How come the organ has so many keys?

The Rev. Dr. J. Richard Szeremany,
Director of Worship, Music and the Arts
East Liberty Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh, PA
Title: "How come the organ has so many keys?"
Description: One of a series of videos where Dr. Szeremany discusses and plays ELPC's Aeolian Skinner organ. In this video, Szeremany introduces himself and the organ, including where the pipes are located, why there are four keyboards on the console, and the range of pipe sizes and sounds.

[@TheAMboom]

Could anyone else hear the very last high pitch note other than me?

[@shiningarmor2838]

Your speaker most likely doesn't go that high. To me it sounded lower than the one before.

[@schmidth]

Shining Armor On the last one, he went back to a slightly lower one.

[@robherch2312]

***** yeah, with my too-pricey headphones that one almost precisely aligned with my tinnitus to produce a most irritating vibrato, lol

[@shiningarmor2838]

You are referring to a "sharp" mixture, made up of very loud, shrill pipes. They can be made of lower-pitched pipes too.

[@dddtl]

+Shining Armor How does a pony such as you know so much about pipe organs?

[@jim85705]

I really like how Rev. Dr. J. Richard Szeremany, explains the organ console very well, out of all the years I have served and continue to serve as Organist, he explain smoothly and makes it very informative and I can tell he likes Strings very much so. to answer Braden's question, those are toe studs (toe pistions) they work the same way as the piston under the manuals

[@peteacher52]

An obvious teacher! Clear, informative, interesting but not at all patronising. Very fine presentation indeed.

[@christopherwhitelaw1197]

And when you see and hear this, like me, you become consumed with a desire to learn how to play one. That was me 45 years ago. Now, 45 years later, I don’t regret any one of the 10,000 hours of practice. Oh, don’t get me wrong, it’s painful. It hurts. You will be balanced on your ass, feet slightly off the ground, reaching forward. But, oh, it’s glorious. I wouldn’t have swapped a single second of it for a minute.

[@pipeorganse]

Thank you Dr.Szeremany

[@florida995]

I like this guy. He’s the Mr Rogers of pipe organs.

[@josephR1938]

A very kind, pleasant, informative explanation without any 'stuffiness'. Just a good down-to-earth lesson. Thank You so very much.

[@brachaw6060]

This was so delightful!

[@pgestudio75]

Great breakdown. Very detailed in some things, yet completely void in others. He went over the manuals, pedals and pipes pretty nicely, yet left out major other newbie questions, such as: what do the million knobs on left and right sides of organ do? What do the five center pedals control? What do the dozens of footswitch buttons control? What do the rows of buttons near each manual control, as well as the main row at the top? I think a lot was left out, which a beginner would find obvious to question it's overviewed functions. Not criticizing, though. The video was still very informative and appreciated. Thanks.

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Thanks for this upload.

[@barkboingfloom]

I thought he said his name was Saruman.

[@BudFieldsPPTS]

That is a wonderful, magnificent instrument. That it is loved, cared for, maintained and played is a great gift to the human spirit. Thank you for this.

[@DSM1G90]

And interestingly, the term "the beast" can hold true to those who play the piano. For when they see all of those keys amongst the numerous amounts of manuals-either a simple two manual console or a seven manual monster of the Midsmer-Loch at the Boardwalk Hall in Atl City, they feel intimidated due to its massive size. Yet, it's really no different from the piano since it's a instrument that you play with your fingers. But, it's fun to be a master of such an instrument!

[@Akash281082]

Intense Machine !!!

[@pope400]

This was thoroughly enjoyable!!!! :)

[@LindaVarey]

Awesome organ! I wouldn't know where to start playing on such a large organ!!

[@KingdaToro]

The Great division is always a good starting point. Look for stops called Diapason or Principal. Those give you the "organ tone" that you won't find in other instruments. The number on the stop indicates the length of its longest pipe, and by extension, the pitch. 8' is the same pitch as a piano, 16' is an octave lower, 4' an octave higher. You get the idea. Pull one of each and you'll get a good sound to start off with.

[@chasemcpot7789]

You start with a set of keys honey

[@JOHN-tk6vl]

Very interesting. But I don't understand having a stop so high that only dogs can hear it!

[@mechwarreir2]

What I really want to know is what are those knobs he's pulling? How does it work and what do they do? Same with the other pedals that don't controll the pedal pipes. This thing looks like an ancient synthesizer.

