Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start Episode 217 of Ask Vidas and Ausra podcast. This question was sent by Francher. My Dear Vidas… Thank you so much for your response and inquiry! Although it is unlikely that I’ll ever perform, I do practice “very well”…and, for at least 2 hours every day. I start my day with an hour to an hour and a half practice, and end my day with another hour (with several shorter sessions, as time permits, throughout the day). I knew I wanted to be an Organist when I was about 10 years old…I also knew I wanted to be an Architect then too. As a profession, Architecture “won”. So, I spent my “productive” years doing the Architecture thing. Although I “piddled” with the organ for many years, I didn’t start serious music study until I retired at age 72. I found a wonderful teacher, who convinced me that I would learn more quickly if I knew some theory. So, I went back to college (at 74) and studied Music Theory for a year. Then, after studying with her for four years, she abruptly gave up all her students and quit teaching. That’s when I discovered “Total Organist” and, I’ve been studying with you ever since. I am so grateful for your teaching efforts. Based upon your reorganized material, I would place myself in the “Early-Intermediate” stage of development. At 80, I learn much more slowly than in my youth… Now, I say, I’m 8 years into, what will be for me, a 20 year program. So, as long as I am able, we’ll be working together far into the future. Thanks, again, for all that you and Ausra do for Organists and the Organ. Francher V: So it’s really wonderful to read this type of feedback, right Ausra? A: Yes, it’s amazing. V: It’s never too late to play the organ and to improve, even at eighty or even later in life, right? A: And it’s so nice that you know some people are able to do that. V: Yeah. Because when we are younger we so many other things that we have to do and there is not enough time, right? So then when we retire sometimes we get to do what we really want. A: Yes, that’s absolutely amazing. V: And Francher also rightly mentioned that her previous teacher encouraged her to study music theory. Why music theory is so important, Ausra? A: I think it’s important. It’s you know in order to be a good musician you need to have performance skills, technical abilities you know to play music well, but it’s also important to understand it, you know too. And that’s where theory comes in. And you know we keep fighting with you know with my students and other colleagues at school all the time. It’s like endless war you know between theory teachers and performance teachers because performers often say “Oh we can teach them to play without any theory.” V: Which is partly true. A: Well yes, but theory teachers just laugh about their attitude because I think it leave you, it takes you to a dead end. V: And in today's environment where everybody can do what you do you have to be unique. And if you have two people doing what they can at the same level like all things being equal, right? And one person knows music theory well and another doesn’t its I think a no-brainer to understand who will be picked in promotion and other things because theory background gives you as we say understanding how the music put together which in turn lets you to interpret music better. A: Yes. V: And people who don’t know this they will never be able to teach. A: That’s right. V: Right? Because they have only been taught themselves how to do it without understanding why. The reason behind the solutions. And then if you never teach, right, if you never share your experiences to other people you will never grow to the best of your ability. You will grow somewhat but not as much as you could. And you don’t have to teach at a formal institution, right? Like we both teach you right now, right Ausra? It’s teaching. Blogging is teaching. Podcasting is teaching. Everything that you share freely with the world is in a way teaching. A: Yes, so I think you know it was smart whoever you know suggested for Francher to go to learn some music theory. It doesn’t mean that you would need to write a dissertation and all about any theoretical subject. But you know still it broadens your horizons. V: You know with our rigid system I think we have trouble communicating this correctly with young generation and sometimes really we miss the mark like two passing ships in the middle of the ocean. We don’t communicate well. They want to play and we want them to understand the music and they don’t want to understand why they need this. The best way for Francher and others who are listening to this to think about music theory would be to learn it and right away apply it in your organ practice. Analyze the pieces you are playing. Be aware of how it’s put together. Not so much theoretical concepts for the concepts sake which is fine but you will forget it if you are not apply it, right Ausra? A: Yes and no. My colleagues at school they simply stop arguing with me when they find out that I am also performer, not only theory teacher. V: Yes, and in our school the