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Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

Make a Digital Piano Sound Like an Organ

Veronica Brandt · January 30, 2016

Kawai CA97 HERE ARE MANY REASONS WHY a parish might choose to buy a digital piano in favour of an organ. The instruments are much more widely available, pianists much more plentiful than organists. The machines themselves are generally simpler with only one keyboard and without all those fiddly stops all over the place.

They may not be my favourite reasons, but for whatever reason you may find yourself in the situation of trying to make a digital piano sound like an organ.

Many digital pianos come with an “organ” setting – even a “church organ” sound, but I don’t know who chooses these sounds. The few I have heard are quite brash. For accompanying singing, especially chant, you probably want something a bit more mellow. Our parish piano (a Kawai CA97) has a sound called “chiffy tibias” which is passable.

The really frustrating thing is the touch sensitivity, which is nothing like an organ. The volume of each note depends on how hard it is struck and there is no expression or swell pedal to soften the blow. If you accidentally play an extra verse there is no easy way to smoothly reduce the volume and finish quietly without removing a hand from the keyboard to adjust a very sensitive volume knob.

However, you can by-pass the piano’s piano-ness and use software like Hauptwerk or Grand Orgue to bring a much more believable organ sound into your choir loft.

You will need :

  • a midi controller 49-61 keys with usb interface
  • an expression pedal to suit the midi controller
  • a music stand
  • a laptop with Hauptwerk or Grand Orgue installed
  • a 3.5mm Stereo Audio Cable, Male to Male

organ setup
Fold down the piano’s music stand and rest the midi controller on top.

Place the laptop on the piano bench and plug the headphone socket to the piano’s line-in socket. Plug the midi controller into the laptop via the usb cable.

Plug the expression pedal into the midi controller and arrange for easy access.

Fire up your laptop and adjust the software and various volume controls to a good level.

Enjoy your organ!

Note, this pretty much reduces the use of the digital piano down to a pair of speakers. You could have this sort of set up with an amplifier – rather like an electric guitarist would.

Next time you see someone lugging various gig bags into a church, perhaps this is another organ enthusiast.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Pipe Organ Last Updated: October 29, 2020

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About Veronica Brandt

Veronica Brandt holds a Bachelor Degree in Electrical Engineering. She lives near Sydney, Australia, with her husband and six children.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Using “Ye” Vs. “You” Correctly
    Using “Ye” vs. “You” is rather tricky, because it depends upon which era one is trying to recreate—if that makes any sense. In other words, the rules haven’t always been the same for these two. Nevertheless, Father Philip George Caraman (the legendary Jesuit scholar) gives us a masterclass using Saint Luke’s Gospel. Father Caraman was close friends with Monsignor Ronald Knox, Evelyn Waugh, and Sir Alec Guinness.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Pope Leo XIV Has Announced…”
    My pastor asked me to write brief articles each week for our parish bulletin. Those responsible for preparing similar write-ups may find a bit of inspiration in these brief columns. The most recent article speaks about the recent announcement by Pope Leo XIV, which does have an impact on church musicians. Scheduled for publication on 2025 08 10th, it’s called: “Pope Leo XIV Has Announced…”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Chants” • 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
    All the chants for 3 August 2025—which is the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)—have been added to the feasts website, as usual under a convenient “drop down” menu. The COMMUNION ANTIPHON (from the book of Wisdom) is stunning. That feast website has been called “the best kept secret of Church music.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

“It is profitable for me that shame hath covered my face so I may seek consolation in Thee rather than in men.” (From the Imitation of Christ by Father Thomas à Kempis)

— Cardinal Merry del Val’s Prayer-Book

Recent Posts

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  • Installment #3 • “Serious Problems with the Lectionary Translation”
  • “Pope Leo XIV Has Announced…”
  • “Chants” • 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
  • “Corn” From Heaven?

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