Theatre Organ 101 Registration
Welcome
By Don Springer All Rights Reserved.
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
nd
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!