The ONLY instrument with NO LIMITS

[@LukeFaulkner]

I thought the loudest instrument was the coughing between movements...

[@antoniolopes8776]

Coughing in piano and pianissimo parts is an art😇😲. That's why there are so many «artists» performing in so many recordings.😤🤬

[@nicodesmidt4034]

I thought Donald Trump was the loudest tool 😂😂

[@B.E.E.F..B.O.S.S]

@@nicodesmidt4034do you mean by Donald trumpet

[@nicodesmidt4034]

@@B.E.E.F..B.O.S.S yeah, sorry 😃👍

[@esmolol4091]

Yeah, that true, and since the typical classical audience is about 5000 years old, going to 6000 soon, it won't get quieter any time soon.

[@shackamaxon512]

If you were an organ builder in Bach's day you didnt just build an organ in the room, you built a room around the organ

[@เรียนภาษาอังกฤษวันนี้]

Bit of an overstatement, but it has some truth. I still think a lot of bickering went on between the organbuilder whose purpose was sound and the cathedral architect whose purpose was impressing the masses with imposing structures.

[@thereyougoagain1280]

It’s still somewhat true today - renovating or replacing an organ is a serious architectural undertaking, and frequently it will only be done when the rest of the building is being renovated or rebuilt. And any building with a pipe organ generally has to be designed with the organ incorporated from the outset.

[@theexchipmunk]

@@เรียนภาษาอังกฤษวันนี้ You and him are both kind of wrong. Because the organ isn´t just the pipes and keyboard. The whole building is the organ. The "room" it is in being it´s resonance body. Which is why organs in cathedrals have a sound to them that cannot be matched by organs situated in buildings not build for sound.

[@Aedrieus]

You mean Bach in the day?

[@jacobfreeland3303]

@@เรียนภาษาอังกฤษวันนี้The other users are right man, while most churches didn't have an organ, the ones that did took that into the design very seriously, so much so that chambers where sound went had special features and resonance chambers. Look up Helmholtz Resonator they used ceramic pots placed in the roof and rooms where the sound bounced.

[@warp9988]

What I love about organs: * You sit inside a building, and the building houses, and becomes the instrument. * You are surrounded by, and shaken physically by, pipes several times taller than you are. * You are listening to a space, filled with sound, not just sound.

[@organist1982]

I love all that, too, as an organist!

[@TheTurtleneck64]

This is why my metal band uses 200 watt amps in a little tiny basement. It's not to flex, it's fun to make the building dance a little too!

[@bluestartraumtaenzer]

Yes it feels amazing!

[@mortache]

​@@TheTurtleneck64 gotta love some tinnitus for flavor

[@cosmopoiesecriandomundos7446]

​@@TheTurtleneck64so you can become deaf by your 30s

[@ahobimo732]

With a pipe organ, the instrument IS the building. That is such an outrageous idea, and I love it so much!!! 🥹

[@dadautube]

very well said ... i also like the fact that i happened to be the two hundred twenty second (222) person to like this comment! ^_^

[@andrechaos9871]

Makes my thoughts wonder in really odd directions... Like having a JoJo stand, which is literally pipe organ and can manipulate the building it become part of, while stand user is playing the thing.

[@moonl1314]

I like the fact that I happened to be the 400th person to like this comment! :D

[@FranzSchmidtYoutube]

@@dadautube 444th here 😉

[@organbuilder272]

I give you an up. BUT the building is not the instrument rather the resonant chamber that amplified the organ sound.

[@eddiehayes1523]

My dad is an organist. At home he has a two manual reed organ. I'm not sure what kind of organ he plays at church now. But he's frequently played pipe organs and when I was a kid he had a pipe organ in pieces in our large garage. While true that pipe organs are integrated into the building, smaller pipe organs exist which are able to be taken apart and moved from one location to another, but not on a regular basis because they're still big and you wouldn't want to do it more than once. I live in Christchurch, New Zealand, and of the 78 or so pipe organs in the greater Christchurch area, only something like 16 or 18 were playable, and only 4 were fully intact following the Feb 22 2011 earthquake. Many were destroyed. It was heartbreaking for organ lovers in the area.

[@lawrencetaylor4101]

Condoléances. One of the best music channels for beginners is Music Matters. Gareth is an organist. The only harsh criticism is that they hardly ever have a view of his hands on the keyboard.

[@shgds]

man that was a crazy mass shooting a few years back, huh?

[@Pusfilth]

@@shgdshectic

[@gab_gallard]

@@shgds This has absolutely nothing to do with organs.

[@shgds]

@@gab_gallard a lot of organs were damaged there for sure

[@MrQwint22]

As a listener rather than a musician, the unique thing about pipe organs is that they are not just an instrument the size of a building. In a certain sense the building IS the instrument, and you are sitting inside the soundbox. No other instrument in the world can envelop you in it's sound quite like a pipe organ.

[@CatFish107]

Sad, lonely carillon tries hard.

[@wild_lee_coyote]

No microphone or speaker can reproduce the feeling of listening to an organ live. It is a unique experience.

[@hermodnitter3902]

​@berkeleyfuller-lewis3442agreed, I have the equipment you describe, and it's good, but not quite there. Something special about being there in the live hall or church

[@Barlmoro]

​@@hermodnitter3902 even If IT Sounds odd, you can feel the organ. You sit in the church or Philharmonie and it raise it voice, you can feel it. The gentle notes like a soft warm spring wind or the heavye notes like a storm rising. Thats what IT makes so Special that IT touches all of your sences.

[@VitoMcWaedler]

yeah but still sounds shit. buy a synth 😂😂😂

[@donotcare330]

Use to work for an Organ builder. The saddest part about some builders is, is when they under scale the 16' bourdon and Open Diapason for an instrument. If it isn't a 9x8" at C its no good!

