Positive organ

What it means

The positive has two meanings. As an independent instrument it is a small, non-portable organ that can be moved but stands on a table or the floor when played. As part of a large organ it denotes a secondary division, usually the choir organ (Rückpositiv) behind the player. The name goes back to Latin positivus, meaning "set up".

Musical use

The positive usually consists of one keyboard, a few flue stops and a bellows worked by a helper. In the Renaissance and baroque it was used to accompany singing and as a continuo instrument, for example in churches when the large organ was not available. This small organ, also called a chest organ, is still popular in early music today.

The positive should be distinguished from the portative, which is carried and played with one hand, and from the regal, which uses reed pipes.

Performance practice

As a continuo player on the positive you accompany clearly but with restraint. Register so that singers and instruments can be heard well, and make sure the bellows supplies wind evenly.