Understanding and Mastering Pipe (and Electric) Organs:

Technology and Technique for LDS Organists

by Irvin T. Nelson
Copyright 2001, 2006, 2009 by Irvin T. Nelson
225 N. 100 E., Smithfield, UT 84335
Making unaltered copies for non-commercial use is permitted.
All other rights reserved. This and other materials
may be downloaded free at: www.irvnelsonmusic.com
Draft 2.1; January 1, 2009

Preface
The pipe organ is the fundamental musical instrument of the Church. No other instrument can
even begin to match its utility and power for accompanying the Hymns of the Restoration. A
well-played organ enables and assists the Spirit in touching the hearts of the Saints.
There is a shortage of qualified, trained organists in the Church, and this scarcity appears to be
growing. Nearly all LDS chapels have organs, many of which are of reasonably good quality,
and a precious few of which are real pipe organs. However, in many wards, there are few or no
qualified organists who have been trained to get the most out of these marvelous instruments. It
is a tragic waste when a very expensive pipe organ is underutilized simply because the organist
doesnt know what the buttons, levers, and knobs do, and how to get a good sound for a
particular hymn. Similarly, the electric organ, which is a fine instrument in its own right, is often
underutilized for the same reason.
This manuscript is written for pianists who want to learn the organ. Without information and
training, even excellent pianists are sometimes poor organists. This is not due to a lack of talent,
but simply because of the following three factors:
1.
2.

3.

Some pianists are intimidated by all the complicated knobs, switches, expression pedals,
foreign words, etc. and as a result, they play the right notes but fail to make the organ
sound good.
Others are discouraged by the idea of using their feet to play the bass pedals. Because
they dont know proper organ technique, they occasionally stab at a bass note or two with
one foot, or worse, they give up and play only with their hands, resulting in the organ
sounding weak and tinny because there is no bass foundation in the sound.
Others are uncomfortable playing without a sustain pedal because they have never been
taught proper organ fingering technique, resulting in missing notes and a failure to
achieve a smooth, legato sound.

This manuscript is primarily designed to address the first of these three issues. It also provides a
short introduction to the second and third (other resources are readily available that address the

second and third, which are referenced in Appendix III). The purpose of this particular
manuscript is to de-mystify the organ. After reading this short book and spending a few of hours
using it as a reference while experimenting on the organ, any good pianist can learn to get a good
sound out of an organ. When you have completed this book, you will:
1.
2.
3.

understand the meaning and function of every button, knob, switch and word on the
organ;
understand how to get a nice variety of sounds for various kinds of hymns; and
have a rudimentary understanding of proper organ technique.

After you have read this book, I encourage you to then go through the resources listed in
Appendix III and spend some quality time over a period of months practicing. If you do so, any
good pianist can become a competent organist. As with any musical instrument, the acquisition
of organ-playing skills requires more than reading a book; it only comes with many hours of
practice. But a little instruction can make your time spent practicing many times more effective,
and this manuscript will give a few introductory pointers that can help in that regard.
Although this manuscript is geared toward pipe organs, nearly everything in it also applies to
electronic organs. This is because most of the electronic organs purchased by the LDS Church in
the last 50 years have been designed to imitate pipe organs as closely as possible, not only in
sound, but also in look and feel. So if you are familiar with the buttons, knobs, switches, and
pedals of a pipe organ, you can transfer that knowledge to any electronic organ with no
problems. Remember, an electronic organ in the hands of someone with organ knowledge
sounds better than a real pipe organ played by someone who doesnt know what he or she is
doing. This little book is intended to help every ward organist get the most out of whatever
instrument is in your chapel.
Lets get started!

Chapter 1
What Is A Pipe Organ?
The pipe organ is a keyboard musical instrument which derives its source of tone generation
from pushing compressed air through pipes of various shapes and lengths. It is the ultimate
keyboard instrument. Long before synthesizers, samplers, and Clavinovas, the beautiful sound
of the pipe organ graced church and concert halls. Its majesty and tone are unparalleled by any
other single instrument.
Originally, pipe organs were operated mechanically. The air pressure was produced by a manual
or pedal pump (there was a Deacon in the basement, pumping away!), and the pipes were opened
by a series of mechanical linkages from the keyboard that made the keyboard stiff and hard to
play. In the 20th Century, however, with the advent of electricity, the pipe organ became a
wonderful instrument, with a light touch playable by ordinary people with ordinary fingers.
The modern pipe organ is a very complex mechanism; even small pipe organs have many
hundreds of individual pipes, with thousands of electrical switches, wires, relays, and electromagnetic pneumatic valves. Unlike any other keyboard instrument, including the piano, pipe
organs are not and cannot be mass produced. Each organ is custom designed and manufactured
by hand. Each pipe is made by hand by a skilled craftsman. No two organs sound the same.
Because of the complexity and labor-intensiveness of the manufacturing process, pipe organs are
extremely expensive. With the advent of electronic organs in the middle of the 20th Century,
the Church mostly stopped buying real pipe organs, because of the cost difference. From about
1950 to 2000, most new chapels were fitted with one of these less expensive -- but terrible
sounding -- organs. Only a few stake centers (usually in areas with wealthy members who
donated the difference in cost) received real pipe organs. The rest got bland, boring, sterile
electronic organs. During those years, comparing a pipe organ to an electronic organ was like
comparing a nine-foot Steinway grand to a Wurlitzer spinet: both are pianos, but the sound of
one is infinitely superior to that of the other.
Recent advances in digital sampling and loudspeaker technology have made electronic organs far
better sounding than in the past. In fact, many people cannot hear the difference between a stateof-the-art electronic organ versus a real pipe organ. However, to a purists ears, the shrill beauty
of a true pipe organ cannot be duplicated electronically by even the most advanced digital
sampling technologies. As a result, pipe organs continue to be prized instruments, and there are a
number of manufacturers still in business in the United States. Although the Church still
purchases a few pipe organs for its universities and major buildings, pipe organs are almost never
installed in new LDS meetinghouses. One Church employee expressed it this way: For the
price of one pipe organ in Utah, we can build a dozen chapels in Africa. With the price
difference so large, and the sound difference so slight, the policy makes sense.
Although this manuscript is written for pipe organs, nearly everything in it also applies to
electronic organs. The terminology and technique are virtually identical for both. Whether you
are fortunate enough to be playing a real pipe organ or a modern digitally sampled electronic
3

organ, or whether you are stuck with one of the old style electronic organs, they all work the
same way.
Glossary for Chapter 1
Pipe Organ: a keyboard-operated musical instrument which generates sound by pushing
compressed air through pipes of various shapes and lengths
Electronic Organ: a less-expensive imitation of a pipe organ which generates sound through
semi-conductor tone generation and/or computerized sampling; amplification; and
loudspeakers

Chapter 2
How A Pipe Organ Works
A modern pipe organ consists of:
1.
1.
2.

