Organ Playing: 7 Tips for the Best Articulation in Prelude and Fugue in B Flat Major, BWV 5606/12/2012 One of the most important aspects of stylistically correct performance of Prelude and Fugue in B flat Major, BWV 560 is articulation. It is precisely articulation which makes the playing of this piece sound in style as it was intended in Bach's times. In order to achieve that you should use a special kind of touch plus many other nuances of the right articulation. In this article, I will give you 7 tips in playing this prelude and fugue with the correct articulation.
1) Articulate legato. Since it is a piece written in the Baroque period, the basic articulation is articulate legato. The original term for this type of articulation used in the 17th and 18th centuries was the Ordinary Touch. 2) Small spaces. This touch means that you should leave small spaces between each note unless indicated otherwise by the composer. Since there are no special articulation indications in the original score, the notes should be detached. 3) Cantabile manner. Try to achieve the singing or the cantabile manner of playing. This term was used by Bach himself. For the best results try to play some passages from this piece using one finger only but as connected as possible. Then try to re-create the same articulation using the normal fingering. 4) Not too detached. Do not make the music sound too choppy. The best articulation will be if the listeners can't perceive the articulation but all the notes are clearly audible. 5) Strong beats. Try to emphasize the strong beats in each measure. This is possible to achieve in one of the 3 ways: 1) by making the weak beats a little shorter, 2) by making the downbeats longer, and 3) by coming in later on some more important downbeats, such as in cadences. 6) Inner voices. Articulate the inner voices in the fugue. While it is relatively easy to achieve the desired articulation for the outer voices (soprano and bass), the middle voices (alto and tenor) require your special attention. Therefore, it is very useful to practice the inner voices alone and in combinations with other voices. 7) Acoustics. The correct articulation also depends on the acoustics of the space. For example, if you are practicing at home, the spaces between the notes should be much less audible than in a vast acoustics of the cathedral or a church. The articulation in the concert hall should be somewhere in between the other two extremes. As you can see, the organist has to be prepared to adjust the articulation to the acoustics. Use these tips in your practice of this piece today. If you are precise in executing every detail, you will be surprised how natural and stylistically correct your organ playing will become. By the way, do you want to learn my special powerful techniques which help me to master any piece of organ music up to 10 times faster? If so, download my FREE Organ Practice Guide. Or if you really want to learn to play any organ composition at sight fluently and without mistakes while working only 15 minutes a day, check out my systematic master course in Organ Sight-Reading. 4 Tips in Choosing the Best Pedaling for Prelude and Fugue in B Flat Major, BWV 560 for the Organ6/12/2012 Knowing how to choose the most efficient pedaling in the Prelude and Fugue in B flat major, BWV 560 is not always easy. Sometimes an incorrect choice may lead to incorrect articulation. If you want to figure out the best and the most stylistically appropriate pedaling for this prelude and fugue, use these 4
powerful tips. 1) Write in each pedal choice for each and every note in the pedal line. While writing in fingering you can skip certain easy episodes and indicate the fingering only in the places which give you the most trouble, for pedaling I strongly recommend that you write in your choice for every pedal note. This is because many organists come to the organ with some experience on the piano and pedal playing gives them the most problems. 2) Avoid using heels. Since it is a piece written in the Baroque style, avoid using heels. Use toes only pedaling because on many Baroque instruments playing with heels is very uncomfortable. This practice comes from the traditional technique of playing the clavichord which was the most common practice instrument for organists in Germany at that time. By the way, some scholars believe this piece may have been written specifically for the pedal clavichord. 3) Use alternate toe technique. Most of the time in the prelude apply alternate toe technique which means playing with the left and right foot in alternation. This is especially obvious in the opening pedal solo and in other places in the prelude because of the duple meter. This technique allows you to create a perfect articulation in the pedal line with gentle alternation of strong and weak beats. In addition, it is quite easy to apply it in the passages with ascending or descending melodic line, such as in scales. 