best theory teachers are always performers. A: That’s true. V: Not necessarily performing right now but they were performing majors because they know real music not just dry rules. So Francher discovered Total Organist over the years and yes, she is a long term student of ours. And of course just recently we decided to reorganize the materials so that they could look at the levels of difficulty. For example, music for beginners, music for basic level, then intermediate, and then advanced level organist. And this way people really simply pick what they like from that level, right? So Francher is putting herself in early intermediate stage. What does that mean in your opinion? Is it that she can play more things than the basic level students can or something else? A: Of course, I think she should be able to play more advanced pieces. V: More advanced pieces than the Orgelbuchlein probably. A: Yes, yes. V: Because Orgelbuchlein would be like the best example for basic level stuff, right? Orgelbuchlein and probably Eight Little Preludes and Fugues. A: That’s right if we are thinking about Bach. V: And if we're thinking about let’s say romantic music. What would that be for basic level? Like Boellmann maybe, Vierne. A: Yes, Boellmann and probably like L’organiste by Cesar Franck. V: Uh-huh. Slower basically movements of the large-scale works, not to fast, not to virtuosic, not too chromatic also. A: Yes. V: So wonderful and then early intermediate level allows you to gradually progress to longer preludes and fugues, right? Maybe not two pages long or three pages long but maybe four or five or even six, right? A: That’s right. V: What about chorale based works, Ausra? A: Well I think you could select some of Leipzig chorales. Slower, like Nun Komm probably. V: Um-hmm. Like the one we recommended to study for John from Australia, BWV 569 or 659. Yes, 659. A: Yes. V: It’s longer and ornate in melody but not too difficult. A: That’s right. V: Because Schmucke Dich from the same collection is much harder. OK, so what would you wish for Francher in the upcoming months? A: Just you know to wish her to continue what she is doing. I think it’s great that she is still you know able to play. V: And practicing at that age really I think slows down aging process, don’t you think? A: I think so yes. V: Would you Ausra, hope to practice at this age for example when you reach eighty years old? A: It would be wonderful but I don’t know how I will succeed. V: But if we live that long I think ideally would be to continue to push, to continue to practice, at least a little bit every day. Because when you practice every day you stay curious every day, and if you stay curious every day your mind is engaged every day, and if your mind is engaged every day you are using your mind and it’s like a muscle, your brain right? It gradually also becomes stronger even at that age when your body for example gets weaker. A: True. V: Um-hmm. And it definitely prevents Alzheimer's for example. A: Maybe we need to do you know a research about to find out how many organists at elderly age have Alzheimer's. V: We could do a survey. Starting from like 65+, right? And from our subscribers they could vote, right, whether they have Alzheimer's or not. And we could see the percentage and I think that percentage might be quite small. A: I hope so. Because playing organ trains your brain. V: Exactly. And body and mind coordination too I think is connected here. So thank you so much Francher and others who are sending these wonderful questions. I think this discussion allows us to really help you grow. So please keep sending them and keep practicing. Because remember when you practice… A: Miracles happen.
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Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast!
Today's guests are Francine & Matthieu Latreille, who are Canadian organists and choirmasters, currently sharing duties as co-directors of music for Saint Thomas' Anglican Church in Belleville, Ontario. Both recitalists in their own right, they are active as soloists as well as a duo on the North-American scene. The husband and wife team regularly gives joint concerts since 2009. They also share a deep passion for sacred music and liturgy. They served together at Saint Ambrose Episcopal Church (Claremont, CA), before coming to Belleville, Ontario, where they live since 2014. I've talked with Francine last year on the podcast and I'm glad I had a chance to interact now with them both. In this conversation let's find out how Francine and Matthieu practice, perform, work and even how Matthieu recently recorded his own solo CD recording. Listen to the conversation Relevant links: Matthieu's CD Page: http://rmlatreille.wixsite.com/duopergulae/cd Their Website: http://duopergulae.com Their Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Matt.Francine/ Matthieu's YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/c/MatthieuLATREILLE Francine's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/orangeetjaune Would you like to master Helft mir Gottes Güte preisen, BWV 613 by J.S. Bach?
