24 note portative organ plays

Another young visitor to the 2008 model engineering exhibition demonstrates very nicely how the replica 13th century portative organ sounds. The organ would have been one of the very first with keys including the black ones, but not a complete set! as this young lady found to her dismay, but never mind the end result is still very good and shows she has been taking notice of her piano teachers advice, well done and also Dad for keeping a nice even pressure on the bellow.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• 13th
• century
• portative
• organ
• unusual
• keyboard

[gemmadan]

I think this really is a portative as it can be played by one person , but not necessarily a small girl.. Various comments on the tuning , nobody in modern times has seen an original portative organ only representations mainly in stone carvings in churches, so they certainly do not know what the actual scales were. My guess would be that like this they were made by a practical man who could do things with bits of wood and simply knew that the pipes had to get longer to give a deeper note.

[HumbertoMarquez]

It is an antique tunning or it is untunned?

[gemmadan]

It was made by a non musician so the tuning is only nominal to a tuning meter.

[Spaztronthemusicman]

Actually wouldn't this be a 'positive' organ and not a portative organ? Portative should be small enough to pump and play by the same person. I believe this is a positive organ...? Right?

[Arthur60]

@Askelairlines: the comment says this girl's Daddy's pressing the bellow.

[pmzephyr22]

there were tuning systems however, usually regional. This one seems to be the victim of whatever length he cut his pipes. portatives rarely used wood pipes. they are hungry for wind. remember a single unweighted feeder needs the player as a regulator. pretty tricky when the wind gets low and it's time to inhale and prevent a "gasp". LOL

[Bachlives2]

@HumbertoMarquez no there is no tuning set on this instrument... The whole thing has no tuning.... I wish it was mean tone thpough

[Askelairlines747]

wow and you dont have to pump it up or nothing?

[walkathon]

Actually, a pretty great demo of the portative organ. Props!

[mistertentpole]

cute

[Cindermakers]

The tuning is awful

[pugthing]

It's "Dance Of The Swans" from Swan Lake