Theatre Organ 101 – Registration

Welcome

Overview of Course

• The Primary Topic is REGISTRATION

• Musical Tastes

• General Advice on Registrations

• Learn by Listening

• Warn on Some Pitfalls

• Some Words to the Wise

• Actual Registrations You May Not Know

Great Music Is In The Ear of The

Beholder

• Inspiration Does not Come From Worrying

About What People will Think

• No One Has a Monopoly on Creativity

• It is Easy to be a Critic

• Do YOU Enjoy It

Paint Your Own Picture

• George Wright

• Jesse Crawford

• Leon Berry

• Sidney Torch

• Kay McAbee

• Al Melgard

• YOU

GW Quote “Less is More”

• Use Stops Like Spending Money

– Only Spend as Much as You Have To

• Save as Much as You Can

– So That You Have More Options for

Subsequent Registrations

• Shutters Mostly Open – Fewer Ranks

• The Loudest Organist Does Not Win –

The Cleverest One Does!

More Advice - LISTEN

• Plan Your Arrangements

• Record Yourself and LISTEN

• LISTEN to GW, Jessie and Compare to

Your Arrangement

• LISTEN to EVERY RANK on an Organ

Before Formulating Registrations

• LISTEN to Your Registrations – Is There

Room for Improvement

General Advice

• Never Use Tuba Mirabilis or Solo

Diaphonic Diapason in Full Organ

• Never Use Glockenspiel in Chords with

Full Organ

• Save Post Horn for Accents, 2

Touch,

and single note melody w/ full organ

• On Organs with 2 Tibias, Reserve the Use

of “Both at Once” for Special Occasions

Good Ideas

• Wood Harp in Accompaniment

• Fewer Stops, Shutters More Open

• Plan Your Program - Vary Between Bright -

Melo, Loud – Soft, Novelty - Ballad

• Imagine That You Are Trying to “Sell” the

Sounds of the Organ

• Variety is the “Spice of Life” and Music

Special Considerations for Analog

Electronic Organs

• Electronic Organs Start with a Tone

Generator

• Makes a Broad Sound – Many Harmonics

• Each Stop “Filters” Unneeded Sound

• Turn On All Stops, You Hear the Tone

Generator

How Allen GWs Are Different

• Actually Based on Samples of Every Pipe

• Not Based on a Single Oscillator and

Filters

• True Pipe Organ Voicing and Ensemble

• Outstanding Specification Makes You Play

Well

• No Rotating Speakers – No Mangled

Sounds

Combination Pistons

• God’s Gift to Theatre Organists

• General Pistons – Set the Whole Organ at

Once

• Divisional or Manual Pistons Set Only One

Keyboard or Division

• Second Touch Pistons – Usually on Great,

First Touch Sets One Manual, Second

Sets Pedal and Accom, or General

Combination Pistons

• “Organize Your Pistons”

