Blog Archives - SECRETS OF ORGAN PLAYING - WHEN YOU PRACTICE, MIRACLES HAPPEN

How to Develop Speed in the Organ Pedal Technique?

5/31/2012

Have you ever observed the pedal technique of a world-class organist? It
seems like he or she can play effortlessly for hours at a top speed. How do you develop speed in your pedal technique? In this article, I will share with you 4 tips which will help you to achieve this level of proficiency.

1) Play scales for the pedals. The single most important exercise that the
legendary French organist Marcel Dupre used when he was unable to play the
manuals due to his wrist injury was pedals scales. Practicing pedal scales on
the organ in all major and minor keys will develop flexibility of an ankle which
is the secret to a perfect pedal technique.

2) Play arpeggios for the pedals. If you want even more benefit you can go
one step further. Take 1 new major and minor key a week and play arpeggios on a tonic chord. You can also practice arpeggios on a dominant seventh chord and a diminished seventh chord which is built on a 7th scale degree (or raised 7th scale degree in minor).

3) Practice slowly to achieve speed. Although it sounds counterintuitive, it
is best to take a slow practice tempo in which you can avoid mistakes and play
fluently. Then little by little you can raise the tempo until you reach your desired speed. However, be careful not to force yourself to play faster because it has to be a natural process. You will play faster when you are ready for it.

4) Correct your mistakes. If you make a mistake in pressing the wrong note or playing the notes in uneven rhythms, always go back, slow down and play
correctly at least 3 times in a row. This way you will form correct practicing
habits.

Note that if you are a beginner at the organ, it is better to postpone practicing pedal scales and arpeggios for a later date. Instead, take up some easier exercises for alternate toes first.

Use the above exercises and tips and start perfecting your pedal technique
today. To achieve such level when you can play the pedals fast and effortlessly may take many months of practice but I can assure you that you will start seeing some tremendous changes in your pedal playing very soon.

By the way, do you want to learn to play the King of Instruments - the pipe
organ? If so, download my FREE video guide How to Master Any Organ
Composition in which I will show you my EXACT steps, techniques, and methods that I use to practice, learn and master any piece of organ
music.

What Is the Best Way to Learn a New Organ Piece? Pedals First or Manuals First?

5/31/2012

Are you frustrated because you don't know what is the best way to learn a new
piece for the organ? If you want to succeed in organ playing it is important you
choose the learning method that is both efficient and easy to implement. In this
article, I will teach you what is the best way to learn a new organ piece.

If you want the quick answer - then it doesn't matter if you start learning
manual parts or the pedal parts first. What really matters is that you follow
these 4 simple techniques that makes your learning process efficient, fast, and
enjoyable.

1) Practice in a slow tempo. Resist the temptation to play at the concert
tempo right away. Instead, choose the tempo which allows you to play fluently
and without mistakes.

2) Practice 1 voice, 2 voices, 3 voices etc. When you take a new piece,
unless it is easy to sight-read, do not attempt to play all the voices together
right away. Instead, learn solo parts and various combinations of 2 and 3 parts
before playing both hands and feet together.

3) Practice in short fragments. It is wise to resist the temptation to play a
piece from the beginning to the end very often. Instead, take a fragment of 4
measures or shorter and master it.

4) Correct your mistakes. Do not play the next fragment unless you can
perform it at a slow tempo fluently and without mistakes in fingering, pedaling,
rhythms, notes, and articulation at least 3 times in a row correctly.

Consider the above 4 points when you practice your new organ music today.
These techniques will help you to develop correct practice habits. If you
consistently are trying to incorporate them into your daily practice, you will
have more chances to succeed in organ playing.

By the way, do you want to learn to play the King of Instruments - the pipe
organ? If so, download my FREE video guide How to Master Any Organ
Composition in which I will show you my EXACT steps, techniques,
and methods that I use to practice, learn and master any piece of organ
music.

How to Sight-Read A Hymn On the Organ With Many Text Lines Inserted Between the Two Staves?

