What kind of organ should I use for practice?

[henrik.hank]

Is it better to practice on a electronic or the non-electronic organ for a beginner?
I am not sure what the non-electronic organs are called. If I am cirrect they are also a bit electronic nowadays even if they have pipes.

[Leisesturm]

Non-electronic organs are usually called 'pipe organs' or just organs. Yes, modern pipe organs often have electronic sub-systems for stop selection and other console management. And, of course, an electric blower to supply air under pressure is a given. As to what to practice? Whatever you've got available to you.

[Piperdane]

It's the repetition of playing the keys and pedals during practice that is most important. I once saw the late Virgil Fox practicing on a spinet organ in the Allen Organ dealer store I used to work for. I asked and he said the instrument was not important - it was the practice of repetition on the keyboard that was most important. Practice on what is available.

[Peterboroughdiapason]

Most pipe organs have electric or electro-pneumatic action. For practice purposes it's not going to be much different from an electronic instrument. (I suppose that, in an ideal world, a tracker or mechanical action pipe organ would be best.)

[henrik.hank]

I was told that no organ is alike. As an accordionist I am very aware of how different two accordions can feel. The only advice is to olay in many different accordion. Would this be the same for organ playing?
i guess my question was about viscount organs vs older pipe organs. I don't like electronic stuff. It is not "real" to me if you know what I mean.

[samibe]

That's a pretty accurate statement and it goes for most instruments. It takes some time to get used to the idiosyncrasies of different instruments. If you are planning on performing, then you'll need to spend time getting used to the instrument that you perform on, regardless of whether you practice on it regularly or not. While my home organ is similar to the organ a play at church, I still spend at least 20min before sunday services making sure the organ is set up the way I want and making sure everything I've planned sounds like I am expecting.

My bare minimum list of requirements for an organ is that it has to be mechanically functional (and reliable) and it needs to sound and feel reasonably accurate (or at least similar to other organs you will likely play). To dive a little deeper, a functional and reliable instrument will make sure you spend your time practicing and learning rather than fighting your instrument. It needs to sound enough like other organs that you can develop a framework and understanding of how the stops sound and how to develop registrations. It will also help you transfer that understanding to other organs you may play. The organ you practice on needs to feel enough like other organs so that you learn to feel your way around the manuals and pedal without having to watch your hands and feet.

As far as what is best to learn on, anything you can get your hands and feet on, regularly. My organ teacher practices at the church he plays for (it's his full-time job). His church has a pipe organ and a digital organ (because the pipe organ needs work and is unreliable). I practice on a digital organ because it fits in my house, it's reliable, and didn't cost an arm and a leg for all of it's bells and whistles.