[@michaellong5295]

Thank you so much for such an informative video. As a Hoosier, I'm proud that a local company had the credentials to work on such a marvelous instrument.

[@MrDaxxonford]

can he just explain everything in that pleasant voice of his

[@JSBach-pd4yg]

Not Bad

[@tomtom1484]

Good luck anyone wanting to be the privileged one who gets to play it. Most churches I've been to has had the same player for years. In the church I was brought up in, the organist held it as sacred ground for more than sixty years! No one was allowed within ten feet of it until she passed!

[@SilverWrinkly]

What a wonderful explanation from a nice clear, slow, steady speaker. Thank you.

[@2minniegirl]

i heard the very low and high

[@jimijaam2591]

so i'm guessing there's a church mass just for the village dogs LOL

[@szymongorczynski7621]

Service*** It's a Presbyterian church.

[@aldermanenterpriseinc]

AAAAAAAAAAAAH! Such a rich history. Dr. Richard brings back my Virgil days and E. Power Biggs

[@DDT8387]

Oh my God yeah panel to the left since the right pedals on your feet which one do you know to push On top of each key there are other keys

[@enriqueescobedo4238]

Thanx

[@SpaceFox93]

7:54 Must feel very powerful.

[@2minniegirl]

the very low is a c

[@bobpegritz555]

This organ USED to be great until you emasculated it. Not my quote. VIRGIL FOX !!!!!

[@JKmanglerCRD]

I am not really religious at all but I love Churches, Cathedrals and Pipe Organs. I Love this Video. Such a nice fellow to share his knowledge of this fantastic instrument and give us a fantastic demonstration. Thank You.

[@puddlejumper3259]

Good explanation. But I gotta tease that this guy has clearly been waiting all his life for someone to be interested enough in what he does to listen to him explain it all. Fortunately for you, good sir, you have finally found an audience at long last.

[@LoneTiger]

I am positive churches like this have a secret room where a trained organ playing-octopus is kept and hidden from the public eye. 🤓

[@puddlejumper3259]

You didn't explain any of the other sounds. Just the range of pitches and the names of each manual.

[@JSC1401]

@thetripledoubleZ As every church is different and its musical needs and ambitions are different, each organ is individually designed to respond to these needs and ambitions. Bombarde divisions are a French romantic inheritance, an ex^ressive Solo division is an English romantic inheritance.

[@michaelbauers8800]

32' pipes. That's 16hz, below the usual range of human hearing of 20hz.

[@michaelbauers8800]

It would have been interesting to hear about how manuals can be linked together ( I believe the term coupling is used.) I know little about that.

[@chieftp]

Michael Bauers I'd like to know how TV works...or how a thermos bottle knows whether to keep something hot, or keep it cold.

[@michaelbauers8800]

CRT TVs and analog TV signals weren't too hard, but now that they have gone to LCD TVs and ATSC, I couldn't help you. As for a thermos, it doesn't actually do anything except insulate which slows down heat exchange, thus if anything, it keeps the temp at the original temp longer.

[@2minniegirl]

Wow

[@puddlejumper3259]

Yeah the older you get the lower your hearing range is. I can hear several more notes above where you stopped.

[@mikegomez007]

How do you know with knob to pull

[@PB-cb7ht]

Could you make a video about twinning manuals? Great video by the way!!!!

[@CurrisCore]

That was very interesting! I look forward to seeing more of what you have to teach!

[@johnhooper1492]

I can see why he is @ director, looks more complicated than any space program

[@YesYouKnowYourStuff]

Keys or notes? Richard? Aren't they called notes? Same as the piano, black notes and white notes? . If you mean keys, as notes, can you respond with a reference for the use of the word key for notes, please. Kindly do not ignore this message. Cheers. from, del-boy

[@shiningarmor2838]

The key is the thing on the manual, and the note is the pipe that it plays.

[@LorinTone]

Because Bach. Sorry, that's the answer.

[@shiningarmor2838]

Actually, there were 2-manual and pedal instruments before Bach. But, he expaned that number to 3 or 4 manuals. Now, we have organs with 6 and 7 manuals.

[@franhou6395]

Très bien de faire des démonstrations, mais cela ne sert à rien si le monsieur coupe l'acoustique avec la parole !!

[@eugenemichigan]

i didn't win the prize, i heard about 3/4 of the way up

[@nicholaslowther8492]

The Tuba... 7:29

[@DDT8387]

I love the sound of it but I do not know how it really works

[@praestant8]

That's a rather leaky wind system in that organ.