5/30/2012

Many organists with little experience in hymn playing or sight-reading struggle while playing an unfamiliar hymn with many text lines inserted between the two staves. With so much text between the music, the staves become so widely separated which makes it very difficult to play such a hymn at sight fluently and without mistakes. In this article, I will give you my personal recommendations which will help you to overcome the problems in sight-reading hymns on the organ.

First of all, let me point out that it is really a rather difficult task for people who have not much experience in hymn playing. Playing a hymn with 2-3 lines of text between the staves is usually fine but when the space between the notes increases it really becomes similar to open score reading. The only difference from playing from an open score and a hymn written in this way is that in open score notation you have at least 4 staves with 4 parts and in hymn playing you have 2 staves.

By the way, perhaps practicing this way hymn playing is even more similar to reading open score because even in open score reading you are supposed to master solo parts, two parts at a time and various combinations of three parts before progressing to the complete four-part texture.

There are a few things which help me to play hymns written in this complicated way. This techniques may be useful to you as well:

1) My ability to harmonize the soprano line. You see, when I look at the hymn melody, in my mind I see the right chords which go well with the soprano part. In other words, I see the various chords (Tonic, Subdominant, Dominant, their inversions, seventh chords of various kinds etc.) which fit well with the melody. The skill at harmonization the melody allows me to naturally guess what notes will be written in the lower stave. Obviously there are usually many options available in harmonizing each particular measure but in many places, the most straightforward solution is the most common.

2) If I don't need to sing each verse while playing (this sometimes can be required, too), usually I just take a mental note of which verse I am playing without actually following the text. In this case I can concentrate on playing the music only.

3) Wise practice and experience also helps to overcome problems in hymn playing. I have a few hymnals at home which I have used to practice hymn playing earlier. I can say that after sight-reading about 100 hymns written this way, it gets easier and easier. I also recommend sight-reading hymns on a regular basis.

Remember that you don't need to play all 4 parts right away. This may well be what makes sight-reading a hymn a rather difficult task. If playing solo voices is too easy, practice (sight-read) in various combinations of 2 voices, 3 voices in a slow tempo. Only then play all the parts together.

Unless you struggle in note-reading, sight-reading separate parts might be a bit too easy because it is a simple chordal texture (except for the bass part in pedals). However, if you want to be really systematic like I am, you can play separate parts of these hymns as well.

Use the above tips today, open your hymnal and start practicing hymn playing the right way. Do this for only 15 minutes a day for some time regularly and you will start to notice some tremendous changes in your abilities.

By the way, if you really want to develop unbeatable sight-reading skills, check out my systematic Organ Sight-Reading Master Course which is intended for organists who want to perfect such seemingly supernatural abilities as playing fugues or any other advanced organ composition at sight. To successfully complete the practice material of this course will only take 15 minutes a day of regular and wise practice but you will learn to fluently sight-read any piece of organ music effortlessly.

What Are 6 Common Myths About Organ Sight-Reading?

5/29/2012

Although sight-reading is a must for any organist, some people still have the common misconceptions about this skill. Without properly understanding the myths that surround the sight-reading ability, it will be difficult to advance to a new level at reading music on the organ. These myths are based on some people's fear which slows down progress in sight-reading. Today I will explain some of the most common myths about this very practical and useful skill.

1. This skill can't be taught. Some of my readers have told me stories how they were told many years ago that this skill cannot be mastered in a step-by-step fashion. However, the truth is that in fact, systematic step-by-step approach is the best way to practice sight-reading. While learning to play slowly single voices in an unfamiliar piece, combinations of two voices, combinations of three voices etc. the fastest progress is achieved.

2. This skill is difficult to master. This idea is also based on incorrect preconceived notion. In reality, if we approach the process of learning to read new music on the organ from the right perspective, then it is very easy to progress in sight-reading. The only important thing to remember is the need to practice slowly, regularly, and in a step-by-step fashion.

3. The skill is easy to forget. I have heard some people say that once you learn this skill, it requires constant hard work to maintain this ability. However, it can be compared to riding a bicycle. Once you learn how to ride a bicycle, even though you might have taken a break of several years, this skill quickly comes back after a short period of adjustment. The same principle is valid in sight-reading.

