Widor's Toccata lesson Peter Hayward

Even an "impossible" tune can be made easier to learn, play (and remember!) - when you break it down into its smaller component parts, learn just a few bars at a time, and then tack those new bars on in order to build up the whole piece.
Here we "get to grips" with an organ favourite, Charles Widor's famous 'TOCCATA' ... as Peter Hayward takes apart this much respected classic, and splits it up into simple chord symbols... How VERY dare he !!!???
But it makes it easier to learn, and much more FUN to learn... and it WORKS... which is all that matters.
Thanks for watching (and subscribing?) and here's wishing you all "Happy Music!!" - Stay happy, and keep the music "LIVE".
Welcome back again very soon :)

[@MrHemax]

Danke, danke, danke. Eine wunderbare Hilfe dieses Stück zu erlernen. Einfach großartig. Wunderbar gemacht und sehr hilfreich. Bitte mehr davon. Gruß aus Österreich🇦🇹

[@richarduphill828]

Thanks great tutorial I have struggled with this for years, (have now started playing again after a long break ) I could never get the left and right hand together but now you have cracked it thank you so much😊

[@EuphoniaPooch]

You are absolute greatness to provide this lesson and how could you not want to share this amazing piece of music, thank you

[@carrington2158]

Peter I have always wanted to be able to play Widor's Toccata my favourite piece of music, I have never seen the fingering before so thank you.

[@HaywardMusic]

Thanks Peter, good luck with your music. Best wishes - Peter :)

[@sarahjavea2303]

Fabulous thank you so much for this. You have given hope to a hopeful player.

[@simoncurnow9562]

Thank you so much 🙏. I found my grandmothers copy of this hidden away and I heard a recording of her playing it a while back (I never met her as she died before I was born) but now I can in some way connect with her on the very same organ she played twenty years ago.

[@HaywardMusic]

Thank you for this special message, Simon, and I hope you can use music in some to re-connect with your grandmother, on this same organ. I wish you every success with this piece, and indeed with ALL your music. Kindest regards - Peter :)

[@annegreen9499]

What a great lesson. Thank you for sharing

[@am98101]

This is EXCELLENT!!! AND I've learned a new musical term... "twiddle"!!! :-)

[@HaywardMusic]

Thanks very much, Al. This one was a bit of fun, to demonstrate the benefit of breaking a "complicated" piece down into manageable (understandable) segments, to get a positive response from my students and to boost their confidence with the answer "Yes... I can do that" - and "Yes... is that all there is to it?". I tried to avoid "jargon" words wherever possible, until I had taught the point... THEN I would tell them what they had just done.... Any unnecessary complication around the "twiddle"... would simply have added... (wait for it...) "more dents" to their confidence. Thanks for watching this one, and for your kind comment which I really appreciate. Best wishes, and keep smiling, cheers - Peter :)

[@dkod19]

I absolutely love this breakdown. I can't believe I haven't stumbled on it before now. It has to be almost 50 years since I first heard a VERY good organist play this piece on a good (at the time) instrument in the church where I worked. (A lot of Franck, Vierne and Dupre were also played there.) I've learned enough piano to play Irish trad backup fairly well, and have dabbled in organ but I've never attempted a piece like this. I'm going to try it this week. Thanks for doing this.

[@HaywardMusic]

Hi Denis, Go on, have a go.... it's not as difficult as it sounds.... so impress you friends :)) Mind you, it gets a bit more difficult in the next part.... STILL, the trick could be... to play the first bit TWICE : and hope folk are impressed enough not to need any more proof that you are brilliant!! - all best wishes from us in Sweden - Peter :)

[@angelolegend5190]

I realize I am quite randomly asking but do anybody know a good place to stream new series online?

[@atlasphilip4370]

@Angelo Legend lately I have been using FlixZone. You can find it on google :)

[@mikereed3444]

Fascinating, Peter, to have it broken down like that, to actually SEE the action itself. That's where you are the very best at making even old me see where it's all going. I do appreciate the time and effort that you put into being our teacher on KZbin.Thanks again, my friend..... after a wonderful evening with the granddaughters this was refreshing and right on! :0)

[@HaywardMusic]

+Mike Reed Hello Mike, Thank you so much for your kind messages. I am really happy you liked this bit of musical FUN. When I taught in the UK, I used to really enjoy taking away all the "mystery" of learning a new piece, and was especially happy to hear a student remark.... "OMG, Peter... that is so much easier than I thought!" I got a huge kick from hearing them master a new tune they originally thought "impossible". Thanks again for your friendship. All Best Wishes - Peter :)

