Listen to my organ playing on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0ckKPIvTWucoN3CZwGodCO?si=YWy7_0HqRvaZwBcovL-

Welcome to Episode 34 of On the Bench with Vidas series! Join me for an engaging livestream of organ music, featuring a program of sacred and secular pieces. The selection will include both organ repertoire and improvisations, offering a friendly environment for a live chat. The 3rd anniversary of the terrible war in Ukraine is coming up on February 24 so today's concert will feature some Ukrainian-themed music as well. Feel free to send me your requests. Hope you will enjoy it!

Today's sample sets are by Sweelinq 2.0.

PROGRAM:

00:00 1. Johann Adam Reincken - Chorale Fantasia "Was kann uns kommen an für Not"
20:58 2. Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis - Canon in C Minor
23:40 3. M.K. Čiurlionis - Canon in A Major
28:34 4. Demonstration of Wolfferts Heijneman-organ at Sint Maartenskerk, Zaltbommel
52:08 5. Down Ampney - Hymn Setting and Improvisation
1:03:07 6. Luigi Megnoni - Symbolum 77
1:09:40 7. Ukrainian Folk Suite - Organ Improvisation

You can support this channel by becoming a member here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO4K3_6QVJI_HlI5PCFQqtg/join

If you like what I do, you can buy me some coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/organduo

PayPal: https://PayPal.Me/VPinkevicius

We support Ukraine: https://www.blue-yellow.lt/en

My Hauptwerk setup: https://www.organduo.lt/tools.html

Total Organist - the most comprehensive organ training program online: https://www.organduo.lt/total-organist

Secrets of Organ Playing - When You Practice, Miracles Happen! https://organduo.lt

Listen to my organ playing on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0ckKPIvTWucoN3CZwGodCO?si=YWy7_0HqRvaZwBcovL-​

Today I'd like share with you Processional and Communion from my Wondrous Love Suite, Op. 282. Hope you will enjoy it!

00:00 Processional
04:35 Communion

Today's sample set is by Sweelinq Goch.

Score: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/en/product/wondrous-love-suite-op-282-organ-solo-by-vidas-pinkevicius-22943811.html?aff_id=454957

You can support this channel by becoming a member here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO4K3_6QVJI_HlI5PCFQqtg/join

If you like what I do, you can buy me some coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/organduo

PayPal: https://PayPal.Me/VPinkevicius

We support Ukraine: https://www.blue-yellow.lt/en

My Hauptwerk setup: https://www.organduo.lt/tools.html

Total Organist - the most comprehensive organ training program online: https://www.organduo.lt/total-organist

Secrets of Organ Playing - When You Practice, Miracles Happen! https://organduo.lt

​Listen to my organ playing on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0ckKPIvTWucoN3CZwGodCO?si=YWy7_0HqRvaZwBcovL-

Vidas: Hello and welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast!

Ausra: This is a show dedicated to helping you become a better organist.

Vidas: We’re your hosts Vidas Pinkevicius...

Ausra: ...and Ausra Motuzaite-Pinkeviciene.

Vidas: We have over 25 years of experience of playing the organ

Ausra: ...and we’ve been teaching thousands of organists online from 89 countries since 2011.

Vidas: So now let’s jump in and get started with the podcast for today.

Ausra: We hope you’ll enjoy it!

Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas!

Ausra: And Ausra!

Vidas:  Let’s start episode 718 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Carl, and he writes:

“Hallo Vidas! My stretch goal is to be a church organist. I can't really play the piano right now, I have to learn that. I have no access to an organ. I am stretched for time. I guess this is pretty vanilla feedback. But that's pretty much it.”

Ausra: <chuckles>

Vidas:  So, how can we help Carl, Ausra?

Ausra:  Well, it’s too bad that he does not tell us how old he is, because if he is like 15 years old, then I would say, “Okay, you can make a plan and in a few years to become a church organist.” But if he’s, let’s say, 75 years old, then I would say just don’t bother with it, and don’t start, because you might not be able to do anything with the time that is left. Well, first of all, you know, if he’s an adult and he hasn’t even played played the piano yet, don’t bother. Just start learning to play the organ right away.

Vidas:  Nowadays, for people who don’t have access to an organ, there are all kinds of virtual instruments to have at home—limit budget solutions.

Ausra:  But you know, if he has no time, as he points out, then I don’t know how this thing can work. You know, you need to find time and to set goals. And probably to find a teacher, I don’t think that you can teach yourself from zero. Because we don’t know his musical background! May he played some other solo instruments—maybe flute or guitar or something else. Because we don’t even know if he can read musical notation.

Vidas:  I would do this way… if… let’s say I was stretched for time, wouldn’t have access to a real organ, but would still want to work toward the goal of becoming a church organist, and waiting for better situations when you have time might never arrive, that time when you have time enough for practice. So better to make the time for a little bit of practice each day.

