Building for Richness

Full Organ

The term “full organ” can have many meanings. The following are commonly considered part of “full organ”:

• the principal chorus
• the flute chorus and hybrid stops
• fifth-sounding mutations (2 2/3', 1 1/3')
• possibly third-sounding mutations (1 3/5')
• chorus mixtures
• the reed chorus (chorus reeds)
• the unison couplers (and sometimes supercouplers and subcouplers)

These are usually not included in the “full organ”:

• celestes
• other very soft stops
• the tremulant
• solo reeds
• super-octave couplers that cause shrillness
• sub-octave couplers that are too heavy