[@wersinut1]

Well Peter- from loving this piece and never even daring to try it, I have to say that you have inspired me to have a go. Many thanks- Geoff

[@HaywardMusic]

+wersinut1 You are very welcome, Geoff. Thanks for watching... and enjoy playing this famous piece. Good luck and "Happy Music!!" - Peter :)

[@davidstandring1156]

Well i have been practicing this thanks to you Peter an i cannot thank you enough for your so easy approach to a piece of music i would have run a mile from before seeing your way of learning ,a lot of people have a lot to thank you for think i am ready for page 3 good job i using headphones practicing or Pauline would be at her wits end by now thank you again regards to you and your family Pauline an Dave

[@HaywardMusic]

Hi David, I am really pleased that you found this helpful. I used to use a similar teaching approach when I was teaching in the UK, mainly to instil confidence which went a long way to a student progressing well with a new piece. I got a real kick from watching their rapid progress. Best wishes to Pauline and yourself, and keep playing "Happy Music!!" - Cheers, Pete :)

[@Wurlitzer104mikeV]

Thank you so much for this lesson!! I don't know why I didn't find it sooner. Very helpful. You have given me the inspiration to dust off my sheet music and finally learn to play this toccata. Thanks again! Mike

[@HaywardMusic]

Hello Mike, Thanks very much for your friendly message and for watching my little video clip. This is just to "get you started" on playing the Toccata, and if it has given you the inspiration to have a go, then it has done what I set out to do. I wish you every success with your playing, and most of all, keep smiling. "Happy Music!!" - Peter :)

[@jimbojazza5539]

Peter, a very useful and succinct lesson. Thanks for taking the valuable time to make this.

[@HaywardMusic]

Thank you very much for watching this video, and for your kind comment, which is most appreciated. Kind regards - Peter :)

[@roger1uk676]

A lovely breakdown of a great piece!

[@HaywardMusic]

Glad you liked it! Many thanks, Peter :)

[@premasru]

Thanks for breaking it down for us,Peter.

[@HaywardMusic]

+Charmian O'Brien Thanks very much, Charmian. I really enjoy making music FUN to learn. If students smile, they learn a lot quicker. Welcome back again soon, and thank you for your kind comments, which I really appreciate. Best Wishes - Peter :)

[@wmalden]

My organ instructor never taught me how to “twiddle”.

[@HaywardMusic]

You can get arrested for it nowadays!! LOL :))

[@jeanlucbodam8919]

It helps me much.

[@ramonsernudaj]

Un trabajo digno de un pedagogo, que da ánimos a quien está aprendiendo. Felicitaciones desde Chile.

[@HaywardMusic]

Gracias por su comentario amistoso, y por ver mis videos. Saludos amistosos desde Suecia - Peter :)

[@nickmaguire5104]

Thank you. You are a great teacher.

[@HaywardMusic]

You are very kind. Thank you for your kind comment, and for watching my video films. Best wishes from Sweden - Peter :)

[@carefree1905]

As a visually impaired organist, I cannot read sheet music so this introductory video is really good for me. It might be a bit of a cheeky request but it’s worth a go. If you are ever able to do a step-by-step for the whole thing so that I can identify what the codes are that would be fantastic, though I appreciate it may take up rather a lot of your time

[@HaywardMusic]

Hello, thanks for watching this video and I am really pleased that you found it helpful. The problem with your request, is that after the section that I have shown in this video, the "movement" moves into the LEFT hand, and becomes impossible to show (as chord symbols) using the same simplistic chords method, as used in the first part. In other words, the whole thing becomes a LOT more complicated, and needs to be read and practised from the actual sheet music. I would suggest that you find yourself a good teacher, who can maybe help you be showing you, letting you hear the harmonies, and give you a few useful tips on working out those left hand patterns. Sorry I can't be of any more help here. I hope you can find a teacher. Kind regards - Peter :)

[@SirReginaldBlomfield1234]

Like your tutorial. I've been telling people for decades that if you can play broken chords your pretty much there. Winston Churchill might have said, Never has so much been made from so little. Personally, having played the thing for over forty years , I would say why is anyone bothered. Widor wrote plenty of other works of greater merit than this succession of simplistic chords.

[@patrickkiley3388]

A very useful link. Thanks Peter! [Will you help us with the rest of the piece?]

