r/organ

Which organ works—original or transcriptions—feature a broad, gradual crescendo from the softest whisper (ppp) to a blazing tutti (fff)?

I really love Cortège et Litanie by Marcel Dupré and Apparition de l’Église éternelle by Olivier Messiaen.

I know this is a really odd ask but I am attempting to learn the organ at my church. Sadly it is quite damaged and until it is repaired I cannot fully play it.

Interestingly the organ only has 1 manual + the pedalboard. It has something like 6 stops? Maybe a few more.

This is where my question stems from. Where can I find a organ similar to this to practice on at home? 

I don't know is this a propper group but, does anybody have pdf scores of Flor Peeters: Toccata, Fugue et Hymne "Ave Maris Stella" op. 28?

Thanks😊

I am looking at holding some kind of organ education event at the church where I am the organist. Before I came, it had been a number of years since the organ had been used (they primarily use guitar). For others who have done something like this, I am looking for ideas on what to include. Obviously, I would perform some music. But what else can I include? Some ideas I have been thinking of include a brief overview of how the pipe organ works, its importance in Catholic liturgy, and going more in depth on our church's organ. Thank you for your ideas!

The Hammond isn't just about tone - it's about 'motion inside the tone', or maybe 'E'motion' inside the tone. Between the drawbars, volume pedal drive and the way the Leslie interacts with the room (moving air), you're constantly shaping something that's alive, organic - not static.

A lot of modern setups get very close sonically, but the feel under your hands is different because the mechanics aren't there. Those mechanics create an interaction that changes how you phrase and play in the moment. 

I’m curious how others here experience it - what makes a Hammond feel "alive" to you?

I added a short clip here to show what I mean; it's about laying in your ideas or inspiration as it starts to hit you while in the groove of a practice loop you are using. I start slow with just pad chords in more of an accompaniment way with an occasional lick, then build new ideas as your emotion increases.

The Hammond tone-wheel provides so much expression for the soul at the fingertips!

 RW

Me practicing w/a music loop-Trying out ideas-following my emotion or the groove

I've been learning the organ for about 2 years now. At first I would always practice with shoes, but for the last few months I have been practicing in socks since I seem to have more accuracy, and It's certainly much more comfortable.
I'm just wondering if I should buy a good pair of shoes now and continue learning the "right" way, especially since I've seen someone mention that they have pain in their heel from practicing in socks :/

Do you prefer playing secular music or liturgical pieces?

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Besides the essential work by Marcel Dupré, which can be a bit austere, what are your favorite pedagogical books for getting familiar with organ improvisation (both tonal and modal)?

There is the “course” by Lionel Rogg, which is quite good. What are your personal favorites?

Thank you!

I incorporated your suggestions about incorporating some of the organ colors and techniques over to the piano, and came up with the “wall of sound” I wanted to create in the last two pages of “Litanies”.

Thank you ALL for the suggestions you provided! They helped a lot.

The organ prof (actually, he’s really more of a musical mentor - interesting to be mentoring with someone who is half my age!) I’m working with said my transcription is “horrifically difficult” but playable. I agree with him. The original last two pages on the organ are also “horrifically difficult” on the organ.

I’m playing my transcription on a program next Saturday. I’m also including my transcription of Bach’s “Valet will ich der geben” (BWV 736), and my “Bach Counterpoint” on the program.

In “Bach Counterpoint”, I took a prelude from one of the unaccompanied Bach sonatas and added a line of counterpoint. The cantus firmus remains the same through the piece, though it switches between the hands as needed. The counterpoint covers the full length of the keyboard. I composed it in a neo-Baroque style, reminiscent of Busoni (a favorite composer), but with my own touches: passagework played with the fingers of one hand playing over or under the other hand; HUGE leaps; really uncomfortable passagework; parallel minor ninths in 16th notes. I set out intentionally to write the most difficult piece I could imagine which was still playable by one performer. My mentor described it as “ten pages of pianistic terror” which I took as a compliment! 🤗 Then I learned the piece.

I actually studied organ for two semesters as secondary instrument when I was an undergraduate, 55 years ago. The pedals drove me absolutely up the wall. I ended up making transcriptions of the organ pieces, which I played on organ. My organ teacher back then suggested that I might want to consider making transcriptions of organ pieces for the piano.

I realized that I would never be more than a very mediocre organist (probably because I’m a pianist!) but I absolutely fell in love with the organ literature. My transcription of “Litanies” is a life-long “bucket list” dream.

My mentor gave me an assignment to see if I could work out my own transcription of Bach’s Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C; Vierne’s “Carillon de Westminster” (which I think is going to be great fun to play!); and to start looking at pieces by Dupré. Dupré strikes me as being to the organ what Liszt is to piano in terms of difficulty. Do you all have any suggestions of Dupré pieces which might work on a piano?

I have been working on a project where I make an arrangement of a hymn once a week to play during the service Sundays.

This week I did Cwm Rhondda and was quite happy with it. It’s a canon at the lower 5th between the soprano and the bass with free Counterpoint in between.

The melody is exactly the same as the 1982 hymnal so it can be used either as a reharmonization for the final verse or as an intro for the hymn. Feel free to use it in a service if you enjoy it!

There’s a google drive link to a score and recording attached.

Hi guys, I recently got a vintage magnus organ 2437 and i was wondering if there's still places i can go to get sheet music for this particular model, I tried looking up the adress on the receipt from when it was bought but the shop got bought out in 2009 lol.

Also some of the keys stick (only while its turned on), not to sure if its because its from the 1970s and hasn't been used in a while, but I don't want to damage the keys, so any advice on how to clean/restore would be great!!

Hello! Writing to ask for digestible pieces to learn as a person who has played keyboards for many years and received classical training but never played the organ. I'll be having the opportunity to practice at a local church very occasionally as a favor from a friend. Next week I'll hopefully be able to spend an entire morning there, and I was thinking of what I should try doing. Organs look so confusing, like the inside of a computer xD and no-one plays it there so I don't have anyone to answer my questions. Any advice is appreciated.

This guy wrote a ton of chorale preludes in the 20th century, but honestly I find most of his music to be tonally off-putting. I don't think my congregation likes it either. He was obviously a gifted composer; what was he trying to achieve by writing in such a harmonically avant-garde style? I feel like his chorale preludes would be so much more useful if they were written in a more traditionally harmonic style. Comparing his work to contemporary organist composers like Phil Lehenbauer, I find the latter's work to be much more pleasing to the ear and satisfying, even though he is a bit experimental with harmony at times.

Additionally, some of his registration suggestions are just strange to me. They don't sound good. Like 16' + 4' + II Mixture? Is it just my instrument that this sounds bad on? What am I missing with Flor Peeters?

Hi all, I'm looking for somewhere in London to practise organ. I'm a beginner (used to play at school around 10 years ago). Are there any churches or other practice spaces you'd recommend?

I only need a 2 manual so it can be pretty basic!

Thanks in advance