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Musical Organs – Angelic Keyboard Instruments

admin — Mon, 30 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

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 the pipes to create different sounds. These instruments often vary in size, from some just measuring a cubic yard to going over six stories and are often built in churches, synagogues, homes and concert halls. Small organs are called portative, which means they are small enough to hold while playing. The newest addition to the organ family are electric organs, which produce electronic sound through different speakers.

All in all, the Musical Organ has had a huge impact on our musical traditions throughout time and as musicians still figure out ever innovative ways to further their music and as that continues so will live on the legend of this incredible instrument.

Organ Music Dates Back to Ctesibius of Alexandria

admin — Tue, 17 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

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 reservoir system with a number of valves operated by keys. By pressing a particular key, pressurized air passed through its corresponding pipe to produce the desired note. Constant air pressure was maintained using a cone-like device, with one end immersed in water and the other inside the air reservoir.
Although none of his writings survive, Ctesibius’ invention would inspire many engineers to come. The hydraulis became widely used in the Roman Empire during circuses and amphitheater events for the loud, pleasant sound it produced. Gradually, it would give way to organs that used bellows to maintain a constant air supply. These instruments then evolved into the massive pipe organs commonly used by European churches as early as the tenth century AD.

Organ Music is Music to Your Ears

admin — Thu, 05 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The organ is sometimes referred to as “King of Instruments” and it is surely a well deserved title. Though you may have heard very little about this instrument but this is very common instrument at churches.

It is a popular instrument for weddings and if you or your known is getting married in the church, chances are that organ would surely be there in the wedding music. Though, people getting married can choose other instruments but mostly choose organ as it is very convenient choice!

Actually, organ was world’s first synthesizer and this was due to its capability to produce wide range and variety of sounds, thanks to its stops. The stops in the organ control the air that is going to various sets of pipes (each of which makes a different sound). So, pulling out a stop means that many more pipes would now play when the key is pressed.

An organ has the capability to play various styles of music due to these stops and they do play variety of sound. However, organ is not made for all kinds of music as some of the music is not suited for this instrument. It is same as harp playing something that is written for electric guitar!

All in all, its magical instrument and tons of music has bee specifically written for this instrument and enthusiast can really experiment some great stuff on their organ.

Get started playing the organ

admin — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 18:17:08 +0000

If you’re lucky enough to have access to a real organ, don’t waste your opportunity! Learning how to play the organ can take a while to master, but it takes almost no time to get started feeling your way around simple songs and melodies. Follow the steps below and you’ll find yourself on the way to organ glory.1. Practice on a regular piano or keyboard. Organs can have anywhere from one to seven manuals, or keyboards, which can be quite intimidating if you’ve never touched one before. It’s much easier to learn to read music and practice simple scales on a regular keyboard. You can even find one online if you can’t get an actual one.2. Look into formal lessons. This actually doesn’t have to be the second step if you want to give it the old college try on your own first, but it’s always useful to have a guiding hand. You can often find teachers at churches or colleges. If you don’t want to proceed to this step right away, at least find a reputable guidebook to show you the basics.3. Buy some stylish organ shoes. These will only set you back about 60, but they’re well worth it for the assistance they’ll give you in mastering the organ’s foot pedals. This is one of the most distinctive aspects of organ playing.4. Practice making sounds. Just spend time playing with the manuals, pedals, and stops and see what happens. Quickly switching between stops may not make a classic concerto, but it will definitely get you used to the capabilities of the organ, and make it easier to use it in actual songs.5. Learn the details of organ playing. There are many distinctive techniques for playing the organ, including keeping your heels no more than a fifth apart and playing on the inside of your foot. These techniques will take a while to become second-nature, but they are integral to mastering the instrument.