4) Use same foot technique. In the fugue which is written in the triple meter sometimes it will be necessary to play some notes using the same foot. In this piece, this rule is valid in situations when there is a change of melodic direction. In addition, you will also have to use the same foot in the prelude where the melody changes direction. Use the above tips for writing in the pedaling for the Prelude and Fugue in B flat major, BWV 560 today. After you have figured out and notated your pedaling, make sure you practice with correct pedaling choices repeatedly. This will allow your pedal playing to become automatic, fluent, and free of mistakes. By the way, do you want to learn my special powerful techniques which help me to master any piece of organ music up to 10 times faster? If so, download my FREE Organ Practice Guide. Or if you really want to learn to play any organ composition at sight fluently and without mistakes while working only 15 minutes a day, check out my systematic master course in Organ Sight-Reading. Although advanced level organists usually have much concert experience,
sometimes it is a challenge to find suitable organ repertoire for a recital. Recital pieces should have a balance between fast and slow, loud and soft, joyful and sad music. In this article, I will share with you an example of some of the most exciting and famous pieces from the repertoire which you can use to program you next organ recital. 1) Prelude and Fugue in E flat Major, BWV 552 by Johann Sebastian Bach. An excellent opening for your recital. This is one of the most significant Preludes and Fugues Bach ever wrote. The prelude is in an advanced Ritornello form (following the Italian Concerto tradition) and the fugue is a superb example of Bach's complex structure of the fugue with 3 subjects. 2) Chorale prelude on "Schmucke dich, o liebe Seele", BWV 654 by Bach. Sweet and gentle chorale prelude, one of the most beloved Bach's compositions for many organists. Felix Mendelssohn was also fond of it. The beauty of the piece consists of highly ornamented chorale tune placed in the soprano voice with solo registration and slow rhythms in the style of Sarabanda. 3) Sonata No. 3 in A major, Op. 65 by Felix Mendelssohn. This famous sonata consists of two parts - the majestic and dramatic Con motto maestoso and gentle and slow Andante tranquillo. The 1st movement is based on Luther's chorale "Aus tiefer Noth schrei Ich zu Dir". The opening part in choral texture of this movement is repeated at the end. There is a double fugue on the above chorale tune in the middle of this movement. 4) Chorale No. 3 in A minor by Cesar Franck. This is one of the most famous and the last composition by Franck. It is a perfect example of the French symphonic writing - chromatic harmonies, dramatic textures and sweet melodies will be appreciated by every listener of your recital. 5) Andante sostenuto from the "Symphonie Gothique", Op. 70 by Charles-Marie Widor. This is one of the most beloved pieces by Widor. Slow tempo, gentle melodic lines, a fantastic accompaniment (in double sixths) and absolutely adorable harmonies make this piece a nice contrast with the previous composition on this list. 6) "Dieu parmi nous" from "Nativite du Seigneur" (Meditation No. 9) by Olivier Messiaen. This is one of the most popular pieces of this composer and a perfect choice to end your recital. It has everything you need to excite the listeners: complicated rhythms, spicy and colorful French modes and bright registrations. Encore (optional): Toccata from the 5th Symphony by Widor. This toccata requires no introduction. Play it if your recital goes well, of course, and if your audience demands an encore. The length of this program is around 60 minutes which is an optimum timing for an organ recital. Use the above list of these exciting organ compositions for your upcoming recitals. Get the sheet music and start practicing for it today. By the way, do you want to learn my special powerful techniques which help me to master any piece of organ music up to 10 times faster? If so, download my FREE Organ Practice Guide. Or if you really want to develop unbeatable sight-reading skills, check out my systematic master course in Organ Sight-Reading. Organ Playing: 4 Tips in Choosing the Best Ornaments for Prelude and Fugue in B Flat Major, BWV 5606/11/2012 Ornamentation in the Prelude and Fugue in B flat major, BWV 560 has its own rules and every organist who practice this composition should be aware of them. However it is not uncommon even nowadays despite the wealth of information available to play the ornaments of this piece incorrectly. In this article, I will give you 4 tips in choosing the most stylistically appropriate ornamentation for this piece.