4. Only geniuses can master this skill. We all have our role-models, the great composers and organists, like Bach, Dupre or any other master from the past or present times. Therefore it is easy to start believing that only these great people have mastered this skill. However, if only we approach the learning process very systematically, every one of us is capable to advance in sight-reading.

5. This skill takes several hours of practice a day to learn. Although this might be partially true in organ playing in general, mastering sight-reading really takes not more that 15 minutes a day of regular practice. This is such an insignificant amount of time that with proper motivation we can practice even while watching a TV show or a movie during the commercials.

6. Not every organist needs to practice this skill. Some organists who believe they have the sufficient skills at reading new music at sight. However, this myth is easily broken once such an organist tries to sight-read a difficult organ composition written in imitative counterpoint, such as fugue. Intricate dialogues between independent voices make playing such a music fluently and without mistakes and interruptions an extremely difficult task. Therefore, no matter how far you have progressed in organ playing, there is always a room for improvement.

Consider the above myths about this skill when you prepare to improve your music reading abilities on the organ. Find a collection of music that you love and start playing 1 page a day for the next several months for the best results. Take a slow tempo and play separate voices, combinations of 2 and 3 voices, and finally, the entire 4-part texture.

If you really want to develop unbeatable sight-reading skills, check out my systematic Organ Sight-Reading Master Course which is intended for organists who want to perfect such seemingly supernatural abilities as playing fugues or any other advanced organ composition at sight. To successfully complete the practice material of this course will only take 15 minutes a day of regular and wise practice but you will learn to fluently sight-read any piece of organ music effortlessly.

What Is the Best Way to Practice Sight-Reading on the Organ?

5/28/2012

Organists who struggle with sight-reading, often try to perfect their skills
and start playing unfamiliar pieces from their favorite collections regularly.
However, while doing so, they often have trouble looking ahead at the organ
score, playing fluently and without mistakes. In this article, I will give you
the advice on what is the best way to practice sight-reading on the organ.

The problem of looking ahead while playing new music on the organ is really
an important one. Inability to look ahead while playing and unfamiliar music
leads to mistakes, lack of fluency etc.

Concerning the issue of how many beats do you have to look ahead while
playing new music I would say that it depends upon tempo. The slower the tempo, the less beats you have to look ahead.

In an ordinary tempo of 60 beats per minute, approximately 1 measure is
enough to look ahead. But if you take a really slow tempo like 40 beats per
minute, then looking 2 beats ahead are usually fine. However, in the pieces
where the meter is 2/2 there are 2 beats of 2 half notes per measure. So that
means while practicing slowly, you need to be looking ahead 1 measure.

In addition, it is better to lean backwards a bit while sitting at the keyboard. Sitting this way will allow you to see the big picture well while sight-reading at a normal tempo. It is like driving a car - the faster you go, to further ahead you are supposed to look.

I also recommend when you prepare to play a new material, you have to
mentally prepare for it as well. Don't open the score and jump right into sight-reading without the proper preparation. Take some 20-30 seconds to look
over the piece, notice key signature (and key), meter, try to discover the more
difficult measures in terms of chromaticisms or rhythms, such as syncopations
etc. This way you will be prepared for what is coming.

Then when you start playing the piece, try to look a some 2 beats ahead. But
don't worry, if this is going to be a difficult task at first. After several
months, when you have progressed far enough, your note-reading ability will
become much better and you will be able to look ahead easily. It is just a
natural process of practicing.

Finally, don't make the mistake of playing all parts together right from the
beginning. Unless you can sight-read fluently and without mistakes in notes,
rhythms and articulation all parts together in a slow tempo, I strongly recommend practicing separate voices first, then taking two various combinations of two parts combined, three voices, and only then the entire four-part texture.

Use the above tips, find the collection of organ music that you love, and start sight-reading it one page a day for best results today. Remember that only 15 minutes of wise and regular practice in playing new music is enough to begin to see some tremendous changes in your ability to play new music at sight.

