Organ (music)

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Organ

Organ in Münster Cathedral, Germany
Keyboard instrument
Classification	Aerophone (pipe and reed organs) Electrophone (electronic[1] and electromechanical organs)
Inventor(s)	Ctesibius
Developed	3rd century BC
Playing range
(a standard tuned organ)
Musicians
see List of organists and List of organ composers
Builders
see Category:Organ builders
More articles or information
Pipe organ Theatre organ Electric organ Hammond organ Allen organ Reed organ Organ repertoire

In music, the organ is a keyboard instrument of one or more pipe divisions or other means (generally woodwind or electric) for producing tones. The organs have usually two or three, up to five, manuals for playing with the hands and a pedalboard for playing with the feet. With the use of registers, several groups of pipes can be connected to one manual.

The organ has been used in various musical settings, particularly in classical music. Music written specifically for the organ is common from the Renaissance to the present day. Pipe organs, the most traditional type, operate by forcing air through pipes of varying sizes and materials, each producing a different pitch and tone. These instruments are commonly found in churches and concert halls, where they have long been associated with liturgical music and grand ceremonial occasions.

Mechanical or electronic systems are used by non-pipe organs to emulate the sound of pipe organs.