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A Brief History of Pump Organs
Piano & Organ Repair Staff • Mar 14, 2020
Pump Organs are Interesting Musical Instruments
Human beings have always been interested in creating a culture wherever they ended up settling, and we see that this isn’t limited to a particular region or part of the world. Of course, they came up with their own instruments and unique instruments, as well. Many people might not be familiar with the pump organ, but it has quite a rich history that can’t be denied.
One of the reasons that pump organs gained popularity centuries ago is because they were often times more portable than pipe organs. It became a staple of many affluent homes, and some churches ended up adopting pump organs rather than pipe organs, as well. A pump organ is also called a “harmonium.”
About The Pump Organ
The pump organ ended up being replaced by the electric organ, but it had several decades of popularity. You can still find it being used by certain musicians, but you are not as likely to hear a harmonium in modern times. However, it is still used in Indian music and Pakistani music.
The pump organ works by pushing air past a piece of thin metal (called a “reed”). It should be noted that while a pump organ can sound incredible, it is somewhat limited in tone. The pump organ was most popular between 1850 and 1930. You can hear the pump organ in the work of many classic artists, from Debussy, to Bach, to Franz Liszt.
Height Of Pump Organ Popularity
Mark Twain is one of the most revered writers in history, and his writing alludes to pump organs several times. This is because the pump organ was extremely popular around the early 1900s, because of its increased portability. Many churches found pump organs more convenient than pipe organs.
The first individual to invent a reed-free organ was Christian Gottlieb Kratzenstein, who was not only an inventor. He was a doctor, physicist, and engineer, as well. In fact, Kratzenstein is most remembered for his contributions to the role of electricity in medicine. He also wrote the first experimental physics textbook for Denmark-Norway uin
The pump organ was eventually replaced by the electric organ in the 1930s, and that essentially affected the pump organ’s popularity ever since. The pump organ is still widely used in Indian music, interestingly enough. It is incorporated in many Hindu and Sikh songs, in particular. There were even several decades where the instrument was banned from All India Radio. All India Radio is the largest public radio network in the world, and reaches 92% of India.
Pump Organs In Pop Culture
Some of the most famous musicians in the world are famous for incorporating different instruments and styles into their music. The Beatles have used a pump organ in their music, as proven by songs such as “We Can Work It Out.”
Nico, a famous singer in Germany, worked with the pump organ for her entire career. Nico was not just a singer, either. She was also an activist, model, songwriter, and more. She toured the world extensively in the 1980s before passing away in 1988.
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