By the way, if you really want to develop unbeatable sight-reading skills, check out my systematic Organ Sight-Reading Master Course which is intended for organists who want to perfect such seemingly supernatural abilities as playing fugues or any other advanced organ composition at sight. To successfully complete the practice material of this course will only take 15 minutes a day of regular and wise practice but you will learn to fluently sight-read any piece of organ music effortlessly.

Questions and Answers About My Organ Sight-Reading Master Course

5/25/2012

Some people who signed up or are intending to sign up for my new "Organ Sight-Reading Master Course" have been asking me some important questions. I thought these questions might be valid to other organists, so I am sharing them with you today.

(By the way, to everyone who has already signed up... congratulations! This is going to be an awesome time!)

1) Question: What is the duration of this course?

Answer: This course is designed to be taken over 9 months - once a week I will send you the sight-reading materials to download, save, print and practice.

2) Question: I have no possibility to practice during the following 2 months so I was wondering, if I buy this master course in one payment now, would it still work if I kept all the materials you send each week and compile it and start working on it when I have the time available?

Answer: I completely understand that some people will be unable to practice for 9 months straight. That's why there are no deadlines in my course. When you receive practice materials, save them for later date and when you are ready, you can begin to work at your own pace. In fact, if you practice for a while and something comes up and you have to stop for some time - don't worry, you can pick up where you left (with some repetition of previously learned material, of course).

Sign up for Organ Sight-Reading Master Course

3) Question: Is the material to be covered only once (from beginning to the end of that day's section) and then not ever repeated; or is it meant to be sight-read, and then mastered before proceeding on the next day to the next section?

Answer: Playing once is enough because it is sight-reading but if you have time, playing two or tree times will be even better. Basically it also depends on how easy it will go. If you feel that the material at the beginning is easy to sight-read fluently at a slow speed, you can speed up the tempo a bit. Just try it and you'll get the feel of it. For best results Pick such a tempo which allows you to avoid mistakes.

Sign up for Organ Sight-Reading Master Course

4) Question: How is the practice material structured?

Answer: I am using a very systematic step-by-step approach. At first, you will learn how to sight-read separate voices (soprano, alto, tenor and bass), then all of the possible combinations of 2 voices, later we move to 3-voice combinations, and finally - the entire 4-part texture. Even though you might have very limited technical abilities today, while practicing the materials of this course you will begin to feel how each new combination is just one step way and never out of reach.

5) Question: How long does it take to learn the practice materials for each day?

Answer: Your total time spent practicing sight-reading should not be more than 15 minutes a day. The real results of this course come not from long hours of practicing every day but from the regular and wise practice over the period of nine months.

6) Question: How unique is this course compared to any other sight-reading course available today?

Answer: There is no other organ sight-reading course like this on the market today because it is so systematic and is based on one of the greatest master-pieces of human mind - Bach's "The Art of the Fugue" (plus some of the best known organ works of Bach as well).

7) What if I get stuck in some difficult spot? Will you help me solve the problem?

Answer: You will receive an unlimited email access to me over your subscription time. So if you get into any problem along the way or have a question of any kind, just ask me - I'll be always here to help you out.

Sign up for Organ Sight-Reading Master Course

Look for the special offer with 30-day-money-back-guarantee at the bottom of that page which will expire this Monday.

I'll see you on the inside!

Vidas Pinkevicius

Announcing My Brand New Organ Sight-Reading Master Course - Special Offer Inside

5/22/2012

When I reviewed the answers I received from many of my subscribers about what is holding them back from achieving their goals in organ playing, I realized that my list of subscribers is not made up from the advanced concert organists (although there are a few of them on my list). Instead the majority the people who read my articles are organists who struggle with the most basic tasks, like reading 3 lines of organ music, playing the organ without mistakes, playing hymns, sight-reading etc.

In fact, lack of formal training in sight-reading is one of the main reasons why organists have so much trouble learning new organ music. You see, many people think that a skill at sight-reading is developed by playing a bunch of unfamiliar music regularly and they are right about that.

Let's pretend that you are interested in learning to sight-read Bach's organ works. So you open the thick volume of his music, like vol. 1 of NBA edition with Orgelbuchlein and start playing from the beginning. What do you think will happen?

