Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast No. 775! Today's question was sent by Tamsin Jones who is a composer and organist from the UK and she writes:"I have, by the way, a talking point that you and Ausra might like to make use of in your podcast. Namely, my organ teacher told me not to look at my hands while I play. I didn't realise that I was doing it so often, but now that I've been making strenuous efforts to play 'blind', as it were, I've found it both a frustrating and encouraging experience. It's frustrating because when it goes wrong, it can sound really disastrous, but encouraging because now and then I find I'm playing with a fluency and expressivity that I've not experienced before. I assume this kind of transitional experience is typical for everyone, but is it? And how long should I expect it to go on for?"

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Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast No. 774! Today's question was sent by Julie who is a member of our Total Organist community and she writes:

I was pleased that I was given Sunday’s hymns a couple of weeks in advance, which helps with planning preludes and postludes, but I got an email on Thursday notifying me that the processional and recessional hymns had been changed. (Sometimes the pastor will make changes if he thinks the text of a hymn fits better with his sermon.) So since according to the email the first hymn was going to use the tune “Erhalt uns Herr, bei deinem Wort“ instead, I practiced three different settings of it on Friday, only to find out on Saturday that there was a typo in the hymn number and the first hymn will actually use the tune “Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend.” So I practiced a couple of preludes based on that by Georg Böhm and Gerald Near, along with preludes by Pachelbel on “Es woll uns Gott gnädig sein” and a Buxtehude Praeludium which I will use as a postlude (BuxWV 147 in G major, one of the shorter, easier ones). I may start the prelude music early and use one or two of the preludes on “Erhalt uns, Herr” anyway.

Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast No. 773! Today's question was sent by our friend Rien Schalkwijk and wants to know what is our technical composing process.

Here you will find all my scores:

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Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast No. 772! Today's question was sent by Jerome and he writes:

Hi Vidas,

I’m an ardent listener of your podcast and a youtube channel.I have a quick question as it relates to pedal boards and practice. My church has the Rogers organ with the standard 32 pedalboard. However at home I have a smaller 25 note midi pedal board. I’m unable to practice at church consistently, because of work and distance .

The question is does practicing on a smaller pedal board ruin technique for standard pedaling. I’m new to the organ and have only been playing a year, but I’m a pianist before playing organ.Thanks for any feedback you might give, I can look forward to a podcast if you address this issue.

Thanks

Jerome Tulloch (from Jamaica)

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Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast No. 771! Today's question was sent by Arthur and he writes: "How can I know when to use the total legato touch, or the non-legato, in the execution of hymns?"

Here you will find all my scores:

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Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast No. 770! Today's question was sent by Remy and he writes:

"My dream for my organ playing is to be able to use the actual pedal. Our church organ is small and has only one octave pedal."

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Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast No. 769! This question was sent by Mark and he writes:

Dear Vidas,

Thank you for your podcast, which I have found very enlightening!

My question has to do with improvisation. As a church organist, I have an opportunity to improvise at least once during every Sunday service. I've been working hard on improving my improvisation skills over the past two years, and I would call myself a capable improviser. But lately I have found myself repeating the same formulas from week to week (often “Rule of the Octave” or Romanesca progressions, which my hands fall into very easily). Any advice for breaking away from these familiar patterns and exploring new territory?

Thanks,

Mark (YT @GaluppiMusic)

Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast No. 768! This question was sent by our YouTube organist friend Rien Schalkwijk and he writes:Last year I offered a befriended church a Christmas organ concert — completely free. A festive gesture, I thought. It was politely declined, as the church committee felt it would be “too much work” for the volunteers. Quite what sort of work a solo organ recital creates remains one of the unresolved mysteries of the season. But, a week ago, I discovered the same church had organised a Christmas concert with a choir and a pianist, complete with refreshments and a heated church. Clearly, some musical formats are more theologically efficient than others.