[@fabianwise1109]

The prize is, you get decent hearing.

[@StevenShields29]

How come the organ has so many keys? Because. Just because.

[@joseph4395]

What are the flips above the keys but right below the music holder for???

[@thedeaner3117]

Joseph Sometimes an organist needs to change stops very quickly. The pistons above the keyboards allow the organist to do that; the organist can program them to change the stops as desired. For instance, if I wanted the clarabella flute and the harmonic tuba, but didn't have time to change that in the middle of a piece, I could simply push one of the pistons and it would do that for me instantly.

[@DraughMusic]

wow, just wow

[@gurubandhukhalsa4556]

Great explanation. What are those buttons on the left of the organ for? Why do organs need to be rebuilt? The pipes don't move or anything? What do they do the the organ when rebuilding? Thanks

[@shiningarmor2838]

Sometimes they hire a couple of guys to change the registration

[@121cornwall]

BVale and

[@TheOneRaf]

this makes me want to become a organ player!

[@samnelsonorganist]

This is pretty painful to watch lol.

[@aldermanenterpriseinc]

MARVELOUS Job Dr. Richard did. I could appreciate all that he did do to my front channel Paradigm speakers, Polk Audio sub and a SECOND front set of Polks along with rear Optimous Pro 7Av

[@zachlafleur6651]

Yeah, those 32' sub contrabass C notes are the original thumping bass sound source that so many people of my generation go for! What is great about this is that it has infinite sustain, whereas with a string instrument which it usually is played with, it decays away and has to be repeatedly strummed! Now at the top end of this organ's tonal spectrum its B and C and maybe even the A notes approach that of a really good rodent repeller, so play them often enough and there will not be any concerns of a destructive infestation in this church! Now, I can understand why most church organists prefer a 3 manual or more, rather than a standard 2 manual organ, because you have so many more tonal resources to play your music with. Just imagine if organ manuals grew to the 88 keys (or more) that piano keyboards have! It might be too much of a reach to play comfortably for most people, however, being with all of your draw knobs and the pedalboard under your bench! I say this because some piano keyboards are 92 or 97 keys, and there is one that has 102 keys and is hand made in Australia for a cool $340,000 each!

[@crabtrap]

the reason there is no need to expand an organ to 88 keys(like piano) is the pitches and octives are controlled by "stops" and "tabs" which can be mixed or layered at will by a competant organist. mixing a 32'bourdon with a 8' tibia can give a huge sound in only 1 octive range.....a piano would not have the voicing spectrum to compete with such an array of sound

[@zachlafleur6651]

***** You have some very valid points here on why you don't need 7 1/3 octaves on an organ manual (or 8 octaves on the world's most expensive pianos)! Do you know that on the Midmer-Losh Organ at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, the lowest manual does indeed have 88 keys? Manual 2 has 76 keys, followed by manuals 3 through 7 having the customary 61 keys and this organ is only one of two on Earth that have a 64' bottom C pipe (the Grand Ophecleide in this case a flue pipe), whereas Sydney Town Hall's organ in Australia has a 64' Contra Trombone, which has a reed in it! Now, I know why I always preferred the organ to the piano, even from being a little kid back in the 1970s and 1980s! The tonal possibilities of an organ are limited only by the quality of the pipe making (or in the case of analog and digital electric organs by the sound synthesis methods)! With a piano, (and they are all slightly different themselves, you only have that one struck string sound, again dependant on the quality of manufacture! No wonder why digital piano (and organ) for that matter are so popular these days (because of the many actual instrument sounds and nuances contained within these instruments! I've even had personal experience with a couple of 61 key keyboards and was amazed by how many sounds (along with octave transposition) that are possible, where you would only need more keys if you wanted them (such as for classical music pieces where it would be a pain to have to transpose octaves on the fly when you would run out of keys)! What would you rather have, though: 88 keys and 3 pedals or 61 keys × 2 (or more manuals) and up to 32 pedals physically there to play music on? Also, as you have said before, all of the draw knobs, rocker tabs, tilting tablets, toe studs, expression pedals (on a piano you only have three, tops four or more on Stuart and Sons, Boesendorfer, etc. extended range piano)! So, for learning a keyboard instrument, go forms decent organ, as opposed to a piano, then you will be able to play anything! Check out Augsburg's Pipe Organ on KZbin, they claim to have a 128' low C pipe on theirs (however true that is)!

