Video Music Clips - Pump Organ Restorations

Pump Organ Video Music Clips

Here are a few video clips from YouTube of various people playing the pump organ. I’ve posted eight of them so some may have an idea of just what a pump organ sounds like.

The fellow in video #2is having such a good time playing and singing I thought I'd include it. I have recently discovered that he is singing in the Dravidian language spoken predominately by the Tamil people of South India and North-east Sri Lanka You might want to take notice that he's playing on a Mason & Hamlin pump organ. They were considered "top-of-the-line" pump organs.

The "Player" Pump Organ (see Clip #9 below)

Of all the pump organs ever built, none was as unusual as the "player" pump organ. Today, most people aren't even aware they ever existed, let alone have they ever heard one played.

They've probably seen and heard player pianos, but my guess is they've never seen a "player" pump organ primarily because there weren't not that many built. And that's why today they're considered quite rare.

It's interesting to point out that the paper rolls used on player pump organs are different that those used on player pianos. In playing a piano you're constantly striking keys; however, in playing an organ, any kind of organ, there are times when you are holding notes.

Piano rolls have single holes all over the paper, each hole is a note, however, a player pump organ rolls can have lines of holes. These are notes that are to be held in a sustaining manner (If you look closely as the organ being played, you'll see what I mean).