I've created this score with the hope that it will help our students who love early music to practice efficiently and recreate articulate legato style automatically, almost without thinking. Thanks to Jeremy Brown for meticulous transcription of fingering and pedaling from the slow motion video. Basic level. PDF score. 1 page. 50% discount is valid until May 19. 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 216 of #AskVidasAndAusra podcast. And this question was sent by Denham and he writes: Please can you do a masterclass on the In Dulci Jubilo in the same Orgelbuchlein Book. BWV 608. How to master the rhythm of 3 against 2s. It is so difficult. Thank you Vidas! V: Do you remember this piece (here is slow motion video), where it’s a canon between the chorale parts, I think, the soprano part and the pedal part, but then hands are playing interchangeably duplets and triplets. Remember, George Ritchie talked about that. A: Yes. V: In our early music performance class that’s one of the more difficult things to learn, I think, right? A: Yes, especially for the beginners. V: So. But, actually, it’s not very, very complicated when you think about it. It’s not like three against four. A: Oh, that’s true. Three against four is much harder. Or you know, if you think three against two is hard, pick up the big cycle of organ music by Petr Eben called “Laudes,” and you will find rhythmic figures that would curl your tail! V: Mhm, interesting. You see, “In Dulci Jubilo” is written in A major, and in original notation, it has 3/2 meter, and, against a half note, there are triplets of eighth notes. But of course, in the modernized version it’s a little bit different because we need, then, to have probably a different type of notation, right? A: Mhm, yes. V: We need probably to have something like quarter notes against dotted half notes or eighth notes against dotted quarter notes. Right? A: That’s true, but it’s again the same problem: three against two. V: Mhm. A: But, you know, I think for people for whom it’s so hard to play triplets, vs. duplets, it’s probably because they don’t have a well enough developed hand independence. Don’t you think so? V: Yes, of course you’re right. And this can be achieved by playing and counting those parts separately, right? I’m not sure if Denham does this, playing parts separately. But in this piece, there are actually four parts in this canon between the soprano and the bass. And the bass, of course, has to be played, probably, with the 4’ stop, which will sound an octave higher. And you see sometimes, like in measure 3, there are three groups of triplets in the tenor voice, and six notes in the alto playing duplets. That’s what’s the most difficult, is to play alto against tenor---inner voices, right? And sometimes they switch, three against two, or two against three. A: Yes, but you know, first of all you would need to work in combination. Sometimes it sounds boring, I know, and probably our listeners are getting bored of my advice of working in combinations, but this is really what will help in a piece like this, because if you would, let’s say, play only right hand and pedal, first, and then left hand and pedal first, and after a while you would be really comfortable with it, only after long with those combinations, you can try to play that third measure. V: Or the fourth measure when they switch. A: Or the fourth measure. Yes. V: Mhm. A: But anyway, you know, if after working in combinations for let’s say two weeks, you still have struggling playing duplets against triplets, then maybe you just need to do simple exercise, not playing, but trying to… V: Clap? A: ...clap them, but yes, not with both hands, but… let’s say... V: Tapping! A: Yes, tapping. Imagine that you play on your hip... V: Mhm. A: ...one left and right. I don’t know… do the duplets with your left hand, and triplets with your right hand. Do them separately and then put everything together. And then you will be comfortable with your left hand clapping duplets and your right hand clapping triplets, then just switch... V: Mhm. A: ...and do triplets with your left hand, and duplets with your right hand. V: Hm. That’s possible. And the way to learn this is actually very simple. You can imagine, those two voices. When they are mixed they form a rhythm in em… let’s say 9/8 meter. Instead of playing with both hands, you can play with one hand. <claps the rhythm x_xxx_x_xxx> this way. And when you need both hands, it’s the same thing. So basically, I’m tapping on my computers for you to hear better. <taps out the rhythm x_xxx_x_xxx_x_xxx_>. Right? I can switch, too <taps out the rhythm again x_xxx_x_xxx_x_xxx..