[@THECONTINENTALMAN]

​@@VitoMcWaedlerwdym it sounds bad? and why a synth?

[@stevecarter8810]

If the piano is a typewriter for harmony, the organ is a conductor for an army of mischievous elves with whistles

[@xgcsurreal2608]

that is some incredible imagery

[@saricubra2867]

And a DAW?

[@larrywhitney]

​@@saricubra2867Daw would be a office

[@andresgunther]

You can say that again, Nahre! - Greetings from a retired concert organist, but still active as a pipe organ technician in sunny Florida :) For anybody interested I recommend checking out Anna Lapwood and Thomas Mellan; both are contemporary organists who succeed attracting younger audiences to the King of Instruments.

[@Rahwriteswords]

Hey, thanks for your suggestion! Will check them out ❤

[@henryvanweeren7233]

To be sure about Anna Lapwood, but Ben Maton (The Salisbury Organist) helped me understand--with the use of much smaller and older organs--the interplay between stops and multiple keyboards. It's all wonderful how Nahre is growing as a musician!

[@reallynotpc]

I think that Anna Lapwood in particular is someone you would get on well with.

[@shackamaxon512]

What is Anna Lapwood up to these days? She hasnt posted in a couple of months. Anyone heard Cameron Carpenter? Check out his covers of Carmen Variations and Chopin op 10 no 12. He plays Chopin's arpeggios on the pedals! Its insane

[@andresgunther]

@@shackamaxon512 She is more active on Instagram and Facebook; just on her first USA tour.- I didn't mention Cameron Carpenter because I am not sure if he is still active as concert organist... I haven't heard from him in quite a while.

[@JimRomanOrganist]

Professional organist here - so glad for this video! That you for bringing this wonderful instrument to a new audience! So fun to get your fresh perspective on things too.

[@fredthebulldog529]

Awesome videos on your channel! The Interstellar suite was incredible

[@GabrielVelasco]

The thing where organists use special shoes with soft soles and special heels so that they can feel the pedals and play them alternating between heel and toe IS AMAZING. I'm always impressed by a great organist's ability to switch between all of the manuals, sometimes playing two at a time with ONE hand, and play chords on the pedals, and pull stops IN THE MIDDLE OF A SONG without stopping. Just amazing. A great organist is truly a musician's musician. One aspect of playing the organ to which Nahre barely alluded, is that depending on the stop and the types of pipes being played, the organist will change their playing style to better emulate the instrument being emulated by the pipes. For instance, playing the forward facing trumpet pipes like trumpets rather than strings.

[@kantina4765]

Call me ayrton senna cos I’m rev matching the organ

[@organbuilder272]

More impressive is those who do it without shows at all.. Special shoes are not necessary and are really for show. Paul Fey plaz amazingly well with socks.

[@karlrovey]

​@@organbuilder272How are the shoes for show when you usually don't even see the organist's feet? The most important aspect is simply having shoes that aren't tracking dirt and mud onto the pedalboard. Second, the shoes are patterned off of traditional formal styles, such as an Oxford shoe. They have suede leather soles to better slide on the pedals as well as allow you to better feel the pedals. The heel allows you to play thirds with one foot.

[@inventor121]

Honestly when I played the organ I just played barefoot it was more comfortable.

Our video host is playing the organ barefoot.

[@kwolenberger5202]

I love that as good as she is, she still gets excited about learning new things. The pipe organ is an amazing sound.

[@pokerandphilosophy8328]

"There is nothing to it. You simply strike the right notes at the right time, and the instrument plays itself." -- Johann Sebastian Bach, in response to being praised for his masterful organ playing.

[@ninjaaron]

Shockingly, the approach of playing the right note at the right time seems to work on other instruments as well.

[@pokerandphilosophy8328]

@@ninjaaron True, but although Bach was joking in underplaying his skills, he also had a point. Most other instruments also are sensitive to how hard you blow, with how much speed and pressure you rub the string, etc. etc., the organ sound only depends on the timings of depression and release of the keys.

[@sam7iam]

Tongue firmly planted in cheek!

[@sam7iam]

10:27 ​@pokerandphilosophy8328 I was a violinist and muscle memory helps but is limited. I can't imagine how to 'memorize' the movments of 2 hands and feet over that many key boards and ranks of stops! And then there's a delay between pressing a key and sound production, so the performer is always a slight beat ahead of the sound! Difficult to nigh impossible for most humans!

[@bartbroekhuizen5617]

What i love about the organ is that every organ is a unique instrument. How its build, how it sounds, how it fits the room. No organ is the same. I've been an intern at Johannus Orgelbouw in the Netherlands and its amazing how (even though digital) those organs are build. They even have hybrid organs, digital and real pipe sounds.

[@virginiaorganbuilder]

I've been an organist for nearly 50 years, and recently I have spent a lot of time learning difficult piano literature. This has improved my organ technique immensely, so apparently cross-training works both ways! I'm also a pipe organ builder, so I really appreciate this video!

[@Darth_Tyvian]

Same kinda, i have played the piano for many years now and then i found an electric organ in my church, I’m not terrible at it either.

[@artaxerxes360]

How can I become a certified pipe organist? I've always wanted to be one...

[@Monkers18]

​@@artaxerxes360 if you are religious then ask you local church that has an organ if they need an organist. Second join an orchestra.

[@donaldaxel]

Seated cross-legged on a bench in an airport many years ago, with the small 3-octave keyboard nestled in your lap and headphones on, you transported us to a realm of 'nie erhörte Klänge'-unheard-of sounds, as Schoenberg would say. It wasn't a traditional concert setting, but the intimacy and creativity of the moment made it all the more special. Your exploration of new perspectives in music, from the grand halls of the Hamburg Philharmonie to the more intimate setting of your own space, is truly inspiring.

