Would you like to learn Menuet Gothique from Suite Gothique, Op. 25 by Leon Boellmann?

I hope you'll enjoy playing this piece yourself from my PDF score.

Thanks to Alan Peterson for his meticulous transcription from the video.

What will you get?

PDF score with fingering and pedaling written out for fast and efficient practice. Intermediate Level. 5 pages.

Let me know how your practice goes.

​This score is free for Total Organist students.

Check it out here

While Ausra was teaching online today, I recorded two pieces today - one chorale prelude by Karg-Elert and this beautiful Andante from Meditaciones religiosas, Op. 122 by Louis-James-Alfred Lefebure-Wely who was a very prominent organist, composer and improviser in the middle of the 19th century Paris. The composer calls for 8' principals, flutes and string sounds here but I wanted to record it on Piotr Grabowski's sample set from Saint-Jean-de-Luz and this organ doesn't have 8' principal in the manuals. Nonetheless, I think the registration colours came out very nice. Would you agree?

​Thanks so much for your support! You get early access and I get to keep going.

In this video, I'm playing Recit de Flute Harmonique de 4 by Edouard Batiste using Cavaille-Coll organ at St Etienne's Abbey in Caen sample set by Sonus Paradisi and Hauptwerk VPO software.

​Score: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/...

Today I'm going to teach you how to master the Dubois Toccatain 11 steps on Rotterdam's Sint Laurenskerk (the main organ) sample set by Sonus Paradisi.

Score with fingering and pedaling:
​https://secrets-of-organ-playing.mysh...

If you like my music making, you can support me on Patreon and get free organ CD's at https://patreon.com/secretsoforganpla...

Buy me coffee: https://www.paypal.me/VPinkevicius

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

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

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

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

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

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

A: ...and Ausra Motuzaite-Pinkeviciene.

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

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

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

A: We hope you’ll enjoy it!

V: Let’s start episode 600 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Tim, and he writes:

“Dear Vidas
Are you able to help me please. I am currently learning the Dubois Toccata in G No 3 and have previously downloaded your fingering and pedaling for the piece. I'm having trouble getting it up to the required speed and wondered if you had any tips to help with this or any other tips or practice ideas that might help.
Thank you in anticipation
Tim"

V: So, Ausra, what do you think about this speed in Dubois Toccata?

A: Well, I think you need to practice in a slower tempo, and I think the right tempo will come in time. If you cannot speed it up, maybe it’s not the time for you to do it. Maybe you still have to practice in a slower tempo.

V: That’s right. I remember, I haven’t played Dubois Toccata for a while, but I’m now practicing Boëlmann’s Toccata from the “Suite Gothique.” And although the texture is pretty straightforward and easy for fingers, I still have quite a ways to go in order to reach concert speed.

A: That’s often the case.

V: What are you playing, Ausra, right now, but I mean in a fast tempo as a final result? Tell us! Maybe you’re playing some piece by Bach.

A: Well yes, I’m playing the Eb Major Prelude and Fugue, BWV 552 by J.S. Bach.

V: Does it have any fast sections?

A: Of course! Basically the middle and the last Fugues are really fast, and of course, Prelude has also a fast tempo.

V: So how do you manage to get up to speed in this piece?

A: Somehow naturally it all comes to me.

V: You were born with this skill?

A: Actually no, but actually what happens, let’s say with the middle Fugue, is that I need to slow down, because if I would let myself go as fast as I want, I would ruin the piece entirely.

V: What do you mean?

A: I mean that often what happens with musicians is that they speed up too much, and then things will get muddy.

V: I think you’re referring to the middle Fugue as a lot of people play it at the tempo of the final Fugue. But the character of the second Fugue is different from the third Fugue. Isn’t it?

A: Well, the thing is, why I think many people like to speed up in this particular Fugue is because the opening Fugue in this Stile Antico is sort of very serious in nature. You cannot speed up very much in it. It really has this slow motion. But then, the first Fugue has pedals! In the middle Fugue there are no pedals. Bach didn’t write it. So I think that’s the effect of it, that people want to speed up.