>. So basically, you have to fit the quarter note---the duplet---in the middle between the second and the third of the triplets. Right Ausra? A: That’s true, yes. V: Mhm, and you do that by playing separately, or tapping separately, first. A: Yes, but, you know, this is the struggle that each beginner has to overcome. It seems so hard as a beginner. But after a while, you know, after ten years, you will be just laughing about things like this. V: Mhm A: Because by that time you will encounter much, much, much, more difficult rhythmic problems in organ music. V: And of course, in Bach, this is more complex stuff. He was one of the pioneers of course to do this---two against three---and it was quite unusual. And that’s why he used an old rhythmical version writing in 3/2 meter but writing triplets basically in eighth notes. A: Yes, but if you would think about, like, later composers, let’s say, I remember playing Céasar Franck, and in his C major Fantaisie, he used fourths against triplets. V: Mhm. A: So four against three, and it was hard for me, because I was also maybe like on my second or third year of organ playing at that time. So, but then think about Messiaen, how complex his rhythms are. There, you have to subdivide in 32nds maybe, you know, in order to get the rhythm right. Or you know, like I mentioned Petr Eben before that. So… V: I’m just looking at the Google Brahms piano exercises. If you want more advanced exercises, especially for more advanced rhythmical figures, try to study 51 exercises by Brahms. That’s an amazing place. And, even the firs exercises is just absolutely impossible to play right away. You have to spend some time with it. Maybe a few days to get it. Even the first exercise. So, Brahms was a champion to do this, because in the Romantic era, they had all kinds of rhythmical variations, right? So you will also need to do this. So, we hope this was useful to you. And study Brahms and other things, too. And remember to send more of your questions. We love helping you grow. This was Vidas! A: And Ausra. V: And remember, when you practice, A: Miracles happen. Would you like to master Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ, BWV 604 by J.S. Bach?
I've created this score with the hope that it will help our students who love early music to practice efficiently and recreate articulate legato style automatically, almost without thinking. Thanks to Annabel Brown for meticulous transcription of fingering and pedaling from the slow motion video. Basic level. PDF score. 1 page. 50% discount is valid until May 17. Check it out here This score is free for Total Organist students. Would you like to master Herr Christ, der einge Gottes-Sohn, BWV 601 by J.S. Bach?
I've created this score with the hope that it will help our students who love early music to practice efficiently and recreate articulate legato style automatically, almost without thinking. Thanks to Jan Pennell for meticulous transcription of fingering and pedaling from the slow motion video. Basic level. PDF score. 1 page. 50% discount is valid until May 16. 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 215 of #AskVidasAndAusra podcast. This question was sent by George. And he writes: Dear Vidas, My greatest problem at this point is independence of both hands and feet, in addition to the usual issues sight reading all the separate parts. You're very kind to write! Yours truly, George So, it seems like George hasn’t spent many years on the organ bench. A: Yes; it seems from his question that he’s a beginner. V: Okay. And beginners usually struggle with playing separate melodies in your hands and separate in the feet at the same time--that’s what we call independence of both hands and feet. Right? So, this is just a very natural phenomenon, I think. A: It is. V: That’s how we all start, and that’s nothing to be either worried about or ashamed of. A: That’s true. So, and as I have told before to other organists who asked our opinion and help, you really need to work in a slow tempo, and you really need to work in combinations-- V: Mhm? A: Not play all the parts together. V: Ausra, in your experience, will there ever be a time where a person can practice faster right away? A: Not really. V: Because the texture is just too complex, right? A: I know. V: Mhm. Unless you are playing a solo melody which is a single voice. A: Yes, that’s right; then you can play fast! V: Or--if you’re playing with a partner--maybe 2 voices, like an organ duet, and you’re both sight reading 2 voices each. A: That’s right, but you know, in other cases, you need to start with a slow tempo. V: Remember, Ausra, in Bach’s birthday recital, we just picked up a harmonization of Bach’s chorale maybe 5 minutes before our actual performance. We just played it through a couple of times, and