# organ manual

> musical keyboard on an organ played with the hands

**Wikidata**: [Q2978691](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2978691)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manual_(music))  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/organ-manual

## Summary
An organ manual is a musical keyboard on an organ that is specifically designed to be played with the hands. It serves as a primary interface for the organist to produce sound from the instrument. It is a fundamental component of the organ console.

## Key Facts
*   An organ manual is a type of musical keyboard.
*   It is played with the hands, specifically by the fingers of an organist.
*   It is a part of the organ console.
*   Common aliases for an organ manual include "manual" and "clavier."
*   It is considered the opposite of a pedal keyboard, which is played with the feet.
*   The `great organ` is an important keyboard division often associated with an organ manual, known for carrying powerful sounds.
*   Related organ divisions that can be controlled by manuals include `swell`, `choir`, `Fernwerk`, `side positive`, and `Echowerk`.
*   The entity has 11 sitelinks across various platforms.
*   Its Wikipedia entry is titled "Manual (music)."
*   An image associated with organ manuals is available at `https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/HolyNameJesusCon2.jpg`.

## FAQs
### Q: What is an organ manual?
A: An organ manual is a musical keyboard found on an organ, specifically designed to be played with the hands. It is a key component of the organ console, allowing the organist to control various sets of pipes or voices.

### Q: What are other names for an organ manual?
A: An organ manual is also commonly known by the aliases "manual" and "clavier." These terms are often used interchangeably to refer to the hand-operated keyboards of an organ.

### Q: How is an organ manual operated?
A: Organ manuals are operated by an organist's fingers. The organist presses the keys on the manual to activate the corresponding pipes or digital voices, allowing them to create musical sounds.

### Q: What is the opposite of an organ manual?
A: The opposite of an organ manual is a pedal keyboard. While organ manuals are played with the hands, a pedal keyboard is a set of keys or pedals located at the organist's feet, used to play bass notes.

## Why It Matters
The organ manual is central to the performance and design of an organ, serving as the primary interface through which an organist interacts with the instrument. Its existence allows for the complex polyphonic and contrapuntal music characteristic of organ repertoire, enabling the organist to control multiple sets of pipes or "divisions" simultaneously with their hands. By distinguishing itself from the pedal keyboard, the manual facilitates the creation of intricate melodic and harmonic lines, while the pedals provide a foundational bass. This division of labor between hands and feet is crucial for the organ's unique sonic capabilities, allowing for a rich tapestry of sound. Without the manual, the organ's vast array of voices and its capacity for expressive, multi-layered music would be severely limited, making it an indispensable component for both classical and contemporary organ music.

## Notable For
*   Being the hand-operated musical keyboard of an organ, distinct from foot-operated pedal keyboards.
*   Its direct connection to and control over various organ divisions, such as the swell, choir, and great organ, allowing for diverse tonal colors.
*   Serving as the primary interface for an organist's musical expression, enabling complex polyphonic performance.
*   Its fundamental role as a component of the organ console, essential for the instrument's playability.

## Body

### Definition
An organ manual is a musical keyboard specifically designed for an organ, intended to be played using the hands. It is a critical part of the organ console, providing the interface for an organist to control the instrument's sound production.

### Classification and Relationships
The organ manual is classified as a `musical keyboard`. It is a `subclass_of` musical keyboard, with the qualifier that it is played by `hand`. It is an integral `part_of` the `organ console`. The `pedal keyboard` is considered its `opposite_of`, as pedal keyboards are played with the feet, whereas manuals are played with the hands. An organ manual `physically_interacts_with` the `finger` of an organist.

### Related Organ Divisions
Organ manuals are typically connected to and control various divisions of an organ, each often having its own distinct tonal characteristics. Related divisions include:
*   `Fernwerk` (organ division)
*   `side positive` (organ division)
*   `swell` (division on pipe organ)
*   `choir` (division on pipe organ)
*   `great organ` (the most important keyboard of an organ, which carries the most powerful games)
*   `Echowerk` (division on organ)

### Terminology
The entity is also known by the `aliases`: `manual` and `clavier`.

### Sources and Identifiers
*   **Image**: `https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/HolyNameJesusCon2.jpg`
*   **Freebase ID**: `/m/05fmrv` (referenced on 2013-10-28)
*   **Sitelink Count**: 11
*   **Wikipedia Title**: `Manual (music)`
*   **Commons Category**: `Organ manuals`
*   **Described by Sources**:
    *   "Riemann's Music Dictionary" (subject of `Q27776376`)
    *   "Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary" (subject of `Q24464316`)
    *   "Meyers Konversations-Lexikon, 4th edition (1885–1890)" (subject of `Q123859178`)
*   **Wikipedia Languages**: bg, commons, de, en, et, fi, fr, it, ru, sl
*   **Wikidata Description**: musical keyboard on an organ played with the hands
*   **Encyclopædia Britannica Online ID**: `art/manual-music` (with the qualifier `P1810`: `manual`)

```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Thing",
  "name": "organ manual",
  "description": "A musical keyboard on an organ played with the hands.",
  "sameAs": [
    "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1140026",
    "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manual_(music)"
  ],
  "additionalType": "https://schema.org/MusicalKeyboard"
}

## References

1. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013