From Pianist to Church Organist – Tips on How to Make the Transition
One moment you are happy and relaxed playing the hymns and choruses on the piano, the next minute you find yourself on the organ after being approached by the Vicar. Well, he or she did say some nice things and it is your Christian duty – right!
Now that your arms and legs are flying in all directions, the pressure is on and although you are working very hard at every opportunity, you are still finding it difficult to keep up with the requirements of the job.
So what do you do next – how can you make the transition to the organ, keep your sanity and still give a good account of yourself on a Sunday?
When I first started to play the organ at church, my biggest worry was that I would make myself look stupid. Surrounded by people who would tell me how brilliant the organist was in the church down the road, and how if they had a bit more time, would take on the job themselves, I thought I was playing to a congregation of retired organists!
After a time, I realized that some people do tend to exaggerate and that I was the most eligible candidate for the job because I was the only person who could play the piano to any degree of proficiency. However, I also realized that I would only accomplish the transition from pianist to organist if I could play to my own expectation, which at the beginning was higher than was practical.
The first tip I would give to someone in a similar position is to play easy music well – not difficult music badly. People listening to organ music, or any music for that matter, cannot usually tell if the music is hard or easy to play, but most people do know if there are any mistakes. Playing easier pieces will also make the transition easier.
The next tip I would give is to learn to play the bass pedals. It may seem very difficult at first, but organ playing, especially hymn playing, becomes easier when the feet can contribute to the sound and you don’t have to rely solely on the hands and manuals. The pedals are often the most difficult hurdle when changing from piano to organ and it can feel like playing two instruments at the same time! Hymn playing is harmonic – based on chords – so if you can think of your feet as an extension of your hands so that your mind gets used to including the bass pedals in the chord structure, playing pedals in hymns should become a more natural process.
Lastly, be realistic about what is achievable, from yourself and the choir, and set yourself a practice schedule that you can stick to. Being too ambitious about the time you can give or the level of music you can play will probably result in disappointment. It is also encouragement that you need if you are to make the transition from pianist to church organist.
Nick Chenhall has been a musician and teacher for over thirty years and runs his own Reluctant Organist website with practical advice on how to survive the post.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nick_Chenhall
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Tags: christian, church, church organ, church organist, hymns, music, organ music, piano, play the piano