A console, where the organist sits;

A blower, which supplies compressed air at a certain pressure; and
A loft, which houses the pipes themselves.

In the vast majority of pipe organs, the console is connected to the loft by many hundreds of lowvoltage electric wires that control the opening and closing of electromagnetic air valves at the
bottom of the pipes.
Within the console are the keys. Although they look like piano keys, there are some important
differences. First, while a piano has 88 keys, an organ keyboard has only 61 keys: five octaves
from C to C. Second, while a piano key is connected to a mechanical linkage that causes a felttipped wooden hammer to strike a string, an organ key is nothing more than an electrical switch.1
When you press the key, it closes the switch, just like turning on a light switch. There is a spring
under the key that causes it to bounce back up after you press it, shutting off the switch. For this
reason, organ keys have a different and lighter feel than do piano keys. It doesnt matter how
hard you strike the key - the volume will be the same no matter how hard the key is pressed.
Each keyboard in an organ is called a manual. Most small organs have two manuals plus the
bass pedals, for a total of three keyboards. Larger organs have three, four or even five manuals
plus the bass pedals.
In medium- and large-sized instruments, each manual operates a separate, complete organ, each
with its own sets of pipes, its own part of the loft, and sometimes even its own blower. Thus,
what we think of as one organ may actually be three or more complete instruments. If there are
two manuals and pedals, there are a total of three organs. Through the use of couplers, these
several organs may be combined and played together, but it should be kept in mind that they are
really separate organs, each with its own unique sound and characteristics.
The length of a pipe controls its pitch. The shape of a pipe determines the kind of sound it
makes. Every pipe organ has sets of pipes, called ranks. A rank consists of a group of pipes of
1

The exception would be tracker pipe organs, in which the key is mechanically
connected to the air valve, and pressing the key actually opens the valve. Although this oldfashioned design is fairly rare, there are some tracker organs in LDS meetinghouses. You can
tell a tracker organ by the fact that there is no separate console; the keyboard is built into the loft,
with the organist sitting right next to the front wall of the chapel, facing the wall (there are
usually mirrors on the sides so the organist can look at the conductor without turning around.)
You can also tell a tracker organ by the action of the keyboard, which is heavier, stiffer, and
slower than other organs. In this design, no electrical switches are used; electricity is used to
power the air pump, but other than that, the entire organ is mechanical.
5

similar shapes but different lengths, each of which produces a certain pitch (there is one for each
note). Because all the pipes in a rank have a similar shape, a rank may be thought of as a
family of pipes that produce a consistent sounding tone. When you play a scale with one rank
of pipes, you will hear a series of notes, one at a time, that have a similar flavor or tone. In
real pipe organs, each pipe is unique, and sometimes you can hear subtle differences in tone from
one note to another. However, pipes from different ranks sound very different from each other.
During manufacturing, each rank is scaled to the size of the hall in which the organ is to be
installed. Scaling is accomplished by adjusting the diameter of the pipes and the air pressure
blown through them, which determines the volume of the sound. For example, the Salt Lake
Tabernacle organ is scaled much larger than the organ in a typical chapel, because the sound of
each pipe must be heard in such a large hall. (Incidentally, the Conference Center is so large that
there was no practical way to scale the organ large enough to fill it with sound; consequently,
although it is scaled very largely, that particular organ is also reinforced electronically with
microphones in the lofts which send a signal to the PA system.)
Each rank has a name that describes its sound. For example, most organs have a rank called
Principal 8. A Principal rank consists of a set of round, metal pipes that have a loud, bright
tone.
If we say an organ has nine ranks, we mean that there are nine different-sounding sets of pipes.
Be combining these ranks in different ways, we can obtain many different possible sounds. In a
large instrument with several organs, there are hundreds of possible combinations.
There are two basic types of pipes: flues and reeds. Flues generate their tone in the same way as
a recorder played by a grade-school child: by forcing air through an orifice in a pipe. In contrast,
reeds work on the same basic principle as the harmonica and accordion; the air rushes over a
metal reed and makes it vibrate. Some reeds have a brassy, trumpet-like sound and are very
loud, while others are softer and sound more like an oboe or English horn.
Flues are made of two kinds of materials: wood and metal. Wooden flues are usually rectangular
in shape and have a mellow tone with comparatively few overtones. Most deep bass ranks are
also made of wood. Metal flues are usually made of tin. Metal flues are the most numerous on
the organ, and are used in the brighter ranks.
By varying the shape of the flue pipe and the opening of its mouth, a wide variety of sounds can
be obtained. A Koppel Flte rank, for example, looks like a bunch of little tin hats, or upsidedown funnels. A Gemshorn rank looks like someone took a can opener twist-key and went to
work on the pipes. A Gedeckt rank (German for covered pipe) consists of wooden flues which
have the ends plugged off at the top. A typical small organ will have one rank of wooden flues,
one rank of reeds, and the rest will be tin flues of various kinds.
On the console, there are many switches with funny-sounding names and numbers. These
switches are called stops. In large instruments, such as the famous organs in the Salt Lake
Tabernacle and Conference Center, each rank of pipes is operated by one stop. In smaller
6

