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Vidas: Hi guys! This is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start episode 445 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Micky, And he writes: My dream is to be a good sight reader and solving the note quickly. My problem is when I practice I am good but when I go to play it in the church I don't play it good with accuracy. V: That’s a common problem, Ausra, right? That a person is good privately, but not so good publicly. I think we all are. A: Yes, true. That’s what my kids always say to me in the classroom – “Oh, I played it at home and I was so good. But now here I can’t do it.” And then telling them, “It’s normal. Anybody experiences it. But it means you haven’t practiced enough, or you haven’t practiced the right way at home. Because, you know, you need to be ten times as good as you practice at home that you would play good in public. V: Makes sense, I think. Because there are probably ten times as more distractions during public performance than you would normally face at home. A: That’s right. V: You’re not imagining that Mr. Bach is listening to you when you’re playing, right? Therefore, you’re not as stressed out. But, when everybody’s listening to you at church, you’re playing differently. You’re thinking differently, actually. And, um, it might feel more relaxing when people are chatting, when they’re not paying attention to you, like during postlude, they’re having conversation after the liturgy with their friends and family, and the organist is just playing, like background music. A: Well, is it easier for you to play that way? For me, it’s harder. It’s harder to concentrate. V: Well, it depends on where you sit. If you’re sitting in front, and you’re seeing all those people, then yes, it’s harder. But if you are in the organ balcony and you hear your own playing very well, then it’s not that distracting. A: Well, but you know, that’s why I don’t like to play in the Cathedral of Vilnius, because during concerts, tourists can still go and leave free. V: Mm hm. A: And sometimes, you play in the middle of recital, and you feel like you are playing in the middle of the market, because you hear, you know, all those feet, you know… V: Shuffling. A: Shuffling. And it’s not a nice thing. At least, I don’t like it. V: Well, yes. I would recommend locking up the door and releasing them only after the last chord has been played. What do you say? A: Well, but maybe then they would start to talk. And what would you do? Would you use duct tape? V: Duct tape, exactly. A: To shut them down? V: You always have great ideas, Ausra. A: Yes, I would go to jail for my ideas! V: I would visit you once a month. No, maybe twice a month if you’re good to me. A: Nice. I appreciate it. V: (Laughs) A: But anyway, it’s a common problem for people like Micky, and like us, that know we are always doing better when we are playing just to ourselves. V: And the way to overcome this is probably easier than it sounds. Just measure your own level of accuracy today and three months from now. Or even one month from now. If you’re playing with less mistakes after 30 days, or maybe after, you know, 12 weeks, then you are making progress and you’re on the right path. If the accuracy hasn’t improved over that time, then you need to change the way you practice probably, right Ausra? A: Yes, because you know, making mistakes in public might be caused by two things. Either you lose your concentration, or there are still some spots in the piece that are more difficult than others. You need to check where are you making those mistakes. V: Mm hm. And the way to increase your concentration and focus is to concentrate on your breathing, as we are frequently suggesting. But do this at home as well, not only in public. Practice concentrating on your breaths, and not breathe with shallow breaths, but take deep breaths. Slowly but deeply, and maybe even rhythmically. Pick up some rhythm, maybe once every two beats, or maybe once a measure or every two measures if it’s a fast tempo. See what works for you, right? That would be my suggestion. A: Very wise. V: Yes, I am very wise. Thank you, Ausra. A: You’re welcome. V: Are you wiser than me? A: Stop doing that. V: What? A: You know what. V: Guys, if you want to keep this silliness going, please send us more questions. We love helping you grow. And remember, when you practice, A: Miracles happen.
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Vidas: Hi Guys! This is Vidas…
Ausra: ...and Ausra. V: Let’s start episode 416 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Tim, and he writes: Dear Vidas, The course is working out fine for me, and I’m able to keep up to date with it. Sometimes, I do a few days ahead, depending on work commitments. I usually use a tempo of around crotchet = 16, and I find I am able to get all the articulation correct in all of the parts. Looking forward to the rest of it. Kindest regards, Tim. Ausra, I think Tim is talking about our Organ Sightreading Master Course. A: I see. V: And the requirement, of course, is to sightread the piece rather slowly. For some people, it’s possible at 60, quarter note = 60, but you could do it slower. So in general, this course is a great resource for people who want to perfect their sightreading skills. A: I think it’s crucial thing for every musician to be able to sightread things. V: Mm-hm. A: It makes life much easier. V: You know what I’ve been doing recently? I’ve been opening every day my Orgelbüchlein collection, and putting it on the organ rack at church, and recording myself from above my head so that hands will be visible and I would sightread 1, 2, or 3 pieces every day in a slow tempo, but with ideal articulation, fingering, and pedaling. So, I’ve actually found out that this makes my playing more elegant in general and my skills keep sharp. A: Excellent. So, how is it going? After you will be done with entire Orgelbüchlein, what will you play then? V: I think I might go either in two directions. Either to sightread the 3-part sinfonias by Bach - I haven’t played them for a long time. Or, I might go to something more legato like Brahms or maybe Franck’s L’Organiste. A: Don’t you think Franck’s L’Organiste would be too easy for you to sightread through most of those pieces? V: Sure, but you know, to keep the fingering precise, that’s not too easy. A: And of course, for us, some harder pieces in L’Organiste. V: Mm-hm. A: Some Sorties. V: Right. A: At the end of many cycles there is Sortie, which is probably more complex because it has all the themes from entire cycle. V: Mm-hm. I shared Vater Unser yesterday, from Orgelbüchlein, this recording on Steemit and Whaleshares, and people have been reacting positively about that, even though they are not organists at all, you know, they are not specialized in classical music probably at all, but they appreciate seeing my hands and listening to good music anyway. A: Yes, I think it might be even more interesting for non-musicians sometimes. V: So, do you think Tim could also record himself while he sightreads? A: Well, it depends on what his goal is. But sometimes, it’s good to record yourself and to listen to what you have done, and compare one of your recordings to another one, and see how you are progressing. Because what you hear when you are playing live is not the same as what you will hear after you listen to your recording. V: Mm-hm. A: Because sometimes, during actual performance, you might get quite a wrong idea about what you have done or how have you played. V: Right. Of course, it also depends on how sensitive a person is to the critique or public reaction, right? I’ve been doing this for a number of years now, recording myself, livestreaming, and I am quite OK if somebody criticizes me, I can ignore that criticism or take it, you know, in some constructive manner. I wouldn’t probably take it too personally now. A: Well, and what you’re talking about, you are talking about putting your recording for a live audience, for public in general. What I was talking about was more about educational part of performance. V: That he would… A: He would use this recording for himself, not to check how he’s doing. V: Aha. A: Not to make it public. But of course, it’s up to person to decide. You like to exhibit yourself. Somebody maybe doesn’t so. V: Exactly. A: We are all different. V: Yeah. And we all need different apps and different tools and different approaches to practice. So, guys, keep what’s working for you and discard what is not. And we are sharing our ideas. For example, my ideas probably are a little bit or more different from Ausra’s too, right, in some ways. So you could choose our approaches, pick and choose actually, from both of us, what works for you. And maybe adjust them. Not take it, like as it is, but maybe adjust to your own situation. It’s not like medicine. We are not medical doctors and we don’t prescribe you medicine to take three times a day without any consideration. Here, I probably think that you would benefit from adjusting to your own situation. A: But anyway, sightreading is beneficial for any musician. So, keep doing it! Keep sightreading. V: In your harmony and music theory classes, ear-training classes, do you think a lot of kids sightread? A: Well, all my kids sightread, that’s for sure. V: What about outside those classes? Do they sightread in their own instrument? A: Some of them do. V: Some of them. The best ones. A: Yes. V: The most committed ones. A: Sure. V: Exactly. These kids will go much further than those who do not, probably. Okay, guys, 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! DON'T MISS A THING! FREE UPDATES BY EMAIL.
Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start episode 328, of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by David. And he writes: Hello Vidas and Ausra, This past Sunday I completed the 40-week course. I really liked the course and thank you for it. As requested here are my comments. Yes I can sight read better but still need more work. I tried several new pieces I had tried before the course and I was better. I was away for 2 weeks in the summer and caught up by doing 2 days in 1. Not a good idea so I am repeating from week 29 on. Some comments:
Best regards, David V: Oh this is nice that somebody has completed our Organ Sight Reading Master Course. A: Yes. That’s very nice. V: And, this feedback tells me also some things that are working and some things that could be improved. And, obviously, we need more feedback from other people. A: Sure. V: For example, David writes that for a number of weeks he’s trying to do two weeks in a row, in one week, which is probably too much material. A: Yes it is, because you always need time to get through things, to, sort of to grasp them, to observe them. V: Mmm-hmm. A: And if you will do too much at once, it will not work. V: It’s like with eating fish oil pills in the morning, right? It’s very healthy if you have just one. A: True. Because you cannot skip the next day and take two pills in one. V: You gave me one pill today. A: Yes. I gave you one pill. V: And what would happen if I had two pills? A: Nothing. V: Nothing? A: I think that your body would not absorb all the things from it, if you take too much, at once. V: I see. A: Or you would get poisoned. Maybe not from fish oil but from other pills. V: Will I become more like a fish? A: I don’t know. We will see. V: With quills and things like that. A: Scales? V: Yeah, scales. Can I breathe under water then? A: I don’t know. V: Maybe I can swim faster. So guys the same is with organ related activities. If you skip two days, just I think it’s better to continue in a normal pace, afterwards. A: True. That’s true. V: If you skip more than a week or two, and you feel that your fingers and feet are weaker, and the skill is decreasing, it’s another story Ausra, right? A: True. Because aside practice for example, I see that it’s beneficial early if I’m practicing, let’s say in the morning, and then later in the evening, when I do very big breaks. Then maybe this, my practicing counts for two days. But otherwise, no. If, let’s say I sit Sunday on the organ bench and do all my practice at once, for two days, it doesn’t work. V: Mmm-hmm. You still need to have regular breaks. A: True. V: And if a person skips a few weeks in a row, and then comes back to the organ bench, obviously, the skill is not there anymore. And I think it would be wiser to pick up with a slower pace first, to adjust maybe a week or two, to get used to the new routine and take it easy at first. A: Yes. That’s right. V: It’s like, I was doing those pull-ups in the summer. I was progressing day after day, week after week. And then I got, I think, some sort of stomach flu or something, and I didn’t do my pull-ups for a week or more, even. And it would be stupid for me to try to attempt to do the total number of pull-ups I was able to do before break. Right? A: That’s right, yes. V: Alright. David, Ausra, also writes, that it was probably too easy for him until week 29. So that’s the thing that is so individual for each person, right? A: Yes, it is. V: We have various skill levels students here in our courses. And for somebody is really difficult to play, too difficult to attempt even. A: That’s right. And in general, people are quite poor sight-readers. V: Mmm-hmm. A: I notice that on my students. And I thought that after we harmonize an exercise, usually it’s eight measures long, like a hymn… V: Mmm-hmm. A: And I invite them to play what we harmonized. And it’s very hard for some of them to do it. V: Mmm-hmm. A: And sometimes we get so sloppy that after a while I simply stop doing this experiment with them and start asking them to play it. V: Mmm-hmm. A: And it really surprised me because usually when we start harmony we are at the tenth grade, or eleventh or twelfth grade. That’s when we teach them harmony, basically in the high school. And we start to study music at the age of six or seven. Some even at the age of five. So let’s say, at that age, after ten years of studying music, they are still not able to sight read easily what we already harmonized on the paper. V: They don’t have any musical intuition. A: I know. V: Mmm-hmm. A: That’s just too bad. Not all of them, but actually most, most of them. V: Most of them shouldn’t even study music, I think. A: Could be. V: Do you think, what’s the percentage of them that will become musicians, professional musicians? A: Well, I think many of them will become professional musicians, but that’s a question if they will be good or not, and what they will achieve. V: Mmm-hmm. A: I think ten percent of them will achieve what we want and they will be really great. And I think that ten percentage that also will become musicians that will be either mediocre or always will struggle for bread and butter. V: Right. If a person applies to the orchestra, let’s say, spot, and the one who can sight-read better will always win the spot, over the next person who cannot. A: Sure. V: Of course sight-reading on the violin is a different thing than sight-reading on the piano. A: Yes because you have only one line, so. But still I believe that every musician has to read on the keyboard. V: Mmm-hmm. A: Because they all study keyboards, since very early age. V: And it does give you some perspective about the harmonies, about musical composition, about how the piece is put together. If you know this harmony structure, if you are feeling with both of your hands, the key changes, and even for solo instrument players, is useful. A: True. Otherwise if you will be thinking all about your melodies and nothing will work. V: Mmm-hmm. What happens sometimes most of the semester they would practice alone, and at the end of the semester, accompanist would come in to the practice room and they together start to rehearse. And this new part suddenly makes no sense to the soloist. I think a good soloist will always need to get acquainted with himself or herself with the full musical material. A: That’s right. V: So, that’s why we, that’s why I didn’t rush introducing three steps or even two steps, because it was very methodological. I first went through separate lines until the very end, and then came back with two voice combinations, which is of course a challenge sometimes for a lot of people. It’s much harder than one line. A: Oh yes. True. V: And another comment that David has here, that most of the early weeks were in d minor, and only later, the course was transposed into various minor keys. The reason I decided to put off transposition to the later part of the course was that students should familiarize with the texture first. Because Bach’s art of fugue is not a beginners texture at all. It’s completely advanced fugal texture. And first you practice in one voice, then in two parts, and three parts, and if I added to this challenge, transposition on top of that right from the start, I think for a lot of people it would be impossible. Even as it is it is difficult course. So it’s good that David found first weeks too easy. Maybe he could skip some material. Maybe just play faster or something. Still he should find it useful. And his own level will then start to be revealed in the middle. A: True. V: Right? A: Yes. V: Would you agree, Ausra? A: Yes, I agree. V: Would you start transposition right from the start? A: Probably not. Well, I would do, but if you are beginner, then not. V: Mmm-hmm. And if he needed more keys, of course it’s wise to supplement study material with other pieces. And he’s writing that he’s studying Dupre's 79 chorales, which are in various keys. A: Good. V: But here is the thing; he’s using baroque pedaling. I don’t think Dupre understood anything about baroque pedaling. A: True. I wouldn’t do a baroque pedaling in Dupre’s chorales. V: Dupre always emphasized legato playing, and even in his edition for the Bach organ works, he always used finger substation and glissandos, and heel-toe pedaling, just like he would apply it in his own works, or 20th century works or 19th French organ works. So when somebody is playing 79 chorales by Dupre, please use modern fingering and pedaling. A: Yes, I think it would work better. V: Mmm-hmm. Excellent question I think, and feedback. This is really helpful. Thank you guys for doing that. And please keep sending us your questions. We love helping you grow. And remember, when you practice... A: Miracles happen!
Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start episode 323 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Barbara, and she wrote that she struggles with two related things: 1) keeping my mind from wandering when I'm doing repetitions to teach my hands/feet the fingering/pedaling, and 2) resisting the temptation to sightread at tempo (with mistakes). V: I think number 2 is very common, when people sight read too fast. A: That’s right, and I don’t think it’s bad if you do it, let’s say, once—just to get the feeling of that piece. But, to do it more than once, then it’s really bad. It slows down your progress. V: Exactly. So, when you’re taking a new piece you’re about to study and master, sometimes it’s nice to play it through with more mistakes than usual, but just to get the general feeling how the piece should sound. A: Yes, and also, that going through that piece in tempo will give you a good idea how long will it take for you to learn it—to master it. V: Because, if you make, let’s say, 10 mistakes and you’re playing at the concert tempo, it will take about 10 days, in my experience. What about yours, Ausra? A: I never counted my mistakes and the days that I have to practice. V: You know, I’m very scientific! A: I’m not. V: No, I’m not scientific, but I’ve found that this works, actually. Usually, people cannot do 10 mistakes. They will do 100 mistakes, if playing too fast. So 100 days would be more or less appropriate, I think. A: Well, it could be. V: You could say if I’m working fragment by fragment and I could do, let’s say, one page per day if I really concentrate and master those troublesome spots, you could say that I could eliminate more than one mistake a day. But, the next day, you will not be ready to perform that page in public. It’s still fresh. You need to refresh for at least a week or more, so that’s why you need more days, I think. A: True. And, I think for me, it’s hard when I know a piece very well—some recordings from other performers—and I’m starting to work on it, and it sounds in my ears, and I know how it needs to sound, but my fingers are not ready yet. And that’s when I have a temptation of speeding up. V: And Barbara writes about the problem maybe we also have, that her mind is wandering when she repeats the same fragment many times over and over again. Do you have this temptation to wander around through the woods or whatever, in your dreams, when you’re counting “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.” A: Yes, definitely. And, sometimes I remember playing that Reincken’s Fantasy, “An Wasserflüssen Babylon,” which takes forever. And, sometimes I would go through the piece, and will stay in focus—I would always know which line I’m playing, which text, or sounds the text is dealing with in the right spot, and thinking about all those Baroque figurations and things that I had to think about. But, sometimes I would start to play that piece, and suddenly I would be at the end, and I didn’t even imagine how things went through. V: You didn’t notice. A: Yes, I didn’t notice it, so my mind was flying around somewhere. Have you that feeling sometimes? V: Many times, because now, I’m playing this concert in November with organ works of Teisutis Makačinas, a living composer from Lithuania, to honor his 80th anniversary, and his music, sometimes, is really dissonant and hard to understand, and sometimes my mind doesn’t want to understand. So, when I’m working on a fragment, let’s say, line by line, there are three or four measures every line, so it’s a good length of the fragment to work on, and I repeat and count repetitions, let’s say, up to 10 times. I sometimes forget which number it is—is it five or six—because my mind also is distracted and tries not to focus, because the music doesn’t necessarily sound nice. It’s not a sweet music, maybe. Maybe it will sound nice at the concert, but it will not sound sweet, for sure. A: Yes. And, I wonder why when I am playing with an absent mind, I never make mistakes. V: Maybe that’s not the absent mind. Maybe you got carried away in to the Reincken’s land! Reinckenland! A: I don’t know. But it does, somehow... V: Maybe you’re experiencing a sense of flow, which is completely different from what we are talking about. Maybe you are “in the zone,” like deep focused. When kids are playing or drawing, they forget the sense of time around them. They could play with one flower for hours, for example. Maybe that’s what you are doing? A: Well, who knows, you know? The human mind is an endless Abyss! V: Who said that? A: Raymond Haggh! V: And who was Raymond Haggh? A: He was the director of the school of music at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, but actually, he was the head of the music department before we went to study there. But we met him once, and he was a very nice man, and I think that’s what he said after greeting students for half a day, reading the essays. V: “The human mind is an endless abyss!” A: That’s right. V: I see. Nice. I think people don’t have to be too harsh on themselves when they lose focus or they’re making mistakes or playing too fast. I mean, just go back to the original intent gently and keep playing. It’s like in meditation, probably. If anyone tried to meditate, and tried to focus your mind on the breathing, and sit for two minutes or ten minutes, however long you want, anybody could try to do this could probably discover right away that your mind is all over the place—about things that happened in the past, about things that might happen in the future, but never in the present moment. And if we are frustrated with this, if we are angry with ourselves—at our current condition, then we get even more distracted, actually, from the current moment. The same might be with organ playing. We just need to gently remind ourselves what’s our intent with each repetition and go back to the practice. A: I think this kind of work takes all your life! V: To improve yourself, your mental skills? A: That’s right. I think only experienced monks at the Buddhist Monastery have already managed this skill, because it’s really hard to master, to be at the right moment, at the right time. V: I think that everybody should find a joy in the process of practice. Not necessarily looking at ourselves, at our shortcomings, what we cannot do, but rather what we are practicing—what we could do—what we can do better than yesterday, for example, better than last week or last month. Right? And then this is hopeful, I think. Not only helpful, but hopeful. Right Ausra? A: That’s right. V: Okay, let’s wish Barbara and others to have fun with practice, and please guys, continue sending to us your questions. We love helping you grow. And remember, when you practice, A: Miracles happen.
Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start episode 251, of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Michael. He writes: I'm really glad I have encountered such an opportunity from you, I want to be able to sight read most of the complex classical pieces by heart, as at now my current level is just playing hymns and not so difficult anthems for my church....please I want to just pick any complex Handel piece and sight read it easily… Please help me. V: Ausra, this is the second time when somebody asks us for advice of playing Handel pieces, right? A: True. V: I remember in the past, there was a gentlemen wanting to sight-read Handel’s pieces too. So this is an interesting question and interesting situation. A lot of people want to sight-read Bach, and maybe other more ‘organistic’ music, but Handel is not particularly known for creating complex organ music. A: No, but he wrote so many compositions, that no wonder why people want to play his music because it’s really beautiful. V: So Michael writes, that now he can only play hymns, which is a good starting point, right? A: Yes. V: Other people cannot play hymns, but he can. So if he can play hymns, I would recommend treating them as little short organ pieces, and start playing them voice by voice, and in combinations of two parts and three parts, and then expanding to sight-reading classical pieces, but easy ones first. A: True, I think there is no way to become a good sight-reader unless you practice repertoire on a daily basis, and sight-read on a daily basis. There is no magic pill, magic trick that you could take and to be able to sight-read anything you want. Well, and since Michael loves Handel, so pick up some of his music and start working with it. V: Umm, Handel’s fuguettes are easy enough, right? And even I would say, variations cycles, such as Chaconnes and Passacaglias are great for that. They have one tonal structure, but with each variation you get a different texture on the same harmony. So it’s a good way to learn different textures, techniques, arpeggio configurations, things like that. But also keeping just one set of harmony progressions, usually four or eight measures long. A: True. V: So each variation could be like a separate exercise. That’s a really great suggestion, Ausra. A: Yes, it is, I think. I know the more time you spend every day with your music, the easier it will become for you to sight-read. Because you have to build up some sort of repertoire. And the more pieces you have in the repertoire the easier it will get for you to sight-read, any piece of music. V: A question, for you Ausra: Do you think that Michael has to play both hands right away when he sightreads, or it could be possible to do just one hand at a time? A: You could do it only one hand at a time, if it’s too hard to sight-read everything together. V: Without major mistakes, right? A: True. True. V: And it’s even better. You can dissect the piece, right? And see how it’s put together and reverse then the hands. At first you practice one variation with the right hand, and then do the same variation with the left hand. And then maybe that’s it, all you need. Maybe you are playing very slowly and then the next day you do variation number two, same thing. A: True, and maybe after learning first ten pieces with separate hands, maybe after that you can do and sight-read with both hands together. V: But it will take a while. A: Yes, sure. V: Mmm-hmm. A: These things take time. V: But it’s definitely possible to do this on your own, because it’s just practice, and well, not only just practice, but deliberate practice. You have to know what you are trying to achieve with each run of your playing. Not just sight-reading for the sake of sight-reading but internalizing the structure, getting to know the chords and progressions, maybe key tonalities, modulations. But for that you have to know a little bit of harmony and music theory. A: True. These things are (all) connected. V: So do you recommend for Michael to start learning music theory and harmony at the same time, as practicing the organ? A: Well if he wants to become a learned musician, then yes. I would suggest him doing it. V: Mmm-hmm. It will help him. And sight-reading will also help him to discover music theory things too. A: True. Because the easier you orient yourself in the music theory things, the easier it will get for you to sight-read things. Because the easier you will understand them. V: I wonder, how much time does it take to develop a level when he could sight-read, let’s say, simple variations by Handel. A: I think it all is very individual. It’s hard to tell how much time it will take. V: What’s the minimum amount of time? Three, four years? A: Well, maybe less than that. It depends how much you will spend each day on it. V: Mmm-hmm. What about the maximum time? A: You’re asking me if I would be a magician; I would know everything. I don’t know. V: Sometimes people practice without improving, right. Have you seen those people? A: Yes, I have seen such people. And sometimes it’s hard to tell why they are not improving, but I guess not everybody can improve. Although I believe that if a person does not improve, it means that he or she makes something not right. V: Practices without head, without connecting the fingers with the mind. A: That’s right. V: So we hope Michael will do the opposite, of course; will practice mindfully and regularly. And that will help him improve. A: Let’s hope for it. V: Thanks 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!
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Check it out here Here's what one of our students is saying: I appreciate your detailed videos along with your supportive approach. I also see that your site is one of the few that offer scores with fingering. Btw, reading that you enjoy composing then editing on Sibelius, I also am tinkering around with Sibelius. I started exploring using it to study counterpoint and harmony. About me, I’m a semi-retired software engineer. My main focus now retired, apart from painting the deck & etc., has been writing fiction and poetry, but I so love Bach organ music that I wish to be able to learn how to play Bach myself. Regards, Eric Would you like to receive the same or even better results that Eric is getting? If so, join 63 other Total Organist students here. Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start Episode 215 of #AskVidasAndAusra podcast. This question was sent by George. And he writes: Dear Vidas, My greatest problem at this point is independence of both hands and feet, in addition to the usual issues sight reading all the separate parts. You're very kind to write! Yours truly, George So, it seems like George hasn’t spent many years on the organ bench. A: Yes; it seems from his question that he’s a beginner. V: Okay. And beginners usually struggle with playing separate melodies in your hands and separate in the feet at the same time--that’s what we call independence of both hands and feet. Right? So, this is just a very natural phenomenon, I think. A: It is. V: That’s how we all start, and that’s nothing to be either worried about or ashamed of. A: That’s true. So, and as I have told before to other organists who asked our opinion and help, you really need to work in a slow tempo, and you really need to work in combinations-- V: Mhm? A: Not play all the parts together. V: Ausra, in your experience, will there ever be a time where a person can practice faster right away? A: Not really. V: Because the texture is just too complex, right? A: I know. V: Mhm. Unless you are playing a solo melody which is a single voice. A: Yes, that’s right; then you can play fast! V: Or--if you’re playing with a partner--maybe 2 voices, like an organ duet, and you’re both sight reading 2 voices each. A: That’s right, but you know, in other cases, you need to start with a slow tempo. V: Remember, Ausra, in Bach’s birthday recital, we just picked up a harmonization of Bach’s chorale maybe 5 minutes before our actual performance. We just played it through a couple of times, and we did it at concert tempo right away. That was risky, but we did it. A: Yes. It worked okay, I think. V: Would it be okay if, for example, either of us alone would have played it? A: Probably not so well as we played it together. V: Because alone, you have to manage 4 parts. A: That’s right. And an open score--written in an open score. V: Mhm. So then, you would need to spend some extra time. A: Yes. Because it wouldn’t be so fun to read 4 lines together. V: Unless you are doing this everyday. A: Sure. V: Like choir conductors do. So yes--basically, slow practice is essential. And Ausra, will there ever be a time when a person can practice without spending too much time on combinations, just 4 parts right away? A: Sure. V: That is possible? A: Yes, that’s right. V: But maybe later in his career, or her career. A: True. Maybe after 4 or 5 years of extensive playing. V: I think that’s too few years; I think more is needed. A: Well...it depends on circumstances. V: When did you first find out that you could manage 4-part texture right away? A: I now don’t remember exactly when that time was. V: It wasn’t like, on January 1st, 2014…? A: No, no. But actually, for me, the