List of pipe organ stops

For audio examples, see the article on organ stops.

An organ stop can mean one of three things:

  • the control on an organ console that selects a particular sound
  • the row of organ pipes used to create a particular sound, more appropriately known as a rank
  • the sound itself

Organ stops are sorted into four major types: principal, string, reed, and flute.

This is a sortable list of names that may be found associated with electronic and pipe organ stops. Countless stops have been designed over the centuries, and individual organs may have stops, or names of stops, used nowhere else. This non-comprehensive list deals mainly with names of stops found on numerous Baroque, classical and romantic organs. Here are a few of the most common ones:

Stop name Alternative name Type Notes
AeolineAéoline
Éolienne
Stringan extremely small scaled stop with a very delicate, airy tone; built frequently as a single-rank stop, or as a double-rank celeste.
Baryton Bariton Reed 16' or 8' reed stop imitative of the instrument
BlockflöteBlokfluit FluteGerman for "recorder"; a wide scaled conical or stopped flute of 4 or 2 pitch, taking its name from the common flute called a "recorder" which its tone closely resembles
Bombarde Reeda powerful chorus reed stop with a brassy timbre, occurring on the manuals at 16 (and occasionally 8), or in the pedal at 16 or 32 pitch; similar tone as the Ophicleide or Trombone or bazuin
Bourdon Flutea wide-scaled stopped-flute, 16 or 8 on the manuals, and 16 or 32 in the pedals (where it may be called Subbass or Contra Bourdon)
CelloVioloncelle Stringa string stop at 8 or 16; has a warmer, more "romantic" tone than the Gamba
Chimney Flute Flute a stopped flue stop with a chimneyed stopper.
ChoralbassKoraalbas

Choralbass

Principala 4 strongly voiced octave Diapason in the pedal division, mainly for cantus firmus use
ClaribelClarabel Flute
Claribel Flute
Melodia
Flutean 8 open wood manual stop.
ClarinetClarinette
Clarionet
Reeda reed stop with a rich tone imitating the orchestral instrument
ClarionClairon Reed4 or 2 Trumpet, it is a chorus reed
Cor Anglais Engelse hoorn Reed 16' or 8' reed stop imitative of the instrument.
Cornet FluteA multi-rank stop consisting of up to five ranks of wide-scaled pipes. The pitches include 8, 4, 2 23, 2 and 1 35. Three- and four-rank cornets eliminate 8 and 4 ranks. This stop is not imitative of the orchestral cornet.
Cornopean Reed8 chorus reed similar to the Trumpet; normally located in the Swell division.
CromorneKrummhorn Kromhoorn

Cremona

ReedCylindrical solo reed that has a distinct buzzing or bleating sound, imitative of the historical instrument of the same name
DiapasonMontre
Open Diapason
Principale
Principal
Prinzipal
Tenori[1] Prestant

Principaal

Praestant

PrincipalA flue stop that is the "backbone" sound of the organ. Most commonly at 8 in manuals, and 8 or 16 in the pedals.
Diaphone A special type of organ pipe that produces tone by using a felt hammer to beat air through the resonator. Common on theatre organs, not often used in classical instruments.
Dulcian Reed A reed stop at 8' pitch on the manuals with a tone similar to that of a bassoon.
Dulciana String An 8' metal string stop. Usually the softest stop on an organ.
FagottoBassoon
Fagot
Reed16' chorus reed. Inverted conical construction, softer than a trumpet or trombone.
Flageolet FluteA flute stop of 2' or 1' pitch.
Flute Octaviante Flute4' Harmonic Flute.
Fugara Principal/String hybridA flue stop in 4' or 8' pitch. The tone has a sharp "stringy" quality.[2]
GambaViola da Gamba
Viole

Viola di Gambe

StringA string stop that has a thinner, more cutting tone than the Cello stop. It one of the earliest designs of string stops, and is named after the Baroque instrument viola da gamba.
GedacktGedeckt
Stopped Diapason
FluteA basic stopped 8 flute in the manuals, and stopped 16 and/or 8 flute voice in the pedal
GemshornCor de Chamois Flute/String hybridA flue stop usually at 4', 2', pitch but sometimes 8' pitch; similar tone as Spitz Flute
Gravissima Name for a resultant 64' flue (a 32' stop combined with a 2123' stop, which is a fifth, producing a difference tone of 8 Hz on low C.)
Harmonic FluteEcho stop- a quiet stop regulated by a Huel bar and with a flute tone. FluteAn open metal flute made to sound an octave above its length by means of a small hole at its midpoint. This stop has a very pure flute tone and was popularized by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll.
HohlflöteHohlflute
Holpijp
FluteA metal or wooden 8' open or stopped flute.
Keraulophon Flute A flue stop at 8' pitch with a stringy, reedy tone.
Larigot FluteFlute mutation stop at 1 13 pitch
MixtureFourniture
Plein Jeu
PrincipalMulti-rank stops that enhance the harmonics of the fundamental pitch, and are intended for use with foundation stops, not alone. Mixture IV indicates that the stop has four ranks. Mixture 15.19.22.26 indicates the composition.
NachthornNight Horn
Cor de Nuit
Corno de Nacht

