For context, I’ve seen notation where a bass coupler is applied at in a certain section of the organ part, which will double the lowest note currently played on a manual down into the “pedals”.
You can similarly layer a SEM, Oberheim 8 voice or any mono synth like an ARP 2600 that has “lowest note” priority to do that as well.
With the synth though, you have to be careful of your release when playing chords. Say the thumb of your left hand is a tiny bit slower than your pinky to release, then the bass note in the layered synth will “jump up” briefly to whatever is the new lowest note - even if you haven’t pressed a new key.
My first question just for curiosity is whether this happens with organ couplers. My second question is about my intention to use a different voice/stem as necessary so that I can put a tenuto on the lowest note whenever it looks like it could be a problem. Does that seem reasonable?
I could assume the player just knows - but it’s also an exploitable feature where you can deliberately get an extra note if desired - so I’d like to be explicit at times. In the second case I might write it with a tenuto on the higher note. And then maybe show a ghost note in parentheses the first time to represent the new bass note?
On a traditional (pipe or electronic) organ, a coupler results in the destination manual or pedal sounding with its selected registration (stops) and the registration of the source manual. For example, if the Swell has a trompette stop selected as part of its registration and you use a Swell to Pedal coupler, the sound of the trompette stop (and any others selected in the swell) will sound along with whatever registration is selected in the pedals whether you play one note or two notes in the pedal. No matter what you play in the swell by itself, the pedals won’t sound the trompette stop unless the feet actually play the pedals.
On some electronic organs there is a button one can press that will result in the lowest note played (on a manual) to also sound the pedal registrations. This ability is not standard to most organs so any notation specifying it could only be played by organs with that feature. As to playing with that feature the player ‘just knows’ how to play it. But again, that feature won’t be found on most organs.
Thanks James. It seems to me that organists don’t get enough credit, as just about everything “new” has been done in some form somewhere in its long history. On one hand, it feels very within the spirit of an instrument whose name means “tool” and which has seen so much innovative technology, to assert a family relationship with synthesizers. On the other hand, I feel like there might be some who wouldn’t be very happy about it.
I’m working through my own thoughts on notating for synths - I don’t expect a consensus to form, but I would like to be fairly sane about it.
