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Paul Nelson reportingSome musicians say there is a shortage of people who know how to play the organ. They say it's not as easy as it looks. But they say church services just don't sound the same without an organ.
Realistically, don't all people who know how to play the piano know how to play the organ? The keys look exactly the same, and isn't that basically all you need to know? Some organists say there's a lot more to it than that.
Organist Ian Christensen said, "I think the organ has some really unique challenges to it. There are just so many things to coordinate. Obviously you have to play pedals, but the technique on the organ, I find, is lots more challenging than on the piano."
One example of this different technique Christensen gave me is called finger substitutions. You don't need to use them on the piano that often because you have a pedal that will sustain the notes you're playing. "On the organ, once you lift up on that key, that sound is gone. If you want to keep that sound you have to keep a finger on that key," Christensen explained.
Christensen has to use more than one finger to play the same note at times. Then you have the pedals to deals with.
American Guild of Organists, Salt Lake Chapter Dean Ingrid Hersman said, "Instead of looking at two staffs (on sheet music) which you have for the right hand and the left hand, or the upper voices and the accompaniment, on the organ you have a third staff added for the feet."
Hersman says organists are a dying breed. "They're so hard to come by because the study itself is so time-consuming and so expensive."
Some people may ask, "So, what? Just use a piano instead of an organ. Big deal." Hersman responded, "There's something about adding different sounds; flute sounds, flute stops or string sounds that just seems to encourage the congregation to sing more than just the piano."
How about a comparison? Let's use the Christian hymn "What A Friend We Have In Jesus" or as it's known in the LDS Church "Israel, Israel, God Is Calling." You can hear a sample of the hymn on the piano and on the organ by clicking the icons above.
Hersman says some members of the LDS Church sometimes volunteer to play for other denominations because there aren't enough organists to go around. She says she's planning a week-long summer camp for organists in June. For more information on that training, click on to the link listed above.
E-mail: pnelson@ksl.com