V: The second Fugue has the character of maybe Courante? Would you agree?

A: Yes, a sort of Spiel-Fugue.

V: But not a Gigue as it is…

A: No, not a Gigue.

V: Gigue is the third Fugue.

A: Yes, Gigue is the last Fugue.

V: Okay. Obviously it’s not the same rhythm as in the Gigue Fugue. Remember BWV577 that everybody wants to play as fast as possible.

A: So now you have to connect these two pieces to Dubois Toccata.

V: All of them are fast, right?

A: Yes, they are fast, but you know, when you play a fast Baroque piece, the rhythm helps. The rhythmical structure and articulation helps a lot, because if you will lean on the strong beat, then you shouldn’t be speeding up. But of course, we are talking about how to build up a speed, so it’s a little bit different version.

V: To me, the best technique that helps to achieve concert tempo has been and still is practice in short fragments stopping at the more-or-less unit, let’s say, every quarter note, at first. 

A: But don’t you think that for some people it might not work, because you may not be able to play in the constant tempo and in the right rhythm.

V: Maybe not at first. Maybe in a few days you will get this right.

A: But I think this method of yours takes patience.

V: Everything worth while takes patience, Ausra.

A: Well, I guess you are right.

V: As usual!

A: Yes, but, anyway, I think that some, especially beginners, want to play too fast too soon.

V: So I recommend stopping at the quarter note, then at every half note, then at every measure, every two-measures, every four-measures, every line, every two-lines, every four-lines, or maybe that’s a page already, and then every two-pages, every four-pages, and I think you will be done by that time. What do you think?

A: Well, I think it’s worth trying.

V: Like spend a week with the first step, stopping at every beat. Then see what happens, if you can proceed to the next step, stopping at every half note a week after that.

A: Okay!

V: Right?

A: Yes!

V: So, guys, our advice is very practical. This is battle tested and very efficient. So, apply it in your practice and let us know how it goes!

A: Yes, true, I think this is sort of that if you will not rush things, you will get to the finish line first.

V: Than the person who wants to do it as fast as possible right away.

A: True.

V: Okay 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.

V: This podcast is supported by Total Organist - the most comprehensive organ training program online.

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

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

A: Sign up and begin your training today at organduo.lt and click on Total Organist. And of course, you will get the 1st month free too. You can cancel anytime.

V: If you like our organ music, you can also support us on Patreon and get free CD’s.

A: Find out more at patreon.com/secretsoforganplaying
​
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Would you like to learn Alexandre Guilmant's Offertoire sur Deux Noel, Op. 19 No. 2?

I hope you'll enjoy playing this piece yourself from my PDF score.

Thanks to Jeremy Owens for his meticulous transcription from the slow motion video.

What will you get?

PDF score with complete fingering written in which will save you many hours of work. Intermediate level. 6 pages.

Let me know how your practice goes.

This score is free for Total Organist students.
​
Check it out here

Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas!
 
Ausra: And Ausra!
 
V: Let’s start episode 499 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Joanna, and she writes:
 
“Dear Vidas
I bought a copy of Vieux Noel by Cesar Franck from your website. I wanted to ask you something which I do not understand. What are the numbers at the beginning of the piece...number 1, number 4 and number 0 in a circle?
Regards and thanks
Joanna”
 
V: First of all, Ausra, we’re approaching soon episode 500! This is exciting!
 
A: True, it is exciting.
 
V: The next will be 500.
 
A: I didn’t think we would survive for such a long time with our podcast.
 
V: It’s a small milestone to celebrate. How will we celebrate?
 
A: I don’t know, maybe practice something on the organ!
 
V: No! I already practiced on the organ something today.
 
A: You can’t practice too much!
 
V: Maybe I’ll eat a cookie.
 
A: That’s a good idea.
 
V: And you?
 
A: Then I’ll eat a cookie, too.
 
V: My cookie?
 
A: No, another cookie!
 
V: We have enough cookies for both of us.
 
A: True.
 