instruments found in most chapels, several different stops (switches) may operate a single rank
of pipes, but play them at different pitches.
A particular pipe will sound when two things happen: first, the stop which turns on the rank
(family) of which the pipe is a member must be turned on; and second, the key on the manual
which represents the pitch of that particular pipe must be pressed. In a large organ, each manual
rank has 61 pipes and each pedal rank has 32 pipes one for each key.
Each stop is labeled with a number. This number represents the length of the very largest pipe in
the rank, measured in feet. Normally, the lowest rank in the pedal organ is labeled 16', meaning
that the longest pipe (played by the bottom C on the pedal keyboard) is sixteen feet long. The
note produced by a 16 foot long pipe is the same pitch as the lowest C on a piano. Some very
large organs have 32' ranks, meaning the largest pipe is 32 feet long! This note would be an
octave below the lowest C on a piano - a pitch so low it is as much felt as heard. Remember, the
pitch of a pipe is controlled by its length; the longer the pipe, the lower the pitch.
Going up one octave on the keyboard cuts the length of the pipe in half. Thus, on a 16' manual
rank, the bottom C plays a pipe that is 16' long, the next C plays an 8' pipe, the middle C plays a
4' pipe, the next C is 2', and the top C opens a pipe that is 1' long.
On most smaller organs, the highest pitched rank is 2', but in larger organs, the highest pitched
ranks are 1'. A 1' rank means the longest pipe (played by the bottom C on the manual keyboard)
is 12" long. The next C is 6", the middle C is 3", the next C is 1 ", and the top key on a 1' rank
opens a pipe that is only 3/4" long. The pitch of the note produced by this pipe is an octave
higher than the highest C on a piano.
Most ranks are 16', 8', 4', or 2'. An 8' rank is one octave higher in pitch than a 16', and so on.
There are also 5 1/3', 2 2/3' and 1 1/3' ranks, which play fifths. In other words, if you play a C,
one of these ranks will actually sound a G. Sometimes, there are strange ranks like 1 3/5, which
play thirds, but these are rare. The purpose of these ranks is to add harmonics to the sound when
combined with base-pitch ranks.
Most organs have one or more stops called mixtures. These operate two or more ranks at the
same time, with at least one on a fifth and one on the basic pitch. Usually, these ranks are 2 2/3',
2', 1 3/5', 1 1/3', and 1' ranks. Mixture II means there are two ranks, Mixture III means there are
three, and Mixture IV means there are four ranks attached to that stop.
As stated previously, pipe organ ranks are very expensive. The more ranks an organ has, the
more it originally cost to purchase and the more it costs to maintain. Thus, to cut down on cost,
most small organs double up and make each rank perform two or more jobs. Instead of having
an 8' rank of 61 pipes and a separate 4' rank of 61 pipes, they will use one rank of 73 pipes which
operates at both 8' and 4' pitches. In other words, there will be two stops (switches) that operate
the same rank (set of pipes), one at an 8' pitch and one at a 4' pitch. Thus, on most small organs,
there are far fewer ranks than there are stops. Although there are fewer ranks, each rank is
larger; usually, 73, 85, or sometimes even 97 pipes each.
7

A celeste rank is a very soft rank of pipes which are tuned slightly sharp. The purpose of a
celeste rank is to create a celeste effect by combining the sharp tone with a correctly tuned tone.
This slightly out of tune combination creates a very pretty, chorusing sound. Typically, a celeste
rank will have only about 49 pipes and will play at an 8' pitch. Most celeste ranks do not operate
at the bottom octave of the keyboard. Therefore, because its longest pipe is actually only 4' long,
it is technically a 4' rank even though its stop is labeled 8' and it is played at an 8' pitch.
Pipes are tuned by adjusting their length. Most tin pipes have a sleeve on the top end that fits
around the pipe by friction. By twisting and tapping on this sleeve, it may be moved up or down
on the pipe, varying the effective length of the pipe, and thus adjusting the pitch.
Because each pipe must be tuned by hand, tuning a pipe organ is a very time consuming and
expensive process. For this reason, it is important to keep the organ loft at a constant
temperature and humidity to avoid the shrinking and expanding of metal and wood that comes
with temperature and humidity changes, which can quickly make an organ out of tune. This is
problematic in most chapels, because the loft is located against an outside wall. For this reason,
some organ lofts have their own heating and air conditioning systems. Others automatically
open the loft to expose the pipes to the chapel air when the organ is off.
Glossary for Chapter 2
Console: the part of the organ where the organist sits, consisting of a wooden box containing the
manuals, the stops, the pedals, and a bench.
Blower: air compressor that supplies air to the pipes.
Loft: where the pipes are. Sometimes exposed, sometimes enclosed in a box or room, sometimes
both.
Manual: a keyboard with 61 keys played with the hands
Bass Pedals: a keyboard with 32 keys played with the feet
Coupler: a switch that combines two organs together to be played with one manual, or which
adds the settings selected from one organ to that same organ an octave higher or lower
Rank: a set of pipes with a similar tone, one pipe for each note
Scaling: designing of the pipes to provide the correct volume for the size of the hall
Pipes: flues and reeds
Flue: a wooden or metal tube which produces a tone when air is blown through it.
Reed: a metal pipe which generates its tone from a vibrating reed
Stop: a switch that operates a certain rank of pipes at a certain pitch
Mixture: a stop that controls two or more ranks instead of only one rank
Celeste: a rank of pipes tuned slightly sharp
Assignment for Chapter 2
Ask for permission to borrow a key to the organ loft door, and take a peek inside. If you have an
electronic organ, youll see a few large loudspeakers. If you have a pipe organ, youll be amazed
at what you see! Try to identify some of each category of pipes: wood flues, tin flues, and reeds.
8

