Following my recent moan about sight-reading resources, Mark Ellis of atticbooks drew my attention to Sight-Read the Pedals! by Richard Ellis. Eighty short pieces for organ sight reading: the pedal line starts with just two notes (C and F) and gradually gets more complicated to cover the whole of the pedalboard. Mark makes the point that many “introduction to the organ” books move rapidly from single line pedal exercises to real repertoire in the space of just a few pages. This book is designed to bridge the gap. There are some pedals-only, and pedals & left hand studies included for good measure, with a warm-up exercise for the fingers at the very end. Although Richard Ellis makes it clear this is not a pedal tutor as such, the introduction gives you plenty to think about – I must try out his suggestions about toe and heel patterns in arpeggios. His brief listing of further books on pedal playing and technique is actually quite extensive – helpful for both organ teachers, and adults teaching themselves the organ.
Sight-Read the Pedals!
Richard Ellis
Published by atticbooks January 2013
Price £9.95 (to be confirmed) including postage.
Update June 2019: Mark Ellis has a few copies left – email him for details atticbooks@ntlworld.com
