secrets of organ playing - when you practice, miracles happen
  • HOME
  • BLOG
  • STORE
  • TOTAL ORGANIST
  • TOOLS
  • YOUTUBE
  • COMPOSITIONS
  • COACHING
  • ABOUT
  • RECITALS
  • PHOTOS
  • CONTACT
  • LOGIN
  • LT
  • AUSRA'S YOUTUBE

SOPP426: Some practical strategies to improve phrasing

4/20/2019

Comments

 
Vidas: Hi, guys, this is Vidas.

Ausra: And Ausra.
 
V: Let’s start episode 426, of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by John, and he writes:
 
I have struggled to get much quality organ practice in the last 2 weeks, but family has to come first. Prior to that I have been diligently practicing the first 10 Hanon exercises with a metronome, starting at 60 bpm and working my way up to 80. I started noticing a few small issues where I was drifting off beat. I have also tried practicing pieces to a metronome as I am subconsciously changing the tempo without realizing.

I have learnt the first 2 pages of Wachet Auf from Schubler chorales, and playing it ok, it took quite a while to get the chorale tune, it certainly tests my coordination and independence of RH, LH and pedals. Page 3 with the modulation to minor mode is taking even more work, but slow practice is working.

I am playing for our church service on Sunday, I am really excited as I haven't played at church for since January due to Isaac arriving. One of the hymns is a new one, and when I practiced it, I had a special moment of realizing how much my skills have improved. After 3 days of very slow practice, I was able to play all four parts together with hardly a mistake! I reckon even 2 years ago it would have taken 7-10 days to achieve this. In fact 2 years ago I remember emailing you saying I was struggling with playing all four parts of hymns when I had only 1 weeks notice. I think I have finally reached a point where I am committed to trusting the learning process, whereas sometimes I would skip some combinations, or try and play at performance tempo.  Now I really focus on slowing the tempo right down, and sometimes practice each fragment 10 times instead of 3 times.

I wanted to thank you and Ausra for being the reason for my first DVD sale in the USA from one of your subscribers Paul Anderson!

I had a go at organizing the payment and shipping through PayPal, and so far so good.


Also could you and Ausra give your advice on a podcast on some practical strategies to improve my phrasing, this could apply to hymns but particularly Bach pieces and music in general. How do you incorporate pauses/breaths while still keeping a steady tempo.

It is getting close to 1 year since my Vilnius trip, the memories are still fresh, and I would love to come and visit you guys again one day! I hope the weather will soon warm up and bring you more energy!

Take care,
God bless,
John...


V: So, Ausra, it’s very nice to receive a letter like that from John from Australia, who exactly one year ago played a concert in our church.
 
A: Yes, I think I saw it on Facebook today that it’s exactly one year...
 
V: Mmm-hmm.
 
A: since he performed at St. Johns, in Vilnius.
 
V: By the time our listeners will hear this conversation it might be more than one year. But still, the memories are fresh, and we were really amazed at the, John’s improvement over seven years of training. And, now, he writes that he was able to master a hymn in four parts with hardly a mistake, after three days. And this is achievement in itself, because two years ago, he remembers that he had to do this in maybe, seven to ten days.
 
A: Anyway, hard work always gives its results, at the end.
 
V: Mmm-hmm. I, you know, it’s so nice that he made his first sale of his DVD to one of our subscribers—Paul Anderson. And I guess it’s not easy to sell something online, right! And I’m very happy that from our discussion when we mentioned John’s DVD, people picked up. If anyone wants to get a copy, the best way would be to contact John by email: [email protected].
 
A: True. And I think it might be interesting for somebody to see what the organs look [like] in Australia. Because for many of us, it’s still such an exotic and far away country.
 
V: Right. So, John is wondering about advice on improving phrasing, maybe incorporating pauses and breaths. In Bach’s pieces, not only in Bach’s but also in other stylistic influences. Do you think that phrasing is important, Ausra, first of all?
 
A: Yes, of course! It’s very important.
 
V: What would happen if we didn’t include phrasing in our playing?
 
A: Well, all the pieces of music would sound very dry and mechanical, and lifeless.
 
V: Have you ever listened to that 18th Century mechanical organ? Remember, I think in Nebraska, somebody gave us a recording of Handel’s Concerto, as recorded on that particular mechanical organ.
 
A: I don’t recall it right now, but you do.
 
V: Yes, I do.
 
A: Evidently you do, so maybe you could explain what you mean.
 
V: And it was very virtuosic. Absolutely stunning passages, and ornaments. But I found it quite unmusical, actually. Because to program a piece on a mechanical device like that, in 18th Century, would have been really difficult. Now you can play back, play something on a media equipped organ or keyboard, and it would playback exactly as you were performing.
 
A: You know, in some sense, it seems that it’s harder to learn all the technical stuff, to develop your technique, in order to be able to play in the right tempo and without mistakes, with the right articulation. But, on the other hand, I think phrasing and playing musically things, is probably the hardest thing to do, especially if you don’t have it from your birth. And by telling this I can tell one example. I had recently, have had a student, with whom we were working on several pieces, and basically I was arranging each measure for her—what to do and how to play it and where to slow down and which chord to listen to more carefully than another one, and explain that all. Basically, I arranged it sort of like a, I don’t know…
 
V: Show?
 
A: Like a, well, not exactly like a show, like a theater…
 
V: Mmm-mmm.
 
A: production.
 
V: Right.
 
A: And still at the end, it all sounded just like chopping the wood sticks with an ax. She couldn’t pick it up.
 
