List of pipe organ stops
An organ stop can be one of three things:
- the control on an organ console that selects a particular sound
- the row of organ pipes used to create a particular sound, more appropriately known as a rank
- the sound itself
This is a sortable list of names that may be found associated with electronic and pipe organ stops. Countless stops have been designed over the centuries, and individual organs may have stops, or names of stops, used nowhere else. This non-comprehensive list deals mainly with names of stops found on numerous Baroque, classical and romantic organs. Here are a few of the most common ones:
| Stop name | Alternative name | Type | Notes | - |
| Aeoline | Aéoline Éoline Eolina Echo Salicional | String | An extremely small scaled stop with a very delicate, airy tone; built frequently as a single-rank stop, or as a double-rank celeste. | - |
| Baryton | Baritone Baritono Varitono | Reed | A 16 ft, 8 ft and/or 4 ft pitch reed stop imitative of the instrument. It can also refer to a Vox Humana at 16’ pitch. | - |
| Blockflöte | Block Flute Blokfløjte Blokfluit Blockpfeife | Flute | German for "recorder"; a wide scaled conical or stopped flute of 4 ft or 2 ft pitch, taking its name from the common flute called a "recorder" which its tone imitates. | - |
| Bombarde | Bombarda Bombardon Bombardone | Reed | A powerful chorus reed stop with a brassy timbre, occurring on the manuals at 16 ft, or in the pedal at 16 ft or 32 ft pitch; similar tone as the Ophicleide or the Trombone. | - |
| Bourdon | Bordun Bordone Bordón Bardone | Flute | A wide-scaled stopped-flute, usually 16 ft and/or 8 ft pitch on the manuals, and 16 ft, and/or 32 ft pitch in the pedals. | - |
| Cello | Violoncelle Violoncello Violoncello | String | A string stop at 8 ft and/or 16 ft pitch; has a warmer, more "romantic" tone than the Gamba. | - |
| Chimney Flute | Rohrflöt Roerfluit Flauto Camino Flûte à Cheminée | Flute | A stopped flue stop with a chimneyed stopper. | - |
| Choralbass | Choralbasset | Principal | A 4 ft pitch strongly voiced octave Diapason in the pedal division, mainly for cantus firmus use. | - |
| Claribel | Clarabella Clarabel Flute Claribel Flute Melodia | Flute | An 8 ft pitch open wood manual stop. | - |
| Clarinet | Clarinette Clarionet Clarinetto Klarinett | Reed | A reed stop with a rich tone imitating the orchestral instrument. | - |
| Clarion | Clairon Clarino Clarín Clarone Klaroen | Reed | A 4 ft or 2 ft pitch Trumpet, it is a chorus reed. | - |
| Cor Anglais | English Horn Englisch Horn Angle Horn | Reed | A 16 ft or 8 ft pitch reed stop imitative of the instrument of the same name. | - |
| Cornet | Cornett Corneta | Flute | A multi-rank stop consisting of up to five ranks of wide-scaled pipes. The pitches include 8 ft, 4 ft, ft, 2 ft and ft. Three and four-rank cornets eliminate 8 ft and 4 ft ranks. This stop is not imitative of the orchestral cornet. In a theater organ, it usually refers to a 4’ extension of the tuba or trumpet. | - |
| Cornopean | Reed | An 8 ft pitch chorus reed similar to the Trumpet; normally located in the Swell division. It is usually quieter than a trumpet. | - | |
| Cromorne | Krummhorn Kromhoorn Cremona Cormorne | Reed | A cylindrical solo reed that has a distinct buzzing or bleating sound, imitative of the historical instrument of the same name. | - |
| Diapason | Open Diapason Montre Principale Principal Prinzipal Principaal Prestant Praestant Tenori | Principal | A flue stop that is the "backbone" sound of the organ. Most commonly at 8 ft in manuals, and 8 ft or 16 ft in the pedals. It is the fundamental stop of the Classical Organ. | - |
| Diaphone | Diaphonic Diapason | Valvular | A special type of organ pipe that produces tone by using a felt hammer to beat air through the resonator. Common on theatre organs but not often used in classical instruments. | - |
| Dulcian | Dulzian Dulciane Dulceon Dolcian Dulciaan | Reed | A half length cylindrical reed stop at 8 ft pitch on the manuals with a tone similar to that of a bassoon but more nasal. | - |
| Dulciana | Dulziana | String | An 8 ft pitch metal string stop. Usually the softest stop on an organ. | - |
| Fagotto | Fagot Fagott Bassoon Basson | Reed | A 16 ft or 8 ft pitch chorus reed. Inverted conical construction, softer than a trumpet or trombone. | - |
| Flageolet | Flageoletta Flautim Fistula Minima | Flute | An open flute stop of 2 ft or 1 ft pitch. | - |
| Flûte Octaviante | Flute | A 4 ft pitch Harmonic Flute. | - | |