[@The-Eye866]

“What do you play?” “The building “What?”

[@lordofthestrings86]

Love that animation @ 9:22 to describe the difference of feeling with the sound emitting elsewhere. It would be like playing through a massive PA.

[@aBachwardsfellow]

That is a very well-done and representative graphic. An organist must truly learn to play the room as well as the instrument

[@ods94065]

A very idiosyncratic PA whose acoustics you control through one or more pedals, yes. 😁

[@stevecarter8810]

I think of it more like the player and audience are inside the speaker cabinet

[@ChristianPinnock-u5c]

​@@stevecarter8810I imagined a big stack of speakers and subs behind the pipes

[@riverstun]

Often far enough for there to be a small time delay in the sound reaching the player.

[@Raii_Chu]

pretty loud, but still quieter than a dad sneezing.

[@bentos117]

yeah, and still less melodic than gradma's fart

[@JZsBFF]

It's all about acoustics and harmonics.

[@f.d.robben159]

Growing up as the son of an organist and often sitting with him on the organ bench as a child, listening to the sound, feeling the vibrations and watching the fingers and feet dance in synchronization was wonderful. He died when I was ten, but after a few years of piano lessons I also had organ lessons and had my own key to the church so I could practice at any time. Being alone in the church late in the evening, up on the organ loft, with only the manuals in the dim light, this deeply emotional, almost meditative atmosphere is a memory that I still look back on fondly 40 years later.

[@joekappes8648]

I love the way Nahre looked up as if she could see the waves of sound bouncing around the hall.

[@VestedUTuber]

I may be both a metalhead and an electronic music fan, but the full pipe organ is my favorite instrument of all time. I'm not a spiritual or religious person but the sound of the pipe organ is so powerful that calling it the "voice of the divine" is honestly a very accurate statement. When played in a major key, no instrument is more triumphant. When played in a minor key, no instrument is more menacing.

[@matthiasscheffler548]

Well put!

[@andriealinsangao613]

Can you imagine playing the Undertaker's theme on one of these? It would be TERRIFYING!

[@dabeamer42]

You are correct, Nahre, it is *not* a keyboard instrument (7:02). It is a wind instrument that happens to be controlled by a keyboard. Having to think about the length of each note is one of the things that takes me the most time when I switch from piano to organ. And the piano is a percussion instrument that happens to be controlled by a keyboard.

[@ambergris5705]

As a listener in the 21st century, an organ not only has sound like no other instrument, but a sense of occasion. No sound system can perfectly reproduce an orchestra, so of course not an organ, but still, an orchestra can travel, a Stradivarius can change continents to resonate in all concert halls. On the other hand, if you want to hear an organ, you have to visit it, be there, experience it first hand. All organs are unique, and have their own personality. And while you are there, it's going to be rattling your bones, overpowering you so much. Unsurprisingly, that's why I am such a fan of the Interstellar soundtrack. It's amazing when you hear Hans Zimmer talking about discovering the possibilities of an organ, and learning how to harness them. And still today, even though many try (including Zimmer himself in his concerts), no orchestra or organ can reproduce the exact sound of THAT specific organ. So unique, so organ.

[@foxjacket]

Organ: when the instrument is the room

[@israellai]

It's like old-school computers

[@aBachwardsfellow]

@foxjcket - Exactly (for better, or worse ...). I would much rather hear a modest organ in a good acoustic than an exceptional organ in a poor acoustic.

[@erkinalp]

that's actually the reason it's called "pipe organ", rather than "pipe contraption"

[@immortalcannon3628]

The organ was designed to be the instrument to rule them all. Brass, strings, woodwinds, chorus, an ENTIRE ORCHESTRA all at the hands of one person. It’s truly a grand wonder of engineering, and I think it plays its role pretty damn well.

[@Gg-jq7ht]

No. It was not conceived that way at all. It did devolve to that in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

[@ianlowery6014]

@@Gg-jq7ht "Devolve" is the correct term! The attempts to emulate symphonic instruments are gruesome. The USA is the last country to have woken up to that fact. Ron Sharpe, who designed and built the Sydney Opera House Organ, once said "Most organists don't how to play, and most organs sound terrible". He was inspired by the German Classical Organs by Schnitger and Silbermann. Unlike most organs, they have penetrating reeds among other glorious sounds. With the Opera House organ you can hear every pipe in a mixture. Most organs are muddied or blurred with mixtures.

[@pauljonesesquire]

I listen to the pipe organ at the local church sometimes when they practice during the daytime, also not far from me is the church which houses the organ Handel composed the Chandos anthems on when he stayed at canons.

[@CarlitoManchego]

Your channel fetches the deepest heartfelt comments apparently you have a profound affect on your audience. This channel is something very special 😢

[@matthijshebly]

7:37 I hear Keith Emerson there! So good.

[@SurferJoe1]

I had the same thought.

[@rudolphpyatt4833]

I immediately had to listen to Parallels…

[@guillaumechabason3165]

Listen to Yuja Wang playing Kasputin So Keith Emerson like !

[@altoclef6688]

Trying a pipe organ should be on the bucket list of every musician. I have only tried a "mundane sized" church organ and it was an overwhelming experience. You truly feel all-mighty!

