Other instruments

[Thomas Dressler]

I'm curious about what other instruments you all might play. I guess we can pretty much assume that most organists also play the piano, but how about harpsichord, clavichord, or violin, trumpet, flute, etc? How does playing these other instruments affect your organ playing?

Thomas Dressler

[Christine Callisen]

Hi Thomas

I play the piano, and if I want to i can also play trumpet. I play piano a lot and that´s my favourite intrument - the trumpet is kind of a second option. Then I sing, and that´s the "instrument" I use the most..... love to sing!

What are your favourite instrument??

Christine

[corno]

I haven't had the fortune to play on an organ yet I'm sad to say. It's just not an instrument you easily come by unless you own a church or have some good connections (or a job playing one, of course).

But I guess it goes with organ, as with any other instrument that when playing more than one instrument that you more easily transfer ways of thinking, and when learning a new instrument (for me when I was learning to play the horn having played piano for some time prior to that) you use some of the knowledge you've learned on other instruments hitherto - for me pitch/notes are evaluated from the pianokeylayout. Even when playing horn, when reading the music in front of me I sometimes see the intervals mentally as when looking at the keys, more than the interval as an abstract thing (the fingering follows the piano visualisation).

As to my piano (would-be-organ) playing I think the knowledge of being able to play other instruments (mainly wind instruments from my horn over recorders, flutes, misc. brass instruments to more exotic types like the noseflute) helps me in phrasing and when playing with/accompanying others. For some pianoplayers with no windplaying experience the (for wind players) natural breathing pauses here and there are not that easy to imitate and is something they have to think about moreso than the "windplaying" pianoplayers.

The job as an organist/organplayer in a church (the concert organ player without church experience, I gather, is very uncommon as a profession) would also include an extensive knowledge of choral music besides the purely technically organ related stuff. So an organ player would, I would guess, be somewhat "biased" when it comes to playing/phrasing the organ towards a more cantabile way? or as a direct opposition to that (non cantabile)?

[Thomas Dressler]

Gosh, I can't really say what my favorite instrument is. I do like the clavichord and awful lot (and of course I like the organ, but I think we're talking OTHER than the organ.) I also played the trumpet for 8 years in school.

Is it difficult in Denmark to get to play an organ? When I was a teenager and learning to play, I had a difficult time here finding a church that would allow me to practice on their organ. While there were a number of pipe organs in my home town, the church people had this crazy idea that it would wear it out. The truth is that within reason, the more you play them, the better they work. I guess I thought the people in Denmark might be a little more laid back than here and that more people would be exposed to playing the organ (or allowed to.)

I think it's very helpful for organists to either play another instrument or, even better, to sing. The organ is very much a mechanical instrument, and organists need to study HOW the voice and other instruments make musical sounds and phrases, and try to imitate it. In general, I guess you could say that organists try to play cantabile, yes. But that does not necessarily mean legato. Completely legato organ playing is an invention of the very late 19th century into the 20th century. It makes a sound that doesn't "breathe" like another instrument. In early music, like Bach or Buxtehude, or earlier, organists did not play legato--they articulated between notes, with the idea that in a large room the sounds would meld together and SOUND legato, but with inflexion. I believe even some 19th century composers, like Mendelssohn and Brahms meant a flexible legato of sorts on the organ.

So organists play with illusion. We create the illusion of breathing, of consonants in singing, and even of cresdendo/diminuendo on instruments without swell boxes. And it's very helpful to be familiar with other instruments or the voice so you know what you're trying to imitate.

Not taking a breath in your playing is common to keyboard players, piano, organ, etc. I find one of the best ways for an organist to get over this problem is to play hymns and sing along with your own playing.

The "other" Thomas (Dressler)

[Alexander smith]

Hi I play the cello and I'm not sure how it effects me except for helping me read the bass clef and being fun.

[Krummhorn]

So organists play with illusion. We create the illusion of breathing, of consonants in singing, and even of cresdendo/diminuendo on instruments without swell boxes. And it's very helpful to be familiar with other instruments or the voice so you know what you're trying to imitate.

Not taking a breath in your playing is common to keyboard players, piano, organ, etc. I find one of the best ways for an organist to get over this problem is to play hymns and sing along with your own playing.

The "other" Thomas (Dressler)

I agree with you whole-heartedly, Thomas. I've visited other churches where the organist has no concept of what proper phrasing between hymn verses means. By the time I caught a breath, the organist was well into the third bar - playing solo, mind you, and with one of those 'deer in the headlights stare' at the congregation wondering why nobody was singing the same notes the organist was playing. DOHH!!

No matter how familiar the tune, I always sing at least the first two verses of the hymn while playing in the church service.

As for other "instruments", I am also an avid Handbell Ringer. I've been ringing for about 8 years now and also play in my church's bell choir ... it's an interesting challenge after the bell anthem (offertory) getting the gloves off and back to the console for the offertory canticle . Fortunately, that only occurs one Sunday per month

[Simon Jansfort]

Hi Thomas

I play the piano, and if I want to i can also play trumpet. I play piano a lot and that´s my favourite intrument - the trumpet is kind of a second option. Then I sing, and that´s the "instrument" I use the most..... love to sing!

What are your favourite instrument??

Christine

Wow, a danish girl of almost the same age as me - on a pipe organ forum? Now that's something you don't see everyday!

Where are you from and what are you studying?


And then to the other question this topic was actually about:

I play, of course, the pipe organ but have only done it for about 1½ year. I have had a steady job with it for little over a year though. (I learn fast )

I also play the piano, but not classical as many probably do... No I play jazz piano and am currently studying to get into Conservatory with it.

In my younger years I have played classical guitar, classical piano, flute, and a variety of other instruments that I haven't played as much.

I come from a family of musicians so I can more or less get a fair tune out of everything on my way ...


Best,
Simon

[Simon Jansfort]

Oh yeah, and all the jazz instruments. Totally forgot that.

I greatly play the Rhodes, and I often play Hammond organ as well. Just bought myself a replica.

Also Wurlitzer some times.

(can't figure out how to edit my post, so this one goes in a new one)

Simon

[nachoba]

In my case organ and clavichord. I play piano, but really don't like the sound...