| Fugara | Principal/String hybrid | A flue stop in 4 ft or 8 ft pitch. The tone has a sharp "stringy" quality. | - | |
| Gamba | Viola da Gamba Viola di Gamba Viole de Gambe Gambe | String | A string stop that has a thinner, more cutting tone than the Cello stop. It is one of the earliest designs of string stops, and is named after the Baroque instrument viola da gamba. | - |
| Gedackt | Gedeckt Holpijp | Gedekt Gedakt Pileata Stopped Diapason | Flute | A basic stopped 8 ft and/or 16 ft flute in the manuals, and stopped 16 ft and/or 8 ft flute voice in the pedal. |
| Gemshorn | Gemshoorn Cor de Chamois Bachflöte | Flute/String hybrid | A flue stop usually at 4 ft or 2 ft pitch but sometimes 8 ft pitch; similar tone as Spitz Flute. | - |
| Gravissima | Gravitone Acoustic Bass Basse acoustique | Flute | A name for a resultant 64 ft flute. | - |
| Harmonic Flute | Flûte Harmonique Flauta Armónica Harmonieflöte | Flute | An open metal flute made to sound an octave above its length by means of a small hole at its midpoint. This stop has a very pure flute tone and was popularized by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll. | - |
| Hohlflöt | Hohl flute Hohlpfeife Holfluit Flûte Creuse | Flute | A metal or wooden 8 ft open or stopped flute. | - |
| Keraulophon | Keraulophone | Flute | A rarely found flute stop at 8 ft pitch with a stringy, reedy tone. Its name translates to "hornpipe voice". | - |
| Larigot | Largo Petit Nasard Diezmonovena | Mutation | A flute mutation stop at ft pitch. | - |
| Mixture | Mixtur Mixtura Mixtuur Hintersatz Fourniture Ripieno Plein Jeu Lleno | Principal | Multi-rank stops that enhance the harmonics of the fundamental pitch, and are intended for use with foundation stops, not alone. Mixture IV indicates that the stop has four ranks. Mixture 15.19.22.26 indicates the composition. | - |
| Nachthorn | Night Horn Nachthoorn Cor de Nuit Corno de Nacht Pastorita | Flute | A wide-scaled flute with a relatively small mouth, produces a soft, but penetrating sound; occurring at 8 ft and 4 ft pitch, and also at 2 ft pitch in the pedal. | - |
| Nasard | Nasat Nasardo Nazard | Mutation | A conical flute mutation stop of ft pitch. | - |
| Nason Flute | Nasonflöte Nason | Flute | Flute stop with stopped pipes. Usually 4 ft pitch in which the twelfth is often prominent. | - |
| None | Neuvième Twenty-Third | Flute | A rare mutation stop of 8/9 ft, reinforcing the 8 ft harmonic series. | - |
| Oboe | Hautbois Hautboy Hoboe | Reed | An 8 ft pitch reed stop used as both a solo stop and a chorus reed. | - |
| Octave | Octav Octaaf Octava Ottava Prestant Praestant Principal | Principal | A 4 ft open diapason. "Prestant" often indicates ranks that have pipes mounted in the front of the organ case. | - |
| Octavin | Ottavina | Flute | A 2 ft pitch Harmonic Flute. | - |
| Ophicleide | Ophicléide Officleide Ophicleïd Ophikleid | Reed | A powerful reed stop, much like the Bombarde or Trombone; normally a 16 ft or 32 ft pedal reed; unusually an 8 ft or 16 ft on the manuals. | - |
| Orchestral Oboe | Orchestral Hautboy Hautbois d'Orchestre | Reed | A different stop from Oboe; intended to imitate the orchestral instrument; of smaller scale than the non-imitative oboe. | - |
| Piccolo | Zwergpfeife | Flute | A 2 ft and/or 1 ft pitch flute. | - |
| Quarte | Quarte de Nasard Quarte de Nazard | Flute | A 2 ft pitch flute on 17th and 18th century French organs; short for Quarte de Nasard, sounding an interval of a fourth above the Nasard stop. | - |
| Quint | Quinte Quinta Gros Nasard Fifth Double Twelfth | Mutation | A resultant mutation stop, ft pitch on the manuals reinforcing the 16 ft harmonic series or ft pitch in the pedal reinforcing the 32 ft harmonic series. It can be made with a Tibia Clausa, Diapason or flute rank. | - |
| Quintadena | Quintaton Quintatön | Flute | Flue stop of 4 ft, 8 ft, or 16 ft foot pitch with stopped pipes and a flute tone in which the twelfth is prominent. It is commonly found on large theater organs. | - |
| Regal | Régale Regale Regaal | Reed | A reed stop with fractional-length resonators; produces a buzzy sound with low fundamental frequency. | - |
| Rohrflöt | Chimney Flute Flauto a Camino Rohr Flute Roerfluit Rorflojte | Flute | German for "reed flute"; a semi-capped metal pipe with a narrow, open-ended tube extending from the top which resembles a reed. | - |