church position helped a lot. When I was first--besides from playing that organ solo repertoire--when I was having to learn a lot of music for the church each week-- V: Mhm. A: New music for the church. V: So basically, having regular performance opportunities every Sunday--that basically facilitates your progress. A: That’s true, yes. V: It’s like being thrown into a swimming pool deep enough to drown… A: Haha! V: And being told, “Swim, or sink!” A: That’s right! V: So, can we recommend that system to George? Swimming or sinking? A: Well, I don’t know what his goals are, but maybe he could try to find an assistant organist position. Part-time. V: Just a few hours per month? A: Yes. And I think this would be motivation enough for him to improve faster. V: Maybe just 1 piece per month to learn, for starters. That would be a good opportunity, right? A: Yes. V: If he could show up on the organ bench at church just 1 Sunday a month, and play something new. And then go back and learn, for a month, something new again; and show up the next month. A: Yes, I think it would be a good beginning. V: Mhm. Would that be a scary experience at first, for him? A: Yes, but I think it would get easier with time. V: How much time do you need to be more comfortable with playing in public, at the beginning? How many performances, or Sundays? A: ...Probably ten? V: You’re about right, I think. In my experience, when I was playing in my improvisation recitals nonstop for 60 minutes, at first it was a very very scary experience; but after 10 performances, it was a breakthrough--a little bit of a revelation. And every 10 performances, you discover something new about yourself, something new about the music, and something new about the instrument that you’re playing. Agree? A: Yes. V: Excellent. A: So if you will take some church positions, then at the end of the year you will feel more comfortable. V: Yeah. You will have learned 12 pieces! A: That’s right. V: And remember, you can constantly repeat those pieces over time--maybe not every week, but maybe a few times a month, right? And your repertoire will expand this way--you will not have 1 or 2 pieces under your belt, but 12 pieces; and the next year, perhaps you will learn maybe not 12 new pieces, but maybe 24 new pieces, because your new skill level will build on this old skill level, right? A: Yes. V: It’s possible? A: That’s possible, true. Maybe some of those new pieces you will not repeat--maybe you will not like them so much after a while. V: Mhm. A: But still, some of them you will keep practicing and playing. V: Exactly. And by the time you will have 12 pieces learned for the repertoire, you can actually play a public recital. Maybe not necessarily an hour long, which is too hard for a beginner, but maybe 30 minutes. A: Sure. V: Maybe with another person, split half--50% of the time. You on the bench, and another person would help you, too. Or maybe with a soloist, another instrument. A: Yes. I’ve thought about it, too--that’s a nice idea, to share, to play in some ensembles. V: Mhm. So...the best way to grow is basically to start failing in public as often as possible. Right, Ausra? A: Yes, that’s true. V: And the scariest, right, too? A: Yes. It doesn’t sound very encouraging, but it’s true! V: That’s the way we do it, actually. Right, Ausra? We don’t keep our mistakes under the table, right? Because mistakes are not fatal--you will not die from playing C# instead of D♭. A: ...I’m not so sure about that. V: Hahaha! Okay! Thank you guys, this was Vidas. A: And Ausra. V: Please remember to practice today. And send us more of your questions, because we love helping you grow. And when you apply our tips in your practice, and maybe modify, a little bit, our advice to fit your situation (because some things will work for us but not necessarily for you, but you can always adjust, and pick and choose from our advice what you like)--then, with time, you will discover something different about yourself. And actually, other people will say, “Oh George, you’re different now! Tell us more!” Right? A: Yes. V: So, you will have gained a new skill. That’s an amazing way to live: constantly learning, and staying curious in the ever-changing world. Thank you guys, this was Vidas. A: And Ausra. V: And remember, when you practice… A: Miracles happen. Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start Episode 195 of #AskVidasAndAusra podcast. This question was sent by Brendan. He writes: My sight reading has improved by taking the course. Slowly but surely. I continue to play very slowly though. Around crotchet 50 - 60, depending upon what's going on in the music. I need to slow well down for some of the passages, particularly where there are semiquaver sections, or triplets against quavers for example. My biggest challenge is that I'd developed a really bad habit when I was younger and not studying music properly - I look down from the music desk to see where my fingers are, and where the note is I'm trying to hit. I sometimes play much slower just to allow my fingers to find the note without me trying to look to see where it is. That continues to be quite a challenge! But I am improving, and I am grateful for the material. Best wishes, Brendan So, Brendan is taking our organ sightreading mastercourse. A: Excellent. V: And he seems to enjoy it. Maybe we should clarify the British nomenclature, right--terms. A: Yes, yes. V: “Crotchet” means, probably, quarter note. A: Quarter note, yes. V: And then “quaver” is probably...probably 8th note. A: That’s what I’m guessing, from...yes. V: And then “semiquaver” is probably 16th notes. A: Yes. V: Excellent. So now we’re on the same page. This course is devised in such a way so that you are playing the entire Art of the Fugue by Bach, plus some additional materials for legato playing suitable for Romantic and modern music and after that. But for a long time, like maybe 40-41 weeks in a row, you’re studying Baroque style, right? And playing voice by voice, and then 2-part combinations, 3-part combinations, 4-part combinations, taken from Contrapuncti by Bach. And of course, I had to do something else with this course, in order to help people be familiar with other keys. So I transposed some of those Contrapuncti and fugues in many other minor keys, in the order of ascending number of accidentals. Do you think that’s a helpful device? A: Yes, I think so, because it’s not good to play everything in one key only. V: Mhm. Although, this collection is written in d minor. A: Yes, yes. I know that. But still, if you will play only everything in d minor, then you will be good only for d minor, really. V: Mhm. A: Because the other keys require a little bit different fingering. V: So then...Brendan seems to be frustrated with his habit, when he has to look down to see the fingers. Is is a bad habit, or…? A: Well, actually, it’s sort of a strange one. I have never heard about such a habit before. But you know, I could draw a parallel: he’s with playing organ like I am with computers. Because I sort of never look at the screen when I’m typing things, and only looking at the keyboard. V: That’s good for your eyes! A: Yes, it’s good for my eyes; but you know, sometimes, when you finally look at the screen, you see some mistakes, and then you have to correct them. V: And that’s not how professional typists do, right? A: I know. V: They always stare at the screen, and they touch/feel the keyboard, and use all 5 of their fingers. A: That’s true. V: How many fingers do you use, Ausra? When you pla--not when you play, when you type? A: Well, six. V: What do you mean, six? A: Three in one hand, and three in another one! V: Oh, I thought six in each hand! A: Hahahaha, no, I don’t have 12 fingers! V: Wow, that would be a very fast way of typing! Sometimes people have 6 fingers, right? A: Yes. V: Like Hannibal Lecter, remember? from Silence of the Lambs! Excellent. So now, Ausra, is it similar when you play the organ, do you have to look down at your fingers, or not? Or do you only look at the score? A: Actually, I only look at the score. Sometimes I have to look at the pedal...sometimes. V: How many fingers do you use when you play the organ? ...All of them? A: All of them, yes! V: Excellent, good for you. Because not everybody is so advanced as you. Sometimes people use 2 fingers in each hand. I’ve seen my 2nd grader do that. A: Heheh. So he’s good with paired fingering, probably? V: He uses like 1 and 2, maybe, in each hand; and no matter how hard I emphasize that, “You need to use all fingerings!” and “Please use my written-down fingerings for that piece!” he never listens, never looks at the numbers. So he plays with weird positions in his hand. But what can I do? A: So he uses only 2 fingers in each hand? He plays sort of like a piglet! V: We could say that, yes! A: But don’t tell him this. V: No, he wouldn’t understand. At that age they’re very sensitive. A: I know. V: So basically...basically, we need to use all the fingers; and is it really bad, to look down from time to time? A: I don’t think it’s very bad. But how can you find in your score, the particular spot you are playing? Is it difficult? V: What do you mean? A: Don’t you get lost, when you look down at the keyboard and then look back at the score? V: It should