Chapter 3
Rank Names and Sounds
Now, let us examine each organ one at a time and discuss the types of ranks and stops we can
expect to find on each. As we do so, keep in mind that pipe organs were invented in Europe, and
the most popular manufacturers were in Germany. Even in the United States, most of the organ
manufacturers are descendants of German immigrants. As a result, much of organ language
uses German words. Dont let this scare you off.
On a two-manual instrument, the Great organ is played by the bottom keyboard and the Swell
organ is played by the upper keyboard. If there are three manuals, the bottom is called the Choir
organ (or Positiv organ), the middle is the Great, and the top is the Swell.
There are two locations for the stops (switches). Consoles of larger organs usually have pullknob type switches located out on the sides of the console (think of the Tabernacle organ). The
Pedal stops are usually on the far left side, the Swell stops are on the inner left, the Great stops
are on the inner right, and the Choir stops are on the far right.
Smaller organs usually have either lever or rocker switches located above the swell manual,
arranged from left to right in the following order: pedal organ, swell organ, and great organ.
Within each organ, the stops are usually arranged in an order like this:
1.
Flue pipes on the left, reeds next, and couplers on the right.
2.
Within these divisions, the lowest sounding ranks are on the left, moving upward in pitch
toward the right; and
3.
Within stops of the same category and pitch, the loudest ranks are on the left, getting to
softer ranks moving towards the right.
Thus, if you are asked to play an organ you have never played before, even if you know nothing
about it, if you know these rules, you can guess the setting you want.
The Great Organ
The Great organ may be considered the main organ. Congregational hymns are typically
played on the Great. It is the loudest of the organs. In instruments with exposed pipes, all the
exposed pipes belong to the Great. In such organs, there is no volume control for the Great.
Every pipe plays at full volume every time it is activated. You can only control the volume by
playing more or fewer pipes.
Let us examine a typical Great organ. Since no two organs are alike, your organ will not have
exactly these same ranks, but this will give you a feel for the kinds of ranks typically found in the
Great organ.
Principal 8'

(also called Diapason 8'). This is the main rank. It is loud, clear, and bright. It is
almost always used on opening and closing hymns.
9

Gedeckt 8'

(also spelled Gedekt 8', and sometimes called Bourdon 8'). A darker, mediumloud rank, often made of wood, which is usually used in conjunction with the
Principal to add volume and richness. Sometimes has a noticeable chiff (attack)
sound.
Dulciana 8' (or Gemshorn 8'). A quiet, sweet, bright rank.
Octave 4'
(also spelled Octav 4', and also called Principal 4' or Prestant 4'). This is a
similar-sounding rank to the Principal 8', but one octave higher. (On many
smaller organs, it is actually the same rank as Principal 8', but sounded one octave
higher.)
Gedeckt 4' (also called Flute DAmour 4', Flute Harmonic 4', Spillflte 4', or just plain
Flute 4'.) A gedeckt type rank one octave higher. (On smaller organs, it is often
the same rank as Gedeckt 8' but sounded one octave higher.)
Nachthorn 4' If your organ has one of these, youre lucky! This is a very beautiful, soft, warm
rank. The name means night horn in German. (If you dont have a nachthorn,
you might have a Violin 4' or Viola 4', which are also soft and warm, but more
nasal-sounding).
Super Octave 2' (also called Blockflte 2'). Quite loud, it is similar to the Principal rank two
octaves higher. (On smaller organs with multi-use ranks, it is actually the same
rank as the Principal 8' and/or the Octave 4'.)
Flute 2'
(also called Fifteenth 2' or Flautino 2'). A softer 2' rank. (In smaller organs it is
actually the Gedeckt rank sounded two octaves higher.)
Mixture III Three ranks of pipes; usually 2', 1 1/3', and 1'. Very loud, to be used only when
the rest of the organ is on full blast. (A few organs have a Mixture IV with four
ranks).
Swell-to-Great 8 This coupler takes whatever setting you have for the Swell organ and adds it
to the Great manual, such that both organs are played with the same keyboard.
Swell-to-Great 4 Same as above, but adds the Swell organ settings to the Great manual at a
pitch one octave higher than the stops selected on the Swell.
Great-to-Great 4 This coupler takes everything you have selected on the Great organ, and
Also plays it one octave higher. Can be used to increase the brightness and
volume on energetic hymns, particularly with large congregations.
The Swell Organ
The Swell is the organ that provides variety of tone and the ability to use expression by varying
the volume. The pipes of the swell organ are enclosed in a wooden box with shutters on the
front, the opening of which is controlled by the pedal in the console, which serves as a volume
control. In fact, the name swell comes from the fact that the organist can increase and
decrease the volume of this organ to heighten musical expression.
Even with the shutters opened all the way, the Swell organ is not as loud as is the Great organ.
Prelude and postlude are typically played on the Swell. Through the Swell to Great coupler, its
sounds can also be added to those of the Great organ so that both organs are played on the Great
manual, to give more richness, variety, and volume on various hymns.

10

Let us now examine a typical Swell organ:

Bourdon 16' This rank produces a very muddy sound, and should never be used except
during a one-note-at-a-time solo (with accompaniment on another manual.) In
general, this stop is a complete waste that should be avoided.
Rohrflte 8' (or Spitzflte 8' or Hohlflte 8'). A mellow sounding rank, somewhere between
gedekt and gemshorn in both tone and volume.
Salicional 8' (or Viola 8', Gamba 8' or Gemshorn 8'). The softest rank of all - very quiet and
stringlike.
Voix Celeste 8' (or Viola Celeste 8' or Gemshorn Celeste 8'). Another soft rank, tuned slightly
slightly sharp. Never used alone. Designed to be used in conjunction with the
Salicional 8' rank, to produce a beautiful chorusing effect.
Spitz Principal 4' (also called Spitz Octave 4' or Spitzflte 4'). Not as loud as the Octave 4'
on the Great organ, but brighter.
Koppelflte 4' (also called Conical Flute 4'). A really weird sounding rank. Not too loud, with
lots of overtones. If you dont have one of these, you might instead have a
Rohrflte 4' or Flute DAmour 4'.
Nasat 2 2/3' (also called Nazard 2 2/3'). Played on a fifth, the purpose of this rank is to add
harmonics. If you dont have one of these, you might have a Larigot 1 1/3' or
Tierce 1 1/3' rank instead.
Spitz Principal 2' (also called Blockflte 2'). Similar to Spitz Principal 4', an octave higher.
Piccolo 2'
(also called Flautino 2'). A softer 2' rank.
Contre Trompette 16' (also called Contra Fagotto 16'). A complete waste of space. Never any
good to be used at any time for anything on the manuals.
Trompette 8' (or Oboe 8'). A reed rank. The tone and volume vary from instrument to
instrument, but usually has a sound somewhere between a trumpet and an English
horn.
Clairon 4'
(also called Trompette 4'). A reed rank that is an octave higher. In smaller
organs with multi-use ranks, it is the same rank as the Trompette 8', sounded an
octave higher.
Tremolo
(or Tremulant). This is neither a rank nor a coupler. It is a switch that engages a
bellows which forces the pumped air back and forth, varying the air pressure,
making the organ tone wobble in a vibrato-like manner. Never to be used on
hymns, but sometimes useful for prelude/ postlude. This rule bears repeating and
emphasis: NEVER USE TREMOLO ON HYMNS!
Swell-to-Swell 4' This coupler takes whatever registration you have selected on the Swell
organ and adds it again an octave higher.
The Pedal Organ
The pedal organ is the most overlooked and underutilized of the organs by inexperienced and
untrained organists, which is understandable but extremely unfortunate. Because many organists
are really pianists who have been recruited - or drafted (with varying degrees of enthusiasm) into playing the organ, they have been trained to play with their fingers... but not with their feet!
However, the pedal organ IS NOT OPTIONAL. It is every bit as important as are the Great and
11

