The Harmonic Series

To this point we have associated each partial of the harmonic series with one of the standard organ stop pitches. The harmonic series also functions in organ registration in two more general ways: tone color, and building combinations.

1. Tone Color

As with any musical instrument, each organ pipe develops its own harmonic series, with a unique combination of strong and weak partials. This gives the pipe a particular tone color.

The pipes within any rank are similar in shape, so that the tone color is similar from pipe to pipe. But between ranks the pipes vary widely in shape and structure. Principal pipes are cylindrical, Gemshorn pipes are tapered; one has heavy tin content, another is wood; etc. The result: each rank has a unique tone color, but a rank performs as though it were a single instrument.