5 Techniques Which Help to Develop Correct Organ Practice Habits

Any organist wants to achieve a high level of success in organ playing. Achieving this level requires developing good practice habits. In this article, I will give you top 5 techniques that will help you to take your organ playing to the next level.

Be strict on correcting your mistakes. It is best to practice in such a way and tempo that you could avoid making mistakes. However, this is not always possible. When you make a mistake, always make a mental note of it, stop and think about what might be the reason for it (incorrect hand or feet position, fingering or pedaling, tempo, difficult rhythmical element or any other thing). When you know what the reason was, go back, try to correct it, and play a few times in a row correctly. Practicing in this way will help you form the right practice habits.
Work on improving your manual and pedal technique. Mistakes may also occur because your technique is not yet fully developed. I suggest daily practice of Hanon exercises and pedal scales for improving your finger and pedal technique. They not only are perfect means to warm up before practice but also will help you to acquire advanced technical skills. Even if full organ practice time is unavailable on a particular day to you, manual and pedal exercises is a must. You won't regret it.
Be aware of how the piece is put together. As you practice, think not only about correct notes, fingers, pedals, rhythms, and articulation, but also about the structure of the piece. Think like a composer. Discover the main cadences, keys used in a composition, and identify the form. In order to do that you may need to refresh your music theory skills. You will be surprised how much more solid your organ playing will become.
Practice sight-reading. Choose a collection of music of your level and play a page or two daily. If you will find this task too difficult, try playing just one line, voice, or hand at a time. If you want to be able to learn advanced organ music fast, this sight-reading exercise is indispensable.
Have patience. Do not expect fast results in a short time. Sometimes we are even not aware of our own advancement. Even though you make mistakes and find many challenging parts in your music, you are still making progress. On the other hand, if you think you are progressing fast, that may not necessarily be true and you need to reassess your practicing habits. Try to find someone who can listen to you objectively. Record your own organ playing and analyze it with a strict ear. By the way, this is why having a teacher or a mentor is so important.

Keep my suggestions in mind, practice regularly, slowly, have a specific goal in mind and you will have much more chances to succeed in organ playing.

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