Swell organs to creating a satisfactory sound for prelude, postlude, and congregational hymns.
The pedal organ typically has the fewest stops of all the organs. A medium-sized instrument
might include the following:
Sub Bass 16' (also called Open Wood 16' or Principal 16') This rank provides the loud bass
foundation on loud hymns.
Bourdon 16' A medium-volume bass foundation rank, used on softer hymns. In small organs,
it is usually an extension of a Bourdon or Gedeckt rank.
Lieblich Gedeckt 16' A soft bass foundation rank, used on prelude and postlude. It is usually
located inside the swell loft, so that its volume can be varied in conjunction with
the Swell organ.
Principal 8' (also called Octave 8'). Add this rank to the Sub Bass and Bourdon for loud
hymns. On smaller organs, this is exactly same as the Principal rank from the
Great organ, but played on the pedal keyboard.
Gedeckt 8' (or Rohrflte 8' or Cello 8') In smaller organs, this is the same rank as the
respective stops in the Great or Swell organs.
Choral Bass 4' Usually, the same as the Octave 4 rank on the Great organ.
Contre Trompette 16' (or Bombarde 16'). If you have one of these, youre lucky. Its an
awesome, though seldom-used, rank. Sometimes, it is an extension of the
Trompette 8' rank in the Swell organ. It is a loud, deep, rumbling reed that makes
the whole room shake. Best used on the last chorus of rousing congregational
hymns, when the organ is being played very loudly.
Contre Bassoon 16' A softer bass reed rank, usually an extension of the Oboe 8' rank.
Trompette 8' The same as the Trompette rank in the swell organ.
Great to Pedal This coupler is often used to bring whatever the settings are on the Great organ
down to the Pedals.
Swell to Pedal Similar to the Great to Pedal coupler, this one brings the Swell settings to the
pedals.
Other Couplers
Some organs have Swell-to-Swell 16, Swell-to-Great 16, and/or Great-to-Great 16 couplers.
These are a waste of space and should NEVER be used on hymns. They make the organ sound
horribly muddy.2 Some organs also have Swell Unison Off or Great Unison Off couplers, which
should also NEVER be used on hymns. They are used in conjunction with the Swell-to-Swell 16
or 4 to make everything an octave lower or higher, while shutting off the basic pitch. Again, this
bears repeating: No 16' couplers nor Unison Off couplers should ever be used for congregational
hymns.
Other Switches and Controls
2

There is a little trick one can use, however, that would be an exception to this rule. If
you have the organ as loud and full as it will go but still want more (like on the last chorus of
The Spirit of God), try switching on the STG 16 and GTG 16 couplers, and playing an octave
higher on the Great keyboard. On some organs, its like adding a bunch of 2' and 1' ranks!
12

On most small pipe organs, there are two volume pedals. The one on the left is the Swell
Pedal or Expression Pedal, which controls the opening and closing of the swell shutters. The
one on the right is called the Crescendo Pedal. It is very important to understand exactly how
these pedals operate, so youll know what they can -- and cannot -- do.
First of all, there is no volume control on a true pipe organ, in the same sense as the volume
control on an electronic organ. When air is pushed through a pipe, it produces one sound at one
volume level. There are only three ways to control volume on a pipe organ:
1.
use more or fewer stops;
2.
use louder or softer stops; and
3.
control the opening of the swell shutters.
On an exposed Great organ, because there are no shutters, only the first two of the above
methods work. In contrast, the volume of the swell organ can be controlled to a limited extent by
the degree of the opening of the swell shutters. (In some small organs with no exposed pipes, the
Great organ pipes are also enclosed in shutters. In such cases, occasionally, there is a separate
shutter control for the Great organ, but in most small organs all the pipes are in the same Swell
box, with only one swell pedal/shutter control.) In some instruments, the swell loft is in plain
view and you can actually see the shutters open and close, although this is rare. Because the
opening and closing of the shutters can be distracting to the congregation, most swell boxes are
covered with a grille cloth to hide the shutters. Either way, the movement of the shutters is
controlled by how far the Swell Pedal is depressed. THIS IS THE ONLY PEDAL THAT
CHANGES VOLUME WITHOUT CHANGING THE SOUND!3
In contrast, the Crescendo Pedal (the one on the right) increases volume by turning on more and
more stops as it is depressed. In doing so, it overrides the settings selected by the stop switches.
It cannot decrease volume, but may increase it depending on how many stops you already have
on. It does not increase volume smoothly; rather, as it is depressed, it causes jumps in volume as
each stop is added. An organist has more control by manually adding and subtracting stops using
the switches than by using the crescendo pedal. THIS PEDAL DOES NOT WORK LIKE AN
ELECTRIC ORGAN. IT WORKS AS IF YOU WERE ADDING MORE STOPS! Please note
that the normal position for the Crescendo Pedal is all the way off. In most organs, there is a
little light that turns on when the Crescendo Pedal is on, even a little bit, to warn you that its not
off. IF YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THE ORGAN AND CANT
FIGURE OUT WHATS GOING ON, CHECK THE CRESCENDO PEDAL!
Some organs have a Sforzando Switch (usually labeled Sfz or Tutti), which is usually a
foot-operated switch located to the right of the Swell and Crescendo pedals. It turns on ALL the
stops (without physically moving the stop switches). It usually turns on a red light so youll
3