1) All of the trills and mordents notated in this piece stylistically have to be played starting from the upper note. For example, if the trill is written on the G, start it from the A. Likewise if the trill is placed on the A, start it from the B flat (not from B because of the key signature of 2 flats). Your cadential trills could consist of 4 or 6 notes depending on the speed. For example, in the trill on the G, you could play A-G-A-G or A-G-A-G-A-G. Try to hold the first note of the trill a little longer and speed up later. 2) Use fingers 2-3 or 3-4 in the right hand for the trills. These fingers were traditionally used in playing ornaments with the right hand in Bach's time. For some people playing with 2-3 is easier than with 3-4. Try both versions and decide which one is more suitable for your finger technique. 3) Start the ornaments on the beat. Quite often people play the trills and mordents before the beat. In other words, they start the ornament before as un upbeat and finish it on the beat. This is not correct. The Baroque ornament should take some rhythmic value of the note on which it is placed. In order to achieve that be aware of the beat on which the ornament should be played and practice slowly. 4) Look at each cadence and mark additional ornaments. Note that it is stylistically perfectly acceptable to add suitable trills and mordents on important cadences. This is especially noticeable in the fugue. Here you can add an upper mordent at the end of each subject entrance. Sometimes you can experiment with the lower mordents, too. While performing the ornaments, try not to play the notes which are foreign to the current key, such as B flat major or F major. Use these tips as you practice this piece and try to re-create the authentic ornaments. Remember that ornamentation is also a part of performance practice, so if you want your playing to sound like in Bach's time, pay careful attention to the trills and mordents, practice them in a slow tempo first until you master them. By the way, do you want to learn my special powerful techniques which help me to master any piece of organ music up to 10 times faster? If so, download my FREE Organ Practice Guide. Or if you really want to develop unbeatable sight-reading skills, check out my systematic master course in Organ Sight-Reading. 8 Tips in Choosing the Best Fingering for Organ Prelude and Fugue in B Flat Major, BWV 5606/11/2012 Are you stuck in finding the best and the most efficient fingering for Prelude and Fugue in B Flat Major, BWV 560 for the organ? It is important you find the best fingering solutions because they will save you time practicing and you will learn to play this composition fluently and without mistakes easier. Here are 8 tips which will help you write in fingering for this piece.
1) Write in fingering in technically difficult places. Some organists have a very systematic approach to fingering. Before they practice it, they write in fingerings on every single note. If this seems too much for you, for the best results I recommend you write in fingering in every technically challenging spot of the piece. 2) Consider the fingering for two voices in one hand. Playing with correct fingering one line passages is not as difficult as episodes with double notes in one hand. Therefore, it is especially important to figure out the fingering in places when one hand has to play two voices. 3) Avoid thumbs on sharps and flats. Since it is a Baroque piece, try to avoid placing the thumb on the sharps and flats. However, it will not always be possible to follow this rule since the key is B flat major and the scale starts from the flat. 4) Avoid finger substitution. Substituting one finger for another while holding one key is one of the ways of achieving a perfect legato. However, since this piece is written in the Baroque period articulate legato touch is more appropriate. Therefore, finger substitution is more suited for the performance of Romantic and modern organ music. 5) Avoid finger glissandos. As in finger substitutions, finger glissandos are the trademark for the Romantic and modern organ music and therefore not suited for the performance of this piece. Moreover, glissandos sometimes are the result of accidental fingering choices. 6) Play the same intervals with the same fingers. If you see several intervals of a third in a row, it is stylistically correct to play using the same fingers. This technique creates perfect articulation. 7) Try different solutions. Sometimes there is more than one version of fingering which suits your hands. Feel free to experiment with different fingerings and choose the most efficient. 8) Stick to your fingering. When you have written in your fingering on the score, try to use it in practice. Do not play with accidental fingerings but apply your written in fingerings repeatedly for the best results. Use the above tips and write in your fingering in Prelude and Fugue in B Flat Major, BWV 560 today. By choosing the best and the most efficient fingering you will save time practicing this piece and be able to play it fluently, without interruptions and with confidence. By the way, do you want to learn my special powerful techniques which help me to master any piece of organ music up to 10 times faster? If so, download my FREE Organ Practice Guide. Or if you really want to develop unbeatable sight-reading skills, check out my systematic master course in Organ Sight-Reading. Before attempting to practice Prelude and Fugue in B flat Major, BWV 560 on the organ, it is important to analyze the structure and form of the piece. This analysis helps to know the piece inside out. In other words, you will have to know how the piece is put together. In this article, I will share with you 7 easy steps in analyzing the form of this composition.
