Talk:Barrel organ

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There is additional information about the topic Barrel organ in the public domain Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition. If you think the information is appropriate for Wikipedia, please include it into this article and add the {{1911}} tag if necessary. When you have completed the review, replace this notice with a simple note on this article's talk page. Thanks!

Pipe organ Portal Barrel organ is part of WikiProject PipeOrgan, which aims to develop and expand Wikipedia's content relating to the pipe organ and its associated repertoire, organists, and other articles. If you would like to participate, you can edit Barrel organ, or visit the project page, where you can join the project or contribute to the discussion.

Looking to help? Check out the to-do list: Get Pipe organ nearer to WP:FA status by adding references, and discuss moving some content to subpages (see also talk). Contribute to the clean up of organ pipe, flue pipe etc., see Mini-projects Find places to link to organ console Copy edit organ stop Create article about the various types of windchest Add the new {{organist-stub}} to biographical articles either instead of, or additional to the {{Keyboardist-stub}} that currently exists. Add Category:Electronic organ manufacturing companies to List of organ builders.

[edit] Power Source

The article seems to imply that the power source for the barrel organ is not c a crank turned by a man or his monkey,saying "the power source is commonly assumed to be a crank, turned by this gentleman or by his monkey." It then says "With a few exceptions, the organ grinders used one of the smaller portable versions of the barrel organ." and then says that since the 20's, "paper note rolls are also used for ruling street organs." The article does not ever mention definitively what the power source is, which is muc to the detriment of this article. Would anyone who knows what the power source is plese write it into the article?

Don 21:51, 6 August 2006 (UTC)

Organs small enough to be easily portable were cranked by hand. Larger instruments such as those found in public places and homes could be hand cranked as well but were also driven by gears and chains attached to a large weight- when the weight was wound up it provided enough power to play several tunes. Barrel Pianos were in production well into the 20th C. - there were many rural areas with no electric power. Some of these were powered by very large spring motors. Electric powered barrel pianos were also built.Saxophobia 21:25, 13 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Reed barrel organs?

Aren't there versions of the barrel organ that produce sound with a set of reeds (as in accordions and harmoniums, etc.? The article seems to mention only pipe organ types. --Theodore Kloba 18:54, July 20, 2005 (UTC)

Yes, you're entirely correct. The pipe versions seem to be more popular with outdoor performers because pipes usually make a clearer sound and are more easily heard in the open air. The primary intent of an organ grinder was to attract attention and contributions.Saxophobia 21:18, 13 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Major cleanup required

The later part of the article is more related to mechanical organs in general than barrel organs. Barrel organs are a specific case where the istrument is played by a barrel and NOT by a paper roll (incorrectly called a piano roll in this article) or book music. The article also mixes up with Dutch street organ and Fairground organ. Some reorganisation and possible merging or seperation of these articles may be needed. PaulJones 17:51, 21 October 2006 (UTC)

I have started a generic mechanical organ stub and its offshoots, some of which already existed. More work will be required. PaulJones 20:11, 21 October 2006 (UTC)

There is a detailed description of the barrel organ's history in the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica, and that material can be used freely (so long as later research hasn't contradicted it). Currently there are free scans of the text available in Tim Starling's wikisource pages. I think someone who knows more about the topic should probably do the edits. I'm flagging this note page accordingly. David Brooks 06:48, 14 January 2007 (UTC)

I just did some cleaning up and rewording. I would also recommend that the image of the "Australia Grand Street Organ' be deleted (along with its accompanying sound file), as it's clearly not a barrel organ, as you can see by clicking on it, then clicking on the inset. It shows book music being fed into the works. There is no barrel. Mr Instamatic 18:16, 25 July 2007 (UTC)