To help keep the organ in tune, it is important to minimize temperature swings. Unless
the organ loft has its own heating/cooling system, the best rule is to leave the swell shutters fully
open when the organ is not in use. Before switching the organ off, always press the swell pedal
to open the shutters all the way. In contrast, if the loft does have its own heating/ cooling
system, the opposite is true: before switching the organ off, always close the swell shutters.
13

know its on. It is even louder than pressing the Crescendo pedal all the way down, because the
Crescendo pedal usually leaves out the reeds, while the Sforzando switch includes them. (Watch
out for this switch... dont accidentally hit it while youre playing a soft hymn... somebody might
hurt their head when bouncing off the ceiling after jumping out of the pew!)
The Preset Switches are typically located immediately below the manuals. These are usually
round white pushbuttons underneath the keys. They are labeled with numbers. On larger organs,
there may also be foot-operated preset switches above the bass pedals, to the left of the
crescendo and swell pedals. Pressing a preset switch sets the stops to a prearranged setting by
physically moving the stop switches.4 On some organs, all the preset switches set all the
manuals. On other organs, each manual has its own preset switches that only affect the stops of
that particular organ. The only way to find out is through experimentation.
Presets are intended to help you change stop settings very quickly. For example, in the middle of
a musical number, there isnt time to flip a whole bunch of stop switches to change the sound.
Thats when a preset switch can come in really handy. Unfortunately, however, presets are often
misused as a crutch by inexperienced organists, who use the same sounds for every hymn, every
week. They just press their favorite preset and leave it there. Dont fall into this trap!!!
Presets are usually programmable and changeable. The procedure for setting a preset is usually
to depress a particular preset button and while holding it in, flip the stops you want to the on
position and the stops you dont want to the off position, then letting go of the preset button.
Watch out, though. It is a good idea to write down the settings before changing them, and
returning them back to the way they were after you are finished playing, so you dont give
someone else who is improperly using them as a crutch a heart attack the next time they press the
button and it doesnt do what they expected it to do.
Glossary for Chapter 3
Great: the main, loudest organ, operated by the Great manual, which is the lower keyboard
Swell: the organ with more tonal variety and volume control, operated by the Swell manual,
which is the upper keyboard
Swell Pedal (Expression Pedal): operates the swell shutters, controlling volume of enclosed pipes
Crescendo Pedal: gradually increases the number of ranks engaged as it is depressed, overriding
the stops
Sforzando (Tutti): turns on all the stops, making the organ play its loudest possible volume
Preset: programmable switches that select certain stops selected in advance by the organist
Chiff: a very short, percussive, harmonic sound when a pipe is first opened (at the beginning of a
note) - most noticeable on Gedeckt ranks - the amount of chiff is determined by the shape
of the pipes orifice (opening)
Assignment for Chapter 3
4

NOTE: See Appendix I for a discussion of preset switches on electronic organs.

14

1.

2.

Turn on the organ, shut off all the stops, press the Swell to Great 8 coupler, open the
Swell shutters all the way, press middle C, and while holding that note down, toggle on
and off each Swell and Great stop, one at a time. Listen carefully to the tonal, volume,
and pitch differences between the ranks.
Through experimentation, see if the following is true for the organization of the stops
within each organ grouping:
1.
Wood and tin flue pipes on the left, reeds next, and couplers on the right.
2.
Within these divisions, the lowest sounding ranks on the left, moving upward in
pitch toward the right; and
3.
Within stops of the same category and pitch, the loudest ranks on the left, moving
softer towards the right.
4.
Memorize the above organizational scheme.
5.
Change a preset on your organ to a setting of your own invention, then change it
back to the way it was.

15

Chapter 4
Organ Registration
One of the common mistakes beginning organists make is to rely on the crutch of finding a
favorite preset and using it all the time. Various hymns should sound different from each other.
Dont wimp out and use the presets. Instead, create a unique sound tailored for each hymn.
Setting the organ registration for a particular hymn is every bit as much an art as is playing the
notes. Proper registration requires the use of both sides of the brain. Imagining what you want
the sound to be like involves the right (creative) side, while manipulating the technical aspects to
create that sound call on the left (logic) side.
The first step is to imagine what kind of a sound would be good for this particular hymn. Should
it be loud or soft? Dark or bright? Is a constant volume OK or would expression be helpful?
Start with the basics. 8' is the pitch people sing at and it is also the pitch of a piano. Always use
an 8' foundation. On soft hymns, start with one or two soft 8' ranks (not the principal rank) and
also add a soft 4' rank.
On medium hymns, add a louder 8' rank (probably the principal rank), a medium 4' rank and a
soft 2' rank. On loud hymns, start with all the 8' ranks plus loud 4' and 2' ranks for the first few
verses, then add a mixture and more bass on the last verse.
As a general rule, for soft hymns, it is usually better to use quieter ranks with the swell shutters
open than to use loud ranks with them closed. The shutters do not simply diminish the volume,
they also rob the sound of beautiful harmonics. (Think of listening to a loud trumpet in an
adjoining room with the door closed versus a soft flute played in the room you are in - they may
be the same volume, but which will sound better?) LET THE PIPES SING.
A celeste rank should never be used alone, but should be used only in conjunction with another
rank of soft pipes. Alone, they are off pitch. Used together with another rank, they make a very
pretty moving (chorusing) sound - much more heavenly than tremolo. Dont use a celeste rank
on loud hymns. Their use on soft hymns if optional.
Tremolo is ONLY for prelude and postlude. NEVER use tremolo on congregational hymns (I
keep emphasizing this because it is one of the most common mistakes LDS organists make. You
will never, ever hear the tremolo on during a hymn in General Conference. Tremolo is ONLY
for occasional use in prelude, postlude, and organ solos).
NEVER use a 16' rank in the manual keyboards with congregational hymns. All it does is
muddy up the sound.
ALWAYS use a 16' rank on the pedal keyboard. Also use a GTP or STP, depending on which
manual youre playing with your hands. (If your organ has only one 16' rank and it is too loud
16