[@HaywardMusic]

Hi Patrick, Thanks for watching this video lesson. The rest of the piece is a bit more difficult as the chords change more frequently, and there is lots of left hand work. The principle is the same... Analyse each bar to look for a pattern to help the hands fit together, musically and logically. A good teacher will be able to help you find various patterns in ANY piece, that will help you to learn it quicker and more efficiently. Good luck with your playing. Best wishes - Peter :)

[@BachFlip]

I don't think I'll ever understand why this piece is so popular. Perhaps you could make another video - how to unlearn Widor's Toccata! I wouldn't bother with if so many wedding couples didn't keep requesting it. And it really isn't that hard, though people seem to think it is. Perhaps it sounds 'difficult' when other harder music sounds 'easier'. Now, Bach's Toccata in F...that's a piece!!

[@HaywardMusic]

I agree, Chris. I think a lot of couples choose this one as their "Wedding March" music because : 1) As you rightly say, it is perceived to be difficult. 2) Didn't some royal (Princess Margaret???) have it played at their wedding... or am I imagining that?? Either way, like it or not (and I admit I am NOT a 100% fan of this one!) - It is very popular, and I have often been requested to play it for the "happy couple" - and after all, it is THEIR special day, so who am I to refuse them? Lets face it, during concerts, I HAVE been known to play "Blue Spanish Eyes" when it has been requested by the audience.... I must have NO pride....!!!... but have always been busy, and fully employed during a lifetime as a full-time pro organist. Remember the saying, "He who pays the Piper, calls the tune!" Ours not to reason why..... etc. Cheers :))

[@zzzut]

This is not such a complex piece and you demonstrated it very well. However, it almost takes an athlete to play it in rythm without slowing down for the entire 10 minutes it lasts! It is some sort of a musical marathon!

[@HaywardMusic]

+zzzut You are absolutely right about the stamina to play through the whole thing without flagging. At weddings, it is probably a good idea to play it just up until the guests have all left the church, and the photographer has taken the first couple of pictures. This lesson is really just a bit of fun to at least give someone the confidence to try the first part.... hopefully they will then go on to learn the whole piece. Thanks for watching, and for your friendly comments. All best wishes - Peter :)

[@1071jmkz]

Hello Peter, thank you for your relaxed and unpretentious introduction to this piece, I really enjoyed it. I notice someone else has said they don’t understand why this piece is so popular, and you too say that you are not a 100% fan of it. I’m fascinated to know why this is, as I’ve always enjoyed the piece with its blasting bass notes and full volume climactic ending. I appreciate that it’s fairly repetitive and possibly much overplayed thanks to weddings (rather like overplayed pop songs on an annoying radio station) but if there’s another reason I’d be interested to know what it is. I’d love to learn to play this on a cathedral organ (I gave up piano when I was 13 in 1984!) so I would need to start from scratch, but I don’t know anyone in the London/Surrey area that teaches beginners. Any advice would be much appreciated.

[@HaywardMusic]

Hello, and thanks for listening to my music (and for your kind message). I think you are right when you say that it is the "overplayed" aspect of this piece, that takes the edge of its attraction for me. The piece is one of those that actually feels good to play ; especially on a good church organ. You get that wonderful feeling of sheer power, especially towards the end when you can really "blow their socks off" ! It does need to be played with a good bit of energy though. Played too shyly and it can drag. The middle section (when the left hand takes over the melody) is pretty difficult compared to the relatively simple part which I showed on this video, although as a pianist you will soon fall into it. Individual hand practice is the order of the day, to master this part which is quite taxing on the left hand. However, you can breathe a sigh of relief when you come back to the first section again, and look forward to putting your foot down, and enjoying that power of the full organ, as by now (if playing at a wedding?) everybody is outside, and the place is empty... so you can really let rip and enjoy!! Anyway, I wish you every success (and enjoyment) with your music making, and a very happy Christmas to you from snowy Sweden - "Happy Music!!" to you. Peter :)

[@1071jmkz]

That's very interesting to know, thanks Peter. The fact that wedding couples only hear the opening notes before parading off outside with their guests, leaving the rest of the piece to be performed to a deserted church has always struck me as quite bizarre!

[@electro9232]

Very helpful Peter. Thank you! Not the best thing to play on a piano haha, too heavy!

[@HaywardMusic]

Hi, really pleased that you found this helpful (but NOT on piano, maybe!) - Thanks for watching and welcome back soon. All best wishes - Peter :)