[@zachlafleur6651]

***** Those manuals on the Midmer-Losh are even longer than I originally thought: Manual 1 and 2 have at least 88 keys and manual 3 has (it appears) 76 or more! Manuals 4-7 have the customary 61, but starting with 3 are progressively tilted more vertical so that the organist can reach them easily (7 is almost vertical)! This, along with about 1250 tilting tablets controlling about 33,000 pipes, 8 expression pedals (one for each manual and the common one for the pedalboard, crescendo/diminuendo, etc.) So, this is one of the grandest of consoles to be able to capably play one of the world's largest instruments!

[@shiningarmor2838]

The 64' on the Midmer-Losh is mostly a diaphone profundo, with a 32' dulzian starting at tenor C.

[@shiningarmor2838]

+BVale and to add to your point, most of the stops didn't utilize the entire range in favor of 61-note ranks

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

If you can press the notes on a piano and get the right sound to come out, you can do the same on an organ, can't you? Give it a go!

[@WBensburg]

He has a video on KZbin playing a minute & a half of full organ....

[@theunitedstatesofamerica6104]

How the Grail ......... ..|?

[@emilioestelar]

Ultimate Koopa

[@kingjames8283]

I was just imagining that huge console on a lift disappearing below the floor.

[@Branchporter]

Lifts were very theatrical. I don't know if they were ever used with church organs, but I've heard of churches who considered installing their pulpit on a lift so that it and the minister would sink out of sight (and hearing) at a preset time. :)

[@Shred_The_Weapon]

Isn’t that what Virgil Fox used?

[@pianoplayer88key]

I hear the high note too, but also hear a hint of aliasing, possilbly because it could be approaching the limits of the digitized sound format used, or the limit of my computer's ability to reproduce high tones.

[@PB-cb7ht]

what is the congregational hymn called at the end?

[@DavidSmith-sb2ix]

The name of the tune is Aurelia. The tune is usually sung to the words of The Church's One Foundation.

[@MrHwilRRR]

Yooooo, that's amazing! I never knew the organs were so complex.

[@paulj0557tonehead]

I think it would be funny to play a prank on a church organist and put a couple of dummy Leslie switches on the front left of the console. lol

[@titanicman2]

dang i only play gospel style on a hammond c3 it sounds really good for something like country gospel but this pipe organ is really cool

[@musicisitall]

he is gay :)

[@derail14]

were is the blower room?

[@bradencutright-head6629]

What are all of those things above the pedals but below the manuals? Not the Pistons, just those pedals and such that are directly above the main organ pedals?

[@crewsd]

+Braden Cutright-Head They're the expression pedals. They open and close the boxes that surround the different divisions like the Choir/Swell/Solo/etc. to make them louder or quieter. Some organs also have one pedal as a Crescendo pedal which can be programmed to turn on/off different pipes as the pedal is moved.

[@bradencutright-head6629]

Thanks

[@robertjoseph1345]

the silver knobs are called toe studs they do the same function as the white buttons called pistons right below each manual or key board now the pedals that look like several car gas pedals right above the pedal keyboard those are called crescendo or expression pedals

[@bradencutright-head6629]

Thank you guys:)!

[@comms9803]

What does this video's title even mean?!?!?!

[@kyizelma]

R is u have dumb

[@mountainsong100]

Hi Richard, nice to hear you. You recall I wrote you over a year ago when AGO Magazine cover pictured your restoration project. Well, it's been a long journey hasn't since our days in East Orange New Jersey you across the street from me at Christ Church. Guess we are all getting up there in years but somehow keep playing until we drop. Still want to get up to Pittsburgh to play the organ, ugh time is my enemy... keep well love to see you after all these years. Earle Goodwin

[@grungeisdead4455]

Now I'm really confused on what all the extra switches and pedals do...

[@DavidSmith-sb2ix]

The drawknobs to the right and left of the keyboards control different types of sounds like strings, flutes, trumpets etc. The big pedals against the back of the console control volume. The 32 foot pedals are a keyboard like the four above it. The white buttons under the keyboards allow you to change sounds on the keyboards by pushing them instead of pulling out the drawknobs. You can set them to any combination of the white drawknobs on the sides that you want so you can quickly change sounds. You can play a different sound on each keyboard. For example a flute sound on one and an oboe on another .

[@grungeisdead4455]

David Smith that’s awesome, do the buttons physically move the stops?