be more difficult this way, yes. And one of the reasons we suggest people just look at the score is to get more fluent with your playing, right? Because your focus will not be interrupted. A: Sure. And what if you are playing from memory? Is it good to look at the keyboard then? V: Well, it’s the same when you improvise, right? When you’re not using your score. I have to look at my fingers, right, because where else should I look? A: Yes, you could just look in front of you. V: Empty music rack? A: That’s true, yes. V: And what would i see then? A: I don’t know. Put some pictures there--some nice photographs. V: A picture of you, maybe. A: If that would help you, then why not. V: A picture of you playing the organ. Or typing on the keyboard with 6 fingers. A: Funny... V: But I do the same when I improvise, right? I look at my fingers, and I sometimes look at my feet, too. I don’t feel troubled looking down from time to time. When I’m using a familiar organ like at St. John’s Church, I can feel the keyboard and the pedalboard quite well. But still, if it’s a large leap I’m making, I may look down from time to time. Should I feel embarrassed? A: I don’t think so. V: So Brendan--should he feel embarrassed, looking down from time to time? A: I don’t think so. I think it’s just perfectly normal. Some of us just have better motor skills, some not so good. That’s normal. V: But if he could reduce the number of times he has to look down, then he would probably become more fluent with his playing A: Yes. And maybe try to look--if you are looking at the keys--at the same spots each time, while you’re playing the piece, and see if the spots are the same each time. It means that maybe you need to practice those particular spots more, in the piece. V: Ah, that’s a good solution. Look for trouble, right? A: Yes. V: Isolate trouble, and make that trouble spot smaller each time--maybe not only isolate both hands, but maybe play each hand separately. A: That’s true. And maybe you need to correct your fingering in those spots, or make some accents, or change something else. Or maybe articulate more in those spots. Because if those spots are the same each time, it means that something is technically not right. Maybe move your hand to a little bit different position; maybe use your wrist. A: Sure. V: Right? Sometimes it’s good, especially on mechanical-action organs. So, experiment, guys, if you are in Brendan’s shoes. And that will lead you eventually to success! A: Yes. V: Okay, guys! Thank you so much for your questions. Please send us more of your goals and the challenges that you are facing. We would love to help you grow. And remember, when you practice… A: Miracles happen. Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. Vidas: Let’s start Episode 168 of #AskVidasAndAusra podcast. This question was sent by Gunilla, and she writes: Greetings! My name is Gunilla Hedkvist and I started taking organ lessons in 2003. The year before I had been more or less ”forced” to play in church services in a small church when they lost their regular organist. They needed someone who could at least just play the melodies of the hymns. And that was my level when I started. I then learnt how to accompany the hymns with chords also. Three years later I started to learn hymns playing SATB. Very difficult for me and time consuming to learn. By now I have played all eight little preludes and fugues by Bach and some other choral preludes, three of the Suite Gothique pieces by Boellmann and some César Franck (L’Organiste) and Jean Alain among others. 1. My dream in organ playing is to have a repertoire where I can play the liturgy and hymns with ease and also make my own improvised hymn introductions. I also want to know a good selection of music to use as postludes. 2. I struggle with sight reading more than one voice at a time. (But now using your suggestion to sight read for 15 minutes a day). Because I started playing late in life it is more difficult to learn and remember, and learning a piece takes a lot of time. I am a slow learner. I need to get better at using efficient practice methods. When my organ teacher gave me Krebs ”Von Gott will ich nicht lassen” as homework I found your youtube recording and listened to it several times and that helped me to practice slowly. So that was the story of Gunilla, right, Ausra? A: Yes. V: Probably a lot of organists from around the world would share some of the things from her experience. A: Yes. V: Having a church, and having modest skills of sightreading (just the soprano part), and then having the dream of being able to play the repertoire and the hymns at sight in church, and even improvise the hymn introductions, right? But she’s still struggling to sightread more than one voice at a time. But...do you think, Ausra, that she’s on the right track? A: I think so, yes. And actually, when I read about Krebs’ “Von Gott will ich nicht lassen,” I thought that it’s a good idea, Krebs’ Clavierübung, because it has so many chorale tunes, and it’s sort of like a prelude when it’s a chorale--yes, an ornamented chorale. And then, there is like, you know, the… V: Chorale harmonization. A: Chorale harmonization. Of course he does not give it in full, but you can write it down, depending on the numbers. V: Or sightread it with continuo notation. A: Yes. So I thought that Krebs actually would work in liturgy, too. You could play the big opening piece as a prelude; then, you know, that ornamented chorale version as an offering; then you know, to play the end with organo pleno for your postlude. V: Absolutely. And you do that, too, sometimes, if you have to play in church. A: Yes. I do it. V: You have several favorite pieces by Krebs... A: Yes. V: And apply them according to the situation! A: That’s right. It’s very handy, because it’s not so hard, and does not have lots of pedal. V: You could add pedal at the end, for the last harmonization, but it’s not required. A: Yes, yes, yes. Of course. V: Yes. And remember that this is the first part of Clavierübung by Krebs. He wrote two more Clavierübung parts, which have dance suites, and something else, I forget--I think also some kind of suite. So make sure you Google Krebs on Petrucci Music Library, and you will find free scores there. And you can play a lot of interesting repertoire just based on Krebs. A: Yes. V: They are keyboard pieces, of course, without pedals; but good for your fingerwork. And beautiful to listen to. So, if we talk a little bit about, let’s say, the repertoire, right--she dreams about having a repertoire where she could play the liturgy and hymns with ease--like prelude, postlude, offertory, and even communion, probably. As you say, Krebs works well. What else could work? A: Well, I would think about Frescobaldi’s Fiori Musicali. V: Mhm. A: “Musical Flowers.” I think this collection would work well, too, for liturgy, and it’s not too hard. And the other composer that I thought while reading the list of composers that Gunilla had played, was actually Pachelbel. Don’t you think that Pachelbel would work, too? V: Absolutely. Because we both played a lot of Pachelbel back in the day, when we played in liturgy. A: Yes. I remember having that Dover edition--the complete organ works of Pachelbel--and it helped me a lot, when selecting preludes and postludes and offering. V: I remember you used to sightread pieces from Pachelbel, for Christian Scientist liturgy. A: Yes, yes. That’s what I did.And also that’s what I did with Frescobaldi. V: Did you do that with Cesar Franck’s L’Organiste? A: Yes, I did that as well. That’s a nice collection for a church organist. V: And should we advise Gunilla to improvise as well? A: Yes, that’s a good way too, to be able to expand your ability, and to improvise. Then, you know, sometimes you don’t have time to find any music, or to repeat any music; so just improvise! V: Especially if you are not a very advanced sightreader. A: Yes. V: So sometimes it’s easier to sightread a melody of a hymn tune, and just add a polyphonic second voice from your head, and vice versa. A: Yes, and while talking about repertoire, also try some Italian composers. They created quite a lot of easy organ music--composers, like for example, Domenico Zipoli. Like his Pastorale, that’s a very easy piece, but a nice one. And I also know his Elevatione, and Offering, they are nice and easy, too. V: Mhm. A: And they have very little pedal. V: And chorale Partitas by Böhm or Pachelbel would work for that. A: Yes, yes, yes. And because they are segmented, like chorale bass variations, you can play as many as you wish, or as many as you need. If you don’t need much, you can only play one; but if you need more music, then play a few of them. V: I somehow don’t think that French music would work for her, well. From French classical, I mean. A: Probably not. V: Too difficult. A: Yes. Too many ornaments, probably, and,... V: Maybe later. A: Yes. V: When she gets more skill in this, and can advance to the next level, along with improvisation. So, do you think that she could benefit from playing harmony exercises, in addition? A: I think it’s beneficial to any musician. V: Maybe not dry harmony exercises, but let’s say, harmonizing hymns. A: Sure, why not. V: Not looking at the hymnal, but adding your own