V: Hmm-hmm. She needs musical intuition. But that comes I think, with experience also.
 
A: So, what would help in case like this? I think you need to listen to a lot of music in general.
 
V: Mmm-hmm.
 
A: All kind of music. Not only organ music, but organ too—by various performers.
 
V: Mmm-hmm.
 
A: And you will find out that after comparing, let’s say, some of different people playing, let’s say the same piece, you would feel that you like one recording more than another.
 
V: Exactly.
 
A: And you will develop a musical taste and musical intuition. And later on it will be easier for you to adapt it in your pieces that you are playing.
 
V: I would say the more you notice something happening in the music, the more you can show it to your listeners. And that includes phrasing, breaths and pauses, all those things, in certain places. Not in all episodes, but where something important is happening in music. So you have to dig deeper into the composition itself, analyze it, and notice it.
 
A: Yes. I think that this musical logical background is also very important—in knowing structure, in knowing style.
 
V: One last think I want to say, is, that I remember when I was a student, my professors would tell me sometimes that I’m playing statically. Especially if it’s a slow tempo piece, that, the music doesn’t flow. Did you ever have this experience?
 
A: Yes. I have had it.
 
V: Mmm-mmm. Earlier.
 
A: Yes, it was a way back.
 
V: Mmm-hmm.
 
A: Now, it’s hard for me even to remember it, already.
 
V: And exactly. And I was thinking about your performances, my own performances, but probably I’m a little bit, less objective about myself. But you could tell me about me. I never once noticed static performance from you. What about you?
 
A: I also haven’t noticed a static performance of you. I think you have just changed a lot...
 
V: Uh-huh.
 
A: over past what, 25 years.
 
V: We never think about it—playing statically or not statically, right? We make music.
 
A: Yes. It comes naturally.
 
V: We make music. It’s like telling musical story. If you don’t know where the story ends, then you might tell your story statically, right?
 
A: True. I think it’s very important to sing your pieces.
 
V: Mmm-hmm.
 
A: Because very often we might play unmusically, and dull, and statically, but people rarely sing unmusically—unless we don’t have musical pitch.
 
V: Mmm-hmm.
 
A: Sort of it’s hard to put an accent, let’s say, at the end of the face if you’re singing it. It comes naturally because it’s all related with the breathing, and somehow, I think, it’s in everybody’s insight.
 
V: Mmm-hmm.
 
A: This gives you that right feeling of right phrasing. So just sing what you are playing.
 
V: Good advice. Thank you guys. This was Vidas.
 
A: And Ausra.
 
V: We hope this was useful to you. Please send us more of your questions. We love helping you grow. And remember; when you practice...
 
A: Miracles happen!
Comments

#AskVidasAndAusra 59: Articulation and phrasing in the pedal part

8/31/2017

Comments

 
Vidas: And we’re starting Episode 59 of #AskVidasAndAusra podcast. Today’s question was sent by Minori, and he has a challenge with articulation and phrasing in the pedal part. He writes, “while playing the organ, I just can manage to coordinate my hands and feet but it is not easy for me to care about articulation and phrasing in the pedal part.”

That’s a very common problem with beginners, right?

Ausra: Yes, definitely.

Vidas: Not beginners in general playing the instrument, but beginners at the organ. Because organ articulation is very different from other types of instruments, I would say; that when people first try to articulate on the piano, they manage to play everything legato, I would say, rather easy. But then, when they transfer to the organ, somehow they forget that you can do all kinds of articulation with the organ.

Ausra: Yes.

Vidas: What’s your experience with this, Ausra?

Ausra: Yes, the same, actually. Organ is quite a tricky instrument to play well, to articulate well. Because the principles of its mechanics are so different from the piano, because it’s a wind instrument, you must not forget it. And also you have such a different way articulating notes when you are playing early music and when you are playing later music. And also when you play piano, you just have to think about how you press the key down, but not so much how you release it; but in organ, playing organ and articulating organ, it’s very important, both the beginning of the sound, and the end of it. So you have to be very careful about it.

Vidas: Good idea, Ausra. Beginners tend to forget the ending of the chord a lot, and sometimes even the beginning. They tend to depress three or four notes not necessarily together, at the same time. Precisely. But I would say there’s another issue with Minori here, I can read between the lines, because he is having difficulty with coordinating hands and feet, and then articulation and phrasing becomes a challenge, right? It’s sort of like he first thinks about the notes, and about articulation afterwards only.

Ausra: Well, when you are learning a new piece, you have to start with the right articulation right away. Maybe the process will be a little bit slower at the beginning, but it will give you a much better result at the end. So just work slowly, think about articulation right away, work in combinations. Play just a single pedal line first; then do right hand and pedals, then left hand and pedals; and only when you are comfortable by playing all these combinations, only then put everything together.

Vidas: Hey Ausra, what was your first piece that you played on the organ?

Ausra: Well, that was G minor Prelude and Fugue from the Eight Little Preludes and Fugues.

Vidas: So you had like, twelve years of experience of playing piano, before that? And now, you’re starting to play the organ, right, and your teacher assigned you this g minor Prelude and Fugue from the Eight Little-cycle...And did you try to coordinate your hands and feet, or you thought about articulations right away?

Ausra: Well, I had so many challenges at that time: everything was so new, with all the articulation business, and pedaling business, but I don’t think I learned in a good manner right away. Nobody talked with me what I had to do first and what I had to do later. So I just tried to play all together and do everything at the same time--and it wasn’t easy, and I think I wasn’t successful. The biggest challenge for me in this piece was to go in the pedal from a low G to C, to connect those two beginning notes of the prelude. It seemed like an impossible thing!

