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( Organ (music))
Pipe organ&_160;· Theatre organ&_160;· Electronic organ&_160;· Hammond organ&_160;· Reed organ&_160;· Organ repertoire The organ (from Greek ???a??? – organon, "organ, instrument, tool") is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own a keyboard played either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is one of the oldest musical instruments in the Western musical tradition. By around the eighth century it had overcome early associations with gladitorial combat and assumed a prominent place in the liturgy of the western church; more recently it has reemerged as a secular and recital instrument. All organs are descended from the pipe organ which uses wind moving through pipes of various materials to produce sounds which can vary widely in timbre and volume and are divided into ranks and controlled by the use of handstops and/or combination pistons. The keyboard touch is not expressive and does not affect dynamics; some divisions may be enclosed in a swell box, allowing the dymamics to be controlled by shutters. These instruments vary greatly in size, ranging from a cubic yard to a height reaching five floors[1] , and are built in churches, synagogues, concert halls, and homes. Small organs are called positive (i. e. easily placed in differrent locations) or portative (small enough to carry while playing) The pipe organ is the grandest musical instrument in size and scope, and has existed in its current form since the 14th century (though other designs, such as the hydraulic organ, were already used in Antiquity). Along with the clock, it was considered one of the most complex man-made creations before the Industrial Revolution. Organs (the "pipe" designation is generally assumed) range in size from a single short keyboard to huge instruments which can have over 10,000 pipes. A large modern organ typically has three or four manuals with five octaves (61 notes) each, with a two-and-a-half octave (32-note) pedalboard.
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