Reeding101 - Chapter 1 - Pointers for the Reed Organ

[@nealpanning3536]

I'm so glad that I watched this. Very informative. When I get to finally sit to try playing a Reed organ, you will have saved me a lot of time and the frustration from trial and error. :)

[@ReedOrgans]

Thanks! The shirt was a gift and I proudly wear it..

[@ReedOrgans]

Thanks! It's good to know an old organ was saved from the barn :) I found that restoring this one was as rewarding as playing it. Rodney

[@celiaamaral6323]

Assisti a Live agora vc tocando muito lindo.

[@Swillpower]

This might well be my favorite video on youtube. Thank you, sir.

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

The Reed Organ is one of my favorite instruments. The sound of the Reed Organ falls in between an Accordion & a Pipe Organ. They should make more of these instruments again due to their versatlity, plus Hal Leonard should publish method books for these. Interestingly some Reed Organs have Bass Pedals like a Pipe Organ which means you can cover any Pipe Organ sheet music right off the bat.

[@OGMordhause]

Rodney i appreciate you uploading this. I restored a Farrand & Votey Reed Organ. And thanks to your video i have found out that mine has an air leak. So i appreciate you bringing proper foot pedaling to light.

[@ReedOrgans]

Thats great! Anyone with some mechanical knowhow (which I see you do, from your cool videos!) and the right materials (especially hide glue), recovering an air assembly is well worth the work. Thanks for the comment! Rodney

[@Paschalboy]

Thank you, as a new person to the reed Organ, even though I've been playing Tracker Organs for churches over 40 years, this is very helpful as I enter in this world. Looking forward to getting a Mason & Hamlin Reed organ in a couple of weeks and either playing it, or learning to restore it. This tutorial and the next one, both great!

[@jozg44]

Wow! Brilliantly presented and informative and a superb demonstration of what a reed organ in good condition and played well can sound like. Sadly the bottom end of mine is still in the '100 calories a minute' group, but I think you've just inspired me to have a go at fixing it.

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Excellently produced, simply explained and informative video. You have a natural approach from which many professionals could learn.

[@ANDREWLEONARDSMITH]

You ought to demonstrate the pedalling technique for the French Harmonium as this is a totally different instrument which is pressure operated as the pedals are much wider the bellows feeders are rigid with the reservoir inside the bottom of the windchest as on the pressure harmonium there is a lot more resistance on the pedals due to the pressure making it difficult to pedal fast which is not nesscary anyway due to the dynamics of the harmonium which are different to the suction reed organ.

[@unclelouie3828]

Hey, RJ. This is a GREAT VIDEO. You're one of the "few" who really knows what he's talking about. THANK YOU.

[@ReedOrgans]

Thank you - and thanks for sharing your story! All the best to you in fixing up the old reed organ - the time you spend on fixing it will be well worth it. I have video number 2 written out, hopefully I can start recording soon :) Rodney

[@BlackTomorrowMusic]

Great video. I'll be checking out the rest of them. I mostly play synths, but I just picked up a W.W. Putnam organ at a flea market. It needs work, but it's playable. Looking forward to many hours playing it.

[@LoriJantzi]

Wow, you put alot of work into this one. Well done! I learned alot and will have to give your suggestions a try. I like your T-shirt too. Oh and nice camera work. ;)

[@clydesight]

Great video! I love the comparison to the bike and especially the violin bowing technique as parallels to organ pumping. You are the champion of reed organs, and you make them sing!

[@MrMarblemumble]

This video is awesome! Thank you so much for posting!

[@garrenross]

This is outstanding -- I love everything about this!

[@harpsichordkid]

This is GREAT! I'm really looking forward to more!

[@zzzut]

1:34 I believe the violin sounds different not only because of the dynamic bowing. The left hand vibrato also enhances the sound. That being said, this video is very well done and quite instructive.

[@HengistMaxwell]

Absolutely terrific video! You are very talented and that is a wonderful instrument. As a person who really wants to get a reed organ, this video is useful and most encouraging! I can't wait for your next video.

[@ltcajh]

I had piano lessons 50 years ago, but I just bought a reed organ and I'm determined to learn to play it! I'll watch your videos, but I'm pondering whether to try to find a piano teacher? Doubt I'll find an organ teacher.

[@perezjesus903]

Gran trabajo!! Saludos desde España

[@cecilspianos]

Great idea and brilliantly done! I certainly hope this is a long lived series. It's great to see someone finally demonstrating AND explaining the dynamic possibilities of pumping versus using a suction motor. I've seen several reed organs that have been "electrified in the name of progress" or as "an improvement". It always makes me a little sad because they usually make the bellows non-funtional. Definitely more loss than gain in my opinion. Keep up the good work!

[@ANDREWLEONARDSMITH]

The reed organs built in the 1950s & 1960s are built with suction motors & do not have bellows at all like the Magnus etc.

