Organ vs. Piano

[GSM]

...so, recently I'm at a service that I was invited to play organ at, and they get to shouting...I don't do any of the Tye, or East Coast praise break hits...I'm not big on trend playing...but anyway, I'm quite amazed after service as both my wife(who has heard me play tons of all sort of styles and events)...and my 10 year old son,who hears me play and practice all the time..was ranting and raving about me "killing da shouting music"

...I was quite taken aback by their response, as I grew up and cut my teeth playing that sort of stuff, and I dont think a former COGIC boy ever forgets how to play shout music right??  So I asked my son "you thought your dad sucked??"...he said "no sir, I'm  just  used to hearing you play shout music on the piano at home,and its not as cool"

I'm just as comfy on piano as I am organ, and in most cases there is not a drop off of me playing one over the other, However, I never thought about it until my son shared his observation....and truth be told, although I don't play it in our own service often, my rejoicing/shouting music is FAR superior on organ than it is on piano,even if I have a good bass player, where I can just chord and do licks....tis not the same

I was just curious in regards to those of you who are fluent on both piano and organ, is there a particular style of song or music, where you find yourself having a pronounced strength on one instrument over the other???       please share

[under13]

Well I'm not flluent on either, but I sound a lot better on the Organ

About the Organ sounding better; there is just something about the organ that just touches people. In NY, you aint nobody unless you can play the organ. For a piano player to really be noticed or recognized, they have to be extraordinary on the instrument.

[wheatworks]

"under 13" do you live in nyc.

[wheatworks]

the organ just has a bigger sound and you have your foot too.

[under13]

"under 13" do you live in nyc.

Yes Sir. Valley Stream, LI.

[B3Wannabe]

I used to be better on the organ; but now, since I play piano all the time, my organ isn't as good.

My foot can't move as fast as it used to, but I can still do a moderate shout with it. I have a digital organ at home, but I don't practice on it as much, because I've been too cheap to buy a good speaker. It sounds horrible through my little practice speaker. I plan to sell it and buy a real organ, when I get back to the USA.

[themidiroom]

I plan to sell it and buy a real organ, when I get back to the USA.

You're not coming back. 
Anyways, I've never been much of a pianist.  I can play but I don't think I do it much justice.  I played keyboards exclusively until I started playing the organ 5 years ago.  The organ is just a more flexible instrument to me but I enjoy both.

[organman88]

Well I'm not flluent on either, but I sound a lot better on the Organ

About the Organ sounding better; there is just something about the organ that just touches people. In NY, you aint nobody unless you can play the organ. For a piano player to really be noticed or recognized, they have to be extraordinary on the instrument.

its not really the organ that touches people (imo) the organ just has a bigger sound and it over powers the piano. They both have there place, piano for mellow times and the organ for shouts and house worship and all that. I know alot of organist that are good but have poor dynamics like when the choir is mellow and singing soft some organist still have all the drawbars out lol

[Docdb04]

I am not fluent on the organ, but as a pianist, I think they both sound good.  But as crazy as it is, you can't play shoutin music the same way on both instruments.  In my opinion, organ sounds better when you chord more and the piano sounds good when you tickle and run.  They both have its place.  Now when you have both, organist and pianist that can run, you can "ter up some stuff"

[SoundofJoy]

I've played both piano and organ for 25 years in a COGIC church. the amjor difference is that your hands don't hurt from the pounding you do on a piano. Lack of weighted keys speed up your licks and runs also. If you seen my video shouts on youtube I'm using a weighted keyboard for my organ examples. I'm much faster on a real organ.

[Fenix]

Yeah your hands take a beating on the piano. I have actually never played an organ so i cannot even say which is better.

On second thought, each has its place within a band.