Replacing your old organist

If you have an old organist in your church who has health issues and has decided to retire, perhaps you are the one who's been asked to fill in.

But you don't feel ready. Not ready and afraid.

​Here's what you can do.

Play only soprano and bass parts of your hymns on the manuals at first. That's the short-cut strategy while you get used to four part texture and learn other aspects of organ playing, pedal playing, organ repertoire, music theory etc.

If you won't be ready to play all the hymns for the church right away, you can start assisting your old organist by playing just one hymn for starters then the next week 2 hymns, then 3 hymns and so forth.

But you will need to know the hymns in advance to prepare properly.

Perhaps since the old organist will feel your support, he/she can stay in the church for a few more weeks.

[Thanks to Katharine]

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Ausra's Harmony Exercise:

Practice the following cadence in C minor. The chords: I-V43-I-IV6-I64-V-V42-I6 (see video example below).

Victoria from California, USA asks about why the chords are called V6, IV6, or I64"?

Root position chords can also be called as the 5th chords because there is an interval of the 5th between the two outer notes of the chord. The 1st inversion chord is called the 6th chord because there is an interval of the 6th between the two outer notes of the chord. And the 2nd inversion chord is called the 64th chord because between the outer notes is the 6th but between the two lowest notes is the 4th.

Roman numeral I means the tonic chord built from the 1st scale degree, V means the dominant chord built from the 5th scale degree, and IV means the subdominant chord built from the 4th scale degree.

​Do you have a question about harmony for Ausra? You can reach her by email.

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Spiky and Pinky Play Duets 20