Getting the Right Organ Sounds
When I was 22 years old I got a call from David Clayton-Thomas from Venezuela asking me if I'd like to join Blood, Sweat and Tears. He asked if I could meet them in a week in Portland, Oregon which would be followed by a world tour. At that moment I was rehearsal pianist at the Charlottetown Theatre Festival in PEI, which was not exactly my dream gig. I immediately said yes and started to cram the songs I would have to play, without rehearsal, the following week.
Well I showed up in Portland with my Fender Rhodes, my Minimoog and my Clavinet. When I got on stage, there it was... a Hammond B3. My only previous experience with this beast was at Humber College where they showed me how to turn it on (a little tricky) and a short stint in a bar band that had a B3. The music of BS&T featured the Hammond B3 extensively. If you've ever heard the intro to 'You Made Me So Very Happy' you know what I mean.
I managed to get through it, by just following a few basics. I didn't really get to know the B3 inside and out until I lead my band The Dexters during it's 10 year stint as the house band at The Orbit Room in Toronto. What I'll do here is to give you a small handful of registrations ( that's what the drawbar settings are called ) that will get you through an organ gig with ease.
First a few basics. There are four sets of 9 drawbars on the Hammond organs A100, B3 and C3, which are the classic consoles. My guess is that most of you these days will be using a clonewheel instead of a real Hammond. The best clonewheels out there are, in my opinion, the Viscount Legend ( that's the one I use ) , the MAG, and the various Nord keyboards like the Electro series, as well as various Hammond models. They all sound great and will do the job.
My go-to registration for basic rock and funk is 888800000. 8 being pulled all the way out (full), and 0 being all the way in (off). Percussion OFF, and Chorus set to C1. This is a strong ballsy sound that will get you through most anything.
My go-to for anything rootsy, like a Tom Petty or Springsteen song is 007804000. This is a less full sound, with very little bottom end. It lends itself to high 2-part backing lines that don't get in the way, adding a shimmer to the top end. Perc OFF. Chorus C2.
If you're doing a jazz thing, then go straight for the classic Jimmy Smith sound. 888000000. Perc ON. Chorus C3. This will make you sound like an old jazz pro.
I don't have the space in this article to go in to why these settings sound the way they do, or how an organ sounds the way it does. This is just to make sure you're sounding good right away. All these registrations translate to the clonewheels I mentioned. If you're using something else just make sure they have the standard 9 drawbar setup. There's lots more to talk about re: Hammond organs, this is just a start. And remember, any keyboard with a gas pedal ROCKS!
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