Vidas: And for me, my first piece--it was a little bit earlier than yours--I started playing a couple of years earlier in my school in Klaipėda, and it was “Jesu, meine Freude” by Bach from the Orgelbüchlein. And my teacher, gave me to choose any chorale prelude from this collection that I wanted. I wasn’t a very good sightreader, and I didn’t have recordings then, there was no YouTube to listen to. So I just flipped the pages through and maybe chose the most understandable one that I could comprehend at the time. And as yourself, I tried to play everything at once, and everything legato! So when September came, I think I had a couple of weeks of practice at home; and then in my first lesson, I came to my teacher, and she was so angry with me! She said it’s better not to practice this prelude at all, than to practice it incorrectly, with legato touch. Now I had to redo it, and relearn it the right way.

Ausra: Well, how could you know about articulations at that time?

Vidas: Yeah, she wasn’t very specific about how to make spaces between each and every note (and I wasn't as motivated to learn and think back then as later). Plus, of course, as yourself, I also didn’t know that the best way to manage four-part texture is actually to practice each line separately, and then two-part combinations only after I can do each line separately, you know, without mistakes.

Ausra: Yes, that’s the best way to do it.

Vidas: And three-part combinations comes only after two-part combinations. And so on. So, Ausra, do you think that Minori should despair, or is it an easy problem for him to overcome?

Ausra: I think he will overcome it in time. It might be hard at the beginning, but I think he will make progress in time. Just don’t give up.

Vidas: When you learn new music today, Ausra--Baroque music, let’s say, which has all kinds of articulation, and even Romantic music, which also has legato nuances and you have to coordinate legatos in various voices which are not necessarily together at the same time--remember in modern music, in legato, we have to shorten certain notes exactly, and make them exactly half as short.

Ausra: Yes, repeated notes. That’s the most challenging thing.

Vidas: Or staccato.

Ausra: Yes, in Romantic music, when you have a few voices, and let’s say two voices in one hand or even three voices in one hand, but you have to play like two voices legato and one voice has repeated notes that you have to shorten by half, so that’s a challenge.

Vidas: So today, when you practice new music or when you sight-read new music--is it difficult for you to articulate?

Ausra: Well, not anymore, but now I know what to do.

Vidas: When did you first discover that it’s not a challenge anymore--that you have different challenges now?

Ausra: Well, it was maybe thirteen years ago.

Vidas: Also in America?

Ausra: Yeah.

Vidas: So how many years by that time you were playing? In Lithuania, you played maybe six years?

Ausra: Yeah.

Vidas: In Michigan, you played two years with Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra?

Ausra: Two, yes.

Vidas: But then, in Lithuania we had one more year.

Ausra: So, about ten years.

Vidas: About ten years, guys. After ten years it becomes easy.

Ausra: Yeah.

Vidas: So, Minori and others who are listening to this, please be patient. Please be patient at least for ten years.

Ausra: Yes!

Vidas: If you can do this, then everything becomes easier after that.

Ausra: Well, but of course, you have to practice hard during those ten years.

Vidas: Exactly. And enjoy the process, because each day you will notice some improvement. And that is the most important thing: to be better today than yesterday. Not to compare yourself with the masters; but compare yourself to yourself, of yesterday. Okay guys, this was Vidas.

Ausra: And Ausra.

Vidas: Please send us more of your questions; we love helping you grow. And you can do this by subscribing to our blog at www.organduo.lt and replying to any of our messages.

​And remember, when you practice…


Ausra: Miracles happen.
Comments

Asymmetrical phrases

9/1/2014

Comments

 
Picture
Ronald Sumner: I know you said avoid seated at the organ photos but what else can you do with a digital organ? This is a Majestic 3-39 organ built by Makin's of Oldham, UK and this is me playing at the end of Sunday morning's service at Bamber, Bridge Methodist Church near Preston in Lancashire, UK.
Much of French 19th century and early 20th century organ music was written using symmetrical 4 or 8 measure units taken from the classical school. Here I mean that very often you can count on finding a cadence at the end of 4 or 8 measures of music.

Middle sections of the pieces, such as Development, might be an exception to that because obviously composers wanted to avoid too much predictability. This is evident in much of the music by Vierne, Dupre, Franck and others.

But what if a composer wanted to create something really unpredictable, something which the listener and the performer would find interesting, flexible, and alive? What would happen if instead of 4 or 8 measure units, you could have 3, 5, 6, 7 or even 9? Moreover, one sentence in a period might have 5 measures and another - 4 etc. 

Today's sight-reading piece is
Andantino (p. 1-2) by Louis Marie François Andlauer (1876-1915), little known French organist and composer who worked at Notre-Dames-des-Champs and Eglise Saint-Eloi in Paris. This composition is taken from Two Short Pieces for Organ or Harmonium (1912). If you look closely to the score, you will notice asymmetrical phrases right away.

You can play this piece with or without the pedals. As you sight-read it, pay attention to the stops or cadences at the end of asymmetrical units. Here's how the piece is divided in measures: 6-6-7-5-2-2-2-5-7-6-6-2.

