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    Frederik Magle
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    Krummhorn
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Uncomfortable pedalling problem.

Krummhorn

Administrator
Staff member
ADMINISTRATOR
Hi Ekpes,

There are a few YT videos on this subject. One such is here:


The other "tip" I can give is: Practice, practice, practice, practice ... and then ... practice again. Looking is okay, but I was taught not to. My organ tutor placed a towel between my waist and over the lowest manual so that I could not even peek. I found my way, but still look for proper note placement at the beginning of a piece.
 

wljmrbill

Member
Agree. I remember my piano days too when I started and she placed a cardboard above the keys so I could not see the notes and I was only 5..
 

Ekpes

New member
Hello sir thanks for the video.As a virtuoso organist which book on pedal techniques will you recommend for a beginner organist,because I know that you have come across so many books and exercises on organ pedal .
 

wljmrbill

Member
Hello sir thanks for the video.As a virtuoso organist which book on pedal techniques will you recommend for a beginner organist,because I know that you have come across so many books and exercises on organ pedal .

To Quote Lars:

The John Stainer Method book will be of great help to you ... another one, called the Gleason Method of Organ Playing is also an excellent guide,
 

Krummhorn

Administrator
Staff member
ADMINISTRATOR
To add, the Gleason book can get a bit pricey (last saw it on a site at $163 (USD)). I have the old 4th edition - paid five bucks for it way back in 1961; still have the book and refer to it from time to time, especially when I start to feel that my pedal work is getting sloppy.

The Stainer method book is lots less (saw it at $14 USD) in paperback form. Also available for Kindle.

The two methods (Gleason vs Stainer) take different approaches to learning the pedaling techniques. But the result is basically the same - the feet are able to find all the right notes, hopefully.
 

John Watt

Member
This is a very interesting thread, I'm learning a lot.
Becoming organistic with my electric guitar playing is where I'm at.
Only I've got prototype, Roland Boss half-rack micro-digital effects,
programmable and adjustable, instead of the natural acoustics of a room.

Imagine a no rate, no speed or phasing sound from an echo, just endless sustain.
When you play over it, it fades into the background as you keep playing,
layering multiples of chords and riffs and sounds.
Trying to play the wah-wah, or twist distortion effects with my feet,
takes me out of this sonic zone, a new head space I'm working on.
The latest front page video by Frederik Magle is very informative,
especially when he hits those lower notes, like a geyser erupting.
And just when he starts getting into some high notes,
looking like they're disappointing him, he starts to reach for controls,
and the video stops.
Teaser!
 

Albert

New member
The method I learned with in Germany was Ernst Kaller's Orgelschule - In German, English and French. Two books. Book one starts of with pedal exercises. A bit less heel than some of the other methods, but playing flat 30's is somewhat different than an AGO/RCO/RCCO 32 concave and radiating. I wore the seat of a pair of pants out because of the sliding from side to side on the bench to reach. That was on a BDO (concave parallel) 30 note pedal board. I still do practice touch ups after 50 years with the first few pages when I find my pedaling getting sloppy.

To the original poster, I notice that you purchased a pedal board and had a bench made. Can you lift the pedalboard up a bit to reach more easily? I have played overly short benches by putting wood under each side to lift the bench about 2.5 cm (1 inch)
 

Krummhorn

Administrator
Staff member
ADMINISTRATOR
. . . I have played overly short benches by putting wood under each side to lift the bench about 2.5 cm (1 inch)

Glad I'm not the only one who uses blocks. I play at a church twice each year where the organ bench height was trimmed about 4 inches below what is considered the standard bench height. I carry blocks with me when I have to play that organ.

I use 3/4 inch blocks at my own church where I play every week. The next organ console will have a crank to adjust the bench.
 

Nikam

New member
Precious few organ benches are the right height and adjustable benches are scarcer than hens' teeth :bawl:so I always go armed with blocks when I deputise! :grin:
 

dll927

New member
I get a kick out of calling electronics "toasters". Wonder who came up with that one. How about deep-fat fryers?? These days, no matter the type, without electricity we would be back to the old manually operated bellows. Plenty of exercise for the poor guys back there doing that.