• A Good Test – Could Another Organist

Use Them

• Use Solo Manual for Solo Combinations

• Bombard – Accents, and Contrasts to

Great

• Great – Registrations you Use the Most

• Suitable Accompaniment Selections

Celeste

• Two Similar Ranks Slightly out of Tune

• Usually Almost Identical Sound

• Adds Motion

• Celeste Rank Usually Slightly Quieter

• String Celeste

• Flute Celeste

• Horn Diapason Celeste

Common Ranks

And

Their Uses

Tibia

• Broad Wooden Stopped Flute

• Strong Lyrical Trem

• Breathy

• Tapered at the Top to avoid Screeching

• Foundation of the Theatre Organ

Diapason

• Foundation of Classical Organ

• Broad Open Metal Pipe

• Less Prominent Trem

• Solo Sound

• Phase Shift Against Tibia

• Horn Sound at Single Pitch Trem Off

Horn Diapason

• Small Version of Diapason with a Bit More

String

• Medium Trem

• Excellent for Accompaniment

• Foundation for Ensembles

Lieblich Flute

• Small Delicate Tibia Sound

• Exaggerated Trem

• Supports Ensemble in Accompaniment

• Can Also Be Wonderful Small Solo Sound

Flute – Concert Flute

• Open Wooden Flute

• Gentle Accompaniment or Solo Sound

• Very Similar to Flute in Orchestra

• Subdued Orchestral Trem

Clarinet

• Medium Reed

• Similar to Clarinet in Orchestra

• Subdued Trem

• Useful in Accompaniment or Solo

Oboe Horn

• Soft Horn Sound

• Similar to Oboe in Orchestra

• Subdued Orchestral Trem

• Useful for Accompaniment or Solo

Cor Anglais

• Type of Oboe Usually Kimball

• Mystic Delicate “Garlic” Spice Solo Sound

• Blends with Lieblich Flute or Concert Flute

Orchestral Oboe

• Buzzing “Color” Reed Sound

• Not Very Orchestral at All

• More Buzz than Strings

• Useful in Solo Combinations

Krummet

• Buzzing “Color” Reed

• Similar to Orchestral Oboe but More

Harmonic

• Adds Brilliance to Full Organ but Not

Obvious

Musette

• Buzzing “Color” Reed

• Similar to Orchestral Oboe but Somewhat

more Melodic

• Adds Color to Ballad Combinations

Kinura

• Nasal Very Thin Very Buzzing Reed

• Excellent Novelty Sound

• Detracts from Full Organ (What’s wrong

with the Organ?)

• Usually Used with Trem Off

• Used with Octave Tibia or Unison Tibia

• Can Be Used as Brass Accent Reed With

Other Reeds if Post Horn is not Available

Vox Humana

• Whispering Soft Reed

• Exaggerated Trem

• Support for String Ensemble

• Adds Harmonics to Tibia

• Strange Sound in Pedal

• Does Not Compliment Full Organ

(Brass) Saxophone

• Similar to Vox But More Harmonics

• Complements Tibia

• Adds “Buttery” Shimmer

• Exaggerated Trem

Viole D’Orchestre

• Soft Strings

• Usually with Celeste

• Provide Soft Ensemble and Shimmer

• Blends with Vox

Violins

• Usually Louder than VDO

• Medium String

• Can Add to Ensemble

• Frequently With Violin Celeste

Tuba Horn

• Broad Foundation Reed

• Important Smooth Horn Sound

• Medium Trem

• Frequently Mis-Regulated in Attempt to Add

Trumpet Sound in Small Organs

• Support for Full Organ Accompaniment

• Solo Sound

• Works with Tibia

• Can Add Ensemble

Tuba Mirabilis

• Broad Dark Horn Reed

• Similar to French Horn in Orchestra

• Striking Solo Sound

• Excellent with Trem On or Off

• Drowns Out Ensemble when Added to Full

Organ

• Extends To Pedal Bombard

(Brass) Trumpet

• Thin Bright Reed

• Medium Trem

• Brightest Reed For Full Organ

• Blends and Supports Full Organ

English Post Horn

• Very Thin Loud Bright Reed

• Excellent Accent Reed

• Can Be Added to Full Organ for Single

Note Melody or Final Blasts

• Should be Used Sparingly

• Overuse Can Be Irritating

Solo Diaphonic Diapason

• Huge Diapason Rank

• Excellent Solo Sound

• Drowns Out Ensemble in Full Organ

• Extends to Wood Diaphone in Pedal

Glockenspiel

• Bright Metal Bar Struck with Hard Metal

Hammer

• Can Be Heard Over Full Organ

• Excellent for Counter Melody

• Single Note Melody

• No Chords Please, Leave That to the

Band Organs

Chrysoglott

• Metal Bar Harp Struck with Soft Hammers

• Beautiful Truly Harp Like Percussion

• On Poorly Maintained Instruments

Hammers Become Hard Sounding Like

Giant Glockenspiel

Xylophone

• Wooden Bar Struck with Hard Wooden

Hammer

• Can be Heard Over Full Organ

• Excellent for Accents

• Clarifies Rapid Playing in Large Rooms

Tuned Sleigh Bells

• Tuned Sleigh Bells

• Novelty During Holidays

Chimes

• Metal Tube Struck by Hard Wooden

Hammer

• Outstanding Accent

• Very Useful in a Variety of Settings

Marimba

• Wooden Bar Harp Struck with Soft

Hammers

• Can be Reiterating or Single Stroke

• Piano Like Sound in Accompaniment

(Single Stroke)

