hammond technique

[mte]

hello,

i was wondering where on the net could i find a page with description of techniques used for playing hammond..it was all ok at home playing normal non-waterfall keyboards on b4, but few days ago I was in a studio, playing the real C3/122 (Wow, I still can't believe it!)..what a beast..

i tried my version of palm glissando there but almost broke my hands, so I ended up pulling my shirt's sleeve a bit "lower" so it was the sleeve running on the keys I know it's not right but..how to do it?

any help would be appreciated..as well as some links if there are some..

thanks,

Matej

[Slowly]

Very little free stuff out for B3. But I found this over at Amazon. Hammond Organ Complete . I just got it. It includes a sample cd. Also search Keyboard Corner for the 'How to Jam- Improv Basics', there was a link to Wheatworks Studios. I can't find it or I would have listed it. Kcbass

[Joe Tee]

Originally posted by Kcbass:

Very little free stuff out for B3. But I found this over at Amazon. Hammond Organ Complete . I just got it. It includes a sample cd. Also search Keyboard CCorner for the 'How to Jam- Improv Basics', there was a link to Wheatworks Studios. I can't find it or I would have listed it. Kcbass

KC...what do you think of Hammond Organ Complete? I've seen it around but was afraid the content may be somewhat lacking. I do have Beauty in the B and it's a great history of the King. Is the "Complete" more performance orientatied or Hammond history?

 

Thanks

[pete psingpy]

There are a few books out there by Andrew Gordon, e.g. "Funky Organ Grooves", and "60 of the funkiest riffs known to mankind". Has anyone tried these?

 

How does the keyboard of a real hammond compare to a "generic" unweighted synth keyboard (like on my korg X5)? I've never played a real hammond, but I'm close to buying the B4 and controlling with the X5 keyboard. I've started to get the idea that at least some of "that sound", the glissandaos and such are due to the keys themselves.

[JimmieWannaB]

Originally posted by Pete

There are a few books out there by Andrew Gordon, e.g. "Funky Organ Grooves", and "60 of the funkiest riffs known to mankind". Has anyone tried these?

I bought his Funky Organ Grooves and 100 Ultimate Blues Riffs For Piano/Keyboards in midi and pdf form. I found both to be excellent learning tools. There is almost no text in these books, just pure music. Since I'm a so so keyboardist and my notation reading skills are minimal, having the midi files has been a great plus. I work through a piece at about 1/2 the normal bpm until I'm comfortable with it.

[Byrdman]

Originally posted by mte:

i tried my version of palm glissando there but almost broke my hands, so I ended up pulling my shirt's sleeve a bit "lower" so it was the sleeve running on the keys

Its hard to know what might have been going wrong without seeing it. One possibility is that you had your hand too flat - you can shape your hand like a water ski so the trailing part of the hand is the bottom of the note.

[JimmieWannaB]

Originally posted by Byrdman

Its hard to know what might have been going wrong without seeing it. One possibility is that you had your hand too flat - you can shape your hand like a water ski so the trailing part of the hand is the bottom of the note.

Do either of the books mentioned show pictures of this? I haven't touched a real Hammond for over 30 years (used to spend evenings in the sanctuary at our church drooling over one) so I'm having trouble envisioning how it would differ.

[Slowly]

Originally posted by Joe Tee:

Originally posted by Kcbass:

Very little free stuff out for B3. But I found this over at Amazon. Hammond Organ Complete . I just got it. It includes a sample cd. Also search Keyboard CCorner for the 'How to Jam- Improv Basics', there was a link to Wheatworks Studios. I can't find it or I would have listed it. Kcbass

KC...what do you think of Hammond Organ Complete? I've seen it around but was afraid the content may be somewhat lacking. I do have Beauty in the B and it's a great history of the King. Is the "Complete" more performance orientatied or Hammond history?

 

Thanks

I have Hammond Organ Complete and Funky Organ Grooves, and both are text books. They have the sheet music and the CD sound sample, both cd's also have the minus-1 for each sample, drums, guitar, bass. You supply the organ. Neither got too deep into expression pedal. But people say just keep pushing doewn on the expression pedal until you can't hear the guitar anymore. lol Kcbass

[mte]

thanks for replies!

i see i'd have to go to local music store to get some books if they have any - i think they do.. well i'd have to wait for about a week or two to get it from amazon but i just can't resist

if you have any tips for a beginner - i'm reading

thanks,

Matej

[Dasher]

I have put together a little bit about the Hammond here. Hope it helps. There is a potentially dead link: Scott The Organ Freak's site may be down or have moved. He has a nice treatise on playing bass.

 

Dasher

[Trill]

Just wanted to bump this thread for any novice b3 players like myself. I finally got the courage to play around with the draw bar like editing on my P-200, I found the Hammond Organ Complete book by Berklee Press to be a great help. ,I didn't know the P200'S organs could sound like that. I was always a little dissapointed before

 

The book has a pretty complete guide on draw bar settings for all type organ sounds for example Green Onions or Jazz or rock or gospel. I got it from the library and I will be sure to get one to have for a reference book. It also has a lot of great licks on cd to learn and a lot of history and tips.

