An organ stop can be one of three things: the control on an organ console that selects a particular sound the row of organ pipes used to create a particular sound, more appropriately known as a rank the sound itself
Organ stops are sorted into four major types: principal, string, reed, and flute.
This is a sortable list of names that may be found associated with electronic and pipe organ stops. Countless stops have been designed over the centuries, and individual organs may have stops, or names of stops, used nowhere else. This non-comprehensive list deals mainly with names of stops found on numerous Baroque, classical and romantic organs. Here are a few of the most common ones:
Stop name Alternative name Type Notes Aeoline (English) Aéoline (French?)Éoline (French) Eolina (Italian) Echo Salicional (English) String An extremely small scaled stop with a very delicate, airy tone; built frequently as a single-rank stop, or as a double-rank celeste.Baryton (French)Baritone (English) Baritono (Italian) Varitono (Spanish)ReedA 16 ft, 8 ft and/or 4 ft pitch reed stop imitative of the instrument. It can also refer to a Vox Humana at 16’ pitch. Blockflöte (German) Block Flute (English) Blokfløjte (Danish) Blokfluit (Dutch) Blockpfeife (German) Flute German for "recorder"; a wide scaled conical or stopped flute of 4 ft or 2 ft pitch, taking its name from the common flute called a "recorder" which its tone imitates. Bombarde (French) Bombarda (Italian) Bombardon (English) Bombardone (Italian) Reed A powerful chorus reed stop with a brassy timbre, occurring on the manuals at 16 ft (and occasionally 8 ft), or in the pedal at 16 ft or 32 ft pitch; similar tone as the Ophicleide or the Trombone. Bourdon (French) Bordun (German) Bordone (Italian) Bordón (Spanish) Bardone (Italian) Flute A wide-scaled stopped-flute, usually 16 ft and/or 8 ft pitch on the manuals, and 16 ft (sometimes 8 ft), and/or 32 ft pitch in the pedals (where it may be called Subbass or Contra Bourdon). Cello (Italian) Violoncelle (French) Violoncello (English) Violoncello (Italian) String A string stop at 8 ft and/or 16 ft pitch; has a warmer, more "romantic" tone than the Gamba.Chimney Flute (English)Rohrflöt(e) (German) Roerfluit (Dutch) Flauto Camino (Italian) Flûte à Cheminée (French)FluteA stopped flue stop with a chimneyed stopper. Choralbass (German) Choralbasset (German) Principal A 4 ft pitch strongly voiced octave Diapason in the pedal division, mainly for cantus firmus use. Claribel (English) Clarabella (English) Clarabel Flute (English) Claribel Flute (English) Melodia (American english) Flute An 8 ft pitch open wood manual stop. Clarinet (English) Clarinette (French/German)Clarionet (English) Clarinetto (Italian) Klarinett(e) (German) Reed A reed stop with a rich tone imitating the orchestral instrument. Clarion (English) Clairon (French) Clarino (Italian) Clarín (Spanish) Clarone (Italian) Klaroen (Dutch) Reed A 4 ft or 2 ft pitch Trumpet, it is a chorus reed.Cor Anglais (French)English Horn (English) Englisch Horn (German) Angle Horn (English)ReedA 16 ft or 8 ft pitch reed stop imitative of the instrument of the same name. Cornet (French) Cornett (German) Corneta (Spanish) Flute A multi-rank stop consisting of up to five ranks of wide-scaled pipes. The pitches include 8 ft, 4 ft, ft, 2 ft and ft. Three and four-rank cornets eliminate 8 ft and 4 ft ranks. This stop is not imitative of the orchestral cornet. In a theater organ, it usually refers to a 4’ extension of the tuba or trumpet. Cornopean (English) Reed An 8 ft pitch chorus reed similar to the Trumpet; normally located in the Swell division. It is usually quieter than a trumpet. Cromorne (French) Krummhorn (German) Kromhoorn (Dutch) Cremona (English) Cormorne (French) Reed A cylindrical solo reed that has a distinct buzzing or bleating sound, imitative of the historical instrument of the same name. Diapason (English) Open Diapason (English) Montre (French) Principale (Italian) Principal (English) Prinzipal (German) Principaal (Dutch) Prestant (Dutch) Praestant (Latin) Tenori (Italian) Principal A flue stop that is the "backbone" sound of the organ. Most commonly at 8 ft in manuals, and 8 ft or 16 ft in the pedals. It is the fundamental stop of the Classical Organ. Diaphone Diaphonic Diapason Valvular A special type of organ pipe that produces tone by using a felt hammer to beat air through the resonator. Common on theatre organs but not often used in classical instruments.Dulcian (German)Dulzian (German) Dulciane (French) Dulceon (Czech) Dolcian (German) Dulciaan (Dutch)ReedA half length cylindrical reed stop at 8 ft pitch on the manuals with a tone similar to that of a bassoon but more nasal.DulcianaDulzianaStringAn 8 ft pitch metal string stop. Usually the softest stop on an organ. Fagotto (Italian) Fagot (Dutch) Fagott (German) Bassoon (English) Basson (French) Reed A 16 ft or 8 ft pitch chorus reed. Inverted conical construction, softer than a trumpet or trombone. Flageolet (English/French) Flageoletta (Italian) Flautim (Spanish) Fistula Minima (Latin) Flute An open flute stop of 2 ft or 1 ft pitch. Flûte Octaviante (French) Flute A 4 ft pitch Harmonic Flute. Fugara Principal/String hybrid A flue stop in 4 ft or 8 ft pitch. The tone has a sharp "stringy" quality. Gamba (Italian) Viola da Gamba (Italian) Viola di Gamba (Italian) Viole de Gambe (French) Gambe (French) String A string stop that has a thinner, more cutting tone than the Cello stop. It is one of the earliest designs of string stops, and is named after the Baroque instrument viola da gamba. Gedackt (German) Gedeckt (German) Holpijp (Dutch) || Gedekt (Dutch) Gedakt (Danish) Pileata (Latin) Stopped Diapason (English) Flute A basic stopped 8 ft and/or 16 ft flute in the manuals, and stopped 16 ft and/or 8 ft flute voice in the pedal. Gemshorn (English/German) Gemshoorn (Dutch) Cor de Chamois (French) Bachflöte (German) Flute/String hybrid A flue stop usually at 4 ft or 2 ft pitch but sometimes 8 ft pitch; similar tone as Spitz Flute. Gravissima (Latin) Gravitone (Latin) Acoustic Bass (English) Basse acoustique (French) Flute A name for a resultant 64 ft flute (a 32 ft stop combined with a ft stop, which is a fifth, producing a difference tone of 8 Hz on low C). Harmonic Flute (English) Flûte Harmonique (French) Flauta Armónica (Spanish) Harmonieflöte (German) Flute An open metal flute made to sound an octave above its length by means of a small hole at its midpoint. This stop has a very pure flute tone and was popularized by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll. Hohlflöt(e) (German) Hohl flute (German/English) Hohlpfeife (German) Holfluit (Dutch) Flûte Creuse (French) Flute A metal or wooden 8 ft open or stopped flute.Keraulophon (Greek)Keraulophone (Greek)FluteA rarely found flute stop at 8 ft pitch with a stringy, reedy tone. Its name translates to "hornpipe voice". Larigot (French) Largo (???) Petit Nasard (French) Diezmonovena (Spanish) Mutation A flute mutation stop at ft pitch.Mixture (English) Mixtur (German) Mixtura (Spanish) Mixtuur (Dutch) Hintersatz (German) Fourniture (French) Ripieno (Italian) Plein Jeu (French) Lleno (Spanish) Principal Multi-rank stops that enhance the harmonics of the fundamental pitch, and are intended for use with foundation stops, not alone. Mixture IV indicates that the stop has four ranks. Mixture 15.19.22.26 indicates the composition. Nachthorn (German) Night Horn (English) Nachthoorn (Dutch) Cor de Nuit (French) Corno de Nacht (???) Pastorita (Italian) Flute A wide-scaled flute with a relatively small mouth, produces a soft, but penetrating sound; occurring at 8 ft and 4 ft pitch, and also at 2 ft pitch in the pedal. Nasard (French) Nasat (German) Nasardo (Italian/Spanish)Nazard (French?) Mutation A conical flute mutation stop of ft pitch (sounding a twelfth above written pitch).Nason Flute (English)Nasonflöte (German) Nason (English)FluteFlute stop