Learn to Play the Organ. How?

One of the most interesting and fascinating instruments to play, is the organ. There are many variations of this instrument, from the standard electronic, as seen in the picture, to the more refined Church Organ, Orchestral Organ or the Theatre Pipe Organ as they are called. They can have as few as two keyboards (manuals) to as many as six. Learning the organ can seem difficult but also extremely rewarding, as the musical variety they are capable of is astounding.

The organ is a challenging instrument to play correctly, and there are many ways to play it correctly, both in popular and classical repertoire. However, if you have a good keyboard technique to begin with, you can move to the multiple keyboards and pedals with more ease. The organ, or at least the pipe organ, is not really the place to learn to read music or play a keyboard. You should get this knowledge on a piano, or home electronic organ first.
Find an organ teacher. Ask around at local churches or colleges. Many colleges have undergraduate programs in applied organ, and music theory in general. You can also check organ-related periodicals for teachers. But, the best way is to contact your local chapter of The American Theatre Organ Society (www.atos.org), or The American Guild of Organists (www.ago.org) and research getting a teacher recommendation through them.
There are some great books which can help you get up to speed quickly, in terms of keyboard playing. One of the best is called "How to Play the Piano, Despite Years of Lessons". It helps you get up to speed with simple keyboard playing.
Buy a pair of organ master's shoes. You can purchase them online for around fifty dollars. Pedals are a unique aspect of organ-playing, and having good footwear will help you develop efficient technique.
Purchase an introductory level organ book. There are many on the market, so be sure to get suggestions from your teacher or another organist.
Practice! There is only one way to learn any instrument. The more practice you can put in, the more you will get out of it.

Almost all organists have previous training on piano. If you don't have experience, take a few years of piano first.
Get to know other organists in your area. It is a relatively small group of people, and tends to be highly interconnected. Knowing your peers will provide advice and support. Be careful, though. Organ groups, particularly pipe organ groups and clubs, tend to be very cliquish. You need to be able to stand your ground without ticking off the wrong person.
Listen to good organ music. There are many opportunities to hear excellent performances, especially in metropolitan areas. Also, you can get on websites, such as www.ohscatalog.org, and find a huge selection of organ CD's, both Classical, Orchestral and Theatre Organ.

Do not expect to learn all there is to about this instrument quickly. Start with the smaller one, learn the piano, and gradually graduate up to the Pipe Organ. This is a musical experience well worth the effort.
Each organ is different, especially if you are playing the pipe organ. Before playing an organ you are not used to properly, get used to its stops, tone and sensitivity.