we did it at concert tempo right away. That was risky, but we did it. A: Yes. It worked okay, I think. V: Would it be okay if, for example, either of us alone would have played it? A: Probably not so well as we played it together. V: Because alone, you have to manage 4 parts. A: That’s right. And an open score--written in an open score. V: Mhm. So then, you would need to spend some extra time. A: Yes. Because it wouldn’t be so fun to read 4 lines together. V: Unless you are doing this everyday. A: Sure. V: Like choir conductors do. So yes--basically, slow practice is essential. And Ausra, will there ever be a time when a person can practice without spending too much time on combinations, just 4 parts right away? A: Sure. V: That is possible? A: Yes, that’s right. V: But maybe later in his career, or her career. A: True. Maybe after 4 or 5 years of extensive playing. V: I think that’s too few years; I think more is needed. A: Well...it depends on circumstances. V: When did you first find out that you could manage 4-part texture right away? A: I now don’t remember exactly when that time was. V: It wasn’t like, on January 1st, 2014…? A: No, no. But actually, for me, the church position helped a lot. When I was first--besides from playing that organ solo repertoire--when I was having to learn a lot of music for the church each week-- V: Mhm. A: New music for the church. V: So basically, having regular performance opportunities every Sunday--that basically facilitates your progress. A: That’s true, yes. V: It’s like being thrown into a swimming pool deep enough to drown… A: Haha! V: And being told, “Swim, or sink!” A: That’s right! V: So, can we recommend that system to George? Swimming or sinking? A: Well, I don’t know what his goals are, but maybe he could try to find an assistant organist position. Part-time. V: Just a few hours per month? A: Yes. And I think this would be motivation enough for him to improve faster. V: Maybe just 1 piece per month to learn, for starters. That would be a good opportunity, right? A: Yes. V: If he could show up on the organ bench at church just 1 Sunday a month, and play something new. And then go back and learn, for a month, something new again; and show up the next month. A: Yes, I think it would be a good beginning. V: Mhm. Would that be a scary experience at first, for him? A: Yes, but I think it would get easier with time. V: How much time do you need to be more comfortable with playing in public, at the beginning? How many performances, or Sundays? A: ...Probably ten? V: You’re about right, I think. In my experience, when I was playing in my improvisation recitals nonstop for 60 minutes, at first it was a very very scary experience; but after 10 performances, it was a breakthrough--a little bit of a revelation. And every 10 performances, you discover something new about yourself, something new about the music, and something new about the instrument that you’re playing. Agree? A: Yes. V: Excellent. A: So if you will take some church positions, then at the end of the year you will feel more comfortable. V: Yeah. You will have learned 12 pieces! A: That’s right. V: And remember, you can constantly repeat those pieces over time--maybe not every week, but maybe a few times a month, right? And your repertoire will expand this way--you will not have 1 or 2 pieces under your belt, but 12 pieces; and the next year, perhaps you will learn maybe not 12 new pieces, but maybe 24 new pieces, because your new skill level will build on this old skill level, right? A: Yes. V: It’s possible? A: That’s possible, true. Maybe some of those new pieces you will not repeat--maybe you will not like them so much after a while. V: Mhm. A: But still, some of them you will keep practicing and playing. V: Exactly. And by the time you will have 12 pieces learned for the repertoire, you can actually play a public recital. Maybe not necessarily an hour long, which is too hard for a beginner, but maybe 30 minutes. A: Sure. V: Maybe with another person, split half--50% of the time. You on the bench, and another person would help you, too. Or maybe with a soloist, another instrument. A: Yes. I’ve thought about it, too--that’s a nice idea, to share, to play in some ensembles. V: Mhm. So...the best way to grow is basically to start failing in public as often as possible. Right, Ausra? A: Yes, that’s true. V: And the scariest, right, too? A: Yes. It doesn’t sound very encouraging, but it’s true! V: That’s the way we do it, actually. Right, Ausra? We don’t keep our mistakes under the table, right? Because mistakes are not fatal--you will not die from playing C# instead of D♭. A: ...I’m not so sure about that. V: Hahaha! Okay! Thank you guys, this was Vidas. A: And Ausra. V: Please remember to practice today. And send us more of your questions, because we love helping you grow. And when you apply our tips in your practice, and maybe modify, a little bit, our advice to fit your situation (because some things will work for us but not necessarily for you, but you can always adjust, and pick and choose from our advice what you like)--then, with time, you will discover something different about yourself. And actually, other people will say, “Oh George, you’re different now! Tell us more!” Right? A: Yes. V: So, you will have gained a new skill. That’s an amazing way to live: constantly learning, and staying curious in the ever-changing world. Thank you guys, this was Vidas. A: And Ausra. V: And remember, when you practice… A: Miracles happen. Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start Episode 214, of #AskVidasAndAusra Podcast. This question was sent by Tim. He writes: My dream for organ playing is to have the confidence to play publicly in church and concert settings. How can I get comfortable play for others and play as well then as I can when playing just for myself. Barriers include no local teachers in our small community. I’m learning on my own so get no critical feedback on my playing. Lack of opportunity to play publicly is number two. Presumably that could be resolved by joining a local church, but that would really be the wrong reason to join a church. Access to an instrument is not a problem as I have a fine Allen digital organ in my house, but access to a variety of instruments is a problem and limits opportunities to develop more sophisticated registration ideas. Tim V: So, Ausra, he basically wants to have a confidence to play publicly, in church and concert settings. As with many organists, this is a very fine dream, right? A: Yes. V: Because there is nothing wrong with it, right? A: Of course. V: If you can get comfortable when playing for others and even at the level how you’re playing for yourself, right, without playing worse, that would be very nice skill to have. A: That’s right. I got an impression from Tim’s letter that actually he plays more to himself because he has an organ at home and doesn’t go, you know, to play somewhere else often. But, you know, it’s some sort of interesting thing because if he wants to be able to play for other people, he needs to go out and to play for them. And for that he definitely will have to go to church. V: Mmm, hmm. A: And even maybe, you know, to apply for an organist position or part-time organist position, assistant organist. V: Or volunteer once a month let’s say, to play for them if they don’t have the resources to pay him. A: Sure. And as for not having regular teacher and, you know, not having a feedback on his playing, he should record himself more often and listen to what he has played. V: Mmm, hmm. And compare his playing in the recording to, I don’t know, recordings of other people that he can listen online. A: Yes, because now YouTube is full of, you know, of excellent organ work. V: It probably doesn’t mean that copying of recordings note by note is a good idea, because then you lose your unique input and touch. But at the basic level, yes, it helps. A: Yes, I think for a beginner it’s a great tool, to learn how to play. V: Mmm, hmm. If he doesn’t have local teachers of course, he could also, you know, use our material that we provide. A: Sure. V: At first, when we started doing this, we were sort of hopeful that people can teach themselves play, to play the organ, right? But we didn’t know if that was practically possible until John Higgins came from Australia to play for us earlier this month. So, we saw and heard with our own ears what a person can do on his own if, if he as a strong will and immense motivation. A: That’s true. V: Right? So, it’s possible to learn on your own. A: Yes. And you know since also Tim wrote that, you know, that he has a Allen digital organ at home; I think he needs to go to other places to find for other instruments. Because playing digital organ not always, you know, forms the right muscle technique. V: Mmm, hmm. What do you mean, Ausra? A: Well, you will not develop strong enough muscles in your hands and your fingers. So you would probably spend some time practicing on mechanical instruments, or at least on the piano, on the wooden piano. V: Can you compare playing on the digital instrument without weighted keyboard as, let’s say, living or working out in a zero gravity environment? A: Probably, yes. V: Like he’s in space, right? A: Yes. V: Yes. Astronauts of course, they do all kinds of exercise there but they do this, you know, even more than on earth because otherwise their bodies just, would just collapse. A: Yes. V: So, if you