with stopped pipes. Usually 4 ft pitch in which the twelfth is often prominent.None (German)Neuvième (French) Twenty-Third (English)FluteA rare mutation stop of 8/9 ft, reinforcing the 8 ft harmonic series. (Sounds a twenty-third above written pitch.) Oboe (Italian) Hautbois (French) Hautboy (English) Hoboe (???) Reed An 8 ft pitch reed stop used as both a solo stop and a chorus reed. Octave (English) Octav (German) Octaaf (Dutch) Octava (Spanish) Ottava (Italian) Prestant (Dutch) Praestant (Latin) Principal (English) Principal A 4 ft open diapason. "Prestant" often indicates ranks that have pipes mounted in the front of the organ case.Octavin (French)Ottavina (Italian)FluteA 2 ft pitch Harmonic Flute. Ophicleide Ophicléide (French) Officleide (Italian) Ophicleïd (German) Ophikleid (???) Reed A powerful reed stop, much like the Bombarde or Trombone; normally a 16 ft or 32 ft pedal reed; unusually an 8 ft or 16 ft on the manuals. Orchestral Oboe (English) Orchestral Hautboy (English) Hautbois d'Orchestre (French) Reed A different stop from Oboe; intended to imitate the orchestral instrument; of smaller scale than the non-imitative oboe. Piccolo (Italian) Zwergpfeife (German) Flute A 2 ft and/or 1 ft pitch flute. Quarte (French) Quarte de Nasard (French) Quarte de Nazard (French) Flute A 2 ft pitch flute on 17th and 18th century French organs; short for Quarte de Nasard, sounding an interval of a fourth above the Nasard stop.Quint (French/German)Quinte (French/German) Quinta (Latin/Italian) Gros Nasard (French) Fifth (English) Double Twelfth (English)MutationA resultant mutation stop, ft pitch on the manuals reinforcing the 16 ft harmonic series or ft pitch in the pedal reinforcing the 32 ft harmonic series. It can be made with a Tibia Clausa, Diapason or flute rank.Quintadena (German)Quintaton (English?) Quintatön (German)FluteFlue stop of 4 ft, 8 ft, or 16 ft foot pitch with stopped pipes and a flute tone in which the twelfth is prominent. It is commonly found on large theater organs. Regal (English/German) Régale (French) Regale (Italian) Regaal (Dutch) Reed A reed stop with fractional-length resonators; produces a buzzy sound with low fundamental frequency. Rohrflöt(e) (German) Chimney Flute (English) Flauto a Camino (Italian) Rohr Flute (German/English) Roerfluit (Dutch) Rorflojte (Danish) Flute German for "reed flute"; a semi-capped metal pipe with a narrow, open-ended tube (i.e. "chimney") extending from the top which resembles a reed.Sackbut (English)ReedA reed stop that has a similar sound to the trombone. Found on the IV manual Kenneth Tickell organ of Worcester Cathedral, Worcestershire, England, where it has wooden resenators. Salicional (English?) Salicionale (Italian) Salicionaal (Dutch) Salicet (???) Salicis Fistula (Latin) Principal/String hybrid An 8 ft (sometimes 4 ft or 16 ft) string stop, softer in tone than the Gamba. Schalmei (German) Shawm (English) Schalmey (German) Chalumeau (French) Schallmey (German?) Reed A reed with a buzzy timbre, of the Regal class. Found at 16 ft, 8 ft and 4 ft. Scharf(f) (German) Scherp (Dutch) Sharp (English) Sharp Mixture (English) Akuta (German) Acuta (Latin) Vox Acuta (Latin) Principal A high-pitched mixture stop. Sesquialtera (Latin) Sollicinal (German) Flute Comprises ranks at ft and ft. Sifflöt(e) (German) Sifflet (French) Flute A 1 ft pitch flute.Speelfluyt (Old Dutch)Flute (English)FluteA 1 ft pitch flute. The Speelfluyt was reconstructed by Jürgen Ahrend for the Schnitger organ in the Martinikerk Groningen out of one remaining pipe.Spitz Flute (English)Spitzflöte (German) Spire Flute (English)Flute/String hybridA 4 ft or 2 ft pitch flute with metal pipes tapered to a point at the top; similar tone as Gemshorn.Suabe FluteFluteFlute stop of 4 ft or 8 ft pitch with a bright, clear tone. Super Octave (English) Doublette (French) Fifteenth (English) Quincena (Spanish) Quintadecima (Italian) Quinzième (French) Superoctav (German) Superoctaaf (Dutch)