I am currently playing in my socks, as none of the footwear that I own is thin enough for me to feel my way. (Don't worry; my feet can neither be seen nor smelt by the congregation.) But having stubbed a couple of toes, I think it's time I considered buying something 'specially for the purpose. Remembering that I am only a humble piano teacher of modest means, can anyone suggest where to buy organ shoes?
Organ Shoes
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Guest: Patricia_*
, May 27 2006 10:31
16 replies to this topic
#2
Guest: grand choeur_*
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Posted 27 May 2006 - 11:37
QUOTE(Patricia @ May 27 2006, 06:31 AM) 
I am currently playing in my socks, as none of the footwear that I own is thin enough for me to feel my way. (Don't worry; my feet can neither be seen nor smelt by the congregation.) But having stubbed a couple of toes, I think it's time I considered buying something 'specially for the purpose. Remembering that I am only a humble piano teacher of modest means, can anyone suggest where to buy organ shoes?
Pat (if I may), I ran a thread about this about a year ago here - great fun it was.
Personally I use Organmaster while a mate uses a pair of dance shoes. However, you need a thin soled pair, with leather uppers, or a material that wont stick as your feet travel close together, and a heel of at least 4cm.
Of course there a barefoot/stockinged players around though I could never do it.
Here are two links for organ shoes Organmaster Shoes; Tic - Tac - Toes
Shodly,
GC
Edited by grand choeur, 27 May 2006 - 11:42 .
#3
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Posted 27 May 2006 - 13:49
Many thanks. Off now to read the old thread.
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Posted 27 May 2006 - 14:50
That seems to be one of many old threads that Firefox is not compatible with. IE should work though, but I can only use that here because of my university firewall, otherwise I usually get heaps of popups, etc.
#5
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Posted 27 May 2006 - 14:53
QUOTE(neil.clarinet @ May 27 2006, 10:50 AM)
That seems to be one of many old threads that Firefox is not compatible with. IE should work though, but I can only use that here because of my university firewall, otherwise I usually get heaps of popups, etc.
Quod?
#6
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Posted 27 May 2006 - 15:16
QUOTE(neil.clarinet @ May 27 2006, 03:50 PM)
That seems to be one of many old threads that Firefox is not compatible with. IE should work though, but I can only use that here because of my university firewall, otherwise I usually get heaps of popups, etc.
I'm on Firefox and it's working fine for me
Oh, maybe not. Once you get further down the page it gets very dodgy
#7
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Posted 27 May 2006 - 16:42
QUOTE(grand choeur @ May 27 2006, 03:53 PM)
QUOTE(neil.clarinet @ May 27 2006, 10:50 AM)
That seems to be one of many old threads that Firefox is not compatible with. IE should work though, but I can only use that here because of my university firewall, otherwise I usually get heaps of popups, etc.
Quod?
And quod from me too!!!
This is just to say that I thoroughly enjoyed that thread! Why should you have shoes with a heel, by the way? I don't have a heel on my socks and it seems to work fine...
#8
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Posted 27 May 2006 - 16:46
QUOTE(Patricia @ May 27 2006, 12:42 PM)
QUOTE(grand choeur @ May 27 2006, 03:53 PM)
QUOTE(neil.clarinet @ May 27 2006, 10:50 AM)
That seems to be one of many old threads that Firefox is not compatible with. IE should work though, but I can only use that here because of my university firewall, otherwise I usually get heaps of popups, etc.
Quod?
And quod from me too!!!
This is just to say that I thoroughly enjoyed that thread! Why should you have shoes with a heel, by the way? I don't have a heel on my socks and it seems to work fine...
Most shoes do have heels else they are slippers or pumps I think (Ladies will no doubt correct me). Pedalling is a heel and toe business so the heel on the organ shoe helps to delineate those areas of your foot, also helps when you are making pedal movements to distant notes e.g from F up to say B flat...
Also makes your footing more secure I would think
Footingly,
GC
#9
Guest: Patricia_*
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Posted 27 May 2006 - 17:21
Yes...hadn't thought of the jumping over several notes aspect of things; I haven't done that yet! I'm generally not fond of using heels if I can avoid it, either; maybe it would seem easier with a proper pair of footwear.