[@peterbenson2287]

Such a beautiful and thoughtful video…as always, Nahre

[@wiener_process]

The most humbling experience I had as a pianist was being forced to play organ at my local church (the actual organist who played there before passed away) and at first it was terrible. There was approximately a half a second delay between any tone I played and hearing the tone back. It forced me to think differently about the music. But it became even more complicated with playing alongside other instruments. The acoustics just work differently for each one of them and the organ threatens to overrule them all if not used carefully. Thankfully my brother took up organ at school and was able to take over my job, but still... to most people organ and piano seem similar, but they are so much different. Here's to all the organists, keep up the good work.

[@kaitlyn__L]

It’s a lot like additive synthesis, with all the different overtones getting added together. Though what you described with the compressors is electromechanical, not electronic. I’ve always found organs fascinating. Some early bass synthesisers had feet controls because of how synthesisers co-evolved with smaller electric (tonewheel), then electronic (divide-down) organs. Adding reverb to my instruments changes how I play too, you integrate the space of the reverb into the playing more in a way you just don’t get when you hear a dry sound.

[@InventorZahran]

The organ is literally an acoustic synthesizer!

[@ods94065]

Organs have become more and more electronic over recent decades - the linkages from the keyboard to the pipes went from mechanical to electromechanical to electronic - and now entirely digital "pipe" organs are a thing, using sampling, physical modeling, and other techniques to emulate pipe organ sounds, while still enabling the free-flow combination of organ stops. Adoption of digital organs is a bitter subject of debate - I think places like the Elbphilharmonie would rightfully go nowhere near them - but the economics are hard to ignore in a lot of places.

[@ods94065]

@@crisoliveira2644 That's one way to emulate a pipe organ, yes, but not the only way, and not an especially efficient way.

[@ProjectHMF]

​@@ods94065It can be if you use an additive synth

[@steamrocks]

@@ods94065 They don't know what they are missing. You could put Walker digital stops in those chambers and never know the difference.

[@ronalda.waltoniii9148]

I’m glad you did video on my instrument! This is wonderful

[@rgarlinyc]

Wonderful... the only way I as a pianist can ever truly understand the mighty organ is to have a truly adept pianist explain it - and this you are doing so well. Thank you immensely! Oh, and by the way, kudos to you for your residency here - truly impressive! 👏🏻👏🏻

[@BigPJB]

You’ve captured the essence of playing a pipe organ and explained it perfectly. Even as an organ player the difference between playing an electric organ and moving to pipe has the exact same effect and feeling. I found this out 40 years ago when I played a pipe Wurlitzer. Such a learning curve. Unfortunately after a spinal injury lost the ability to play pedals ten years ago so moved to keyboards. Recently two months ago a abscess in my left hand caused necrosis and lost my little finger tendons. I’m devastated tbh but had to comment how perfectly you captured the essence of playing pipe and bought back so many great and fond memories. Thank you excellent work.

[@MrJdsenior]

Very interesting. I enjoyed the pianist playing an organ for the first time experiences and takeaways. And OMG, what an organ to play as a first instrument! And yes, I think it translated back to your piano work well. Those pieces you were playing of yours were superb. Maybe you should consider making a concert video of some of your favorite self composed works. I would listen. You could talk about what you were thinking, as well, your normal mode, but just the music after that 'what it is' in full length would be wonderful.

[@ehnathanael]

Thank you for the insight on pipe organ, Nahre. Also to all wonderful people featured in this video. Wish you all the best on your activities and residency in Elbphilharmonie.

[@MarnixMohrmannPiano]

Around 8 years ago I had the privilege of frequently playing a fantastic historical organ. Playing Interstellar was a true experience. It also profoundely shifted how I approached the piano, just like Nahre described!

[@Karatetedtunesreverbnation]

I play at 3 different churches with pipe organs, 2 of which are listed in the international guild of pipe organs in the Boston area. At one church, the only thing that will tame the reverb and “ Muddy “ sound,…. Is playing my right hand, an octave higher, and using a really high end Neumann microphone, to let my voice, and the words be heard. I love how you show that just because you are a pianist, you can’t just..” step in and improvise “ … and make magic on a pipe organ

[@PipeDreamerJacques]

Pipe organs actually go down to 16hz (instruments with 32’ stops) but technically there are a handful of rare organs that even have 64’ pedal stops which go down to 8hz.

[@bartk07]

that's only a fundamental frequency and remember that when you combine higher harmonics you get effectively their fundamental (residual) frequency. When you combine 16' and 10 2/3' you get a resultant tone of acoustical length 32'. Known method of doing that in organbuilding.

[@seth094978]

There is also one organ with a 128' stop, just over 4hz

[@OrganMusicYT]

@@seth094978 There isn't. There are only two organs with true full-length 64ft pipes - Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall and Sydney Town Hall. Atlantic City does have a quint stop within the same rank of pipes that allows it to give a resultant 128ft, but I doubt if it is effective.

[@Pyroific]

wait till the younger generations discover the pipe organ has the most powerful bass xD

[@ChristianPinnock-u5c]

​@@seth094978yeah and it's called the dangerous organ 😅😅😅😅

[@CatFish107]

This is a joyous demonstration of a knowledgeable and skillful person suddenly facing being a rookie again. Thank you for sharing

[@stratfanstl]

Loved that piano piece you were practicing. Amazing recording quality of that. You nailed the summary of challenges playing organ. 1) No sustain pedal to simplify transitions between notes. 2) The hall is part of the instrument. 3) Multiple ranks of keys AND foot pedals to play. 4) Most important, the time lag between your hand and hearing the sound would be VERY difficult to adjust to. And that delay is different for every organ based upon its mechanism and its environment. QUESTION: What kind of cable is used to allow the console to sit in the middle of the stage? How do those inputs get mapped back to the physical core of the machine? That looks like one massive MIDI cable. (smile). For another example of someone who has amazing playing ability with her feet on organ, look up Barbara Dennerlein and watch anything she plays on a Hammond B3.