[@DavidSmith-sb2ix]

@@grungeisdead4455 Yes. When you push a combination button or toe stud the stops go in or out. Those big metal buttons above the pedal board are for changing combinations with the foot if your hands are too busy playing. Some older organs don't have the buttons or toe studs and that means you have to pull each stop by hand. Actually having more keyboards, stops and buttons makes it easier to play, not more complicated as it would seem.

[@MythChokes]

yay prize

[@godwhyisthistaken]

nice explanation, this man seems to be a fine expert in playing and possessing knowledge of the great Pipe Organ

[@DKMOrgel91]

Wow, nice Organ and the Sound is verry Good. I am love Aeolin-Skinner Organs.

[@electro9232]

Anyone know the piece of music he's playing at the end?

[@AustinLeeds]

Excellent work! I've tried explaining organs to the non-organists for a while, but you explain it so much more masterfully than I do!

[@alaskanactressp30]

Thank you so much for the introducing the organ to us, You are a sweet looking face kind guy, I felt from watching this video. I like when you said something about the dogs how cute. Godbless again I really enjoyed watching this video.

[@carolebryan8998]

Beautiful and wonderfully explained! Thank you.

[@frankiboy1979]

Nice, I wun the price, what ever that might be, hehe.Thanks for good educational Video, on how an Organ works. Pianist my self, with a tiny small time of church performance with a Pipe Organ. Bless You for Your work.

[@marilohse6258]

Solo, Swell, Great, Choir, Pedal = 5 Divisions= 5 Organ tonal palettes; 3 staves (rh, lh, pd) eye-muscle body-builder; 7:16 Simple Gifts

[@Zylstra555]

I would love to visit this organ someday. Thanks for sharing this video, what a wonderful way to help lend understanding to those who don't play or have never seen or heard an organ before.

[@fabianwise1109]

I haven't played a pipe organ but I played a reed organ and a theater organ.

[@alexwilson9874]

I heard that 3/5th pipe all the way !

[@bradencutright-head6629]

Me too!

[@adobermann]

One of the TOP 5 instructive/introductive videos for non-organists Beautiful Thanks !!!

[@theromanpraetorian]

hes so friendly. thumbs up if you want him to be your grand pops :)

[@thefugue48]

What a lovely introduction to this wonderful instrument! Thank you Dr Szeremany!

[@accousticdecay]

Fantastic primer for young, aspiring organists! Thank you!

[@Drudgeism]

did I hear him right, the pipes that are visual in a church organ or solely for decorative purposes?

[@pgestudio75]

I think he was saying that the pipes in THIS specific church are for decorative purposes. As for it being true in ALL churches, I highly doubt that. THIS church is enormous and houses 8,000 pipes. I can't imagine a small or average sized church to have exposed pipes which are purely aesthetic and would havd to assume a small church to have operable pipes which are exposed. All in all, I'm sure it all depends on both the size of the church/cathedral and the size of the organ/pipes in question. Just my guess.

[@1Bobman54]

Very good explanation.

[@angelsluvu]

Fascinating, thanks for all this information :)

[@Jhopnik]

Thank you Reverend Doctor; great videos!

[@2minniegirl]

I love hearing tests

[@ozzyscruggs1]

I wanna hear him play Louie, Louie.

[@joseph4395]

What are the things below the keys like he little white buttons below the keys

[@k123ason]

They are pistons, they control some functions.

[@shiningarmor2838]

Namely combinations, cancels, couplers, tuttis, sound effects, and the very largest 32' stops.

[@greekmovie]

Thank you very much sir.

[@taxi7676]

6:15 I win a prize! =)

[@pope0331]

What type of doctrine justifies these extremely costly instruments? Even the maintenance and tuning costs... do they come from the offerings and tithes? I cannot fathom the idea of Jesus endorsing these instruments when there is so much to do for the poor and needy... just curious, I am not criticizing. Some calvinist apologists have told me that these instruments represent the sovereignty of God. Anyone reading this would care to illuminate me?

[@pope0331]

Your last note truly touched me. Pipe organ (some digital ones too) elevates my spirit to the Glory of God. The sad trend now is to place giant TV screens in front of the beautiful ornamental pipes in favour of racuous and decibel deafening "contemporary worship music" with obscene drum set wordly rhytmic drive and twangy electric guitars. Totally the opposite to Col 3:16. Blessings to you for your three inputs.