In order to achieve a fluent legato touch, you will need to use finger substitution and glissando techniques. The composer suggests soft registration so choose perhaps 8' flutes with or without 4' reinforcement.
Comments

About phrasing in organ playing

7/3/2014

Comments

 
Phrasing and breathing in organ playing have much in common. Without applying breathing you can't really understand the concept of phrasing. Basically when we talk about phrasing, we refer to the places we can take a breath. In order to help you understand this concept, I made a video which you might find useful to watch.
Comments

How to Strengthen the Quality of Your Organ Playing? - 8 Tips

6/18/2012

Comments

 
Do you know what is the difference between a good performance and an exceptionally outstanding performance? Furthermore, do you know how to achieve the level of an exceptionally outstanding performance? In this article, I will give you 8 tips on how to strengthen the quality of your organ playing so you can advance to the next level.

1) Fingering. When you open your new organ score and want to start practicing a new composition, don't play it right away from the beginning until the end. I mean, you could play it through once just to get familiar with it but then the real practice begins.

Write in your fingering in every difficult spot of the piece. How to find out if the passage is difficult and needs fingering? You could play it once and see if you made a mistake. If you did, stop playing, go back, figure out and write in the most efficient fingering for it.

2) Pedaling. I suggest you write in pedaling on every note in the pedal line. This is very important because unlike manual playing, pedal playing usually is a completely new skill that organists must learn.

3) Notes. When you have fingering and pedaling in place, you can now start practicing it. Observe that every single note is correct. Sometimes you can hit the wrong note accidentally but in most cases, it is better to go back and play this spot with correct notes at least 3 times in a row.

4) Rhythms. In every measure, make sure that your rhythmical values are also correct. This is usually not so difficult in places with straightforward rhythms. But when you see any complications, such as syncopations, dotted notes, duplets, triplets, irregular rhythms, meter changes and so on, you have to be very careful about playing with correct rhythms. It is best that you subdivide the beats of each measure and count out loud while playing.

5) Articulation. Do not play every note legato. For people who come to the organ from piano playing, this is especially difficult to understand at first. You see, you have to look at the historical period that this piece was created in. If you are playing a piece by a composer from Renaissance, Baroque or Classical period, play with gently detached articulation (articulate legato) unless it is indicated otherwise by the composer.

If the piece is from the Romantic or modern period, usually composers indicate articulation very precisely. So pay close attention to each slur, dot or dash under or above the notes and try to execute them in the exact way.

6) Phrasing. If you want your organ performance to become natural, try to incorporate phrasing in your playing. This helps to achieve a feeling that you breathe together with music. In fact, you should breathe slowly, deeply and consciously while playing. Look for cadences in your music which reveal perfect places for phrasing.

7) Tempo. While performing, choose a concert tempo very carefully. Evaluate the mechanics and the size of the organ. In addition, assess the room in which you play and the reverberation of the space. While practicing, usually take a much slower tempo which will allow you to avoid mistakes in your playing.

8) Practice. When you practice your piece, be very systematic about how you learn new music. It is best to practice in short fragments of about 4 measures each and later combine them together. Also for polyphonic music try to master each voice separately, then combinations of 2 voices, 3 voices and only then - the entire 4 part texture.

Strengthen the quality of your organ playing by concentrating on the above details and making the details concentrated. This approach will help you to achieve the level of exceptionally outstanding performance.

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.
Comments

How to Choose the Best Phrasing in Organ Playing?

2/18/2012

Comments

 
Just like the correct articulation helps to achieve clarity and precision in the performance, the right phrasing can help emphasize structurally important points in the piece. It is precisely phrasing which can give much desired natural flow and life to the organ composition. Moreover, phrasing will help the listener to understand the form of the piece. In this article, I will give you the advice on how to choose the best phrasing in organ playing.

Phrasing involves certain rhythmic fluctuation which takes place at structurally important elements of the piece. This fluctuation helps to emphasize the places which make up the form of the composition. While the usual playing and articulation help to achieve the hierarchy of the strong and weak beats in the measure, the phrasing is used to make subtle rhythmic inequalities. In other words, with the help of the phrasing the organist is able to achieve gentle riterdandos and accelerandos which are governed by certain compositional elements. Sometimes phrasing has much to do with articulation and taking a breath in a musical line.

Cadences

Cadence is a certain harmonic or melodic curve which helps to complete the musical idea. Whenever you see a cadence, you can gently slow down to make it more prominent. Gradually resume the normal speed afterwards.

Rests

Rests are important for the phrasing as well. Quite often the composer will put a rest in a place where one particular voice or part has to take a breath. This is the sign for the subtle phrasing technique.

Caesuras

Very often caesuras are placed at the end of the phrase in order to show the necessity of taking a breath. Although the organ can play without breathing, if you emphasize those musically important places and articulate them, your musical lines will become much clearer.

Long Notes

After the long note there is a tendency to take a breath in a vocal composition. The same applies in organ music as well. Make a short rest after long notes to show the contour of the melody.

Repetition of Rhythmical Figures

If you see some repeated rhythmical figures in your organ piece, feel free to make more pronounced articulation at the end of each figure. This will be a natural way to make phrasing.

Beginnings and Endings of Melodic Line


Very often it is appropriate to make gentle rhythmical inequalities at the beginning and the end of the melodic line. Start slowly, speed up a little and finish slower. This is especially useful in Romantic organ music. It is helpful to imagine analogy with driving a car here. Similarly to the shape and performance of the melodic line, the car will start to move slowly, speed up and slow down at the stop.

