mixture stop

organ stop

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 30, 2026

Quick Summary

In music, an organ stop is a mechanism that controls the air flow to a rank of pipes, thereby producing a specific tone color. The term "stop" also refers to the rank of pipes themselves. Mixture stops are unique as they combine two or more ranks of pipes, including both unison and mutation ranks, all controlled by a single stop. These stops are crucial for adding brilliance and definition to the organ's sound, especially in the higher registers, and contribute significantly to the instrument's overall tonal richness and complexity.1

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

keyboard instrument
Organ stops
…what are known generically as mixture stops, which have several high-pitched pipes to each note. But, since, for example, a 1-foot rank could not be carried right up to the top note, it breaks back an octave at some convenient point in the compass. Ranks pitched even higher will break…
Read More
…what are known generically as mixture stops, which have several high-pitched pipes to each note. But, since, for example, a 1-foot rank could not be carried right up to the top note, it breaks back an octave at some convenient point in the compass. Ranks pitched even higher will break…
Read More

stop
Mixture stops consist of two or more ranks of pipes, both unison and mutation ranks, controlled by a single stop.
Read More
Mixture stops consist of two or more ranks of pipes, both unison and mutation ranks, controlled by a single stop.
Read More