It occurs to me that Cavaille-Coll, to say nothing of Silverman, would be dumbfounded by today's consoles. St. Sulpice, St. Ouen, or St. Sernin may have been state-of-the-art in their day, but the art has certainly changed. What, no pistons?? How dare they do that!! A while back I ran into a thread about St. Clotilde (Franck's baby) describing the organ and registrations as they were at various times and different organists. The most recent version has, down in the nave itself, a modern four-decker that I'm sure Cesar would have loved. Notre Dame Paris long ago lost its Cavaille-Coll for an electric action one (Toaster???) We've come along way, baby. But there are a handful around that are still as they were built in the 1800's.
 
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John Watt

Member
dll927! I can tell you "who came up with that one", my Scottish ancestors.
The prophesied global language of Proper English, as defined by Scottish publishing,
is understood by me.
You know toast. You know using a fire to make bread into toast.
Doing the same thing, only with electronics, makes it a toaster.
You might think that's too easy, so here's another one.

You know ice and freezing. You know old ice boxes.
Using electricity makes it a freezer, a new word in the fifties,
just extrapolating as Proper English. Saying "freezoid" isn't Proper.
And it is a little shameful to admit a Scotsman invented deep-fried Mars Bars.

You are truly fortunate not to be so authentic, original, with online use,
or you'd have developed an internet psychic sense, now wired world-wide.
Yes, Watt and his wire made you either wired or weird, but anyway,
it's bothersome when a pre-nuclear composer enters my brain.
All that humanity blows me away more than an atom bomb.

If all you're catching is some dumbfounded thoughts, good for you.
When Nicolo Paganini starts false harmonic whining about digital violins,
he can make the guts of a cat curl up.

I had the toaster my grandmother bought when they first came to Canada,
made in Montreal. It worked up until two years ago,
but that was me, sitting it sideways to toast up treats that sometimes leaked.
I'm still using the soldering gun my father received as a wedding present, 1949.
 
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Albert

New member
I have actually played an Allen which earns the name "toaster" quite legitimately. To the organist's right of the console, there is a large closet. In that closet are racks and racks of oscillators, tube (valve) oscillators. When it is chilly in the church, one can "toast" oneself in there. So despite my fellow Canadian's delightful dissertation, I'm afraid the epithet refers to early electronic organs. With nice toasty warm tubes (valves). And with lots of them. As in early Allens.
 
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Mick Berg

New member
I have actually played an Allen which earns the name "toaster" quite legitimately. To the organist's right of the console, there is a large closet. In that closet are racks and racks of oscillators, tube (valve) oscillators. When it is chilly in the church, one can "toast" oneself in there. So despite my fellow Canadian's delightful dissertation, I'm afraid the epithet refers to early electronic organs. With nice toasty warm tubes (valves). And with lots of them. As in early Allens.

I had a Conn 904. It didn't qualify as a toaster as it was transistorised but the house lights would dim when I turned it on. Apparently it was very expensive. It sounded awful. I gave it away and went digital.
Mick Berg
 

Krummhorn

Administrator
Staff member
ADMINISTRATOR
I had a Conn 904. It didn't qualify as a toaster as it was transistorised but the house lights would dim when I turned it on. Apparently it was very expensive. It sounded awful. I gave it away and went digital.
Mick Berg

I used to work in a music store that sold Conn's, Wurlitzer's (spinet models ), and Allen's. This was in the late 60's before any digital models were even available. The Conn was okay for theater music, but for classical sound it was "awful" - tinny noise ... and the Conn 'pipes' only made matters worse.
 

Mick Berg

New member
I used to work in a music store that sold Conn's, Wurlitzer's (spinet models ), and Allen's. This was in the late 60's before any digital models were even available. The Conn was okay for theater music, but for classical sound it was "awful" - tinny noise ... and the Conn 'pipes' only made matters worse.
Right. The Conn pipes are valuable collector items now. You can keep 'em AFAIC.
I was lucky, the 904 came with a lovely console (Klann/Moller) that is the basis of my GrandOrgue organ.
Mick
 

Mick Berg

New member
As we are talking toasters I should mention that the original 904 console burned up! Which is why I have the Moller/Klann.
Now there's a real toaster for you!
Mick
 
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