[@rudolphpyatt4833]

Barbara Denerlein is amazing, one of the outstanding B3 players of the last 30 years, and underrated at that.

[@bartk07]

Answering to your question, nowadays the cable is often simply an optical fiber. It used to be bunch of individual electrical wires in common shield. I'm speaking only about the movable organ console. The fixed console may be connected also via a mechanical tracker or tubular pneumatic action.

[@steamrocks]

The cable could be as small as a MIDI cable or even a USB cable, which are not technically optical but use optoisolators on each end of transmission. All the note information is sent serially in such a system, but so fast that you cannot discern it. The electrical impulses are converted to higher current signals which trigger electrical solenoids that activate the pipe valves. There are a myriad of different systems for doing this, referred to as organ actions. This is not as a direct a connection as what is called tracker action where there is a mechanical linkage between each key and the valves that admit air to the pipes, but then again with that system you cannot move the console around like you can as shown here. I have a three manual 24 rank organ in my home that has only a USB cable coming from it. The same system could control either a pipe or virtual organ. Mine happens to be a theater organ.

[@MxAvA]

Several times I have been mesmerized by the sound of a pipe organ. I love it when you can feel the vibrations of the lower notes.

[@JohnNathanShopper]

The organ and the piano are completely different instruments that happen to have the same input method. From the point of view of a pianist, the organ is a striking change which lays bare your finger-legato and articulation without that sustain pedal. But the organ also sustains a simple SATB harmony better than a piano could, and has the ability to play a solo melody with a bugle or flute stop. Expression is different because you can’t make pinky-notes loud or thumb-notes soft, but you also have the ability to make the whole individual keyboard softer or louder. It’s a completely unique instrument that happens to use a keyboard.

[@organist1982]

Where have you seen a bugle stop??

[@JohnNathanShopper]

@@organist1982 I just mean the trompette chamade. One of my teachers called it a bugle. Am I the only one that thinks of it as a bugle now?

[@organist1982]

@@JohnNathanShopper Hmm, ok! 😅

[@paulmartin2348]

Only part of the finger motion is similar input. The stops and footwork along with HOW you play the keys are different. The organ and piano do NOT have the same input method.

[@JohnNathanShopper]

@@paulmartin2348 This is true, but it’s something a pianist doesn’t instinctively realize, and it’s something Nahre doesn’t realize in this video. Pianists tend to see the organ as a broken piano. They need to realize how different it is going in. The organ is similar to the piano in the way that playing volleyball is similar to ping pong.

[@barretthoven]

Of course you release this as I’m writing an organ passacaglia for my end of year juries! Unfortunately our school organ isn’t THIS cool, but it’s got pretty much all the bells and whistles.

[@TheIgnoramus]

“The hydraulis was used at outdoor public entertainments; its sound was loud and penetrating. Its use declined in the West by the 5th century AD, although Arab writers of the 9th century refer to it. *Later medieval writers thought the hydraulis was a steam-whistle organ such as the calliope*.” We seem to have bad memories eh? Musical instruments were peak tech back in the day ❤.

[@kaitlyn__L]

Instruments always push the limits of the technology of the day they’re invented :) keyed wind instruments reflect steam engine interlocks, brass valve instruments later steam valves, electric guitars using then-new solid state components and filters and amplifiers… and so on. Pipe organs used wooden reed expertise, then moved to the expertise of whistle makers and so on; as well as integrating steam-powered air compressors, then diesel etc, before finally universally moving to electric motors… I love how musical instruments reflect the tech of their time.

[@steamrocks]

How could a medieval instrument be thought of as a steam whistle organ? There wasn't steam powered ANYTHING until the industrial revolution.

[@kencourtney4216]

Thank you for this video! Your approach was very refreshing, maybe since you are not an organist. Your video certainly explains a lot of insights into what the organ is as an instrument, and how it is played, without getting too technical for the average person.

[@sammcdowall8674]

One very odd thing about this video is that 1675 kg is not the weight of an elephant, and neither is 19m the length of a basketball court.

[@user-kcrpine]

It’s the weight of a growing elephant well older than a baby, and is just longer than a volleyball court. Since we want to nitpick..

[@braamzietsman742]

That was a brilliant perspective of a pianist starting on the organ! I realised the same change in listening further than my instrument, when I started playing organ after years of piano. I forget who, but someone said something like, "the most important stop on the organ is the building", and I think this is true for all instruments.

[@aBachwardsfellow]

Welcome to my world! (organ and piano) . Now you can understand why I love playing both the piano and organ -- two very different and very gratifying worlds -- hard to play a 32' bombarde on a piano, hard to play Debussy and Rachmaninoff on an organ. And yes -- in a piano performance, the acoustic ceratinly makes a difference, in a piano performance it's about 90% piano and 10% room; with an organ it's more like 50% instrument and 50% room. With the organ, you learn to play the room as well as the instrument. I'm so glad to see you're enjoying this expansive experience! I hope you will be able to try multiple high-quality instruments of varying sizes and in different acoustics to gain an understanding and experience of how unique each instrument can be in terms of intent, design, and implementation -- not unlike discovering the nuances of many fine wines. It's a big world out there. Enjoy!

[@bleuaqua8102]

9:45 as a listener the change in style gives me space not just to hear the music, but to also feel it

[@DavidDahlMusician]

I am a simple church organist. I'm good, far from great. But... having said that, the organ has taught me to listen. I've been told may choral conductors began as organists because we need to hear everything. I think of the difference between playing organ vs piano as the organ is about fingers, whereas the piano is about the entire body. When I watch great organists the body is far more still than I see in pianists. Maybe that's just me. Enjoy your time on the organ!