If you apply subtle rhythmical phrasing and make articulation at structurally important points of the piece, your performance will become very natural. However, do not over do it, especially in the Baroque music. Although the Romantic compositions often require these rhythmical alterations, the early music must be played much more rhythmically and should emphasize meter, pulse, and alternation of strong and weak beats.


If you want more information on phrasing and other aspects of performance practice, I recommend Making Music on the Organ by Peter Hurford.

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.
Comments

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

    Thank you!

    You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

    .
    Picture
    PicturePhoto by Edgaras Kurauskas
    Authors
    Drs. Vidas Pinkevicius and Ausra Motuzaite-Pinkeviciene
    Organists of Vilnius University , creators of Secrets of Organ Playing.

    DONATE BY PAYPAL
    Picture
    Our Hauptwerk Setup:
    Don't have an organ at home? No problem - print out our paper organ manuals and pedals and start practicing today!

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    100 Things
    18th Century Organ Music
    19th Century French Organ Music
    19th Century German Organ Music
    2016 Secrets Of Organ Playing Calendar
    20th Century English Organ Music
    20th Century French Organ Music
    20th Century Music
    Ach-gott
    Ach-gott-vom-himmel-sieh-darein
    Achieving-success
    Acoustics
    A Cuckoo
    Ad-wammes
    A Fear
    Affiliate-program
    Airi And Tuomas Saloniemi
    Aiusra Playing
    Alain Trouche
    Alexandre Guilmant Op. 1
    Alla Breve
    Alternate Toe Technique
    Alto Part
    Amateur Vs Pro
    A-mighty-fortress-is-our-god
    Andante From Sonata No. 1
    Andreas-spahn
    Angela-kraft-cross
    Anniversaries-of-organ-composers-2016
    Anthem Playing
    An Wasserflussen Babylon
    App
    Arjan-breukhoven
    Arnoldas-leleika
    Arpeggio
    Arrangement
    Articulate Legato
    Articulation
    Ask-vidas-and-ausra
    Ask-vidas-and-ausra
    As-thou-wilt
    Atonal-music
    Attracting-new-audience
    Auguste-descarres
    Auke-jongbloed
    Aus-meines-herzens-gunde
    Ausra-motuzaite-pinkeviciene
    Ausra-motuzaitepinkeviciene
    Ausras-playing
    Ave-verum
    Bach-a-young-rascal
    Bach-organ-music
    Bachs-birthday
    Bachs-chorale-harmonisation
    Bachs-circle
    Bachs-improvisation
    Bachs-manuscripts
    Bachs-music
    Bachs-organ-world
    Bachs-organ-world
    Bad-habits
    Bamboo-organ
    Baroque Organ Music
    Basecamp
    Basso-continuo
    Becoming-an-organist
    Becoming-cathedral-organist
    Beethoven
    Being-original
    Beth-zucchino
    Bitcoin
    Blind-organist
    Blockchain
    Blogging
    Boellmann
    Bonus-material
    Book-reviews
    Buxheimer-orgelbuch
    Buxtehude
    Bwv-1080
    Bwv-147
    Bwv-531
    Bwv-532
    Bwv-533
    Bwv-534
    Bwv-536
    Bwv-537
    Bwv-538
    Bwv-539
    Bwv-540
    Bwv-541
    Bwv-542
    Bwv-543
    Bwv-544
    Bwv-545
    Bwv-546
    Bwv-547
    Bwv-549
    Bwv-552
    Bwv-553-training
    Bwv-5621
    Bwv-564
    Bwv-5641
    Bwv-5652
    Bwv-566
    Bwv-570
    Bwv-572
    Bwv-577
    Bwv-578
    Bwv-582
    Bwv-590
    Bwv-630
    Bwv-639
    Bwv 659 Home Study Course
    Bwv-731
    Bwv 731 Home Study Course
    Bwv 731 Mini Course
    Bwv-767
    Bwv-957
    Cadences
    Canon-for-organ
    Cantata
    Carillon
    Carl-dodrill
    Carlotta-ferrari
    Carrilon
    Carson-cooman
    Cello-and-piano
    Cesar-franck
    Challenges
    Charles-spanner
    Charles-tournemire
    Children
    Choir Conducting
    Choir-organ
    Choral Accompaniments
    Choral-analysis
    Chorale-fantasias
    Chorale-prelude
    Choral-harmonisation
    Chord-analysis
    Chord-progressions
    Chords
    Christe
    Christmas-carols
    Christmas-for-organist
    Christmas-music
    Christophe-mantoux
    Christopher-henley
    Christus
    Chromaticisms
    Church Organist
    Church-organ-music
    Church-organ-playing
    Ciurlionis
    Classical Organ Music
    C-major-scale
    Coaching
    Colin-andrews
    Competition
    Complicated Rhythms
    Composing-organ-music
    Composition
    Compositions Of Ausra Motuzaite Pinkeviciene
    Compositions Of Ausra Motuzaitepinkeviciene
    Composition Tutorials
    Concentration
    Concert-organist
    Concert-trip
    Congregation
    Contemporary Organ Music
    Continuo Playing
    Coounterpoint
    Coronavirus
    Correcting-mistakes
    Cosmology
    Counterpoint
    Counterpoint Exercises
    Counting
    Creating-a-storm
    Creating-melody