V: Okay. So Joanna bought a copy of one piece by Cesar Franck from his cycle “L’Organiste.” This collection is created to be played on either pipe organ or harmonium—French harmonium. In other countries, they are called “reed organ,” or in German, “Phisharmonium.” Basically, they’re a little bit different, but the idea is the same. You pump the two pedals, and therefore your two feet are busy. You cannot play with your feet as with pipe organs on the pedal board. But, I have seen, actually, an electric harmonium which has an electric blower, and then you have a pedal board. You have seen this, too!
 
A: So, how is this different from the organ then?
 
V: Because it doesn’t have pipes, it only has free reeds vibrating, like in a harmonium.
 
A: Harmonium actually reminds me of an accordion.
 
V: Yeah, it has those bellows, and the same type of reeds. You know where we saw this instrument… I’m not sure if you were there… in the house of the priest/organist, Gracijus Sakalauskas.
 
A: No, I haven’t seen it.
 
V: You haven’t been there?
 
A: No.
 
V: He was, for a long time an advisor, I think, for an organ building company from Marijampolė, and he also is a priest, but he is, or was, trained as an organist as well. So, I think during one concert of our organ studio of professor Leopoldas Digrys, a few of us went to perform at some church in that region, and we had a dinner, and we visited this priest’s house, and he had this electric harmonium. This was nice.
 
A: So, what do you think about the collection?
 
V: So the collection… before last summer, I started sight-reading these pieces and recording them on videos, and putting the cameras above the keyboards, so that the hands would be clearly visible, with the hope that people would find the fingering useful that later, our team has transcribed from those videos. And apparently, Joanna wants to learn a piece from the suite suitable to be played for Christmas time. It’s, I think, in the middle of this collection, and this Noël is just one part of this suite. It’s a very interesting collection. It has, I think, seven suites in seven keys, major and minor keys. So the first is C, the second is C-sharp, the third is D, and the fourth is E-flat, and so on. It goes up chromatically. And in each suite, you have, I think, seven pieces suitable to be played for liturgy. Six pieces, plus either offertorium or the Sortie.
 
A: I think it’s a wonderful collection for church musicians, because the pieces are easily done, quite easily done, but they sound like solid pieces of music.
 
V: Yes, they are not crappy compositions at all.
 
A: They are really aesthetically pleasing, and you know, it’s worth it to have this collection if you are a church musician—a church organist.
 
V: And you could be a highly strained organist, but you can still sight-read them, and your congregation would definitely enjoy them.
 
A: So now, could you explain about those numbers, what they mean?
 
V: The numbers refer to the stops on the French Harmonium. In this particular Vieux Noël, there is #1, #4, and 0. So, I copied those numbers, indications of those stops, on the French harmonium from the collection, and one is Cor Anglais 8’. Cor Anglais is a reed sort of similar to the oboe, maybe, but only in the bass register. Right? Because French Harmonium has a divided keyboard: Bass from C to E1, and then treble from F1 to C4. So basically, #1 is Cor Anglais 8’, and #4 is Basson 8’ level. So here you have two stops of 8’ level. And then 0 means “Forté.” 0 means “Forté”, which basically I adapted to pipe organ and wrote my own registration suggestions using only 8’ stops. You obviously have to adapt. You don’t have to play everything with reeds here. What do you think, Ausra?
 
A: Sure, of course! Not every organ has reeds at all, so…
 
V: Maybe I should just mention other numbers. #2 is in the bass. #2 is Bourdon 16’, #3 is Clairon 4’, #4 is Basson, as I said, #5 Harp Aeolean 2’, and then is Forté. In the treble, #1 is Flute 8’, #2 Clarinet 16’, #3 Flageolet 4’, #4 is Hautbois 8’, #5 is Musette 16’, and 0 is Forté again.
 
A: So what if you don’t have a divided keyboard as it is on the Harmonium?
 
V: Then sometimes you need two keyboards.
 
A: Two manuals.
 
