How to play a Hammond organ

Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2017/10/21/how-to-play-a-hammond-organ.html

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Hammonds are right up there with Roland 303s in the Noises I Love category. Jealous.

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Jeff Hammond Hammond?

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Scales are good for muscle tone and sight-reading. DO NOT LOOK AT YOUR HANDS!!! This is really difficult at first, but just remember that blind people play instruments all the time. What you really want to learn is music theory, unless, of course, you have the ear of a Paul McCartney. If so, never mind. You’re doing just fine. Otherwise, music theory will explain a lot and you won’t be learning stuff merely by rote. I had a number of years in piano, violin and classical guitar, which I foolishly thought would make taking up the bass pretty easy. Oh, nonononono. I was sorely lacking in theory which I had to start to learn in order to do anything with the bass.

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The M3 is a beauty. I’m a B3 fan myself. Love Booker T.

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One does not put a B3 in their living room on a whim.

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True dat! One does not go on the road with a B3 capriciously either!

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Be sure to keep your organ happy.

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I made the mistake (willingly) of picking up a free late 70s transistor organ. It’s pretty dull as far as tone goes, and now all I want to do is drop too much money on a Vox.

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Very cool. I wish you the best of luck learning your Hammond!

Dude! (or whatever), yes the Hammond is super cool, BUT those cheesy electronic organs made some awesome fucking music! Wooly Bully and 96 Tears will attest. These things fucking RULE!! Sometimes the sound you want or need can only be done with cheapo instruments.

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9085BCBE-166D-4A7F-B846-E8AB2B5562CD

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Wait, wait! I know that hymn!!

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I always wondered what that song was.

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There is a decent listing about that song in the Wikipedia, however the type of organ isn’t mentioned. I’m almost positive it is a Farfisa which was often used in '60’s pop and rock. It is definitely a Farfisa in this Joe “King” Carrasco live version (I should know; saw them often and actually lived next door to the keyboardist) with exquisitely awful AM transistor radio sound that suits this song perfectly.

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