    Creativity
    Crescendo Pedal
    Crista-miller
    Curiosity
    Custom-tutorials
    Daniel-moult
    Daniel-segner
    Daniel-vanden-broecke
    Danzig-organ-culture
    David-danielson-eaton
    David-knight
    Dedicace
    Der-ist-mein-leben
    Diego-innocenzi
    Different-editions
    Dina-ichina-denis-machankov
    Distrokid
    D-major-scale-in-the-pedals
    Domenico-severin
    Don-cook
    Dorian-toccata
    Double-harmonic-scale
    Downloading-scores
    Dylan-mccaig
    Early-fingering
    Early Hymn Playing
    Early-keyboard-technique
    Early-organ-music
    Early Pedal Technique
    Ear Training
    Ear Training Exercises
    E-book
    Ebook
    Edward-landin
    Electronic Organs
    Electropneumatic-organ
    Elevazione
    Eliminating Mistakes
    Email-delivery
    Emanate
    Emotion In Performance
    Emotions
    English-organ-music
    Enrico-presti
    Entrepreneurship
    Epiphany
    Erik-satie
    Es-ist-das-heil-uns-kommen-her
    Estampie
    Exams
    Exceptions Of Legato Articulation
    Exercises
    Fantasia-and-fugue-in-a-minor
    Fast Tempo
    Feelings
    Felipe-dominguez
    Fighting-woodworm
    Finding A Mentor
    Finding-help
    Finding Organ Teacher
    Finding-repertoire
    Finding-time
    Finger Crossing
    Finger Glissando
    Fingering
    Finger Substitution
    Following-the-rules
    Forkel-about-bach
    Francine-and-matthieu-latreille
    Francine-nguyensavaria
    Francoise-couperin
    Frank-mento
    Franz-buhler
    Franz-seydelmann
    Frederic-chopin
    Frederik-magle
    Freelancing
    French-classical-organ-music
    French-ornaments
    French Tradition Of Organ Improvisation
    Fugheta-bwv-696
    Fughetta
    Fugue
    Fugue-in-d-minor
    Fugue-on-bach
    Funeral-music
    Future-of-organ-art
    Gavin-black
    Gena-bedrosian
    Gene-bedient
    Genevan-psalter
    Georg-bohm
    George-ritchie
    Gerd-hennecke-markus-kumpf
    German-anthem
    German-baroque-organ-music
    Gershwin
    Getting-the-audience
    Gigout-toccata
    Giving-away-ideas
    Glenn-tompkins
    Goal Setting
    Goran-grahn
    Gotteslob-257
    Graham-twist
    Grand-plein-jeu
    Gregorian Chant
    Guy-bovet
    Hand And Feet Coordination
    Hand-bell-choir
    Handel
    Hand Independence
    Handling-gossips
    Hans-davidsson
    Hansola-ericsson
    Harmona 85
    Harmonium
    Harmonium-music
    Harmonization
    Harmonization Exercises
    Harmonizing-melody
    Harmony
    Harmony Exercise
    Harmony-for-organists
    Harpsichord
    Harpsichord-playing-for-organists
    Harsh-sounding-music
    Hauptwerk
    Having-fun
    Hayo-boerema
    Healthy-practicing
    Heather-hernandez
    Historical-organs
    Hopes-and-fairs-of-2015
    How To Play The Organ
    Hugo-bakker
    Hugo-distler
    Hymn Analysis
    Hymn Harmonisation
    Hymn Improvisation
    Hymn Modulation
    Hymn Playing
    Hymn Playing Exercises
    Hymn-singing
    Ich-dank-dir
    Identifying-the-problem
    Imagination
    Immediate-results
    Improvisation
    Improvisation-contest
    Improvisation Exercises
    Improvisation-in-bach-style
    Improvisation Tutorials
    In-memoriam-jacques-van-ootmerssen
    Inside-of-the-organ
    Inspiration
    Instructional Videos
    Intabulations
    Interesting Organ Music Links
    International Organist Career
    Intervals
    Invention
    Invertible-counterpoint
    I-place-my-trust-in-god
    Italian-organ-music
    Italian-romantic-organ-music
    Italian-style
    Italy
    Jacquesnicolas-lemmens
    Ja-krygell-fugue-in-g-minor
    James-d-hicks
    James-flores
    James-kibbie
    James-michael-stevens
    James-spanner
    Janis-kalnins
    Jan-karman
    Jan-zwart
    Jay-farnes
    Jeanne-demessieux
    Jeannine-jordan
    Jeanpaul-imbert
    Jeff-perks
    Jehan-alain
    Jeremy-david-tarrant
    Jeremy-owens
    Jesse-eschbach
    Jesus-sinners-doth-receive
    Johann-adam-krygell
    Johann-adam-reincken
    Johann-christoph-bach
    Johannes-brahms
    Johann-ludwig-krebs
    Johann-nicolaus-hanff
    Johann-pachelbel
    John-boody
    John-higgins
    John-stanley
    Jonathan-embry
    Joris-verdin
    Jose-lidon
    Joseph-bonnet
    Joseph-rheinberger
    Jp-sweelinck
    Js-bach
    Js-bach
    Js-bach-bwv-525
    Js-bach-bwv-565
    Jsbach Music4f07d8816e
    Jsbach Musicb4ce245bde
    Jsbach Organ Music2fb25be29c
    Jsbach Organ Music91e7fe89b0
    Jsbach Organ Musicaf35993ca2
    Juozas-naujalis
    Kae-hannah-matsuda
    Kalle-toivio
    Katelyn-emerson
    Kathleen-scheide
    Kauffmann
    Keyboard Practice
    Kimberly-marshall
    Kinetic-theatre
    Krzyzstof-urbaniak
    Latvia
    Latvian-organ-culture
