Tweet
Hello all...
I really have a question about traditional organ technique, but since this is my first post, let me introduce myself.
I am a fellow of nineteen years, new to the organ and have only been playing for about 14mos. I never played piano or any other instrument before, however I sang and read music (a little). After an audition, I became an organ scholar at a Catholic Church in North Carolina, and studied organ for a year with the organist there (truly a master!) before moving to Los Angeles. All my practice was done on a 14-rank Zimmer tracker that broke down about as often as a 1971 Toyota Corolla, but I often learned how to fix the problems. My studies began with subdivision, and then simple finger exercises (I could recognize notes passably well, as I had been in choirs all throughout my childhood). After a few months my studies advanced to hymns, hanon exercises, scales, and Clarence Dickenson's Art of Organ playing. Before I left, I was learning more difficult 4-part hymns, and took on Bach's Eight Little Preludes and Fugues. It all went so incredibly fast, and even now I can't believe where I was and what I can do now. Playing the organ has become the center of all I do.
Shortly after moving to Los Angeles, someone heard I was learning the organ and I was soon offered a position as organist for the mid-morning mass at a Catholic Church there. There really wasn't anyone else to do it, and the mass had been destitute of any music for well over a year. My new organ is a $80k Rodgers 950 with several ranks of pipes (I havent counted the digital ranks, but I'm guessing there's about 80-90ish). The church needs four hymns and a few acclamations and accompanied prayers, and they are completely hands-off, leaving the show to me. I found a teacher and have been playing for about three months now.
My question is this: my first teacher had talked about how Bach played, about his articulation, and about what we know from research...ect... however he never made me learn anything performance-wise. I was taught clean-cut breathing and legato, which is what I do. I even learned the Eight Eittle Plds. & Fges in modern technique........
.....which shocked my new teacher upon hearing them played so. She has a BM in theory and a MM in organ, which she has been playing for four years. My first teacher had a doctorate and over 25 years of lessons (he still takes them today... he is in his early thirties). I guess he just felt that I wasn't ready for it.
What do you think of "traditional technique", of it's applicability, and where it can fit into today's churches? Is it wildly difficult to learn, and if so, is it worth it? Who plays it today?
Next week I am going to start learning this old-fashioned-three-fingerd'-thang, and I am both eager and interested.
travestyseventeen
I really have a question about traditional organ technique, but since this is my first post, let me introduce myself.
I am a fellow of nineteen years, new to the organ and have only been playing for about 14mos. I never played piano or any other instrument before, however I sang and read music (a little). After an audition, I became an organ scholar at a Catholic Church in North Carolina, and studied organ for a year with the organist there (truly a master!) before moving to Los Angeles. All my practice was done on a 14-rank Zimmer tracker that broke down about as often as a 1971 Toyota Corolla, but I often learned how to fix the problems. My studies began with subdivision, and then simple finger exercises (I could recognize notes passably well, as I had been in choirs all throughout my childhood). After a few months my studies advanced to hymns, hanon exercises, scales, and Clarence Dickenson's Art of Organ playing. Before I left, I was learning more difficult 4-part hymns, and took on Bach's Eight Little Preludes and Fugues. It all went so incredibly fast, and even now I can't believe where I was and what I can do now. Playing the organ has become the center of all I do.
Shortly after moving to Los Angeles, someone heard I was learning the organ and I was soon offered a position as organist for the mid-morning mass at a Catholic Church there. There really wasn't anyone else to do it, and the mass had been destitute of any music for well over a year. My new organ is a $80k Rodgers 950 with several ranks of pipes (I havent counted the digital ranks, but I'm guessing there's about 80-90ish). The church needs four hymns and a few acclamations and accompanied prayers, and they are completely hands-off, leaving the show to me. I found a teacher and have been playing for about three months now.
My question is this: my first teacher had talked about how Bach played, about his articulation, and about what we know from research...ect... however he never made me learn anything performance-wise. I was taught clean-cut breathing and legato, which is what I do. I even learned the Eight Eittle Plds. & Fges in modern technique........
.....which shocked my new teacher upon hearing them played so. She has a BM in theory and a MM in organ, which she has been playing for four years. My first teacher had a doctorate and over 25 years of lessons (he still takes them today... he is in his early thirties). I guess he just felt that I wasn't ready for it.
What do you think of "traditional technique", of it's applicability, and where it can fit into today's churches? Is it wildly difficult to learn, and if so, is it worth it? Who plays it today?
Next week I am going to start learning this old-fashioned-three-fingerd'-thang, and I am both eager and interested.
travestyseventeen
Comment