Listen to the organ
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
How the organ makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the organ belongs to the flutes (edge-blown): an air jet is split on a sharp edge, setting the air column vibrating – flutes, recorders, whistles and panpipes.
More broadly it is one of the aerophones (wind instruments), where sound comes from vibrating air.
Players shape its sound through technique and materials; the resonating body filters the raw vibration, boosting some harmonics and damping others.
From Wikipedia
In music, the organ is a keyboard instrument of one or more pipe divisions or other means (generally woodwind or electric) for producing tones. The organs have usually two or three, sometimes up to five or more, manuals for playing with the hands and a pedalboard for playing with the feet. With the use of registers, several groups of pipes can be connected to one manual.
The organ has been used in various musical settings, particularly in classical music or jazz. Music written for the organ is common from the Renaissance to the present day. Pipe organs, the most traditional type, operate by forcing air through pipes of varying sizes and materials, each producing a different pitch and tone. These instruments are commonly found in churches and concert halls, where they have long been associated with liturgical music and grand ceremonial occasions.
Other flutes
Questions people ask
Real questions from the Stack Exchange community – follow a link to read the discussion.
Frequently asked questions
What does an organ sound like?
Listen to 5 recordings on this page. As one of the flutes, its sound comes from the way an air jet is split on a sharp edge, setting the air column vibrating.
What type of instrument is the organ?
It is classified as flutes (edge-blown) (Hornbostel–Sachs 421.222.11).
Sources & credits
- Johann Sebastian Bach first movement Organ Sonata in E minor BWV 528 Christoph Albrecht… by Christoph Albrecht, organist – CC BY 1.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Johann Sebastian Bach first movement Organ Sonata in G major BWV 530 Erich Piasetzki… by Erich Piasetzki, organist – CC BY 1.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Johann Sebastian Bach third movement Organ Sonata in E-flat major BWV 525 Johannes-Ernst… by Johannes-Ernst Köhler, organist – CC BY 1.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Johann Sebastian Bach third movement Organ Sonata in C minor BWV 526 Hans Otto… by Hans Otto, organist – CC BY 1.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Johann Sebastian Bach second movement Organ Sonata in C major BWV 529 Hans Otto… by Hans Otto, organist – CC BY 1.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q1444 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Organ (music) – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by José Luiz – CC BY-SA 4.0