How to Be Able to Play Organ Pedals With Accuracy?
In addition to hand and feet coordination and articulation, pedal playing is one of the greatest challenges the aspiring organist must overcome.
Everyone wants to play those difficult pedal lines with precision and confidence.
However, as we all know it is not that easy to achieve it.
It is not unusual that a beginner organist might press the wrong note even in a technically straightforward episode, not to mention the fast-moving passages and scales.
In this article, I will show you how to play accurately pedal parts of your organ compositions.
Use pedal preparation.
One of the main tricks which help to achieve accuracy in pedal playing is pedal preparation.
This technique helps to program the correct notes in advance and is not very difficult to implement.
In order to apply pedal preparation, study the pedal of your organ piece and pencil in the next note for each foot in parentheses indicating toe or heel above or beneath the note.
Then practice your pedal part in short fragments repeatedly (10 or more times).
Move the foot to the next position as soon as the previous note is released.
If you wait for the moment to play and move only then, it will be already too late.
Just move instantly and let your foot stay there waiting for its turn to play.
You will begin to notice that the movements of the feet become automatic and that both feet will have a short moment of resting on the next pedal before actually playing it.
Play with the inside of the foot.
Try to use the inside of your foot for the depression of the pedal.
In other words, play with the big toe or the inside portion of the heel.
This technique helps to point the knees inward regardless of the length of your legs.
When you play on the outer edges of the pedal board, change the position by pushing off with the opposite leg.
Again, at first you will have to think about playing with the inside of the foot.
Later it will become automatic because you will form a good playing habit.
Write in pedaling and stick to it.
I suggest writing in correct and comfortable pedaling for all your pedal parts, easy or difficult, at least in the beginning stages of your organist career.
Use pencil and don't hesitate to change it if you feel any strain or tension.
Even more important is that you stick to the pedaling and play the same way every time.
Otherwise your feet will get confused and chances to make mistakes will be greater.
If you are serious about organ playing, follow my advice, write in pedaling, play with the inside of your feet, use pedal preparation and you will be able to play pedals with accuracy.
Everyone wants to play those difficult pedal lines with precision and confidence.
However, as we all know it is not that easy to achieve it.
It is not unusual that a beginner organist might press the wrong note even in a technically straightforward episode, not to mention the fast-moving passages and scales.
In this article, I will show you how to play accurately pedal parts of your organ compositions.
Use pedal preparation.
One of the main tricks which help to achieve accuracy in pedal playing is pedal preparation.
This technique helps to program the correct notes in advance and is not very difficult to implement.
In order to apply pedal preparation, study the pedal of your organ piece and pencil in the next note for each foot in parentheses indicating toe or heel above or beneath the note.
Then practice your pedal part in short fragments repeatedly (10 or more times).
Move the foot to the next position as soon as the previous note is released.
If you wait for the moment to play and move only then, it will be already too late.
Just move instantly and let your foot stay there waiting for its turn to play.
You will begin to notice that the movements of the feet become automatic and that both feet will have a short moment of resting on the next pedal before actually playing it.
Play with the inside of the foot.
Try to use the inside of your foot for the depression of the pedal.
In other words, play with the big toe or the inside portion of the heel.
This technique helps to point the knees inward regardless of the length of your legs.
When you play on the outer edges of the pedal board, change the position by pushing off with the opposite leg.
Again, at first you will have to think about playing with the inside of the foot.
Later it will become automatic because you will form a good playing habit.
Write in pedaling and stick to it.
I suggest writing in correct and comfortable pedaling for all your pedal parts, easy or difficult, at least in the beginning stages of your organist career.
Use pencil and don't hesitate to change it if you feel any strain or tension.
Even more important is that you stick to the pedaling and play the same way every time.
Otherwise your feet will get confused and chances to make mistakes will be greater.
If you are serious about organ playing, follow my advice, write in pedaling, play with the inside of your feet, use pedal preparation and you will be able to play pedals with accuracy.
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