Decision Making

Room Acoustics

QUESTION: How do room acoustics influence the amount of time to be taken between repeated notes or between the various notes of an articulate line?

ANSWER: In general,

• the MORE REVERBERANT the room, the LARGER the break should be (relative to the prevailing note value), and
• the LESS REVERBERANT the room, the SMALLER the break should be.

A reverberant room sustains sound for a period of time. Such a room is generally considered a more favorable environment for organ music.

If you “play the room,” you listen intently and make adjustments to your touch to reflect that extra sustaining time. You will note that lower pitches (particularly 16' and 32') sustain longer than higher ones. In short, take more time between repeated notes (especially in the pedal) in more reverberant rooms, and less time in less reverberant rooms.