Points of interest: The organist and his instrument

The organist and his instrument

So that you can better understand how varied are the handicrafts and artistic skills involved in organ building, we give a brief description here about the construction and operation of an organ:
The organist sits at a console, and he plays with his hands and feet on the different rows of keys, known as keyboards (Manuals and Pedals). With his hands, he plays on the manual keys, of which an organ has from one to five, one on top of another. A manual looks just the same as a piano keyboard, and comprises 56 to 61 notes. The pedalboard is played with the feet, and comprises 27 to 32 notes. Near to the keyboards, the organist also uses stop action. With these, he can switch on or off whole rows of pipes, known as stops.