    Learning New Music
    Learn With Vidas
    Left Hand Technique
    Legato Playing
    Liebe-herre
    Liebster-jesu
    Liepaja
    Listeners
    Lists Of Organ Compositions
    Lithuanian Music
    Lithuanian Organ Music
    Lithuanian Organs
    Liturgical-musician
    Live-coaching
    Live Performance Vs Recording
    Livestream
    Loosing-job
    Lord-of-all-power-and-might
    Louisnicolas-clerambault
    Louis-vierne
    Luca-massaglia
    Luigi-pozzi
    Lydia-vroegindeveijn-erin-scheessele
    Lynne-davis
    Making-choices
    Making-goals
    Making-mistakes
    Making-music-together
    Making Organ Recordings
    Making-progress
    Manual Changes
    Manual-playing
    Manual Scales
    Manual-scales
    Manuscripts
    Marcel-dupre
    Marches-for-organ
    Marches-for-wedding
    Marco-lo-muscio
    Marie-rubis-bauer
    Marketing For Organists
    Mark-konewko
    Martin-jean
    Martin-pasi
    Martin-sander
    Mary Murrell And Quentin Faulkners
    Mary-murrell-and-quentin-faulkners
    Mastery
    Matthew-buller
    Matthew-cates
    Matthias-schneider
    Maurice-durufle
    Maurizio-croci
    Max-reger
    Mechanical Action Organs
    Mechanical-action-organs
    Melodica
    Melodic Dictation
    Melodic Dictation Exercises
    Memorisation
    Memorization
    Mendelssohn Organ Music
    Mental Attitude In Organ Playing
    Messiaen
    Meter
    Michael-bauer
    Michael-calabris
    Michael-dierks
    Michael-hammer
    Michael-johnston-and-john-apple
    Michael-wise
    Missing-links
    Mixing-colors
    Modality
    Moderato
    Modern-art
    Modern-music
    Modern Organ Music
    Modern-variation
    Modes
    Modulation
    Motivation
    Movie-music-for-organ
    Mozart
    Mozart-bach
    Musical Analysis
    Musical-clefs
    Music-blogging
    Music-for-easter
    Music-for-lent
    Music-forms
    Music-for-pentecost
    Music-for-pope-francis
    Music For Ukraine
    Music Of Johann Ludwig Krebs
    Musicoin
    Music Theory Exercises
    Music Theory For Organists
    Music-therapy
    Musing-with-children
    My Compositions
    My-jesus
    My-music
    Nativity-story
    Nicholas-papadimitriou
    Nico-declerck
    Nicole-keller
    Nigel-williams
    Nordic-organ-music
    North German Baroque Organ Music
    Norwegian-organ-music
    Numbers
    Older-age
    Oliver-schulte
    Olivier-latry
    One Manual Organ
    On The Bench With Vidas
    Op-7
    Open-score
    Ordinary Touch
    Organ-accompaniment
    Organ And Choir Music
    Organ-and-recorder
    Organ-and-saxophone
    Organ And Voice
    Organ Arrangements
    Organ-as-an-instrument
    Organ-assistant
    Organ-bench
    Organ Building
    Organ-competition
    Organ Composition
    Organ-composition
    Organ-concert
    Organ Demonstration
    Organ Duet Recitals
    Organ Duets
    Organ Exercises
    Organ-exercises
    Organ Improvisation
    Organist Auditions
    Organist Career
    Organist Mistakes
    Organist Shoes
    Organist Success
    Organize Organ Festival
    Organ Maintenance
    Organ-mechanics
    Organ Method Books
    Organ-mirror
    Organ Music
    Organ-music-of-reformation-time
    Organ-pedagogy
    Organ Pedal Technique
    Organ-performance
    Organ Playing
    Organ-playing-level
    Organ Playing Mistakes
    Organ Playing Styles
    Organ Playing Tips
    Organ Playing Tutorial
    Organ Practice
    Organ-prelude
    Organ Recital Playing
    Organ Recitals
    Organ Registration
    Organ-registration
    Organ Repertoire
    Organ Restoration
    Organ Shoes
    Organ-stops
    Organ-teacher
    Organ Technique
    Organ-technologies
    Organ-touch
    Organ-tour
    Organ-training-material
    Organ Transposition
    Organ-tuning
    Organ-videos-from-italy
    Organ Wind System
    Orgelbuchlein
    Ornamentation
    Overcoming Frustration
    Owning-your-music
    Pachelbel
    Page-turnining
    Pain Issues
    Pamela-ruiter-feenstra
    Pamela-ruiterfeenstra
    Paper-organ
    Parenting-and-organ-playing
    Parish
    Paslek
    Passacaglia
    Pastor-de-lasala
    Patreon
    Paul-ayres
    Paul-cienniwa
    Paulius-grigonis
    Pedal Exercises
    Pedaling
    Pedal Playing
    Pedal-point
    Pedal Preparation
    Pedal Scales
    Pedal Technique
    Pedal-trills
    Pedal-tutorial
    Pedal-virtuoso-master-course
    Perfect-pitch
    Performance Anxiety
    Performance-anxiety
    Performance-practice
    Performing-organ-music
    Perseverance
    Personal Development
    Peter-holder
    Peter-sykes
    Peter-van-tour
    Phil-lehenbauer
    Phillip-parkey
    Phrasing
    Piano Exercises
    Piano Practice
    Piano Technique On The Organ
    Piano Touch
    Pieter-dirksen