for a soft hymn, one trick is to use GTP or STP and play the pedals an octave lower.)
STG 8 effectively doubles the number of sound combinations from which you can choose for
hymns, increasing the flexibility of the organ. STG enables you to select stops from both the
swell and great organs, playing them all on the Great manual keyboard.
STG 4 and GTG 4 take whatever stops you already have on and have those same ranks also play
one octave higher. These couplers increase volume and brightness considerably, similar to
adding 4' and 2' ranks. They are excellent for loud hymns.
Mixtures add a very brilliant sound. They should never be used alone or with soft settings. The
same rule also applies to reeds. NEVER USE MIXTURES OR REEDS ON SACRAMENT
HYMNS! They will ruin the intent of the hymn, which is to induce a sweet, soft, contemplative,
reverent spirit and invite the congregation to focus on the Savior. Conversely, adding mixtures
and/or reeds on loud opening or closing hymns is good when added on top of a solid 8, 4 and 2
foot foundation sound.
On medium and loud hymns, it is sometimes nice to add a rank or two for the last verse or last
chorus. For example, one could add the reeds on the last chorus of The Spirit of God to add a
little extra oomph. If you have one, you can add the 16' pedal Contre Trompette on the last
note of a loud hymn and, if possible, play that last note an octave lower than written.
One common mistake organists make is failing to play louder for Stake Conference than they do
for Sacrament Meeting. If the curtains to the gym are opened and there are seats all the way
back, you need to play louder. Dont wimp out on big hymns during Stake Conference. Crank it
up. The louder you play, the louder theyll sing. The louder they sing, the stronger the Spirit
will be.
If you have any say in the matter, encourage the Stake Presidency to select loud hymns for Stake
Conference (i.e., How Firm a Foundation, We Thank Thee O God For A Prophet, Now Let Us
Rejoice, The Spirit of God, The Morning Breaks, High On A Mountain Top, Redeemer of Israel,
Praise To The Man, etc.) The bigger the congregation, the bigger the hymns ought to be. Soft
hymns do not work well for Stake Conference, except as choir numbers. Sometimes, Stake
Presidencies are overly concerned with selecting hymns that fit a particular theme and do not
understand the constraints involved with congregational singing in a large hall (time delay
between sight of conductor and sound of organ at rear of hall, time delay between sound at front
of hall and back of hall, time delay of echo from back of hall to front, volume loss of organ
between front and rear of hall, etc.) The importance of selecting hymns appropriate for large
congregations cannot be overemphasized. Softer hymns that work well in a Sacrament Meeting
are far less effective in Stake Conference because the people in the back of the hall cannot hear
and cannot stay on the beat, causing them to feel conspicuous and sing softly or not at all. This
does not help them to feel the Spirit. (Note that the General Authorities ALWAYS follow this
rule for the congregational rest hymn in each General Conference session!)
In contrast to hymns, prelude is usually best on the Swell organ. Select a soft, sweet registration.
17

Use very few ranks. Do not play prelude too loudly. Generally (but not always), the softer you
play the prelude, the more reverent the congregation will be. Always start prelude very softly
then increase volume slightly as the noise in the chapel increases. Never use 2' ranks, nor loud 8'
and 4' ranks. Use the celeste, and/or feel free to use the vibrato if you wish. Vary the volume
expressively with the swell shutters. If the congregation starts getting too loud, one trick is to
gradually open the shutters more to stay above the noise level, then suddenly close them and
drop the volume. People who have been speaking loudly will suddenly feel conspicuous and
drop their volume, as well. Sometimes, it is nice to play an accompaniment in the left hand on
the Swell, with the melody played by the right hand on the Great (or vice versa).
The most important rule in this chapter is, EXPERIMENT. Take the time to go to the chapel
during the week and tinker. Find various kinds of combinations that sound nice. The more you
play around with the stops, the better youll get at anticipating what will sound good. In my
observation, that is the single biggest problem with LDS organists: they havent spent enough
time on the organ, alone, with nobody else in the chapel, just playing around and experimenting.
Thats how I learned nearly everything Ive written in this manuscript, just fiddling with
switches to see what they do. Just like learning a software program, the best way to learn is
usually to just play with it and see what it does.
Summary of Chapter 4

Dont rely on presets

Dont use loud ranks on soft hymns
Do use loud ranks on loud hymns, especially for large congregations
Open the swell shutters to let the pipes sing
Never use a 16' pitch on the manuals
Always use a 16' pitch on the pedals
No tremolo on hymns
Never use mixtures or reeds on soft or Sacrament hymns
Add mixtures and/or reeds on the last verse or chorus of loud hymns
Experiment to find good combinations

Assignment for Chapter 4

Experiment, find, and write down your favorite registration for each of the following hymns:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

While of These Emblems We Partake (174)

Abide With Me (166)
Sweet Hour of Prayer (142)
How Firm A Foundation (85)
The Spirit of God (2)