harmonization. Or alternative harmonization for the last stanza, let’s say. Good, I see you agree with me. So...anything else that you could add for Gunilla, today? A: Just to encourage her to keep going, and to keep practicing. V: And report us back your progress, right? In 3 months, in 6 months, in one year from now. A: Yes, and you know, don’t blame yourself for being a slow learner. You are doing just fine! It’s excellent that you started to learn to play at this early age. I think it’s wonderful. I think many people would just envy you, and would sort of feel amazed by your courage. And by your progress. V: Do you think that Gunilla is competing with other organists, or no? A: I think that the most important thing is to compete with yourself. V: What do you mean? A: Because if you compete with others, I think it’s unfair. Because you could compete only with somebody who was in the same situation throughout life as you were. V: That’s you. Only. A: Yes. Otherwise, it’s sort of unfair game. And I don’t think it’s a good thing. V: Sometimes people, when they look at videos on the internet, they get the wrong impression, right? Instead of being inspired by that video, they feel discouraged. A: Intimidated, sort of, yes. V: Intimidated, yeah. Okay, and try to be better a little bit today than yesterday, and a little bit worse than tomorrow. Right, Ausra? A: Yes. V: Thank you guys. This was Vidas. A: And Ausra. V: And remember, when you practice… A: Miracles happen. Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start episode 159 of Ask Vidas and Ausra podcast. This question was sent in by Monte and he asks about organ Sight-reading Master Course. Vidas, Toward the end of days 5, 6 and 7 of week 1 in Organ Sight-Reading Master Course a second voice sneaks in. Is this meant to be added to the right hand playing up to that point, or does the left hand participate ? Thanks. Monty (this course should culminate in something like the award of a Master's Degree in Counting!) V: This course should culminate in something like the award of a Masters Degree in counting. Ausra this is the course based on the Art of the Fugue by Bach. I remember creating this course a number of years ago with the hope to help people to enhance their sight-reading skills. Especially in early sight-reading skills. So, or course this is a very simple solution, right? The course is structured that you have all the fugues or counterpoints specifically for one hand and then for another hand. I think Monte should play with just the right hand in that case, right? A: Fantastic also. V: Because just adding one additional note just for the left hand doesn’t make sense at this point. A: That’s true. V: Because later, in a few weeks when two-voice structure will come in. Maybe then he will need to use both hands. A: Yes, that’s true but you know with the Art of the Fugue I have thoughts. Quite a few performances you know actually on organ and harpsichord as well. So in terms of which hand needs to play what it is questionable. It’s a good question for discussion. Because you would do it one way if you are playing it on the organ and another way if you are playing on the harpsichord. What do you think about it? V: You are right because with the organ you could add the pedal line. A: Sure and I think those who perform that fugue on the organ definitely play it with the pedal. V: But not every fugue is done with the pedal. It’s not possible to play those canons for two voices with the pedal. A: Yes, because I don’t think you would have enough space in the pedal part. V: It goes too high. In general, Ausra, is it a good exercise to try to sight-read one line at a time of such polyphonic pieces from the Art of the Fugue? A: Yes, I think it is a good way. V: I made this course a little bit easier than I practiced myself because originally I practiced Art of Fugue with the intent of mastering clef reading, not only sight-reading because originally it is written in four different clefs. Soprano clef for the soprano voice, alto clef for the alto voice, tenor clef for the tenor voice and bass clef for the bass voice. The bass clef is the most familiar for everybody, right? And there is no treble clef here right? A: Yes. V: So, instead of playing with the treble clef, originally it was written for the soprano clef. We have remind how does it read, right? A: Yes, soprano clef is on the first bottom line of the staff. V: Which note? A: In the treble clef it would be E on that line. But the soprano clef always marks the C note. V: On the first line. A: Yes, on the bottom line. V: And the second voice, alto clef has also C clef but on the middle line, on the third line. A: Yes. V: What about the tenor line? A: Tenor line is on the fourth line. V: C note is on the fourth. A: Yes. Because in general all these clefs they always mark the note C of the first octave. V: Do you think people would have practiced these scores more eagerly using original C clefs or with simple today’s treble and bass clefs? A: Well you know, knowing how my students at school don’t like to sing solfege exercises for the C clef and those have only two voices I believe only a few would love to practice using those clefs. V: Too few. A: Yes, too few. V: Too few people are like me. A: Well you know it is hard for your brain. Not everybody could comprehend it. V: Not too many people are as crazy as myself. A: That’s true. V: So, with our blog of Secrets of Organ training and these podcasts do we try to help people become as crazy as we are or not? A: I don’t know what you mean by it, but… V: A little bit more similar to us or not? A: Probably yes. But you know it’s good sometimes to sight-read from the clefs, not too much probably but because we still have editions and use them such as eastern German edition of Peeters which has published lots of work by J. S. Bach and Buxtehude and other German masters and it has some spots that you have treble clef and bass clef but sometimes the C clefs appear. Not for a long time, maybe for like 2 lines or 4 lines and it means that if you want to play from that edition you have to read C clef because it wouldn’t just make sense for you and the note to write down those spots, to transpose them to like treble and bass clef. V: It’s like driving the car with stick shift and automatic shift. Automatic shift is easier, you have just the gas pedal and the brake pedal. But stick shift you have to think about the clutch and about manipulating with your right hand the gear. You see, not everyone prefers to do that extra work today, right? A: Yes, especially in the US. V: But guess what kind of cars do racers drive in marathon drive, you know car races. Of course, not automatic but manual shift. A: Yes, you can do more in that car especially in extreme situations. V: So guys, if you are satisfied with your current level of sight-reading ability then reading treble clef and bass clef only is surely enough. Right, Ausra? A: Yes. V: But if you want to go beyond that and advance to the unknown world of something that was done in the past or some things that people with lots of experience do today, it doesn’t hurt trying practicing other clefs. Maybe take one, just one clef and do sight-reading for one month in that one clef. A: Yes, that’s true. Trying some music written for alto for example because alto instrument plays from the alto clef. V: Or you could transpose because reading clefs is an exercise in transposition. A: That’s true, yes. V: If you take any kind of melody which is written in the treble clef and pretend it is in the bass clef, right? You could play it with your left hand and play two octaves and a sixth below so basically it transposes up a third interval, right? A: Yes. V: So you know two clefs very well now. Treble clef and the bass clef. If you pretend it’s not a treble clef but let’s say soprano clef you can do the same with your right hand. You just simply transpose to another key. So that’s what I did also. And you could do that too. That’s why it is beneficial. It also helps for improvisation because then in your mind you transpose the themes in various keys simply by changing the clef. A: Yes, and some actually solfege systems use that movable do, so called. And I think it’s right from the beginning from early age learn how to transpose, how to change keys very quickly. V: Yes, so, our Organ Sight-Reading Master Course is not the only way to improve your sight-reading, of course. You could just as well take any collection of music that you like and simply open it and practice one piece a day and in nine months you will improve a lot, right Ausra? A: Yes. V: But what I did which you will not find anywhere else is that I transposed those fugues for the Art of the Fugue to various keys. Not only from the original key of D Minor but to various keys with ascending numbers of accidentals so you could sight-read in all the keys, in minor keys, not in major keys. Then as a supplement of this course, as bonus material, I think we have seven additional weeks of legato, romantic organ settings based on the chorale preludes by Max Reger. So it’s also beneficial to expand your sight-reading into romantic legato style. Thank you guys, this is Vidas. A: And Ausra. V: And remember when you practice… A: Miracles happen.