| Sackbut | Reed | A reed stop that has a similar sound to the trombone. Found on the IV manual Kenneth Tickell organ of Worcester Cathedral, Worcestershire, England, where it has wooden resenators. | - | |
| Salicional | Salicionale Salicionaal Salicet Salicis Fistula | Principal/String hybrid | An 8 ft string stop, softer in tone than the Gamba. | - |
| Schalmei | Shawm Schalmey Chalumeau Schallmey | Reed | A reed with a buzzy timbre, of the Regal class. Found at 16 ft, 8 ft and 4 ft. | - |
| Scharf | Scherp Sharp Sharp Mixture Akuta Acuta Vox Acuta | Principal | A high-pitched mixture stop. | - |
| Sesquialtera | Sollicinal | Flute | Comprises ranks at ft and ft. | - |
| Sifflöt | Sifflet | Flute | A 1 ft pitch flute. | - |
| Speelfluyt | Flute | Flute | A 1 ft pitch flute. The Speelfluyt was reconstructed by Jürgen Ahrend for the Schnitger organ in the Martinikerk Groningen out of one remaining pipe. | - |
| Spitz Flute | Spitzflöte Spire Flute | Flute/String hybrid | A 4 ft or 2 ft pitch flute with metal pipes tapered to a point at the top; similar tone as Gemshorn. | - |
| Suabe Flute | Flute | Flute stop of 4 ft or 8 ft pitch with a bright, clear tone. | - | |
| Super Octave | Doublette Fifteenth Quincena Quintadecima Quinzième Superoctav Superoctaaf Regula Minima | Principal | The manual 2 ft Principal or Diapason; its name merely signifies that it is above the 4 ft Octave. | - |
| Tibia Clausa | Tibia | Flute | A large-scale, stopped wood flute pipe, usually with a leathered lip; performs same function in a theatre pipe organ as a principal in a classical organ. | - |
| Tierce | Seventeenth Septadecima Terz Terts | Mutation | A flute mutation stop pitched ft, supporting the 8 ft harmonic series. | - |
| Trichterregal | Trechterregal | Reed | An 8 ft pitch reed stop on a pipe organ with funnel-shaped resonators. A trichterregal was used by Schnitger in the Schnitger organ that he built for St. James's Church, Hamburg. | - |
| Trombone | Posaune Bazuin Basun | Reed | A chorus reed simulating the trombone; most commonly in the pedal at 16 ft or 32 ft pitch; similar tone as Bombarde or Ophicleide. | - |
| Trompette en Chamade | Horizontal Trumpet | Reed | A solo trumpet laid horizontally; can often be heard over full organ. | - |
| Trompette Militaire | Field Trumpet Military Trumpet | Reed | A powerful solo reed of the trumpet-family, with a brassy, penetrating tone. | - |
| Trumpet | Trompete Trompette Trompet Trompeta Tromba | Reed | A loud chorus reed stop, generally a single rank, with inverted conical resonators. | - |
| Tuba | Trumpet | Reed | A large-scale, high pressure, smooth solo reed usually 8 ft or 16 ft pitch in the manuals and 16 ft pitch in the pedal. Tuba is Latin for Trumpet; it is not named after the orchestral tuba. | - |
| Tuba D'amore | Tromba D'amore Posaune Der Liebe Soft Trombone? | Chorus Reed | A soft? reed that is at 16, 8, and 4 ft pitch. This pipe is made of wood similar to a posaune or a bassoon. An example of this rank is located in the Echo Division at the Midmer Losh organ at Boardwalk Hall, NJ. | - |
| Twelfth | Octave Quint Open Twelfth Quint Duodecima Docena | Mutation | A principal mutation stop of ft and/or ft on the manuals and ft and/or ft on the pedals. | - |
| Twenty-Second | Kleinoctav Vigesima Seconda Super Super Octave Two and Twentieth | Principal | A 1 ft pitch principal in the manuals or a 2 ft pitch in the pedal. | - |
| Unda Maris | Meerflöte | Flute | Latin for "wave of the sea"; a very soft rank tuned slightly sharp or flat. It is drawn with another soft rank to create an undulating effect. Occasionally built as a double-rank stop called Unda Maris II, which has both a normal-pitched and detuned rank. | - |
| Voix Céleste | Vox Celestis Vox Coelestis Voz Celeste Voix Lumineuse | String | An 8 ft pitch string stop tuned slightly sharp or flat to create an undulating effect when combined with another string stop. Some variants contain both a normal-pitched and detuned rank. | - |
| Vox Angelica | Voix Angelique | String | A soft organ flue stop tuned slightly flat. | - |
| Vox Humana | Voix Humaine Voz Humana Voz Humane Human Voice | Reed | Fractional-length Regal supposedly intended to imitate the human voice. A theater organ usually has one rank of Vox Humana but this can go as high as four. Wurlitzer also made a Vox Humana Celeste. | - |
| Waldflöte | Wald Flute Waldpfeif Woudfluit Wood Flute Flautado Kuerolofón Flûte Champ Flûte des Bois Tibia Silvestris | Flute | A soft flute stop usually at 2 ft pitch but sometimes at 8 ft and/or 4 ft pitch. | - |