The Elderly Novice Virtual Organist

Glossary

This glossary describes organ-specific terms used on this website. It is not intended as a source of general information; for this see the relevant sections on this website.

This glossary specifically excludes organ stop names, of which there are hundreds in several languages. For the most comprehensive reference available, see Encyclopedia of Organ Stops.

Accessory Stop	A control found with the Stop Controls that does not control one or more ranks of pipes (mainly Couplers, Tremulants, and Toy Stops).
Action	There are two types of action that determine which pipes will sound: the stop action, and the key action. These may be mechanical (in older organs, and increasingly in modern ones) or electric; other types of action used mainly historically include tubular-pneumatic and electro-pneumatic. Another type of action is the combination action triggered by pistons.
Barker Lever	A pneumatic lever used in some organs with mechanical key action to reduce key resistance. Introduced during the mid 19th century to deal with increasing wind pressures.
Borrowing	The use of the same stop in more than one division - see Borrowed Stop.
Cantus Firmus	In early music, a term used for a melody used as the basis of polyphonic composition. On the organ, this would typically be played on the Choralbass.
Combination Action	Triggered by pistons that contain a combination of stops. This action changes the combination by physically moving the stop controls involved. This both enables stop controls and pistons to be used interchangeably, and gives the organist visual indication of the effect.
Chiff	The term given to the initial transient when a pipe starts to speak (perhaps something like a cough). In an organ with mechanical stop action, it can be controlled by varying the force with which the key is hit.
Crescendo Pedal	Available on some organs to change the volume by successively adding or removing stops in a predetermined sequence.
Coupler	A means of combining two divisions of the organ by uniting keyboards. See Coupler.
Division	A set of stops normally associated with a keyboard, but may also be a floating division. See Division.
Expression Pedal	A pedal (swell or crescendo) that allows the volume to be continuously adjusted while playing. See Expression Pedals.
Floating Division	Normally found only on large organs, this is a division that is not normally connected to a keyboard, but may be connected to the required keyboard when needed by means of a Coupler.
Flue	The most commonly used class of organ pipe, that produces sound without moving parts. See Flues.
Harmonics	A series of integer multiples of the fundamental frequency; the presence of these give musical instruments their specific timbre. See Harmonics.
Hauptwerk	This is the name of the main manual on a German organ, but also the name of virtual organ software; see the producer's website. The only other similar software is GrandOrgue.
Key Action	One of the two actions of the organ, operated by the keys on the manuals and pedals. See Actions (Stops and Keys).
Keyboard	On the organ, this may be played either with the hands or the feet. See Keyboards.
Kickboard	Another name for kneeboard.
Kneeboard	Vertical panel behind and above the pedalboard. See Kneeboard.
Manual	An organ keyboard for the hands. See Keyboards (Manual).
MIDI	(Musical Instrument Digital Interface) a protocol developed in the late 1980s to transfer signals from devices such as keyboards and (in the case of the organ) expression pedals.
Mixture	An organ stop comprising several ranks. See Mixture.
Mutation Stop	An organ stop comprising a single rank at non-octave pitch. See Mutation.
Natural	A flat (not raised) note on a keyboard (usually white on a manual). See Keyboards.
Pedalboard	A keyboard for the feet. See Keyboards (Pedalboard).
Piston	A button under the keys of a manual typically used to activate a pre-recorded stop combination. See Thumb Pistons.
Portative	A type of organ that can be carried.
Positive	An organ that can be moved, and would normally have ranks no greater than 4'. Also used for a division of an organ that produces a similar sound.
Pure	Refers to intervals that correspond to the harmonic series - see Harmonics. For example, a pure perfect 5th has the frequency ratio 3/2.
Rank	A row of pipes producing the same type of sound. See Rank.
Reed	One of two commonly-used classes of organ pipe, that produces sound by means of a vibrating metal tongue. See Reeds.
Registration	The art (unique to organists) of creating an appropriate sound by combining the available stops. Also refers to the selected combination(s) of stops. See Stop.
Resultant	An organ stop comprising two ranks that produces a difference product. See Resultant.
Sample Set	The set of recorded sound samples, and other data such as images and the organ definition used to implement a virtual organ.
Sharp	A raised note on a keyboard (usually black on a manual). See Keyboards.
Speaking Stop	A control found with the Stop Controls that is involved with the stop action (i.e. in opening one or more ranks of pipes).
Stop	This may refer to either a speaking stop (see also Stop) or to an accessory stop.
Stop Action	One of the two actions of the organ, operated by the stop controls on the console. See Actions (Stops and Keys).
Swell Box	A chamber with shutters, used to enclose a division of the organ so that the volume may be changed using a swell pedal.
Swell Pedal	A pedal that allows the volume of an enclosed division to be changed by opening and closing the shutters of the swell box.
Temperament	The application of adjustments to pure intervals to make them align with the 12-note chromatic scale. See Temperament.
Toe Stud	(also Toe Piston) This has the same function as a piston, except it is operated by the feet.
Toy Stop	A type of accessory stop that produces sound effects not involving pipes (for example, percussion and bird song).
Tracker Action	Mechanical key action, in which key presses are transmitted by means of rods of wood, aluminum, or other material.
Tremulant	A wavering effect created by varying the wind supply. See Tremulant.
Undulating Stop	An organ stop comprising two ranks, one slightly detuned of the other. See Undulating.
Unification	The creation of stops of different pitches using the same rank.
Virtual Organ	This is an organ that generates sound by combining in real time recorded samples from one (or possibly multiple) real organs. See The Three Organ Types.
Voicing	The art of adjusting an organ pipe so that it produces the required quality and quantity of sound, and is consistent with other pipes in the rank. This is firstly done in the workshop, using a small organ known as a "voicing rack". Final voicing (known as "finishing") is done after installation, and may take several months for a large organ. Different types of adjustment are required for Flues and Reeds.
Wind	The pressurized air fed to the pipes. Wind pressure is normally measured in inches of water. It is typically around 3", but may be much higher (up to 100") for some reeds.
Wind Chest	The container of pressurized air on which the pipes stand.