[@christopherstube9473]

One of the difficulties in playing the pedal board is that you need to twist the body without pushing off with your feet in order to play the extremes of the pedal board. This is also true of the pedal clavichord which is particularly sensitive to pressure on the feet. This means that you must be very aware of body mechanics at all times as it can affect the timing and even the sound in some instances. One organist of my acquaintance said that the best lesson he ever had was from a chiropractor who was watching his body mechanics and posture as he was playing.

[@Gg-jq7ht]

David, you are hardly a simple church organist! Love from San Diego, Geoff Graham

[@milesmartin4958]

I have a love/hate relationship with organ music because it is so loud and strident but when it's love it's LOVE. Thank you for teaching us so much about it!

[@aBachwardsfellow]

I think the same can be said for any music -- organ, piano, orchestral, choral, etc. I've heard pieces in each of those which I love, and other pieces which I greatly dislike.

[@kennethray8473]

Not all organ pieces are loud. There are stops on some organs that are so quiet they can barely be heard over the blowers.

[@bbbeno]

Wow!. What a beautiful video. Thanks a LOT!!!

[@GizzyDillespee]

Very cool video, thank you! Especially on the difference between playing a physical piano and a keyboard that's far from a giant sound engine that fills the room from the edges.

[@GeeKim-j9i]

The pipe organ and the piano are completely different instruments. The piano is a percussion instrument. By that, I mean pianists talk about "sustain"-- how long a note stains its sound after it is played. Non-percussion instruments never talk about "sustain." No violinist says his violin has "good sustain." He can hold the note as long as he wants, unlike the piano. The organ builder in this video did not quite went so far to say that the building is part of the instrument. It's like the cathedral is the wooden shell of the violin, and the pipes are the four strings. When you listen to the pipe organ, you are inside the instrument listening to it. The performer is also sitting inside the instrument. That is precisely the reason the pipe organ is the biggest instrument. The pipe organ is much more and bigger than the pipes and the keyboard. I am not Christian, but I used to go to a college church just to listen to the pipe organ. It's like the pipe organ is the elephant, and the rest of the instruments are just bugs. Long live the pipe organ!

[@Decopunk1927]

The piano is not a percussion, it's a string instrument, most closely related to the zither. It makes its sound with strings, and the keyboard merely slaps the strings, just the same as how Davie504 slaps his bass. The organ is a woodwind.

[@GeeKim-j9i]

@@Decopunk1927 Like you said, the keyboard "slaps" the strings. The piano is a percussion instrument, because it "slaps" the strings. I rest my case.

[@Decopunk1927]

@@GeeKim-j9i Listen to yourself. Like you said, the keyboard slaps the STRINGS. I rest mine.

[@devenestes3234]

Great video! In just two hours at the organ you managed to describe the last three years of me as a pianist learning the organ. And everything you said was also true for me! Learning the organ has made me a much better musician in every way (much less reliant on muscle memory, playing more consequently and consciously, playing into the space, listening to the sound I’m making, much more conscious of dynamics, less reliant on the sustain pedal, better sight reader, better at improvising, better at reharmonizing, better at playing by ear. It has been a wonderful experience and I would recommend it to everyone!

[@jhbnijhof]

From Fraser Gartshore's KZbin channel I gather that it isn't quite true anymore that you need to go to the real organ to practice: there is a "virtual organ" software, Hauptwerk, with sample sets from many real organs (often even with samples recorded from different locations in the church). People do end up with complete (Midi) organ consoles at home though...

[@aBachwardsfellow]

@jhbnijhof You are correct -- virtual organ software provides excellent access to hundreds of world-class instruments and their acoustics right in your living room (den, etc. . . . )

[@picksalot1]

Last night, I was just playing a glorious Organ sounding Preset on the Modeler I use with guitar, and the magestic tones were mesmerizing. It made me wish I had MIDI on my guitar for more accurate tracking, etc. The Organ is a magnificent instrument, and it is something I longed to play when I was a child, but it was not available. Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition transcribed and played by Calvin Hampton on Organ is fantastic. The only place I could find a recording of it is on SoundCloud, and though the transfer from Vinyl has some fidelity problems, it is still a wonderous achievement and very enjoyable. Thanks

[@richbaumannsingersongwriter]

I found this very interesting. As a singer I change the tempo in different rooms, slowing down in reverbersnt spaces.

[@ods94065]

For me, it's slowing down and also leaving bigger pauses between phrases/sections.

[@EdwardsGrant]

Brava for this video. Thank you for making it, as a lifelong organist and also a pipe organ builder professionally I think this is a marvelous (and accurate!) documentary. Very well done.

[@tnan123]

Organs are amazing. There's so much to explore and learn with each instrument. The differences with the piano are certainly challenges for a pianist, but a great way to expand your horizons.

[@bobdear5160]

😊Thanks for this appreciation of the organ Nahre. I play both regularly (at church) but not to professional standards. The pianoforte is touch sensitive and my piano style makes of the expression you can produce using the keyboard, foot pedals etc. it’s percussive roots are great for modern hymns and songs with interesting rhythms (syncopation). However the organ has multiple keyboards and different ranges for different stops. It suits a legato (smooth) style of playing and the fingering to keep that legato style can be interesting - substituting one finger for another without releasing the note is an art most organists soon master. You can also do this on the piano but I don’t use that technique nearly so often. I stick with the organ for traditional church music but I think improvising around a tune can be far freer on a piano - but that might be just me and being brought up on piano jazz!!

[@NachtmahrNebenan]

Happy to learn you're in Hamburg! Welcome to Germany 🌺

[@nathanfreundl]

As an organist myself, I LOVE seeing your views on this! Especially as a double organjst/pianist, I appreciate your perspective on percussion and acoustics. Thanks!