1) Notate all cadences. A cadence is a melodic or harmonic figure which indicates the closing of a musical idea. Note if a cadence ends on the tonic chord (final cadence) or on the chord other than the tonic (half cadence). 2) Find all important modulations. A modulation is a key change with a cadence. Usually the modulations in such a piece will be to closely related keys. In this piece such keys either have the same number of accidentals or differ from the home key by only 1 flat. 3) Find all sequences. A sequence is a harmonic or melodic idea which is repeated in an ascending or descending order. Sequences are perfect tools for travelling from one key to another. In such case, the new accidentals usually appear gradually one by one. 4) Count the number of fugue subjects. This fugue opens with a theme or a subject which is 6 measures long. Go over the entire fugue and mark the numbers of the themes with pencil. 5) Indicate which voice has a subject. Take a pencil and write in S (soprano), A (alto), T (tenor) or B (bass) next to each entrance. 6) Notate tonal areas of each subject entrance. Remember to check for additional accidentals which will be determining factors for different key areas. Similarly to the prelude, in the fugue the modulations will be to closely related keys. 7) Mark scale degree numbers of each subject entrance. Keep in mind the home key of B flat major. Then write the scale degree numbers or chords (T, S, D etc) relative to the tonic key. For example, the subject in B flat major will have 1st scale degree or the Tonic while the answer in the F Major will have 5th scale degree or the Dominant. Apply the above 7 steps in analyzing the form of this piece today. While doing so, you will put yourself in the composer's shoes and will have a much deeper understanding of how the piece is put together and be ready to start practicing it. By the way, do you want to learn my special powerful techniques which help me to master any piece of organ music up to 10 times faster? If so, download my FREE Organ Practice Guide. Or if you really want to develop unbeatable sight-reading skills, check out my systematic master course in Organ Sight-Reading. This is my systematic 9 step approach in writing a melodic dictation. Each step is described in a separate video: STEP: 1 Tonality STEP: 2 Key Signatures STEP: 3 Starting and Ending Notes STEP: 4 Range STEP: 5 Mode STEP: 6 Meter STEP: 7 Downbeat and Upbeat STEP: 8 Rhythm STEP: 9 Melody If you are really serious about developing perfect pitch and advancing in ear training while practicing only 15 minutes a day, check out my Melodic Dictation Master Course.
The last from the famous cycle of 8 short preludes and fugues, the prelude and fugue in B flat major, BWV 560 is also one of the easiest to master. Earlier it was attributed to J.S.Bach but currently it is believed to be by someone from the Bach circle, possibly by Johann Ludwig Krebs. Although the prelude has virtuoso pedal solo and the fugue's imitative writing style makes it look technically challenging, it is possible to learn it if you follow these 9 easy steps.
1) Analyze the form of the piece. Look for cadences and modulations in the prelude. Indicate all important key changes on the score. Count the subject entrances in the fugue in each voice and indicate tonal areas of each entrance. 2) Write in fingering. For the best results I recommend you write in fingering in every technically challenging spot of the piece. It is especially important to figure out the fingering in places when one hand has to play two voices. 3) Write in pedaling. Write in each pedal choice for each and every note in the pedal line. Since it is a piece written in the Baroque style, avoid using heels. 4) Figure out the ornamentation. All the short and long trills notated in this piece stylistically have to be played starting from the upper note. Only the mordents have to start from the main note. 5) Articulation. Since it is a piece written in the Baroque period, the basic articulation is articulate legato. This touch means that you should leave small spaces between each note unless indicated otherwise by the composer. 6) Tempo. Because of the joyful character the concert tempo of this piece could be quite fast. Keep the same tempo both in the prelude and in the fugue. Note that practicing tempo should be much slower. 7) Registration. The traditional way of registering a prelude and fugue in the German Baroque style is to use "Organo Pleno" registration or a principal chorus. Note that it is best to practice using only the soft stops, such as 8' and 4' flutes with 16' in the pedals. 8) Practice the piece. For the best results, practice in short fragments and in voice combinations. Try not to advance to the next combination or fragment unless you can to play the current one at least 3 times in a row correctly. 9) Memorize the piece. This is an optional step but I highly recommend it. After memorizing this composition you will have a much deeper understanding of it. In fact, if you truly want to master this piece, you should be able to play it by heart. Refer to the practice instructions in step 8 for memorization as well. Follow the above 9 steps and start practicing this wonderful composition today. In order to achieve the best results, be precise in each step. You will have to show some patience and perseverance but the results will be well worth your effort. By the way, do you want to learn my special powerful techniques which help me to master any piece of organ music up to 10 times faster? If so, download my FREE Organ Practice Guide. Or if you really want to develop unbeatable sight-reading skills, check out my systematic master course in Organ Sight-Reading. Many organists dream of having the ability to play with authority. They want to achieve the level when their performance can sound with expertise. If you are successful in being authoritative, you will earn the most respect from your listeners and colleagues. In this article I will give you 7 tips which will help your organ playing sound authoritative.