Nachthoorn

Flutewide-scaled flute with a relatively small mouth, produces a soft, but penetrating sound; occurring at 8 and 4 pitch, and also at 2 pitch at pedal
NasardNasat
Nazard
FluteFlute mutation stop of 2 23 (sounding a twelfth above written pitch)
Nason Flute Flute Flute stop with stopped pipes. Usually 4′ pitch in which the twelfth is often prominent
None Flute A rare mutation stop of 8/9', reinforcing the 8' harmonic series. (sounds a twentieth above written pitch)
OboeHautbois

Hobo

Reed8' reed stop used as both a solo stop and a chorus reed.
OctaveOktav
Prestant
Principal

Oktaaf

PrincipalA 4 Principal. "Prestant" often indicates ranks that have pipes mounted in the front of the organ case.[3]
Octavin Flute 2' harmonic flute
OphicleideOphikleid Reedpowerful reed stop, much like the Bombarde or Trombone; normally a 16 or 32 pedal reed; unusually an 8 or 16 on the manuals
Orchestral Oboe Reeda different stop from Oboe; intended to imitate the orchestral instrument; of smaller scale than the non-imitative oboe
Piccolo Flute2 or 1' flute
Quarte Flute2 flute on 17th and 18th century French organs; short for Quarte de nasard, sounding an interval of a fourth above the nasard stop
Quint Flute a resultant mutation stop, 5 1/3' on the manuals reinforcing the 16' harmonic series or 10 2/3' in the pedal reinforcing the 32' harmonic series..
Quintadena Quintaton Flute Flue stop of 4′, 8′, or 16′ foot pitch with stopped pipes and a flute tone in which the twelfth is prominent
Regal Reeda reed stop with fractional-length resonators; produces a buzzy sound with low fundamental frequency.
RohrflöteChimney Flute FluteGerman for "reed flute"; a semi-capped metal pipe with a narrow, open-ended tube (i.e. "chimney") extending from the top which resembles a reed
Salicional Principal/String hybridAn 8 string stop, softer in tone than the Gamba
ScharfCymbale PrincipalA high-pitched mixture stop
Sesquialtera FluteComprises ranks at 223' and 135'
SifflöteSifflet Flute1 flute
Spitz Flute Spitzflöte

Spire Flute

Flute/String hybrid 4' or 2' flute with metal pipes tapered to a point at the top; similar tone as Gemshorn
Suabe Flute Flute Flute stop of 4′ pitch or 8′ pitch with a bright, clear tone.
Super OctaveDoublette
Fifteenth
Principalthe manual 2 Principal or Diapason; its name merely signifies that it is above (i.e. "super") the 4 Octave.
Tibia ClausaTibia Flutea large-scale, stopped wood flute pipe, usually with a leathered lip; performs same function in a theatre pipe organ as a principal in a classical organ.
TierceSeventeenth
Terz
Tertia
Flutemutation stop pitched 1 35, supporting the 8 harmonic series
Trichterregal Reedan 8-ft reed stop on a pipe organ with funnel-shaped resonators.[4][5] A trichterregal was used by Schnitger in the Schnitger organ that he built for St. James's Church, Hamburg.
TrombonePosaune
ReedChorus reed simulating the trombone; most commonly in the pedal at 16 or 32 pitch; similar tone as Bombarde or Ophicleide
Trompette en ChamadeChamadetrompet ReedSolo trumpet laid horizontally; can often be heard over full organ.
Trompette MilitaireMilitair trompet Reedpowerful solo reed of the trumpet-family, with a brassy, penetrating tone
TrumpetTrompete
Trompette
Reeda loud chorus reed stop, generally a single rank, with inverted conical resonators.
Tuba Reedlarge-scale, high pressure, smooth solo reed usually 8 in the manuals and 16 (sometimes 32) in the pedal. Tuba is Latin for Trumpet; it is not named after the orchestral tuba.
Twelfth Principalprincipal mutation stop of 2 23
Twenty-SecondKleine Principal
Vigesimaseconda
Principala 1 principal
Unda Maris FluteLatin for "wave of the sea"; a very soft rank tuned slightly sharp or flat. It is drawn with another soft rank to create an undulating effect. Occasionally built as a double-rank stop called Unda Maris II, which has both a normal-pitched and detuned rank.
Voix CélesteVox Celeste StringAn 8 string stop tuned slightly sharp or flat to create an undulating effect when combined with another string stop. Some variants contain both a normal-pitched and detuned rank. Play 
Vox Angelica String A soft organ flue stop tuned slightly flat.
Vox HumanaVoix humaine Reedfractional length regal supposedly intended to imitate the human voice
Waldflöte Woudfluit Flute A soft flute stop usually at 2' pitch but also at 8' or 4' pitch

References

  1. Williams, Peter & Owen, Barbara (2001). "Organ stop". In Root, Deane L. (ed.). The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Oxford University Press.
  2. Gilman, D. C.; Peck, H. T.; Colby, F. M., eds. (1906). "Fugara" . New International Encyclopedia (1st ed.). New York: Dodd, Mead.
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-07-29. Retrieved 2018-08-18.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. Audsley, George Ashdown (2002). Organ-Stops and Their Artistic Registration. Courier Dover Publications. p. 259. ISBN 0-486-42423-5.
  5. "Trechterregal". Encyclopedia of Organ Stops. Edward L. Stauff.
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