Vidas: Let’s start Episode 98 of #AskVidasAndAusra podcast. And today’s question was sent by Rivadavia, and she would like to play reasonably difficult scores at first glance with the least error. So basically sight-read, yes, Ausra?
Ausra: Yes, yes. Vidas: So, is sight-reading a useful skill for organists, do you think? Ausra: Very useful; for any musician, it’s a useful skill. Vidas: Why? Ausra: Because the easier you can sight-read music, the easier you can learn music, too. Vidas: So, if I can play a medium-difficult piece from sight without preparation… Ausra: Yes? Vidas: Then probably, amount of time required to master that piece, or any other piece, would be minimal. Ausra: I hope so, yes--I think so, yes. Vidas: So what’s the first step, in your opinion, to get better at sight-reading? Ausra: Well, to do it regularly, to do it on a daily basis--I think that’s the best way. Vidas: How much music should you sight-read regularly, on a daily basis? Ausra: I would say one piece is enough, but you must do it every day. Vidas: Depending on the length, it could be even an episode of one piece. Ausra: Yes, that’s true. And telling that it’s one piece, I thought it’s about a 1- or 2-page-long piece. Vidas: But of course, if you have a sonata or a symphony, so it’s maybe half an hour long; so one part would be more than enough. Ausra: Yes. Yes, that’s true. Vidas: What’s the biggest mistake people make in sight-reading efforts? Ausra: I think most of them just pick too fast a tempo at the beginning. And that’s a mistake. You need to be a genius to sight-read a difficult piece at concert tempo. Vidas: Remember, even Bach couldn’t sight-read everything. When he visited his friends, he had this tradition of getting to the harpsichord and picking some music, and sight-reading right away. And one time, he stopped and got stuck in the middle of one page… Ausra: Yes? Vidas: And repeated that page 3 times! Finally, he decided that it’s not possible to sight-read everything. Ausra: Yes. Vidas: So... don’t despair, right? Ausra: Yes, that’s right! Vidas: Because even Bach couldn’t sight-read everything perfectly. Ausra: I don’t think there is a magic trick that could help you to sight-read everything in a fast tempo without any mistakes. Vidas: Is it ok to sight-read not all parts together, but just one line, let’s say, with one hand? Ausra: Well, yes; if you have trouble playing a few voices, then just play one or maybe two voices. Maybe sight-read RH first and then LH, and then pedal part. Vidas: Of the same piece? Ausra: Yes. Vidas: That still works. Ausra: Yes. Vidas: In the long run, you’ll get better… Ausra: Yes, yes. Sure. Vidas: And you can do combinations of two voices later on. Ausra: That’s right. Vidas: So, I hope our students can take this advice, and apply it to practice. But it’s not very easy to apply to practice, because if it would have been easy, a lot of people would be doing this already. Remember in our school, I suggested our students to sight-read one voice of a Bach 2-part Invention per day--RH and then LH, in the same day. Ausra: I remember that, yes. Vidas: And basically no one did it. Ausra: Mhm. Vidas: For a few weeks--it was a challenge, a 30-day challenge--because there are 15 2-part Inventions, and I suggested to do this for 30 days. One day RH, second day LH; and then from the beginning, the second invention; and so on. But they couldn’t keep up with this. Somebody tried it for a few days, but they stopped. Ausra: Yes, people don’t have enough motivation and patience. Vidas: Do you think that’s the case? Ausra: I think so, yes. Vidas: So, how could we motivate people to try this really, for real--for a longer period of time, until they get to see the results? Ausra: Well, you need to take it just step by step, and trust that at the end of that long way, you will see the result. There is no such thing as immediate gratification. Vidas: For example, I have a habit now, that whenever I sit down on the organ bench, I first try to sight-read or improvise, or vice versa. Ausra: Hmm. Vidas: Maybe sight-read first, because the improvisation could based on that piece which I previously sight-read. So what I do is, I open up a collection of music, and I sight-read one piece. If it’s a long piece, I sight-read several pages, or a section of it. And then it becomes a habit; I don’t even have to think about it. I even sort of miss it if I don’t do it regularly. Ausra: That’s a good way to do it--to make it your habit. Let’s say instead of warming up, just sight-read something and then learn your music, work on your music, or on your hymns. Vidas: So for example, when you will be playing organ music of preparing for our recital (which will be in November today), what piece or which collection will you choose to sight-read today? Ausra: Well I don’t know, I have to think about it. Vidas: Let’s say, early music or Romantic or modern music. Which is more dear to your heart? Ausra: Well basically any music, definitely. Vidas: Mhm. But you don’t have to stick with just one style, right? Ausra: That’s true. Vidas: You can alternate. Ausra: I like to sight-read piano music, too Vidas: Mhm. that counts, of course. Ausra: That way I can expand the repertoire that I know, from inside out. Vidas: Yeah. So guys, you see it’s really possible to develop a habit of sight-reading unfamiliar organ music, and gradually get better at this. Ausra: Yes. Vidas: It’s a very valuable skill. Ausra: And also, while sight-reading, maybe you will enjoy some piece so much that you will finally decide to learn it. Vidas: Yeah. Ausra: So that’s a good way to build up your repertoire. Vidas: And broaden your musical horizons, too. Ausra: Yes. Vidas: So, please apply our tips in your practice. It really works when we apply it--it works on us, and we know that our students who apply this in their practice, of course, get better and better every time. And send us more of your questions; we love helping you grow. So, this was Vidas. Ausra: And Ausra. Vidas: And remember, when you practice… Ausra: Miracles happen. |
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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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