Just as the instruments of the orchestra are divided into SECTIONS (string, woodwind, brass, and percussion), the stops of the organ are divided into FAMILIES. There are four main families of organ tone.
Nearly all organ stops fit into these families. This lesson will list the names of some of the most common organ stops. A more complete list appears in the workbook, "Common Stop Names Listed by Pipe Category and Family of Organ Tone." An even more exhaustive list, also including historical background and sound clips, can be found in the online Enclopedia of Organ Stops.
Here is your most important learning objective for this lesson: given one of the common stop names, be able to immediately name the family of organ tone to which it belongs. Add any stop names on your organ to the list of Common Stop Names in the workbook, and then use that as your study list. Flash cards are usually the most effective study tool, with the stop name on one side and its family on the other.