For organists, Bach’s music is the beginning and the end. Almost every organist’s career begins and ends with that. It’s such beautiful music that to do it justice, you really should play it well. To learn to play Bach’s organ works at a good level, you need to do the following.

1. Develop correct organ practice habits by creating a good long-term plan and sticking to it, practicing very slowly in chunks and in voice combinations.

2. Develop your organ sight-reading skills by playing one unfamiliar piece of Bach organ music per day at a slow tempo.

3. Develop your organ technique by practicing scales and other exercises on the manuals and on the pedals.

4. Learn to apply the articulated legato touch in Bach’s pieces, leaving small silences between notes.

5. Learn to register the works you study according to the rules of practice of historical interpretation.

6. Use toe-only pedaling and avoid toe substitutions and glissandos.

7. Add historically correct ornamentation (especially on cadences).

8. Choose the correct tempo for your performance so that your pulse and sense of meter are obvious to your listeners.

9. Memorize the pieces you are playing so that you know them by heart; in this way you will overcome performance anxiety and reduce the level of fear of playing them in public.

10. Develop your music theory and harmony skills so that you can understand how the piece is put together.

Start applying these tips to your organ practice today. In time, they will allow you to master Bach’s organ music to the level you deserve.