What is the reason for the many manuals on a pipe organ?

By pulling out different stops, different sets of pipes sound when you press a key (or pedal). Having more than two manuals allows the performer to rapidly switch from stop-combination to another, or to make the left and right hands sound different.

1. Why do organs have multiple manuals?
2. How many manuals does a pipe organ have?
3. What are the different manuals on an organ for?
4. Why does Hammond organ have two keyboards?

Why do organs have multiple manuals?

With multiple manuals (the organ term for keyboards), the organist can both create layers of sounds for richer textures, as well as switch between different sounds rapidly.

How many manuals does a pipe organ have?

The small standard church organ has three--two manual keyboards of 61 keys each, called "manuals" for short, and a pedal keyboard of 32 keys, referred to as "the pedals." The first manual, the lower one closest to the performer, is "the Great," while the second manual, the upper one, is "the Swell." Each manual and the ...

What are the different manuals on an organ for?

Different manuals on pipe organs are usually used to play stops from a variety of divisions, which group together a series of different tones. ... Various other controls, such as stops, pistons, and registration presets are usually located adjacent to the manuals to allow the organist ready access to them while playing.

Why does Hammond organ have two keyboards?

They're actually “presets keys” that can change the sound of the B3 instantly without having to move the drawbars at all. ... So on each of the two keyboards you can set up two different sounds with the drawbars, call them up by hitting one of those two last preset keys.