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MMD > Archives > October 2012 > 2012.10.29 > 07Prev  Next


Wurlitzer 150 Band Organ Scale
By Andy Park

I was about to come up with the fact that every band organ, including
the Wurlitzer 150, is transposed.  This means, for example, a 150 band
organ roll plays it in the key of C-major, but we hear it in the key of
B-flat major, with it's relative minors.  The same thing on the
Wurlitzer 157 band organ.  Wurlitzer 165 rolls playing in C, but it is
heard in G, transposed a fifth higher!

Most, or not, European organs are transposed all over the place, i.e.,
Gavioli organ are a minor third higher, but the Bruder and Ruth organs
vary from a minor third to even a perfect fifth down.  Is that because
every country (Germany and England) had different tastes on timbre?  Or
wasn't the familiar A=440 standard developed prier to 1917 in the US?

Andy Park


(Message sent Mon 29 Oct 2012, 06:27:29 GMT, from time zone GMT-0700.)

Key Words in Subject:  150, Band, Organ, Scale, Wurlitzer

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