MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. 
according to the length of its lowest note, 
i. e. a sixteen, a twelve, or an eight foot or- 
gan, such being the dimensions of the 
main wooden pipe. Some organs have been 
built on the Continent whose powers were 
immense, causing the largest cathedrals to 
vibrate sensibly with their sounds. The 
following are the stops usually made in a 
great organ ; The open diapason, in which 
all the pipes are open at the top ; this is a 
metallic stop, ‘ The stopped diapason ; the 
bass notes of this, up to the tenor C, are 
always made of wood, and are stopped at 
their summits with wooden plugs, whereby 
the, tone is very much softened. The prin- 
cipal is the middle stop, and serves, when 
tuned, as the basis for tuning all the other 
parts, above and below ; it is metallic. The 
twelfth is metallic also, and derives its name 
from being a twelfth, or an octave and a 
half, above the diapason. The fifteenth, so 
called, because it is two octaves above the 
diapason. The sesquialtera, composed of 
various pipes, tuned in the parts of the com- 
mon chord ; the upper part is often called 
the cornet. The furniture-stop is very 
shrill, and in some passages has a peculiar 
fine effect. The trumpet is a metallic stop, 
and derives its name from the instrument 
it so admirably imitates : this peculiar tone 
is produced by means of what is called a 
reed, but is in reality a piece of brass, on 
which the wind acts forcibly, giving a rough- 
ness to the sound, which is further changed 
by all the pipes of this stop, having bell 
mouths like trumpets. The clar ion is a reed 
stop also, but an octave higher than the 
trumpet ; it is only suited to a full chor us. 
The tierce is only employed in the full or- 
gan, it being very shrill, and a third above 
the fifteenth. The octave above the twelfth 
is too shrill to be used but in the full organ. 
The cornet is a treble stop. The dulcimer 
takes its name from the sweetness of its 
tones. The flute is named from the instru- 
ment it imitates, as are the bassoon, vox- 
Irurrrana, hautboy, and cremona, or krttm- 
horn, stops. The proper adaptation of the 
several stops in the performance of sacred 
music, and in accompanying a choir, re- 
qrrires both judgment and experience. The 
fingering of an organ is precisely the same 
as that of the piano forte, so far as relates 
to the situation of the keys, &c. ; but on 
account of the great number of holding 
notes in organ music, the fingers are more 
kept down, whence it is considered highly 
injurious to piano forte performers to prac- 
tise the organ, they being subject to lose 
that lightness, and that delicacy of touch, 
required for the former instrument. 
Organs are likewise made without keys, 
but with barrels, on which are a great num- 
ber of pins and staples of flat brass wire, 
and of different lengths. The barrel being 
turned by means of a crank or winch, the 
wires that communicate with the valves in 
the wind chest are acted upon by the pins 
and staples ; which hold down the valves 
for a longer or a shorter time, according to 
the duration of the notes they respectively 
govern. On these barrels, which are made 
to shift at pleasure, from ten to fifteen 
tunes are usually made, by the foregoing 
means. The winch not only turns the bar- 
rel, but also works a pair of bellows, by 
which the wind-chest is supplied. This in- 
strument is called the hand, or barrel-or- 
gan, and is very common in our streets. 
See Organ. 
A very small sort is constructed with only 
a couple of octaves, or less, the whole appa- 
ratus fitting into a box little longer than a 
mahogany tea and sugar chest ; this is 
called a bird-organ; its notes are pecu- 
liarly melodious and soft ; much resembling 
those of the flageolet. All bird-fanciers 
keep one or more of this description, for 
the purpose ofteaching canaries, bullfinches, 
&c. to sing popular airs. 
The Mouth Organ, or Pan’s Pipes, are 
well known; being so often played as 
an accompaniment to organs, &c. in our 
streets. They are of various sizes and ex- 
tent ; some being nearly three octaves ; a 
few have a chromatic scale, at least for the 
adjunct keys ; i. e. those of the fourth and 
fifth. The tones of the mouth-organ are 
certainly agreeable, but are best heard at a 
distance ; when, either as an aid to the or- 
gan, or performing pieces arranged for se- 
veral mouth-organs, as is very common, 
they have a very pleasing effect ; when 
played in a room, the notes are very-pierc- 
ing, and the sibilations are highly otfensive. 
The antiquity of the mouth-organ seems to 
be fairly established ; it is to be seen on 
most ancient coins, relating to music, and 
above all to Pan, from whom they derived 
their name ; that fabulous deity was usually 
represented with his “ pipe of unequal 
reeds in one hand, and a shepherd’s crook 
in the other.” The simple construction of 
the instrument renders it highly probable, 
that it is of much older date than we can 
trace ; but we may reasonably feel some 
surprise, that the great organ should have 
to boast of existence even many cen- 