#10
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Posted 29 May 2006 - 21:16
QUOTE(Patricia @ May 27 2006, 01:21 PM)
Yes...hadn't thought of the jumping over several notes aspect of things; I haven't done that yet! I'm generally not fond of using heels if I can avoid it, either; maybe it would seem easier with a proper pair of footwear.
My organ shoes are from Organmaster. I have been using them since my second lesson. They are very comfortable and make pedalling a lot easier. I can never play properly with just socks or street shoes.
Like Patricia, I had the tendency to avoid using heels because heels were so much harder to control (even with the organ shoes on), but I think one can get used to using heels after learning a piece or two with a legato pedal part from the 19th or 20th century. Playing legato pedal scales also helps.
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Posted 31 May 2006 - 15:32
I use character shoes from the Royal Academy of Dance suppliers. Apparently quite a lot of organists use them and they're great as they're thin soled and have a perfect size heel as well as not being too expensive. I think they only cost me about £18.
Sarah x
Sarah x
#12
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Posted 31 May 2006 - 17:24
I wear dance shoes at the moment, which I got when I first started the organ, but I went to a pedalling class in Newcastle back in January and Ann Marsden Thomas was running it, and she recommended heels. She said the idea had seemed really stupid to her at first, but then as soon as she'd actually played in heeled shoes, she never went back!
She wasn't too impressed with my shoes, or my pedal technique, but it's improved a lot since then mainly due to the things she said, to be honest!
She wasn't too impressed with my shoes, or my pedal technique, but it's improved a lot since then
mainly due to the things she said, to be honest!
#13
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Posted 03 June 2006 - 08:21
QUOTE(organist_katy @ May 31 2006, 06:24 PM)
She wasn't too impressed with my shoes, or my pedal technique, but it's improved a lot since then
mainly due to the things she said, to be honest!AMT is a formidable personality and I remember giving a recital at St. Giles. At the end, full of adrenaline I was taking applause when she whispered in my ear that I'd played a number of misreadings in my final piece and I should work on those with my teacher when I got the chance. LOL.. A teacher through and through.
Not sure what she thought about the rest of my stocking-shod performance. I didn't hang around long enough to find out!
#14
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Posted 03 June 2006 - 08:53
Hi mrb! Good to "see" you.
Thank you to all who have given me suggestions as to where to find shoes. I've decided to get through this forthcoming exam in socks, as before, rather than add another dimension to cope with, but once I get June out of the way, I'm definitely going to put this on my to-do list.
An important consideration when playing in socks is what socks you wear! I arrived at an unfamiliar church one morning to fill in for a friend, and almost screamed when I took my boots off to discover that my socks were bright yellow, with a lovely orange design, and that the organ was in full view. (Where I normally play as assistant organist, we're surrounded by a curtain.) I wasn't playing everything with pedals, but had put so much work into "Dear Lord and Father of Mankind" (one of the first I ever learnt with pedals) that I just decided "to ###### with it - the boots are staying off!"
Thank you to all who have given me suggestions as to where to find shoes. I've decided to get through this forthcoming exam in socks, as before, rather than add another dimension to cope with, but once I get June out of the way, I'm definitely going to put this on my to-do list.
An important consideration when playing in socks is what socks you wear! I arrived at an unfamiliar church one morning to fill in for a friend, and almost screamed when I took my boots off to discover that my socks were bright yellow, with a lovely orange design, and that the organ was in full view. (Where I normally play as assistant organist, we're surrounded by a curtain.) I wasn't playing everything with pedals, but had put so much work into "Dear Lord and Father of Mankind" (one of the first I ever learnt with pedals) that I just decided "to ###### with it - the boots are staying off!"
#15
Guest: grand choeur_*
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Posted 03 June 2006 - 12:09
Folks,
Hands up all those who wear Organ shoes, erm... hands up all those who don't...
Upliftingly,
GC
Hands up all those who wear Organ shoes, erm... hands up all those who don't...
Upliftingly,
GC
