Organ Man

The organ is a keyboard instrument of one or many divisions, each played with its own keys operated either with the hands or feet. The musical organ, when compared to other instruments, is an relatively old instrument in music tradition. The musical organ has always found a place in the Catholic church, coming back in today’s time as a complement to the traditional church choir. The organ is also often used for recital purposes, many people calling the organ an “angelic keyboard” due to its ability to create other worldly sounds.

Today’s pipe organs use wind moving through Read the rest of this entry »

The known history of the organ dates back to ancient Greece, in Alexandria, where an engineer named Ctesibius lived during the third century BC. His goal was to develop a mechanical pipe instrument that required no blowing from the mouth. He is credited with building the earliest musical keyboard, called the “hydraulis” or “water organ”, that operated using a hydraulic system to force air through the organ pipes.
Using his knowledge of compressed air devices, Ctesibius designed a sealed Read the rest of this entry »

Organs have been used for centuries in a variety of music types. They are most recognizable for their use in church music, but have been featured in a variety of other venues as well. Organs provided the mood music for silent films in the early 20th century, are used in ball parks around the country to help rally the fans, and are regularly used in horror films. An organ is similar in appearance to a piano; however mastering an organ can be far more difficult as the player uses both hands and feet to produce the music. An organ solo was even featured on the rock hit, “Ina-Gadda-Da-Vida” by Iron Butterfly.
Organs can provide a full-bodied sound all by themselves but can also be use to accompany either a solo or choir. When recording an organ performance, techniques such as artificial double tracking, or adt for short, can be used to increase the fullness of the sound even further, making a few voices sound like a complete choir with dozens of members.
Organs come in a variety of shapes and sizes, to accommodate the many ways in which this instrument can be used. Whether the organ is a pipe, digital, or pipe-combination, the organ will provide an audience with a unique music experience.