What do you call a single row of keys on a keyboard if it has more than one (for example on an organ)? Is "claviature" the right word for it (example: "The keyboard of the organ has 4 claviatures.")?
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2Andalur, asking "how do you call" is awkward and uncommon. A wording that is more natural is what do you call.– Tristan rJan 15, 2014 at 17:06
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1@Tristanr or also "What is the word for ...?"– MitchJan 15, 2014 at 17:47
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1Seeing how you are trying to translate Klaviatur, you should start by looking it up in a bilingual dictionary of your choice. Or just check out Wikipedia, which not only has the English translation, but actually points out that the musical term in German is Manual as well.– RegDwigнt ♦Jan 15, 2014 at 17:56
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Mitch, yes. That is another possible wording.– Tristan rJan 15, 2014 at 21:23
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2 Answers
An organ has one or more manuals (and, usually, a pedalboard which the organist plays with his feet).
manual noun
3 an organ keyboard played with the hands not the feet.
The collection of manuals, together with the stops, is called the console. However, one would normally say "the organ has four manuals" rather than "the organ console has four manuals", because the manuals are always in the console.
answered Jan 15, 2014 at 17:02
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7What a wonderfully misleading phrase for someone who knows nothing about musical instruments. If I saw the sentence, “The organ has four manuals” (out of context, obviously), I’m sure I would be left wondering why anyone could possibly need more than just one user guide for a heart or a liver … Jan 15, 2014 at 17:32
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@Janus Every phrase ever is misleading for someone who knows nothing about the subject at hand. Even more so if it's out of context.– RegDwigнt ♦Jan 15, 2014 at 17:57
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What about them? I'd call those manuals, too; but then I'm an organist. Others might call them upper and lower keyboards, perhaps. The question was about organs, which, as Janus has noted, have a specialised vocabulary.– Andrew Leach ♦Jan 15, 2014 at 21:55
An organ console has one or more keyboards (if you mean to be played with the hands or feet) or one or more manuals (if you are referring only to keyboards played by the hands).