lived on the moon, you would have to exercise six times more because the gravity is less. A: I know. And you know, then you have your formation built up on the mechanical instrument. Then you can practice on the digital instrument and still sort of hold that feeling of the mechanical instrument. V: Mmm, hmm. A: But if it’s other way around, I don’t think, you know, then going to the mechanical after practicing all the time on the digital instrument that you will be able to perform as well as you did at home. V: Mmm, hmm. It doesn’t work both ways, basically. A: Yes. V: You have to find a weighted keyboard or at least a piano, mechanical piano. A: Yes. V: Right. What else can we advise to Tim? I think he can expand his knowledge of harmony, right? He doesn’t mention that has an experience with this or any goal in, in expanding his music theory and harmony skills. A: Not so many musicians actually do. V: They want just to play and perform. A: Sure. V: And in our school, when we teach, there are kids who love to play flute, violin, piano. But classes that we teach, ear training, music theory, harmony; what about them, Ausra? A: Well, not, not so many of them like those kinds, we don’t understand, that you know, being real musician, actually is like the synthesizing all those subjects together. That, that you cannot be well enough, you know, without having good ear. V: Mmm, hmm. Complete musician. A: Yes. Understanding musical language. V: That’s why we call our program Total Organist, right? Where we include everything you need to know in the current musical environment, including but not limiting yourself to harmony, theory, performance, practice, improvisation, even composition. A: Yes. I think in today’s global world it’s very important that musicians would be, sort of, you know, would know everything in their field. Would be complete, yes. V: Mmm, hmm. Because you have to, you have to, be unique in the world in order to be successful, right? Success of course means many things to many people, but still, in the eyes of others, you have to be unique. And your uniqueness might come from being the best in the world in their eyes at something. Maybe at one thing, but then it is very, very fierce competition, right? You’re competing with thousands of other organists who are doing the same thing. Or you could do a combination of things and be a reasonably good organist in, in combining a few subjects, right Ausra? A: That’s right. V: Then it’s much less competition this way. And even better if you combine subjects that are not easily combinable, not, not often combined, right? You have to find your other, perhaps passions and combine them with organ. Then you’ll be the best in the world in the combination. A: Yes, because you know, let’s, let’s take any, any type of, you know, organ composition in order to you know, to play it well, you need to have a good enough organ technique. You know, you, you have to know at least some of music theory, and, you know, in order to understand how the piece is put together, you need to have a good hearing in order to be able to judge if you are playing well enough. You know, record yourself and listen back to what you are playing to correct yourself, and even you know, when are listening to other people performing. You also need, you know, all that understanding, if you know, you like or not it and why. So you need to have some knowledge of musical history in order to understand the right style of particular composer. So it, it’s actually the whole world. V: Exactly. When you’re studying the organ art, you’re basically studying the, the entire input of humanity. A: Yes. V: 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 master Lob sei dem allmächtigen Gott, BWV 602 by J.S. Bach?
I've created this practice score with complete fingering and pedaling so that our students could master this chorale prelude from the Orgelbuchlein efficiently, saving many hours of frustration and achieving ideal articulation - articulate legato. Thanks to David Poole for his meticulous transcription from slow motion video. Basic level. PDF score. 1 page. 50% discount is valid until May 14. Check it out here This score is free for Total Organist students. Secrets of Organ Playing Improvisation Contest Week 2 is open. The deadline is Monday, May 14 at 12:00 PM UTC.
Here are the details for entering. Hope to see you on the inside! Congratulation to @hexacyanoferrate for winning the previous week! Listen to it here. |
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Drs. Vidas Pinkevicius and Ausra Motuzaite-Pinkeviciene Organists of Vilnius University , creators of Secrets of Organ Playing. Our Hauptwerk Setup:
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