This is a sortable list of names that may be found on electronic and
pipe organ stops. Countless stops have been designed over the centuries.
This list deals mainly with common stops on Baroque, classical and romantic
organs.
Stop name |
Alternate name |
Type |
Notes |
Aeoline |
Aéoline
Éolienne |
String |
an extremely soft stop with a very delicate, airy tone; built frequently
as a single-rank stop, or as a double-rank Aéoline céleste |
Blockflöte |
|
Flute |
German for "recorder"; a stopped-flute of 4′ or 2′ pitch, taking
its name from the common flute called a "recorder" which its tone
closely resembles |
Bombarde |
|
Reed |
an extremely powerful reed-stop, occurring on the manuals at 8′,
or in the pedal at 16′ or 32′ pitch |
Bourdon |
|
Flute |
a wide-scaled stopped-flute, 16′ or 8′ on the manuals, and at 16′
(Soubasse) or 32′ (Contrabourdon) |
Celeste |
Voix céleste |
String, 2 ranks |
a 8′ string stop composed of two pipes for each note, one being
tuned slightly sharp to create an undulating effect |
Cello |
Violoncelle |
String |
a string stop at 8′ or 16′; It has a broader, warmer, more "romantic"
tone than the Gamba |
Choralbass |
|
Principal |
a 4′ octave Diapason in the pedal division |
Clarinet |
Clarionet |
Reed |
a reed stop with a richer tone imitating the orchestral instrument. |
Clairon |
|
Reed |
a 4′ octave of the French style Trompette |
Clarion |
|
Reed |
a 4′ octave of the Trumpet |
Cornet |
|
Flute |
pronounced kor-NAY; a multi-rank stop consisting of up to five ranks
of wide-scaled pipes. The pitches include 8′, 4′, 2 2⁄3′,
2′ and 1 3⁄5′.
Three- and four-rank cornets eliminate 8′ and 4′ ranks. This stop
is not imitative of the brass instrument cornet. |
Cornopean |
|
Reed |
a common reed stop used for both chorus and solo, generally in a
swell division; The tone is similar to the trumpet. |
Cromorne |
Krummhorn |
Reed |
distinctive reed stop, originating from the cromorne typically of
low to moderate volume or power and often having a distinctly buzzing
or bleating sound; "Cremona", a common variant of the stop's name,
has nothing to do with the town of Cremona in Italy nor the famous
school of violin makers who lived there. |
Diapason |
|
Principal |
a flue stop which is the "backbone" sound of the organ; Most commonly
at 8′ on a manual, and 8′ or 16′ on the pedals. Modern organ builders
use the term Principal. |
Diaphone |
|
|
a special type of organ pipe, producing tone by using a felt hammer
to beat air through the resonator; Common on theater organs, it is
not often seen on church and concert instruments. |
Doublette |
Flageolet |
Flute |
a 2′ flute on a romantic style organ |
Fagotto |
Bassoon
Faggot |
Reed |
one of the earliest pedal reeds at 16′ It can also be found at the
same pitch on the manuals of larger organs, as part of the manual
reed chorus. |
Gamba |
Viol da Gamba
Viole |
String |
one of the earliest designs of string stops; named after the Baroque
instrument viola da gamba; It has a thinner, more cutting tone than
the Cello stop. |
Gedackt |
Gedeckt |
Flute |
a basic stopped 8′ flute in the manuals, and stopped 16′ and/or
8′ flute voice in the pedal |
Gemshorn |
Cor de Chamois |
Principal |
German for "chamois horn"; a narrow-scale, tapered Principal
with a tone falling between Principal and Flute. |
Harmonic Flute |
|
Flute |
an open metal flute made to sound an octave above its length by
means of a small hole at its midpoint; This stop speaks a very pure
flute tone and was popularized by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll. |
Larigot |
|
Flute |
a single-rank mutation stop of 1 1⁄3′
pitch |
Mixture |
|
Flute or Principal |
any multi-rank stop; Mixtures enhance the harmonics of the