1) Fingering. Let your fingering be as precise as possible. Write in the correct fingers in every difficult passage of your organ piece. Feel free to experiment with several different fingering possibilities but always choose the most efficient one and the one which follows the rules of the specific organ music style and historical period. 2) Pedaling. Do not play with accidental toes or heels. Instead carefully pencil in your choices on every pedal note in your music score. Then try to follow the pedaling to the letter. Correct pedaling is the key to the success in pedal playing. 3) Notes. If you want your playing be authoritative, you should try not to hit the wrong notes. In order to achieve this level, try to have laser-focused attention. Let your mind stay in the current measure. Do not worry about difficult places which are approaching nor about the previous complicated episodes you have already conquered. 4) Rhythms. While playing sections which are advanced rhythmically, try to count out loud and subdivide the beats. Then you will have no trouble in playing any syncopation, duplet, triplet, quadruplet or even sextuplet. This way your rhythms will have the authority you desire. 5) Articulation. Be aware of musical style and historical period of the piece while articulating the notes. The touch should be precise and always consistent. The perfect legato in one place must coincide with the same legato in another spot. The detached articulation in early music should also be consistently executed in every voice and in every measure. 6) Tempo. An authoritative performance will always have steady tempo and the most natural ritardando and accelerando when required. So strive to keep your playing speed constant but be flexible with your nuances. Never allow yourself to speed up or slow down without a serious reason. 7) Registration. Show your expertise in choosing organ stops which follow most closely composers suggestions. If there are no registration indications in the score, do some research and play with the stops which are most suited for this particular historical period, national school or type of composition. However let your ears be your most trusted guide, stay flexible with your approach and adjust to the instrument at hand when necessary. Summary: do you want to be authoritative in your organ playing? Ensure your fingering, pedaling, notes, rhythms, articulation, tempo and registration are authoritative. By the way, do you want to learn my special powerful techniques which help me to master any piece of organ music up to 10 times faster? If so, download my FREE video guide "How to Master Any Organ Composition". Or if you really want to develop unbeatable sight-reading skills, check out my systematic Organ Sight-Reading Master Course. There is an ongoing debate among organists about the strengths and weaknesses of consistency in organ playing. In this article, I will give you my opinion on this topic.
Let me start by explaining what kind of consistency there is in organ practice. Consistency in playing the organ can be seen in many ways. One of the most obvious is sticking with one piece for some time until it is thoroughly mastered. An advantage of this approach is of course an increased in depth knowledge of this particular composition which would not be otherwise possible if you just played many new pieces over the same period of time, unless of course you want to master sight-reading. A possible weakness that consistency reveals is that for some people practicing one piece for a long time is quite boring. They argue that they want to learn something new every day. However, they tend to forget that while staying consistent and practicing one piece until the full mastery in reality opens up new horizons in organ playing and helps to see many new things in the same composition as your knowledge of this piece deepens. If practicing one piece at least for a couple of weeks is a challenge for you, I recommend you choose your organ piece wisely. If you are going to spend much time with one work, this composition should be of really high artistic quality. In addition, you can be consistent in your practice, if you are keeping all the important details of your piece in one style. Such details or elements, could include fingering, pedaling, articulation, ornaments, tempo, phrasing, registration etc. So all of these elements should be consistent over the course of the piece. For example, if you are working on a Baroque composition, the general articulation in this piece should be articulated legato which means having small distances between each and every note. However, this articulation should not sound too detached or choppy. Instead, you should perform such piece in a singing (cantabile) manner. So if you want to be consistent in articulation, try to keep the same kind of spaces within each measure but try to emphasize the alternation of strong and weak beats. In other words, the organist should strive for consistent articulation in every voice and not allow some measures be played legato while others might sound staccato or articulated legato. The real skill of the organist shows in his or her ability to articulate consistently and not allow even slightest discrepancies and accidental slurs. As you can see, consistency in organ practice leads to success and helps you focus on a specific organ piece to increase your skills and mastery. Keep in mind the above strengths of being consistent in organ practice. Go now and consistently start to practice an organ piece of your choice today. In order to achieve the best results, make sure you are consistent in your all musical details. By the way, do you want to learn my special powerful techniques which help me to master any piece of organ music up to 10 times faster? If so, download my FREE video guide "How to Master Any Organ Composition". Or if you really want to develop unbeatable sight-reading skills, check out my systematic Organ Sight-Reading Master Course. |
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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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