[@Jordarr8994]

I wanna hear you on a Hammond B3 organ! Will force you to play differently as well compared to a Pipe organ

[@themanformerlyknownascomme777]

yeah, a Wurlitzer would also be a very interesting experiance.

[@Daves_PianoAndPipes]

I love the piano and organ together - I think they complement each other in an amazing way. The piano with its dynamic, sensitive touch and arpeggios together with the orchestra like pipe organ are perfect fit!

[@davidknizek2852]

I enjoy playing the pipe organ so much! 😌

[@nullbyt]

6:30 this made me realize that there are different ways to be a musician. I mainly play and focus on what I'm playing instead of just playing the notes from memory. I think it's cause I spend a lot of time on synthesizer and don't have much piano background at all.

[@JakePurches-Base2music]

You are in error - The limits are from 16 hz to over 45 kHz if you include harmonics. Maximum Sound pressure is around 95 -100 db at Audience level, more than that inside of course. But not 140 db. That would deafen you. I make pipe organ recordings.

[@quaidsmythe997]

Not true that 140 db would kill you as a gun shots ar between 13 and 180 db and the max db before you die is like 240 db

[@nathanieljames7462]

194db is max in Earth atmosphere. Sound pressure doesn't just spontaneously kill you, guys. Unless we're talking shockwaves or something. But 140db is the price of entry in the Car Audio world. 160db+ is becoming less uncommon, even.

[@Katrca55]

So nice to see you explore the organ! I just want to add that you experienced one particular organ in one particular room. Organs can be quite different - your experience could be very different with another organ. An historic, maybe smaller one. This adds to the charm and is also challenging: every organ is different and the difference can be huge!

[@kurdistanindependance5471]

7:22 Ronnie McNutt

[@ThePressureKing]

"Hey guys i guess thats it" 🌺

[@Aciey]

😭…

[@KJMTurbo]

One of the really interesting accompanying anecdotes I remember hearing was how not only was the organ part of the room as it was built into the building, but that often the building and the room were built as part of the organ, meaning the reverberation and shape of the room was to compliment and push the sound around to make the best experience for the audience.

[@iizvullok]

Shower thought: An organ is a buildings organ. You cannot play it somewhere else. Just like your liver won't do its job if you put it on your desk.

[@OrpheusSonOfCalliope]

They have electronic organs, and even better there are synthesizers which are *much* more versatile than any organ.

[@FlaneurSolitaire]

I'm just a very average amateur pianist, but several years ago I took organ lessons for a year or so, and it had a huge impact on the way I approach the piano. What you are saying about being conscious of when to start and when to end every note is so true: Organists have to constantly do that, whereas as pianists, we usually are way more focused on the beginning of a note, and are sometimes rather cavalier about its end point. The idea that every sound has a very precise duration that you need to actively manage, instead of just relying on the pedal to do the job for you, really helped me improve my piano skills. And I am also far more drawn to repertoire by the likes of Bach now, whereas before, I was playing mostly romantic repertoire.

[@nederlanditism1154]

Some people of the KZbin crowd should consider a shorter or longer pilgrimage to Hamburg to actually see and hear her.

[@MarsziParszi]

I moved to Hamburg last month, would love to know how a mere mortal like me could get to see her.

[@nederlanditism1154]

@@MarsziParszi I only fully understood a sec ago that her role is that of a chief influencer for the venue. Try lollygagging at the Elphi, or she has to tell here, if she is going to be scheduled. I think, she can play ...

[@willcookmakeup]

It really is so crazy how they work. I was very actice in the church growing up and was even an acolyte, so I got to go behind the altar and see the inner workings of the organ. I'm no longer part of the church, but this made me appreciate it way more. I never actuakly understood how they worked until watching this

[@danielplayspiano]

um actually-

[@Timeward76]

The pipe organ is one of my favorite instruments because of how much of a statement it is. It's so huge it has to be built as part of the structure of the building it sits in and just makes that structure so metal. The municipal theater of my city of course has one built into the main chamber and its mesmerizing.

[@liffidmonky1216]

Who the hell invented this instrument xd

[@alexandrakellermann2933]

Ktesibios, a greek inventor, about 2.500 years ago, in Alexandria

[@joelspaulding5964]

Fabulous dive into the organ journey. I subbed on the organ at my local church as a teen/young adult a couple times. Had years on the piano, Rhodes, many synthesizers and electric organs. Totally a novice when put in front of the small pipe organ. Humbled, would be an understatement! Always love your playing!

[@thelastjohnwayne]

I thought the loudest and largest instrument was my Ex Wife

[@james.flores]

As an organist...a huge THANK YOU for making this video on our instrument!

[@B3MDUSA]

19 meters? Organs are measured in feet. Even in Europe.

[@h.seanhsu8965]

For the benefit of those that operate in metrics.

[@jbrownson]

Thanks for doing the extra work to document your journey here. It’s really fascinating.

[@powerupminion]

I'm only 3 minutes into the video and I've already heard so many false facts I know by personal experience, being a musician myself to be somewhere between very misleading to totally wrong. It's a 👎 from me...

[@OrpheusSonOfCalliope]

Thank you! The title itself is a lie. Upper end synthesizers easily surpass any organ (except in terms of the number of manuals, but just substitute a synth for each manual and another for the bass pedals). And even synthesizers have limits!