 

Greg

[Keyrick]

mte,

 

If you are used to a weighted keyboard, ease up. The Hammond is not a percussive instrument and you don't have to hit the keys hard. In fact, when I was a youngin' taking Organ lessons, I was taught to keep my fingers horizontal, rather than perpendicular to the keyboard, which is how I was taught to play piano.

 

If you are used to synth type diving board keys, be sure to angle your palm down about 20 or 30 degrees on your sweep, and again, go easy. On a weighted board you can get away with being heavy handed. On a Hammond, you may not only break your hands, you can break the keys. I've done it!

 

Good luck.

 

Rick

[Keysking]

Rick has a good point.

The main thing to remember is that playing a hammond is almost like playing another instrument. I dont agree with his technique of having your fingers horizontal... that is just bad technique and you dont get as much dexterity playing that way.

But the main thing is.. if you are going to play hammond.. you have to approach it from its good side... and get some hours in on the keys before you are ready to record.

For a gliss... just drop your wrist ever so slightly and lift your fingers... you dont need much pressure at all to push the keys down.

[mate stubb]

Wipe the keys down with Lemon Pledge to help you slide. No foolin - I watched Joey DeFrancesco do this to my organ when he played it for a show.

[Ricochet]

If you're hard core, you'll wipe 'em down with Genuine Hammond Tone Generator Oil.

[Keyrick]

"If you're hard core, you'll wipe 'em down with Genuine Hammond Tone Generator Oil."

 

LMAO!

 

And I agree that horizontal fingering is bad technique, it is just how I was taught, as I had "Organ" lessons before I had "Piano" lessons. I had to relearn a lot!

 

BTW, I'm a Lemon Pledge guy too, I didn't know Joey D. did it as well. Makes me feel pretty good! It does help a lot.

 

Good luck.

 

Rick

[The Captain]

Re: Technique for Swoops -

I've seen a lot of players use this basic technique for "swoops" (first saw w/grateful dead on SNL).

 

Right Hand: Place directly above the keys you will "end up on", but don't play

 

Left Hand: Start with palm up at lower end of keyboard. Push palm into the keys and move UP with your arm at an angle to the keyboard (like you are pushing something across a table).

 

When your left hand gets to where your right hand is, drop your right hand on the notes.

 

Hints: Works best with right hand on 1 and 5 notes (leave out the 3rd, the organ has SO many overtones you don't really need it).

 

Sweep to tempo - you don't have to sweep fast

just b/c you are caucasian - spread your sweep out over more bars for better effect.

 

Neat effect - hold the notes at the bottom down for a little while before sweeping. Actual notes don't matter - you're creating atmospheric pressure. Also good for endings.

 

Try not to: Sweep downwards with your right hand.

It's unergonomic - instead use your left hand and go down....

I have problems w/my right arm, and I think it's b/c of years of doing this (or maybe just too much right hand action....!)

 

Re: Lemon Pledge -

I opened for Bobby Blue Bland (back when the old CX-3 was nearly new) and recall his keyboard player totally "spooged" my keyboard. At the time Time I thought it was some kinda hair gel.... ha!

[Joe P]

Mighty Joe,

Those are some mighty good tips, I am going to try them out on my M3 at tomorrow night's rehearsal.

 

Does the expression pedal fit into the technique, or is it best done at a single volume? Seems like a volume swell toward the top of the upward sweep might be appropriate.

 

What about and up-and-down gliss? Do you use the volume pedal to accentuate it?

 

Regards,

Joe

[The Captain]

Joe - Roger that on the exp pedal. It's an integral part of the instrument. So are the drawbars. And leslie speed switching.

 

For grins, try increasing the pedal at extremeties (upper and lower).

 

Also try slowing your swoop/gliss down

(instead of bottom to top in one beat,

go slower and take the whole measure).

 

re: up-and-down - I don't usually do up then immediately down (like a piano). But to each his own.....

 

oh - and play less and listen more.

Your mates will be most impressed with that....

I need to heed some of that advice myself !

 

njoy - and tell us of your new discoveries....

[Ricochet]

Originally posted by Mighty Joe:

Sweep to tempo - you don't have to sweep fast

just b/c you are caucasian - spread your sweep out over more bars for better effect.

LOL!

[The Real MC]

There is no one Hammond technique.

 

There is Jazz Hammond. There is Gospel. There is Rock/Progressive. There is Cajun. All different playing techniques.

 

My style is a combination of Cajun/Gospel. When I was developing my technique I didn't have any exposure to jazz, progressive, anything. I just experimented with what sounded good. After hearing the different styles, I'd say Billy Paine of Little Feat bests mirrors the way I play.

 

Cajun is an exercise in drawbar technique. I use a lot of "juicy" sounding registrations to fit the organ timbre with the song. If you're comping behind a vocal or guitar, don't crowd them out - pull back the 5-1/3 and 8 drawbars. Instead of holding chords, I treat the organ like a percussion instrument. I also combine sweeps and smears. It comes out sounding funky. When it is solo time, the old 888800000 standard is what works most of the time.

 

Jazz organ is totally different. After watching Joey D and Tony Monaco at NAMM this year at the Hammond booth, I realized how radically different it is.