18

Chapter 5
Introduction to Organ Technique
There are two primary differences between proper piano versus organ technique. First, because
there is no sustain pedal, the organ must be played in a legato style. Also, because there is no
hammer action, the force with which the key is pressed is irrelevant. These two factors combine
to require and to allow creative fingering methods, including finger substitution. Finger
substitution means originally playing a note with one finger, then while keeping the key
depressed, switching to another finger. This is done to free up the original finger to get ready to
play the next note.
If a certain note carries from one chord to another, try leaving that note pressed and only change
the notes that move. On some hymns, this sounds nice. If an entire chord is repeated, try leaving
the bass (pedal) note pressed while the hands break between notes. Generally, if a note is
repeated, it is held for only one-half to three-quarters of its value.
Many organists who have home organs learn some bad habits, one of which is playing the right
hand on one keyboard and the left on the other. This is incorrect technique for congregational
hymns. Do not put one hand on the swell and the other on the great, like on home organs. When
playing congregational hymns, both hands should always play on the same manual - and that
manual should almost always be the Great. The right hand should play the soprano and alto
parts, the left hand the tenor part, and the feet the bass notes. Note that the bass notes are not
played by the left hand but rather by the feet on the pedals.5
Another incorrect assumption learned from home organs is that the upper keyboard is louder than
the lower one. In pipe organs, the opposite is true: the Great (lower) is louder than the Swell
(upper). Remember, hymns are almost always played on the Great. Even softer hymns should
usually be played with both hands on the Great (soft ranks can be brought down to the Great
manual using the Swell-to-Great coupler).
A third incorrect technique learned from home organs is to use only the toe of the left foot for the
pedals. This error arises because most home organs have only one octave of very short pedals.
In contrast, church organs have several octaves of long pedals designed to be played with the
heels and toes of both feet. Thus, there are four possible ways to play a pedal key (just as there
are ten fingers with which to play a manual key): left toe (symbolized with ^ underneath the note
under the bass clef staff), left heel (symbolized with O underneath the note under the bass clef
staff), right toe (symbolized with ^ above the note above the bass clef staff) and right heel (O
above the note). Resist the temptation to use only one of these four ways of playing bass notes.
5

Organ purists will argue that this rule is inviolable, but the truth of the matter is, if you
are playing the bass note on the bass pedal, there is no harm in also playing it with the left hand.
(If the GTP coupler is on, there will be NO difference in the sound.) Some organists (I am one
of them, by the way) find its easier and requires less brain power to just play all the notes with
their hands and also add the bass note with their feet. Although there is no harm in this, it is not
officially proper technique.
19

Doing so is as limiting and foolish as playing with only the index finger of one hand instead of
using all ten fingers. One-footed, toe-only pedal playing is neither smooth nor precise. Learning
proper pedal technique is not difficult, but it does take some time and practice.
Proper shoes are essential. The shoes must have a short heel (not flat like running shoes, and not
high-heeled like a womans dress shoe). The soles (both heel AND toe) should be 100% leather.
Unfortunately, such shoes are becoming increasingly difficult to find, especially in climates with
snowy winters, where dress shoes almost always have rubber heels. Rubber-soled or rubberheeled shoes shorten the life of the finish on the pedals. Worse, they do not slide properly on the
pedals, making it difficult to play correctly.
Also, I strongly encourage you to not learn to play in your stocking feet; it is impossible to use
correct heel and toe technique without shoes. Special organ shoes may be purchased, but an oldfashioned mens dress shoe or mens ballroom dance shoe is also excellent. (The author bought
a pair of used shoes at Deseret Industries then had a shoe repair shop install new leather soles
and heels - the total cost was only $25.) Because such shoes are not ideal fashion statements for
women, many organists bring a separate pair of shoes in a handbag for playing the organ, and
change shoes when they sit to play.
(NOTE: Only a very basic introduction and a few tips are given here. For additional information
on technique, along with exercises and repertoire, see the resources listed in the Appendix III.)
Assignment for Chapter 5
1.
2.
3.
4.

Purchase a pair of leather-soled and leather-heeled shoes.

Read the Introduction to Basic Organ Techniques & Repertoire (pp. i-vii).
Work on exercises 1-18 and 72-96 in Basic Organ Techniques & Repertoire (pp. 1-7, 2834).
Learn Prelude and Fugue in G Major by Bach (Basic Organ Techniques & Repertoire pp.
95-99). Be sure to follow the heel and toe markings for pedals exactly as printed on the
music.

20

Appendix I
Electronic Organs
Because electronic organs are designed to imitate pipe organs, most of the information in this
book applies to them, as well. However, there are several important differences, the most
common of which are listed below:
1.

2.
3.
4.

5.

6.

On most electronic organs, the presets do not physically move the stops. Rather, they
simply cancel out and override the stop switches. If this is the case, the preset switches
usually have lights in them to indicate which ones are on. These switches are much
softer to the touch (and easier to accidentally switch on while playing) than are the
presets on pipe organs.
The swell pedal is actually a volume control that varies the volume of the amplified
sound that is sent to the speakers, as opposed to a shutter control. In most electronic
organs, this volume control affects both the Swell AND the Great.
Some electronic organs do not have a crescendo pedal (although most do).
There may be a chiff control. This adds a harmonic at the beginning of a note when a
key is pressed, particularly for the gedeckt ranks. (The gedeckt ranks in some pipe
organs have a significant amount of chiff, while others do not.) The chiff is determined
by the shape of the opening of the pipe and is not controllable after the organ is installed.
On some electronic organs, this attack sound may be added or eliminated with a switch.
There may be a transpose control. This control shifts the pitch of the organ up or down
in step increments. Thus, a transposition setting of +1 will play the sound step
higher than the organist is playing. Watch out for this control to make sure it is not
inadvertently on; it can really mess up a congregational hymn.
There is sometimes a bass coupler that automatically plays the pedals for you. It takes
the lowest note you play on the great manual and plays that note for you on the bass
register without pressing the bass pedals. This enables the organist to play all four parts
of hymns with the hands, like on a piano, and not use the pedals at all. The author
strongly encourages you to not use this as a crutch. It is best to learn to play the pedals
rather than relying on this switch; however, using such a coupler is far better than having
no bass at all.

21

Appendix II
Foreign Words Commonly Used in Pipe Organs
German Translations
Doppel
Double
Flote
Flute
Gedeckt
Covered
Gems
Harmony
Koppel
Couple
Krumm
Bent
Lieblich
Lovely
Spitz
Pointed
Italian Translations
Dolce
Sweet
French Translations
Bourdon
Bumblebee
DAmour
Of Love
Diapason
Tuning Fork
Voix
Voice

22

Appendix III
Organ Resources
The following technique books are highly recommended:
Basic Organ Techniques & Repertoire by J.J. Keeler and E. Donnell Blackham, Deseret Book,
1971.
Organ Studies for the Beginner by D. Wolford, Shawnee Press.
A good web site with resources for organists:
http://www.geocities.com/ddstone48/

23