Obviously, if you are just starting the training in sight-reading, you will get stuck in the second measure of the chorale prelude "Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland", BWV 599 - a very beautiful piece, by the way. Then you might think, OK, I need to persevere because I'm just starting out. Then you will resist the tempatation to give up and while struggling, finish the piece.

Then the next day you might take another chorale prelude and the same thing might happen - you will make a lot of mistakes and get stuck in some difficult spot.

Do you think that by practicing this way you will develop your skill at sight-reading? My answer is not likely.
You see the same laws are valid both in organ playing and in sight-reading.

If you make a mistake and continue to play without correcting it, then you will be developing the skill to play with mistakes which obviously is not what you want. Likewise in sight-reading, if you are playing with a lot of mistakes, this will not get you very far.

Instead, you should play the piece that you are sight-reading without mistakes right from the beginning.
How is this possible? Well, practicing tempo should be very slow, the pieces should be easy enough at first and gradually have to become more and more advanced one step at a time.

In order to help you reach your goals in organ playing, I am releasing my brand new Organ Sight-Reading Master Course - a 9-month highly systematic step-by-step coaching program which you can take advantage of today.

Sign up for Organ Sight-Reading Master Course

Look for the special offer at the bottom of that page which will expire next Monday.

You will discover that with my system you will NOT get stuck in any measure, because I will be guiding you along the way. You can imagine that I will take you by the hand and lead to your goal one step at a time.

And so little by little over the course of the next 9 months, you will begin to notice tremendous changes in your organ playing abilities in general and sight-reading in particular. The good thing about my course is that you will not need to spend more than 15 minutes a day sight-reading the practice material I will send you.

How would that make you feel? Would you start feeling more confident in your skills? Would you like that kind of progress? Would the perfected skill in sight-reading help you reach your dream in organ playing?

If so, click on the link below and read more detailed information about this course. On that page you will also find the practice material for Week 1-Day 1 which you can print and try out to see if you like it.

Sign up for Organ Sight-Reading Master Course

Perhaps you are thinking if this course is right for you? Go ahead and get it now, don't worry, if you are not completely satisfied, I will give you 30 days money back guarantee!

Sign up for Organ Sight-Reading Master Course

To your success in organ playing,

Vidas Pinkevicius

Organ Practice: How to Overcome Lack of Patience Which Slows Down Progress?

5/19/2012

Do you ever feel like practicing organ the right way is a really great burden? Or perhaps you are frustrated that you can't master some particular place in your organ piece? If this happens, very often people feel lack of patience and want to stop practicing organ or they might take another piece without properly learning the current one. Fighting this problem is easier than you think. In this article, I will give you tips and advice on how to overcome lack of patience when practicing organ playing.

First of all, let's imagine that your dream in organ playing is being able to play the great works of Bach. This is a great dream, of course, which requires a great plan and wise practice. Obviously, this dream is a long-term one because it will take at least several years of concentrated effort from your part. So it is only natural that sometimes you might get frustrated and feel a rising impatience which slows down your progress.

If your lack of patience is holding you back from realizing your dream, then of course you have to persevere. I'm not immune from this problem either. However, it helps if I remember my goal which might be very specific, like master a specific piece, prepare for a recital etc.

So I guess if you experience lack of patience, remember your grand dream of being able to play on a good level big Bach's organ works. Or even better, subdivide your big dream into several others of a smaller scale, like learning a particular piece in a particular number of days. This will be your short-term goal or dream. Then think of what steps you should take in order to realize your dream.

For example, your dream might be to master Bach's Prelude and Fugue in C-major, BWV 553 in 2 weeks. This fantastic composition, the first from 8 Little Preludes and Fugues has 3 pages of 4 lines each which makes 12 lines total. In order to learn this piece in 2 weeks, you will have to learn 1 line a day and repeat the previously learn lines every day. So in about 12 days you will have learned this prelude and fugue.

This will be your plan. However, you are probably aware that the fugue is usually more difficult than the prelude to learn because of its polyphonic imitative writing style. It may well happen that you run into several problematic place while learning the fugue (especially when there are pedal entrances). And all of a sudden you want to quit practicing this piece and take another composition which is easier to learn. That's a very realistic situation for many organists.

