Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley door pickup 10am - 7pm 3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
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  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
The 'Reluctant' Organist's Guide to Improvisation

The 'Reluctant' Organist's Guide to Improvisation

Ellis, Richard

Paperback

Self-Help

ISBN13: 9798306105734
Publisher: Independently Published
Published: Jan 6 2025
Pages: 96
Weight: 0.54
Height: 0.20 Width: 8.50 Depth: 11.00
Language: English
Nearly all organists have to improvise at some stage, even if it is only a question of rounding off a piece sooner than expected, prolonging a final cadence or elaborating a hymn tune as the procession or event it accompanies draws to a close. Although brilliant spontaneous improvisation can seem quite magical, with a few pointers and technical 'tricks' 'background' improvisation is a skill that can be learned by any musician. The goal of this guide - explained through over one-hundred musical examples - is to be able to improvise confidently for a couple of minutes, in a a broadly accessible style (some would say a quaint Victoriana idiom) which will neither challenge nor distract the congregation. Each short section concludes with a carefully explained supportive exercise; the steps between the exercises are deliberately kept narrow, for the beginning organist. Starting with a straightforward pedal line, pieces can be built up which incorporate imitative sections, chromatic chordal progressions, changes of key and a variety of textures - including some inspired by historical precedent (such as what the author calls the 'Vivaldi Gambit') to produce a short piece which will usefully serve as background music, while also intriguing the more aware listener.

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