The organ and piano share a similar keyboard layout. So, you may wonder how easy it is for an organist to play the piano and for pianists to approach the organ. One of the first challenges pianists face playing the organ is being able to play melodies with their feet on the pedals of an organ!
Organist, Roger Chaussee is going to demonstrate playing on our 1927 Steinway model L grand piano. This model L has just been rebuilt with new strings, pinblock, hammers, and other action parts. You will hear Roger first explore the unique sonorities this instrument offers with something that is quite rare:
A Classical Improvisation!
Playing classical improvisations is almost a lost art but is something Roger and I both enjoy doing. You can see the beauty of the refinished cabinet and internals of this piano which look very much like it did nearly a century ago when it was originally manufactured.
One of the challenges of organists approaching the piano is the expressive possibilities of the touch of a piano since organs don’t respond to how hard or soft you depress the keys. Fortunately, Roger began his musical studies on the piano. So, you can enjoy his expressive playing of some original music in the accompanying video.
Pianists often times miss the aid of the sustain pedal when playing the organ.
Fortunately, pianists like myself practice the piano with no pedal a great deal making the transition to organ a bit more seamless. But the many registrations of sound possible on the organ offers a whole other level to explore!
I hope you enjoy this exploration of playing the piano and organ on this Steinway grand piano. Thanks for joining Roger and me, Robert Estrin here at LivingPianos.com Your Online Piano Store info@LivingPianos.com 949-244-3729