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Ugly Rumble With Organ???

Aberdumbie

Aberdumbie

Supporting Member
Jan 22, 2016
2,397
10,085
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South Carolina
#1
my Sunday morning gig we have guitar songs, piano songs and organ songs. I stay silent on organ songs because the organist plays bass with his feet (jealous).... This morning he plays a soft piece and I feel I can add some pleasant voicings. Wow what a stunner. My pretty little trills came thru as an ugly ugly rumble when it met the organ bass. My first thought was if I were in the wrong key.... I never played during an organ piece before and it was just an inspired moment to me that sounded like a train wreck... I suppose that's why bands only have one bass instrumentalist.... Won't make that mistake again.
 
#5
lz4005 said:
Yeah. If it's a mechanical or electro-mechanical organ that hasn't been maintained well it could easily be in tune with it's self but significantly off from A=440.
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Yeah.... It's one of those massive church organs that's old as the church with all the pipes and accoutrements. I been there for twenty years and can't say I ever remember discussion of our organ being tuned.
 
#6
Aberdumbie said:
Yeah.... It's one of those massive church organs that's old as the church with all the pipes and accoutrements. I been there for twenty years and can't say I ever remember discussion of our organ being tuned.
Click to expand...

Even if it was tuned they can fluctuate a enough with temperature changes that it's best left a solo instrument. Unless you're playing fretless and have really good relative pitch.
 
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#13
pnchad said:
could be a phase problem too - are you on a raised platform?
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Well yes and no..... it's a 200 year old church that wasn't designed with multiple musicians in mind.... Really we have our gear in less than ideal places but have worked out our most optimal mix given a less than perfect circumstance..... The entire alter area is slightly raised and I saw a thread earlier this week about isolating amps from a raised floor. That made a world of difference already. This was just such an odd oil and water mix when I started doing small background work with the organ. Totally totally blew my mind at the time.... Took me from an inspired moment to car crash in the blink of an eye.
 
#14
well theres also the fact that pipe organs are less than perfect things especially if old and not maintained often. they create pitch by forcing air through the pipe and have a tendancy to be slightly out of tune by nature.

people tend to forgive this because of the tremolo effect which is part of the 'sound' - so, you could be perfectly in tune with yourself and certain notes on the organ but not other notes - these are 'non tempered' instruments
 
#15
If you play with a keyboard player sometimes you have to ask him to lay off your territory. Especially organ sounds cause playing organ makes you want to hold down long loud low notes. It just sounds massive and lovely. So even if you're both in tune with each other (which remains to be seen), and he's playing the right chord at the time (which remains to be seen also), he could just happen to use a note, that is correct but doesn't agree with what your line plays at that very second, also correct. If he's ever played with a bass player before, this should be a matter-of-fact request to make of him. "Hey, on that bridge can you lay off the bass notes, something's rumbling between us." He should get it right away. Otherwise, yeah chainsaw, or bring an accordeon to the next gig and tell him since he's doing the bass you're gonna solo on top.
 
#16
When my pianist and I play songs in Bb and Eb we sometimes get a muddy sound.... ( happened today on a couple of songs...) Especially if the electric guitarist is playing low as well.

Maybe it was just the combo of notes together?...

Silly stupid question.... I know you were in the same key but were you playing the same notes?

I rarely if ever play with the organ...
 
#17
basspraiser said:
When my pianist and I play songs in Bb and Eb we sometimes get a muddy sound.... ( happened today on a couple of songs...) Especially if the electric guitarist is playing low as well.

Maybe it was just the combo of notes together?...

Silly stupid question.... I know you were in the same key but were you playing the same notes?

I rarely if ever play with the organ...
Click to expand...

Oddly enough the selection was Lead Me Guide Me in Eb..... I never play on organ hymns. Not my territory.. Organ tunes are solo ground and I know it... I have no idea what his note selection was. But I just wanted to do some nice fills... Was a good tune... I am voting next time we do that it will be with us "strings" and not the solo organ... I'm sure what it was was just an overload mish mash of low end. We were neither playing wrong. Just became bottom mud. I figured it out quickly enough and stayed silent after that
 

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