    Pieter-van-dijk
    Pinkevicius-op-37
    Pipe-organ
    Planning Organ Recitals
    Playing-accelerandos
    Playing Attitude
    Playing-concert
    Playing-from-memory
    Playing-in-ensemble
    Playing-organ-at-an-older-age
    Playing-recital
    Playing With Confidence
    Playing-with-orchestra
    Playing-with-solo-instrument
    Podcast
    Poland
    Polyphonic-music
    Portable-hauptwerk-setup
    Portative Organ
    Positive-feedback
    Postlude
    Practice-guide
    Practice Instruments
    Practice-time
    Practicing Habits
    Praetorius
    Pray-for-paris
    Prelude-and-fugue
    Prelude-improvisation
    Prepare-ye-the-way-of-the-lord
    Preparing-for-an-organ-event
    Preparing For Recitals
    Preparing-for-recitals
    Preparing-for-the-premiere
    Principal-chorus
    Products
    Programing Organ Recitals
    Psalms
    Publishing
    Publishing-organ-music
    Randall-krum
    Recital-opportunities
    Recit-de-chrohorne
    Recording-complete-works-by-bach
    Recording-organ-music-and-bach
    Recording-yourself
    Reed Organ
    Reincken
    Renaissance Organ Music
    Repeated-notes
    Repetitions
    Replacing-organist
    Resistance
    Resolutions
    Rhetoric-figures
    Robert-mccormick
    Robert-morehead
    Robin-gullbrandsson
    Roger-sherman
    Romantic French Organ Music
    Romantic German Organ Music
    Romantic Organ Music
    Sacred-music
    Saint-cecilia
    Saint-lucia
    Samuel-delaunay
    Samuel-giddy
    Sara-schott
    Scales And Arpeggios
    Scales-and-arpeggios
    Scheidemann
    Scheidt
    Schublers-chorales
    Science-and-art
    Scott-elsholz
    Secrets-of-organ-playing
    Secrets-of-organ-playing-calendar-2017
    Secrets-of-organ-playing-contest
    Selecting-repertoire
    Selecting-tempo
    Self-doubts
    Selfdoubts
    Selfimprovementd902628688
    Sharing-your-talents
    Shopify
    Short-octave
    Short Pedal Board
    Sietze-de-vries
    Sigh-motive
    Sight Reading
    Sightreading9d750d820d
    Sightreadinga5764d655d
    Silencing-the-crowd
    Sinfonia
    Singing-your-music
    Slawomir-zubrzycki
    Slow-and-easy
    Small Hands
    Software-program
    Sonata
    Sonata-form
    Sophieveronique-caucheferchoplin
    Sound Delay
    Soundrop
    Spanish-fingering
    Spinet Organs
    Split-keys
    Stanislaw-moniuszko
    Steemit
    Success
    Swedish-organ-culture
    Sweelinck Organ Music
    Swell-pedal
    Sydney Organ Journal
    Taking-a-break
    Talking-on-the-radio
    Taming-the-instrument
    Teaching
    Teaching-organ-playing
    Teisutis-makacinas
    Tempo
    Testimonials
    Tetrachord
    Thanking-someone
    Thanksgiving
    The-art-of-organ-building
    The-art-of-organ-improvisation
    The-arts-ministry-in-the-21st-century
    The-largest-tracker-organ
    The-notebook-of-anna-magdalena-bach
    Thierry-mechler
    Thomas-aberg
    Thomas-leslie
    Time Management
    Tobitha-moldenhauer
    Toccata
    Toccata-in-c-major
    Tom-trenney
    Tonality
    Top 5 Lists
    Tore-bjorn-larsen
    Total-organist
    Tournemire
    Toy-stops
    Tracker-organ
    Training
    Transcription
    Transposition
    Trio
    Trios
    Triplets
    Trust-and-authority
    Trying-different-organs
    Trying-new-things
    Tune-in-tenor
    Tuning
    Turning Pages
    Tutor
    Two-kinds-of-organists
    Two-part-training
    Tyler-boehmer
    Ugly-music
    Uncomfortable Organs
    Unda Maris Studio
    Unpredictable-organist
    Variations
    Vidas-pinkevicius
    Vidas Pinkevicius Compositions
    Vidas-pinkevicius-op-2
    Vidas-playing
    Video-training
    Viernes-final-from-the-symphony-no1
    Viola-organistica
    Virtual Organs
    Visiting-casparinis-organ
    Voluntary
    Vom-himmel-sieh-darein
    Walter-gatti
    Wayne-leupold
    Webinars
    Wedding-playing
    Weston-jennings
    Widor
    Widor-toccata
    Wilhelm-friedemann-bach
    William-mason
    William-whitehead
    Wir-sind-hier
    Wolff-von-ross
    Wolfram-kampffmeyer
    Workshop
    World-class-artist
    Worldclass-artist
    Writing-fugues
    Wyatt-smith
    Year-of-2014
    Year-review-2014
    You-tube
    Youtube

    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011

This site participates in the SheetMusicPlus, Amazon, Thomann and other affiliate programs, the proceeds of which keep it free for anyone to read.
​Copyright  © 2011-2025 by Vidas Pinkevicius and Ausra Motuzaite-Pinkeviciene.
​Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
  • HOME
  • BLOG
  • STORE
  • TOTAL ORGANIST
  • TOOLS
  • YOUTUBE
  • COMPOSITIONS
  • COACHING
  • ABOUT
  • RECITALS
  • PHOTOS
  • CONTACT
  • LOGIN
  • LT
  • AUSRA'S YOUTUBE