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

The Reed Organ I found is a Lehr Piano Cased Reed Organ so that I can play Piano pieces.

[@ReedOrgans]

That great!. So many people find it a challenge to do, while for others it just comes naturally. Thanks for commenting! Rodney

[@davidgilman-frederick7040]

This is a wonderful video. I especially appreciate the view of the reservoir deflating; I didn't know it was supposed to to that. Mine doesn't! I have no idea how to fix it, though. Can you point to any resources about how to locate and repair leaks?

[@YellowJacketGroup]

thanks for this. i had no idea how to use one of these things

[@altpapapi]

Great video, and thanks for sharing!

[@mxracerguy]

very talented guy. Great job!

[@jbussenius]

Thanks, Think I can use some of these tips to improve my own organ playing :-)

[@MrFingers127]

This is really helpful. I've got a very simple model (4 octaves, without any stops), so I'll try to use some dynamics to spice things up!

[@walterarlenhenry]

Very nice job, thank you

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

7:53 Play more of your favorite songs & your Antique Reed Organ is on its way to playing music again.

[@rubiksmaster301]

I just bought a 49 key organ for 22 dollars, and it's so fun! It's a great cardio workout too lol

[@25ericwindfinder]

OUtstanding. Looking for the second lesson!

[@Mikemallga]

Hi Rodney, Enjoy your videos and beautiful playing. Great information for new people to the Reed Organ. I just recently purchased a Weaver 1901 Parlor Reed Pump Organ. Having a difficult time learning to pump the Organ while playing. New for me. This organ only has 11 drawstops which two are bass and treble couplers. The stops are broken in 2 groups from F to F. I think someone may have placed the wrong names on the drawknobs. The last two stops are Bass Coupler and then Treble Coupler. So the Bass Coupler is not on the left side of stops. The left side of stops begin with Echo. So there is more stops on the left and fewer of the right side.

[@ReedOrgans]

+Michael Dyches - Hi Michael, Congratulations on the 'new' Weaver! It is very common for these to get all mixed up over time and placed on wrong. The database on the Reed Organ Society web page might help find other organs like yours for the correct stop names. Keep playing it, before you know it you don't even think of the pumping any more, it becomes as natural as pressing the keys :)

[@Mikemallga]

Thanks for the suggestion of searching the ROS database. I did find a Weaver Model like mine and all the stops are the same but in a different order. It starts off with the Bass Coupler on the left and ends on the right with Treble Coupler. Therefore I think mine draw knobs are correct names but out of order.

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

What was that Opening & Closing piece.

[@rodgerkelly9161]

Very nice. Could you list the pieces you are playing in this video? Thanks.

[@moestrei]

What is the black thing on the right side of the organ?

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

Song name? Is this instrument ideal for Vocal accompaniment? Choirs would love singing with Reed Organ accompaniment.

[@LarryShone]

Very interesting

[@flatfingertuning727]

The observation I found useful for peddling cleanly was that the player shouldn't try to control the *speed* at which the pedals move, but instead just put a little weight on them, and allow the pedals move as fast or slow as the organ allows them to move under the applied pressure. If one shifts the weight from one pedal to the other, the cadence won't matter so long as it's fast enough to avoid bottoming out the pedals. My pedal cadence doesn't get slower in parts of the music where I'm playing fewer notes--instead, the pedal strokes get shallower.

[@timdaugherty5921]

You look just like me!!!

[@ReedOrgans]

Thanks! I posted number two on my channel about 2 weeks ago :)

[@ltcajh]

Why does my 1800s organ have 3 black keys on the far left instead of two black keys, like modern keyboards?

[@ZeldaZelda-RichesToRags]

I'm writing an article for the reed organ society paper..

[@thomasm.longiii3752]

What's the name of the music that plays in the intro and outro of the chapters of these video?

[@ReedOrgans]

It's called March from Scipio, by Handel.

[@3PaulD]

I assume a full stroke is a downstroke on both the left and right(?)

[@ReedOrgans]

+Paul Dessau - I always considered a "full stroke" one downstroke of one treadle only. The amount of reservoir usage from that does greatly depend on the size of the organ, but most of them will be at capacity after a left-right-left right :)

[@celiaamaral6323]

A paz de Deus

[@ZeldaZelda-RichesToRags]

The Reed organ music is a lot of air...lol...it sucketh.. BUT is my most favorite instrument/keyboard.

[@Oldman808]

When my church built a much needed new sanctuary, the board of deacons make a decision to save a great deal of money by purchasing an electric organ. I quickly found its sound boring. Plus, various organists would attempt to entertain by monkeying with novel bells and whistles. Sadly for me, the music nowadays has changed from the old hymns. It’s little wonder to me that church attendance has declined.

[@nutmegct]

Only took me ten years to ask ... what maker/model organ are you playing? thanks. Tom M., 1874 George Woods