So if you ever face a problem of losing patience and running away from the organ bench, think of your plan. Then no matter how impatient you might be or how boring it may be to practice this piece, all you have to do is to stick to your plan and continue practicing the right way which will lead you to success.

You just have to remember that sticking to your plan is like going from place A to place B on a train. Your plan is like train tracks and if you just follow these tracks, you will inevitably reach your destination.

On the contrary, if you give up practicing for some reason, lose patience or switch to an easier piece without properly mastering the current one, then you are sacrificing your progress. This is a very good thing to remember because your time is very limited and precious.

By the way, do you want to learn to play the King of Instruments - the pipe organ? If so, download my FREE video guide: "How to Master Any Organ Composition" in which I will show you my EXACT steps, techniques, and methods that I use to practice, learn and master any piece of organ music.

How to Program an Organ Recital? - An Example of Easy and Exciting Music for Beginners

5/19/2012

Organists preparing for an organ recital often have a dilemma of what pieces to include and in what order. While concert organists with much experience normally have their own method of programing a recital, beginner organists often struggle with this question. This is because technical possibilities of the beginner organists are very limited, yet they still need to provide enough quality and interesting music for the audience. In this article, I will give you an example of beginner level organ recital with the most famous pieces of the repertoire of approximately 1 hour of duration (with stop changes). The compositions are arranged in an order for optimum listener-friendly experience.

1. Prelude and Fugue in B-flat Major, BWV 560 formerly attributed to J.S.Bach. An excellent opening composition for your recital. The prelude is joyful, loud, and fast with an exciting pedal solo. The fugue is in triple meter and fairly straightforward. Organo pleno registration with mixtures is very appropriate.

2. In dulci jubilo, BWV 751 by J.S.Bach (?). Soft and gentle chorale prelude will be a nice relieve both for the listeners and organist.

3. Ich ruf zu Dir, Herr Jesu Christ, BWV 639 by J.S.Bach. This slow and meditative organ chorale prelude is among audience most-loved chorale preludes by Bach.

4. Pedal Exercitium, BWV 598. This piece was earlier attributed to J.S.Bach. Fast tempo, virtuoso pedal solo line will surely leave your audience stunned, especially if your feet are visible. By the way, this piece is a perfect work-out to develop your foot technique.

5. Prelude and Fugue in F Major, BWV 556 formerly attributed to J.S.Bach. Playful character of this piece does not require heavy Organo pleno registration with mixtures. Instead, various flute combinations work very well.

6. Herzlich thut mich verlangen, BWV 727 by J.S.Bach. A slow tempo and prayerful mood will be a nice contrast with the previous piece. Since it is an ornamented chorale prelude, use a soft reed, such as oboe, mutations or other colourful stops for the chorale tune in the right hand. The other parts can be played with the flutes and 16' in the pedals.

7. Gottes Sohn ist kommen, BWV 600 by J.S.Bach. Although the texture is in 4 parts with an obbligato pedal line, the pedaling is very comfortable and easy. Joyful registration with mixtures are perfect for this chorale prelude.

8. Prelude and Fugue in G Minor, BWV 558 formerly attributed to J.S.Bach. Although this is a free work, the registration could be without mixtures because of the serious and sad character. Even 8' principal will sound nice. The fugue is much more difficult than the prelude to learn because of the imitative polyphony.

9. Andante tranquillo from the Organ Sonata No. 3, Op. 65 by F.Mendelssohn. A slow, elegant, and soft piece. Easy to learn.

10. Fugue from the Organ Sonata No. 6, Op. 65 by F.Mendelssohn. Fairly straightforward fugue, serious sound and character.

11. Es ist ein Ros' entsprungen, Op. 122 by J.Brahms. Gentle and sweet chorale prelude, one of the most popular organ pieces by this composer. For manuals only.

12. Herzliebster Jesu, Op. 122 by J.Brahms. A fairly slow tempo and lack of imitative polyphony makes it easier to learn.