[@patlilburn5251]

Again, I’m here commenting in spite of not being a musician! That’s because the things you bring up are sort of imaginable because of how you do it - it’s great. Here, I loved the points about how a big sound in a huge room mitigates against fast and highly detailed passages, and I really loved the realization that hitting the keys harder on an organ does nothing. It must make a huge change to how dynamics are expressed. Forgive me if you said but I also wondered if there’s a noticeable delay between when your finger presses a key and when the sound arrives at your ear? That seems like it would make things very, very challenging. I’ll stop now but thank you and I will be looking up other products of your current position. Thank you again.

[@aBachwardsfellow]

The delay depends on the instrument and the room, but yes, there can definitely be a delay of more than half a second between the time the key is pressed and the time the sound is heard. It makes for quite a challenge when practicing on an instrument that is different from the one on which is to be performed. The organ practice rooms at my college were very small and the pipes were only a few feet in front of you, and the response was instantaneous, whereas the recital instrument was in a large auditorium with the pipes over 100 feet away from the console, and the response almost 1 second. Organists get used to this -- it is challenging -- but absolutely necessary -- to learn how to press the keys far enough in advance, and with enough spacing and detachment to send the sound you want into the room at the right time in order to get what you want from the room. What an odd way to play an instrument -- right?

[@slower__8437]

I can appreciate the artistry of an organ but I've never really enjoyed the sound of it. :( it just always sounds so slow and doomy, and usually corny sounds. My usual experience with it is a lot of boring church music. But even the bach our local player plays sounds just so slow and corny with the organ sound. I do enjoy the classic rich organ sound but it's rarely played.

[@aBachwardsfellow]

I can assure you that there is plenty of boring, unenjoyable organ music around -- including plenty that I (an organist) would rather not hear. But there is also a lot of really great and very enjoyable organ music as well if you look for it. I would suggest you check out Fraser Gartshore, Richard McVeigh (beauty in Sound), Rob Stefanussen, and Cameron Carpenter -- to name a few. Also look for J.S. Bach's Jig (or Gigue) Fugue for a really happy piece! Happy listening!

[@slower__8437]

@@aBachwardsfellow thank you I really appreciate it... I WANT to like the organ. I'll get back here if I find the recs inspiring!

[@aBachwardsfellow]

​@@slower__8437 A lot depends on not only the pieces being played, but how good the instrument (and the room acoustic) is, how good the performer is, and -- for recordings -- the quality of the recording. As I said earlier, there's plenty I've heard that just doesn't cut it for me. Check out Cameron Carpenter's "Stars and Stripes Forever" played at Trinity Church Wall Street (he's dressed in white, playing two different things in the pedals at the same time - including the piccolo part with his feet... ) The best experience is to hear a really good performance on a really good instrument in a really great room -- it really gets to you inside and out. I hope you can hear one of those someday.

[@baldy555]

Wow. A beautiful journey inside a whole instrument. Thanks Nahre

[@henninghoefer]

I'm from Hamburg, and this is the first video which makes we want to go to a concert at the Elbphilharmonie. Thank you!

[@emmanuelheng]

Hi Nahre, I’m an organist and I play the piano too (took exams for both instruments). A very well put together introductory video about my favourite instrument.

[@tsukayna7101]

i loved every moment of this and greatly appreciate this perspective. this is the type of insight I could have dreamed for as a child. real application. real experience shared . real feedback and open transparent honesty. reflection has helped me grow personally. i feel everyday is another day growing with music. thank you so much ! this is great!

[@nixtarma]

Thanks for your perspective as a composer. I love organs and also piano, so hearing about how they can teach each other lessons is very gratifying.

[@Default78334]

Fun fact: the pipe organ is where the term "pull out all the stops" comes from. Instead of buttons or switches, on older pipe organs, the stops were actuated by knobs that were pull out (or pushed back in to turn them off).

[@ods94065]

Nahre, your discoveries here exactly match my experience as I transitioned from piano to organ, and covers exactly what I love about the instrument. Nice stuff! My organ teacher used to complain that becoming an organist destroyed his feel for, and touch on, the piano. I don't know if that's a thing - I haven't felt that way in my own musical journey, though I am just a journeyman on both - but given the change in your playing at the end, if you keep going down this path, I wonder what your experience will be like reconciling the two very different instruments.

[@David_Lloyd-Jones]

Congratulations of winning the residency -- and congratulations to the Elbphilharmonie on getting you, Nahre!

[@Wilt74]

Thanks for sharing! I an amateur organist, it s great to see how you approach and appreciate the organ. Btw old organs sometimes have meantone temparature. Which is a new sound experience also. (and also percussion style / minimal music works really well in my humble opinion)

[@YIPPY-xf8pi]

When she said that when she played the organ it made her play the piano differently, I felt the same way when I started switching from acoustic to using distortion pedals and a amplifier for my electric guitar. That was about a little over a decade ago and I was playing for over 3 years at that time. Hearing certain sounds makes you play from a different angle. At that time, it made me notice how choppy I was playing before using an electric guitar. I tried imitating a value that was on the electric guitar and got something new.

[@pacoliebling]

I've been playing the piano for around 7 years and started playing the cello about three years ago. For me playing the cello has changed my piano playing not just because I sometimes immitate a cello vibrato on a piano key (obviously doesn't work) but because I play differently now, I feel the music more. I am also constantly reminded of the limits of instruments. Playing on the accordion has changed my habits less, but it taught me not to constantly look at the keys when playing off a sheet of music, definitely eases playing. A fascinating thing about the accordion basses is how much work your left hand has all of a sudden, the different location of the chords and buttons and how you must get creative using the terz buttons in the top row with an accordion as small as mine. I think every musician should at least play a different instrument than their main one at least once in a while simply because it helps understand music much better. Also had that with the harmonica, suddenly I have to use my tongue and lips to play chromatic notes while on the piano I have the keys and on the cello I can technically play any note in existence that is above my lowest string.