Organ… anyone?

Hi!

From my son’s experience (taught himself piano with a mentor, and then did the same thing with the organ) I’d really recommend talking to your church organist.  In my son’s case, it was much easier to learn the basics on the piano, and then expand to the necessary new things on the organ.  The piano is a lot more adaptable.  In our case, our church organist simply mentored my son as necessary as he got used to the various parts of the organ and how to play.  He does have some books, but they mostly are for people who can already play basic hymns on the piano.  If you want, PM me and I can give you some resources we’ve found that have been very helpful, from books to blogs, but they all start with a person already having basic keyboard skills first.  In our experience church organists are VERY excited to have anyone show any interest at all and will also be a great resource for you. 

As for piano courses, I think the Keyboard Course is great.  My son used it heavily although his mentor did have him skip the simplified hymn arrangements–he insisted that the real hymns wouldn’t take that much longer and had a list of easier ones for him to do.  I can get the list for you later if you want.  Ds is at a Scout camp working all summer, but he took his keyboard with him (incidentally, he’s in an impromptu “band” with several other boys who brought guitars) and he’d surely remember the first dozen or so hymns he learned, straight from using the basic Alfred’s books.  He was older when he started, and highly self-motivated, so he moved quickly but I think the basics are the same anyway. 

JMHO!  I’d have been totally flabbergasted to try and figure out what to do for organ first.  Piano first was soooo much easier!  Ds learned some simple  basics and was playing hymns on the organ after only a few weeks adjustment.  He’s continued to learn more, but he had some serious “on-the-job” training after he was called as assistant ward organist, then the regular organist fell and broke her shoulder a few weeks later!!!

I agree with Bookworm.  My degree is in music.  Piano was my primary instrument and organ was my secondary.  My first organ lessons were simply taking hymns and playing the bass line with my feet.    I learned about setting my registrations as well.  Technique is very different for organ manuals (the keyboard) so I worked on this as well.  When this was comfortable, I began some organ classical literature, simple Bach Preludes and Fugues, etc.  That served me well and my college organ professor was pleased with what I had learned.

I did work through Method of Organ Playing by Harold Gleason.  This was beneficial because it gave specific exercises for technique.  For example, you must sustain notes with your fingers rather than the sustain pedal on the piano, so there were exercises for those.  Double thirds are an important organ technique, but many of these exercises could be made up yourself or your church organist could help you.  There were pedal exersices and scales as well.  Probably much of it would be overkill but did want to mention it.

I haven’t played the organ in years.  Don’t have access to one really.  It’s a shame…