• Magnificent Orchestral Solo Sound

• Can Support Xylophone

On To Actual Registrations

Hangnail Combination

• 1’ Tibia

• 5 1/3 ‘ Tibia

• 8’ Tibia, Diapason, Horn, Color Reeds,

Strings

• 16’ Color Reeds & Strings

• Played in close full complex harmony

• (multiple notes with thumb “hang nail”)

Whole House

• 8’ Everything BUT Post Horn, Tuba

Mirabilis, Solo Diaphonic Diapason

• 4’ Tibia

• 2 2/3’ Tibia

• 2’ Tibia

• 1 3/5’ Tibia

• (single note melody, roll up to notes)

Tibia 1

• 4’ Tibia

• 8’ Tibia

• (add 8’ Vox at times)

• Trems On

Tibia 2

• 4’ Tibia

• 16’ Tibia & Vox

• Trems On

• OR

• 8’ Tibia

• 2’ Tibia

• (Played 1 octave lower)

Tibia 3

• 8’ Tibia, Vox & Sax

• Trems On

Tibia 4

• 2’ Tibia

• 8’ Tibia & Vox

• 16’ Tibia & Vox

• Trems On

Tibia 5

• 2’ Tibia

• 16’ Tibia

Tibia 6

• 1’ Tibia

• 16’ Tibia

Tibia 7

• Tibia 2 2/3

• Tibia 8

• With Trem On – Broad Lush Tibia with

More Harmonics

• With Trem Off – Calliope Effect

Tibia 8

• Tibia 2 2/3

• Tibia 4

• Tibia 8

• Wide Variety of Other 8’ Stops

Vox

• 8’ Vox

• 16’ Vox

• Trem On

String

• 2’ Lieblich Flute (Tibia Minor)

• 4’ Lieblich Flute (Tibia Minor)

• 4’ String

• 8’ String & Vox

• 16’ String & Vox

Solo with Strings

• 4’ Tibia

• 8’ Tibia

• 4’ Strings

• 8’ Strings

• 16’ Strings

String Novelty

• Harp (4’)

• 4’ Strings

• 8’ Strings

• 16’ Strings

• (trem off)

Unique Solo

• 16’ Clarinet

• 2’ String

• (trem off)

Kinura Novelty

• 4’ Tibia

• 8’ Kinura

• (Tibia Trem on, Kinura Trem off)

Kinura Novelty 2

• 8’ Tibia

• 8’ Kinura

• (all trems off)

Single Note Ballad Combination

• 2 2/3’ Tibia

• 4’ Tibia

• 8’ String or Color Reed

• 16’ Tibia

4’ Tibia & …

• 4’ Tibia

• 8’ Trumpet, or Tuba, Or String, Or Color

Reed, Or Diapason

Medium Ensembles

• Tibia 4

• Tibia 8

• String – Flute – Diapason 8

• String – Flute – Diapason Color Reeds 16

Tuba Mirabilis or Solo Diapason

• Never Use with Full Organ

• Use as Single Solo Sound

• Use on second touch

• (Effective trems on or off)

Glock Novelty

• 2’ Tibia

• 2’ String

• Glockenspiel

Marimba & Xylo

• 8’ Marimba & Xylophone

Accent

• 4’ Tibia

• 8’ Tibia & Post Horn

• 16’ Post Horn

• Optional Xylophone

8’ Horns

• 8’ Tibia Diapason Tuba Trumpet Clarinet

• Played with Chords Trems on

8’ Tubas

• 8’ Tuba, Tuba Mirabilis

• Trems on or Off

• Tuba sound with a bit of Motion

Trem OFF Classical Effects

• Avoid Tibia as Regulator Usually Not

Stable for Classical Sounds

• Some Tibias are Tuned W/Trem On, Flat

with Trem Off

• Use Diapason Strings Flute Clarinet Oboe

Horn 16’ 8’ 4’ With Trumpet 16

I hope you find these registrations and hints to be

helpful and to enhance your enjoyment of your

theater organ playing as well as to enhance your

understanding of the playing of others. You may be

the one who originates some new and exciting

combinations of your own, that we will all study in

the future. Remember that music itself is a great gift

that is to be shared and enjoy. And always

remember to respect the efforts of other musicians

even when you tend to disagree with their choices.

Great art depends on an appreciation of the great

diversity of human talents and tastes.

Best Wishes

Don Springer

Good Luck and Have Fun!