Here you will find all my scores:

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Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast No. 767! This question was sent by our YouTube organist/composer colleague Alejandro Consolacion II and he writes:This question is especially for organists with regular church responsibilities. How can we keep track of the pieces we have already played and continue discovering new repertoire—particularly newly composed works by international composers published online? What strategies can help us expand our literature in ways that are useful for both liturgical playing and recital performance?Again, I hope these questions will be helpful to me and to your regular listeners.More power to you both!Warm regards,AlejandroHere you will find all my scores: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/en/category/arrangeme/?q=Secrets+of+Organ+Playing&aff_id=454957Secrets of Organ Playing Mug: https://www.zazzle.co.uk/z/ywbhd071?rf=238366920809443329You can support this channel by becoming a member here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO4K3_6QVJI_HlI5PCFQqtg/joinIf you like what I do, you can buy me some coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/organduoPayPal: https://PayPal.Me/VPinkeviciusWe support Ukraine: https://www.blue-yellow.lt/enMy Hauptwerk setup: https://www.organduo.lt/tools.htmlTotal Organist - the most comprehensive organ training program online: https://www.organduo.lt/total-organistSecrets of Organ Playing - When You Practice, Miracles Happen! https://organduo.ltListen to my organ playing on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0ckKPIvTWucoN3CZwGodCO?si=YWy7_0HqRvaZwBcovL-RKg#secretsoforganplaying #vidaspinkevicius #ausramotuzaite

Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast No. 766! This question was sent by Alejandro Consolacion II, our YouTube organist/composer colleague and he writes:There are times when, despite thorough preparation, things still fall apart during concerts or recitals. How can musicians effectively deal with nervousness and stage fright? What positive attitudes or mental approaches are essential in order to persevere and continue striving to give one’s best?

Here you will find all my scores: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/en/category/arrangeme/?q=Secrets+of+Organ+Playing&aff_id=454957Secrets of Organ Playing Mug: https://www.zazzle.co.uk/z/ywbhd071?rf=238366920809443329You can support this channel by becoming a member here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO4K3_6QVJI_HlI5PCFQqtg/joinIf you like what I do, you can buy me some coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/organduoPayPal: https://PayPal.Me/VPinkeviciusWe support Ukraine: https://www.blue-yellow.lt/enMy Hauptwerk setup: https://www.organduo.lt/tools.htmlTotal Organist - the most comprehensive organ training program online: https://www.organduo.lt/total-organistSecrets of Organ Playing - When You Practice, Miracles Happen! https://organduo.ltListen to my organ playing on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0ckKPIvTWucoN3CZwGodCO?si=YWy7_0HqRvaZwBcovL-RKg#secretsoforganplaying #vidaspinkevicius #ausramotuzaite

Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast No. 765! This question was sent by Alejandro Consolacion II, our YouTube organist/composer colleague and he writes:Aušra and Vidas,I just want to drop by and say thank you for your wonderful weekly podcast addressing various issues in organ playing. It has been incredibly helpful, and I truly enjoy your discussions and reflections on the weekly questions. Aušra’s insights are often very realistic, while Vidas brings a more positive and encouraging perspective—together, this creates a well-balanced and constructive partnership that makes the conversations especially meaningful and practical.I heard you inviting questions, and if I may, I would like to share a few that I believe could also be helpful to other listeners.1st Question: For beginner organists:Many teachers assign the short preludes and fugues formerly attributed to J. S. Bach (BWV 553–560). While this collection is an excellent primer, I find it challenging for beginners to start with the C major pieces, as they involve denser textures and greater technical demands. Could you suggest a recommended sequence—from the easiest to the most challenging—for students working through this set?

Bach Organ Mastery Level 1: https://secrets-of-organ-playing.myshopify.com/products/bach-organ-mastery-level-1

Here you will find all my scores: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/en/category/arrangeme/?q=Secrets+of+Organ+Playing&aff_id=454957Secrets of Organ Playing Mug: https://www.zazzle.co.uk/z/ywbhd071?rf=238366920809443329You can support this channel by becoming a member here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO4K3_6QVJI_HlI5PCFQqtg/joinIf you like what I do, you can buy me some coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/organduoPayPal: https://PayPal.Me/VPinkeviciusWe support Ukraine: https://www.blue-yellow.lt/enMy Hauptwerk setup: https://www.organduo.lt/tools.htmlTotal Organist - the most comprehensive organ training program online: https://www.organduo.lt/total-organistSecrets of Organ Playing - When You Practice, Miracles Happen! https://organduo.ltListen to my organ playing on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0ckKPIvTWucoN3CZwGodCO?si=YWy7_0HqRvaZwBcovL-RKg#secretsoforganplaying #vidaspinkevicius #ausramotuzaite