V: Two manuals, yeah. But not on this piece. Probably not on this piece. I have to double check, though, but not all of them required separate stops for the solo voice. So yes, having those markings in your head, you can adapt to any pipe organ that you want, even on an electronic organ. You just have to be mindful of the pitch levels: 16’, 8’, and 4’, and dynamic levels. If it’s 0, then it’s forté, and you can also sometimes find the letter G in the score, and G means Grand Orgue. Grand Orgue means like Tutti.
 
A: That’s right.
 
V: So most of the stops together. Okay, so that’s the idea of playing this piece. Alright, guys, please send us 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 Andante Sostenuto by Ch.-M. Widor from Symphonie Gothique with complete fingering and pedaling?

I have created this score with the hope that it will help my students who love French symphonic music to recreate legato style automatically, almost without thinking.

Thanks to Juan Osorno for his meticulous transcription of fingering from the slow motion video.
Intermediate level. PDF score. 4 pages.

Check it out here

This score is free for Total Organist students.

DON'T MISS A THING! FREE UPDATES BY EMAIL.

Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas.
 
Ausra: And Ausra.
 
V: Let’s start episode 358 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast.  This question was sent by Paul and he writes:
 
“Thank you Vidas.  That pedal harpsichord is 3 meters long and takes up a lot of my living room.  How would you rate the "Fanfare" by Jacques-Nicolas Lemmens for difficulty?  Thank you again for such quick responses. You provide much valuable information.
Thank you,
Paul”
 
V: And you know Ausra it was my response to his question, I think he sent Dorian Toccata performed on the pedal harpsichord which is located in his living room.  Very interesting instrument.  I see if I dig up this video that he sent and put into the description of this conversation, into the transcript, so that people could click and watch.   And this was Dorian Toccata for Halloween I think, he was dressed in a Halloween costume, maybe Dracula or something very scary, but it was actually very funny and in a good way funny so this is a 3 meters long pedal harpsichord.
 
A: Well I have a question.  Do pedals take so much space?
 
V: Probably because the strings are double probably length, 16’ length.
 
A: But pedal itself.
 
V: Pedal itself, no, it’s just like a regular harpsichord.
 
A: Oh, OK, because I thought the pedal itself was 3 meters long and I thought how long legs should you have or how you had move on the bench in order to play such a pedal.
 
V: You know Dracula has long legs.
 
A: I know.
 
V: How long is your car, Imprezza?
 
A: I don’t know. I've never measured it.
 
V: Probably 5 meters or more.
 
A: So long? Maybe less.
 
V: Less, probably less.
 
A: I think less.
 
V: So it’s like a little bit longer than your car, imagine.  That’s a long instrument but very fine instrument, I was impressed.
 
A: Excellent.
 
V: Maybe Paul can write the history of this instrument, how he got it, who built it, and his experiences with playing it.
 
A: Yes, I’m really looking forward to hearing it.
 
V: Because you know that might be an option for people who want an instrument at home.  A lot of people are amazed with digital organs at home and their simulations virtual organs.
 
A: Now it’s a digital, yeah so…
 
V: Umm-hmm.  So people play pedal clavichords, right?  Some people play pipe organs with 2 stops like we do and Paul and others have pedal harpsichords.  Why not?  So he asks about Fanfare by Jacques-Nicolas Lemmens.  It’s a very famous piece like a toccata and it is in that red method book that we have too.
 
A: Uh-huh.
 
V: One of the easier pieces but festive sounding pieces.
 
A: Yes, I think it’s very nice because of that.  You don’t have to put so much into it but you get a nice result.
 
V: And it has lots of repetition.
 
A: We all need pieces like that in our repertoire list.
 
V: Umm-hmm.
 
A: Just in order to be ready anytime.
 
V: And for people who don’t improvise, this is particularly useful because you can stop in many places of this fanfare.
A: True.  In general I like Lemmens music because most of his pieces, he was known as organ teacher and he wrote a lot of repertoire for beginning organists and sometimes when I am talking about beginners and beginners’ repertoire we are thinking about really primitive sounding pieces but it’s not the case with Lemmens.  I think his music is very musical and very nice.
 
V: His method books start with very easy trios like 4 or 8 measures long.
 