Ausra:  Yeah, because you might get a lot of time or more time when you will be really sick and close to the end of your left… so…

Vidas:  If you can spare, let’s say, I don’t know, there are of course simple MIDI keyboards to look at, and you don’t even need a new one. You can have used ones for $20 or $30 or $50 I guess. They are available from second hand stores or eBay. Yeah, available, just look online, and when you have access to a MIDI keyboard, you can plug it into the computer and see what kind of program you would want to use with it. There are various free programs with it, which wouldn’t produce a convincing pipe organ sound, but if you just want to start playing, that’s the cheapest solutions.

Ausra:  Of course, and I think that’s what he needs, because if he really wants to become a church organist, I would start working on the hymns actually. 

Vidas:  Yes!

Ausra:  And you know, just learn them voice by voice. At the beginning learn just the soprano voice, then later maybe learn the bass voice, practice to play these two voices together, that would already be good, and later you could add alto and tenor and see how it goes. And then you will be able to play a few hymns, maybe then you could advance to the next level, learn to play a prelude or postlude, and because you haven’t been trained in music professionally, so I would say that for you it would probably be easier to improvise a postlude and prelude with just a basic three or four chords, adding different rhythmical figures suitable for the occasion.

Vidas:  That’s true. Another thing is don’t even bother with pedal playing, because it’s just another skill you have to be aware of for starters, and simply focus on your keyboard technique. As Ausra says, Hymns are the most important to play at the church, and so get a hold of a good hymnal, maybe you can borrow a hymnal from the church that you go to…

Ausra:  And you know, another thing I would do if I were Carl, I would choose the church somewhere close in the neighborhood and I would start attending it, and to see what the musical situation is in that church, and maybe, you know, a local organist would allow him to observe how he or she is doing and what is playing during service, and maybe that observation would also help. Maybe occasionally then he could help the local organist to turn pages or to do some other assistance and for that he might even get an occasional access to an instrument. So, you never know what…

Vidas:  Well, exactly. And this way you would slowly, little by little, build up your keyboard technique playing hymns and improvising preludes and postludes. Any tips on improvisation for this type of situation, Ausra? What would you do if you were thrown into a situation where you have to play something before the church service and after the church service? And forget all your doctoral training and Master’s and doctoral degrees, DMA degrees, professional training, forget this, just remember, of course, your best experiences, but make them as accessible as possible to people without that experience. Does that make sense?

Ausra:  Sure!

Vidas:  Basically, summarize your entire life into one paragraph! Summarize your training.

Ausra:  That’s a tricky, tricky, tricky question.

Vidas:  Shortcut! Carl wants a shortcut, of course. Nobody wants to work for 30 years, right?

Ausra:  I know, but, well, if you know what the chord progressions are, very simple, like Tonic, then 6th Scale degree chord, 4th scale degree chord (or subdominant), Dominant (5th scale degree chord) and back to the Tonic chord. That’s plenty enough for the improvisation at the beginning. I, vi, IV, V I. 

Vidas:  In Roman Numerals.

Ausra:  Yes. So play these chords, add dotted rhythms if it’s a beginning, play the same progressions twice in a row, and then maybe go to another key, let’s say to the whole step higher key.

Vidas:  Or Dominant.

Ausra:  Or Dominant key. 

Vidas:  And play the same thing, but have…

Ausra:  Play the same thing, and then return back to the beginning key.

Vidas:  And then you will have probably 3 minutes of playing.

Ausra:  Yes!

Vidas:  1 minute in each key. I actually was teaching this in one of my recent tutorials, “Learn with Vidas” when the subject was how to play easy processionals and recessionals. One of the techniques was as Ausra’s mentioned. Take an 8-measure phrase either from an existing composition or from basic harmonic progressions, and play some variations based on that progression for a few rounds. And then switch to another key and do that in another key—related… it has to be a related key to switch fluently. It can’t go like a half step higher and a half step lower, for example, because those keys don’t have any common notes, and therefore they would sound very foreign. You would need to modulate properly from C Major to C# Major.

Ausra:  So doing C Major, G Major and back to C Major. That would work.

Vidas:  Yes. Or C Major, A Minor, C Major. Or C Major, F Major, C Major. Or C Major, E Minor, C Major. Things like that.

Ausra:  Yeah.

Vidas:  Related keys. And that’s a good idea, actually, how to create an easy prelude and postlude. Probably the only difference between prelude and postlude would be the registration. For prelude you would need a softer registration, probably, and for postlude, you could use fortissimo registration. For prelude, you don’t play probably with pianissimo registration, you would play with Mezzo-forte. Foundation stops, 8’ and 4’ and that could be something like that. Well, hopefully this was useful to Carl. Do you have anything else to add to this podcast right now?

Ausra:  I think that’s about it.

Vidas:  Yeah, it’s plenty of advice to get him going, to get him occupied for at least three months. Right? Get better at playing hymns without pedals, first in one voice, then two voices—outer voices, soprano and bass, right and and left hand, and then add alto in the right hand part (three voices already), and then finally add the tenor in the left hand part. Four voices. Right? And, start learning improvisation of basic preludes and postludes. So guys, this was it! Hopefully you get some useful information to apply in your practice, and please send us more of your questions; we love helping you grow. And remember, when you practice,

Ausra: Miracles happen!

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