13. Schmucke dich, o liebe Seele, Op. 122 by J.Brahms. For manuals only. Lack of pedals make it quite easy to play but the polyphonic 3-voice texture is complicated.

14. Herzlich tut mich verlangen, Op. 122 by J.Brahms (6/4 meter). Easy to play because of very slow tempo, easy pedal line, lack of imitative polyphony. Gentle but sad character forms a welcome contrast in mode with the previous piece.

15. Herzlich tut mich verlangen, Op. 122 by J.Brahms (4/4 meter). Another setting of the same name, much louder and a bit faster.

16. Le Banquet Celeste by O.Messiaen. This fantastic meditative work is the easiest organ composition by the famous French composer. However, don't be deceived by the apparent short length of the piece. Although it is notated on 2 pages, the normal performance time is around 6.5 minutes which is extremely difficult mentally for many organists.

17. Fanfare by J.Lemmens. A joyful closing piece of your recital. Your listeners will love it. Loud but not too fast which makes it possible to play for an organist with little pedal experience. You will find repetitive motion of sixteenth notes in the right hand which reduces the stress for people who have a weak left hand technique.

You can use the above list as it is in preparing for a recital or plan your own program based on this example. Even if your technical abilities are limited, the pieces listed above should be within your reach with sufficient practice yet quite musically interesting. However, please note that although the pedal part is easy in all of the pieces, you should have some background of the piano playing to successfully learn this music.

Although the order of pieces may be changed according to your taste, they display the welcome variety in registration, tempos, mood and keys. Therefore, your listeners should be happy with your program. All you have to do is to master them one by one or all at once. This takes regular, wise, and persistent practice.

By the way, do you want to learn to play the King of Instruments - the pipe organ? If so, download my FREE video guide: "How to Master Any Organ Composition" in which I will show you my EXACT steps, techniques, and methods that I use to practice, learn and master any piece of organ music.

How to Harmonize a Hymn in 7 Easy Steps?

5/17/2012

Would you like to be able to write chords which go well with your favorite hymn? In order to harmonize it in 4 parts, you will have to know the basic rules of harmony and voice leading. In this article, I will show you 7 steps you could take in harmonizing any hymn tune in 4 parts.

1. Write in the treble clef on the upper stave and the bass clef on the lower stave. Insert a necessary key signature of the hymn and write in the meter signature.

2. Notate a melody on the upper stave with the stems up. This will be the soprano voice of your harmonization.

3. Determine the key of the hymn. Look at the key signature and the last note of the tune. The melody normally ends on a tonic note (1st, 3rd, or 5th scale degree of the home key).

4. Find the caesura point (the breathing place) and notate it with a "v" sign. Usually it is located after first four measures.

5. Determine what the most suitable chords are for each beat in the melody. Choose from the 3 most important chords: Tonic (a triad or a 3-note chord built on the 1st scale degree), Subdominant (a triad built on the 4th scale degree) or Dominant (a triad built on the 5th scale degree). If you know other chords, you can choose from them as well.

6. On the lower stave write in the bass line based on these chords with the stems down. You can make the bass line a bit smoother by using 1st inversion chords. Aim for the contrary motion with the soprano line most of the time.

7. Write in the 2 missing middle parts: alto (in the treble clef with stems down) and tenor (in the bass clef with stems up). Observe the proper voice leading: let the common notes of the chords be stationary and other notes move by a step.

Another way to connect two chords is in contrary motion with the bass. Here the voices move to the closest notes of the next chord. Avoid voice crossing, intervals of two consecutive unisons, 5ths and 8ves and forming a 5th or an 8ve parallel motion from the previous chord. The largest interval between the 3 upper parts is the octave while the distance between the bass and tenor could be one and a half octave.

Use the above steps to harmonize your favorite hymn today. Once the harmonization is complete, remember to play it on the keyboard, piano or organ. Correct any mistakes you find along the way. You can also impress your friends or family by playing your hymn harmonization for them.

By the way, do you want to learn to play the King of Instruments - the pipe organ? If so, download my FREE video guide: "How to Master Any Organ Composition" in which I will show you my EXACT steps, techniques, and methods that I use to practice, learn and master any piece of organ music.