A: True, but they are beautiful.  They are beautiful pieces actually.
 
V: But then they expand into complete etudes or other pieces.
 
A: I think it’s a real talent how to do things simple but beautiful at the same time.  I think he was a real master of that.
 
V: You know one day I was practicing my pieces from the collection of Juozas Naujalis, he wrote trios and preludes and Priere and fughette.  I’m playing Priere now and G Major Prelude, this will be part of my recital at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris next summer, so I was amazed started to say those trios, I never actually explored these pieces, they have three voices just like Lemmens trios have but they also are very, very beautiful, chromatic, maybe a little bit too much for beginners to start with because of intricate lines and length a little bit, longer than 8 measures to start with, but still once you get this kind of skill to play three lines maybe after two, three months you can actually easily tackle these tasks so Lemmens is like that too.  Alright, and Paul asks how would we rate, what is the degree of difficulty of the Fanfare, beginner, basic level, intermediate level, advanced level, what’s your rating Ausra?
 
A: Maybe basic.
 
V: You read my mind.
 
A: Ha!  That’s because I’m living with you for so many years and we have the same education.
 
V: Maybe that’s because I am living with you for that many years.
 
A: Of course.
 
V: For how many years?
 
A: Well, I believe for almost 22.
 
V: 22. For how many years are you playing the organ?
 
A: 24 probably.
 
V: Really?  And we are living for 22 years.
 
A: Almost 22.
V: Umm.  So that’s a long time, two decades.
 
A: Time to split up, don’t you think so?
 
V: I think every marriage has some weak points every seven years so we had ours after 7, 14, and 21 years, now it’s a golden age.  (Laughs.)
 
A: I don’t remember all those times, so…
 
V: So everything is fine now.
 
A: Yes, as always.
 
V: Seven more years, or six.  OK guys, that’s about Lemmens.  It’s interesting what other pieces would you recommend to play to Paul if he can play basic level Fanfare by Lemmens.
 
A: I don’t know what his wishes are and what he is inclined to play.
 
V: On the pedal harpsichord at home.
 
A: Well if he is good at playing Dorian Toccata which I think is quite advanced piece…
 
V: He is good.  It is more advanced than Fanfare by Lemmens.
 
A: Definitely by no means, it’s more advanced piece, so he could do any other piece by Bach.
 
V: Maybe Dorian Fugue.
 
A: Yes that would be a good step.  It’s always harder to play fugues than toccatas.
 
V: It’s so canonic and polyphonic, it takes a lot of time and I think Jeremy from our team of transcribers and also who is on the Total Organist, he plays Dorian Toccata right now and Fugue and he always at the end of the day describes his progress with his organ playing activities and other activities that he does on BaseCamp and it’s very interesting to observe how he progresses because at first he couldn’t play the toccata, now he can even play the fugue a little bit slower than normal but he advances and each day his skill increases.  That’s the beauty of communication on BaseCamp.
 
A: That’s wonderful.  I just thought about C Major Toccata by J. S. Bach.  I think it might be fine for Paul to play on his pedal harpsichord because it has that long and nice pedal solo.
 
V: Oh yeah.  You mean the Toccata, Adagio, and Fugue.
 
A: That’s right so I’m meaning toccata right now but of course if it’s a little bit too hard he could work on Adagio, it’s a beautiful piece.
 
V: F Major Toccata probably a bit too difficult?
 
A: Mmm.  Yes, probably too.
 
V: But if he can play Dorian Toccata I don’t see particular difficulty of mastering F Major too, in time, not right now, but maybe in a few months.
 
A: Yes, but if he would start to work on F Major Toccata then I would say he has to start playing cadences first in that particular case because they are quite tricky.
 
V: And also trio sections.
 
A: That’s right.
 
V: Wonderful.  So if Paul is listening please write to us what other pieces would you like to learn or not only pieces but maybe categories of music maybe, styles of music, romantic, baroque, maybe schools of musical compositions, which country you are interested in, maybe which composer, and we can provide some feedback from our own experience of course.  OK, 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.