Organ (music)

The organ is one of the oldest musical instruments in the western musical tradition, with a rich history connected with the Christian religion and civic ceremony. Its sound output is continuous rather than decaying, i.e., the sound continues for as long as a key is depressed and does not depend on how hard the key is struck-?as is the case with a (velocity sensitive) piano--, and does not automatically decay quickly, like the harpsichord, and clavichord. However, some modern electronic organs have the capacity for velocity sensitivity. Many organs do not have aftertouch (pressure sensitivity) and so do not respond to how hard a key is held down.

Reed organs

Prior to the development of electric and electronic organs, the only alternative to the pipe organ was the reed organ, which generated its sounds using similar reeds to a piano accordion. Smaller, cheaper and more portable than the corresponding pipe instrument, these were widely used in smaller churches and in private homes, but their volume and tonal range was extremely limited, and they were generally limited to one or two manuals, pedalboards being extremely rare.

Related Topics:
Reed organ - Piano accordion

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A development of the reed organ was the chord organ, which provided chord buttons for the left hand, again similar to a piano accordion in concept. A few chord organs were later built using frequency divider technology.

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