fundamental pitch, and are intended for use with foundation stops,
not alone. Mixture IV, for example, indicates four ranks. |
Nachthorn |
Night Horn
Cor de Nuit |
Flute |
a wide-scaled flute producing a soft, but penetrating sound; occurring
at 8′ and 4′ pitch |
Nasard |
Nasat
Nazard
Twelfth |
Flute |
a single-rank mutation stop of 2 2⁄3′
pitch in the manuals and 5 1⁄3′
in the pedals; It is the lowest non-unison stop that reinforces the
8′ fundamental harmonic and 16′ pedal |
Oboe |
Hautbois |
Reed |
a single-rank reed stop used as both a solo stop and a chorus reed |
Octave |
Oktav
Prestant |
Principal |
a 4′ Principal on the manuals |
Ophicleide |
|
Reed |
a powerful reed stop, much like the Bombarde; pitched as
a 16′ or 32′ in the pedal division or found as an 8′ or 16′ on the
manuals |
Orchestral Oboe |
|
Reed |
a different stop than Oboe; designed specifically to imitate
the orchestral instrument |
Piccolo |
|
Flute |
a flute or occasionally a diapason at 1′ |
Posaune |
|
Reed |
German for "trombone"; voiced to blend with an ensemble |
Principal |
Montre
Principale
Prinzipal |
Principal |
a prominent Diapason, commonly found at 8′ as well as 16',
4', and 2' pitches; It is the "basic voice" of the organ. |
Quarte |
|
Reed |
a flute at 2′; short for Quarte de nasard, sounding an interval
of a fourth above the nasard stop |
Rankette |
|
Reed |
a reed stop with 1⁄32
length resonators producing a buzzy sound with low fundamental. |
Rohrflöte |
Chimney Flute |
Flute |
German 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 |
|
String |
an 8′ string stop; It is the most common stop used for the Voix
céleste in combination with a second rank of salicionals tuned
slightly sharp. |
Sifflöte |
Piccolo
Sifflet |
Flute |
a 1′ flute |
Super Octave |
|
Principal |
the manual 2′ Principal or Diapason; Its name merely
signifies that it is above (i.e. "super") the 4′ Octave. |
Tierce |
Seventeenth
Terz |
Flute |
a single-rank mutation stop pitched 1 3⁄5′,
supporting the 8′ harmonic series |
Trombone |
Pausane
Buccina |
Reed |
a powerful reed stop, simulating the trombone; most commonly in
the pedal at 16′ or 32′ pitch and under a high wind pressure |
Trompette en Chamade |
Fan Trumpet
Horizontal Trumpet
Trompette à Chamade |
Reed |
a powerful reed of the trumpet-family, usually 8′ in the manuals
and 16′, voiced as a brilliant solo stop, capable of being heard over
full organ |
Trompette Militaire |
|
Reed |
a powerful reed of the trumpet-family, with a with brassy, penetrating
tone |
Trumpet |
Trumpette |
Reed |
a loud reed stop, generally a single rank, with vertical full-length
resonators flared to form a bell; In traditional organ building, the
Trumpet is a firmer, more solid-pitched stop than the French
Trompette, which emphasizes overtones at the expense of fundamental
tone. |
Tuba |
|
Reed |
a powerful large-scale reed of the trumpet-family usually 8′ in
the manuals and 16′ (sometimes 32′) in the pedals; The tuba-voice
is named after the ancient Roman trumpets though not imitating their
sound. Generally on high wind-pressure and usually the loudest voice
(decibel level) in the organ, whereas the various 32′ stops are the
most powerful voices (sound wave pressure). |
Twenty-Second |
Kleine Principal |
Principal |
a 1′ diapason |
Unda Maris |
|
Flute |
Latin for "wave of the sea"; a very soft rank tuned slightly sharp
or flat. It is drawn with another soft rank to create a very slow
undulation similar to, but less prominent than, a Voix céleste.
Occasionally built as a double-rank stop called Unda Maris II,
one rank at standard pitch and the other tuned sharp. |
Vox Humana |
|
Reed |
a type of reed stop designed to impressionistically imitate the
human voice |