Jack's Top 3 Hammond Organ Tips & Tricks!

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From washing the dishes to parking your pinky, Jack runs through his top 3 tips and tricks learned through the years of playing the Hammond Organ! Using the Nord Electro 6D Stage Piano Jack shows us how to slide in and out of chords as well as creating space in a band with Hammond swirls for a more atmospheric feel!
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[gravynog]

This guy is a national treasure.
And I'm an American, so...I guess that makes him a multinational treasure.

[louishogan]

I watched a Hammond player start a show with what I'll call a "scream". At full volume, all drawbars out, key of Eb minor, he started by pressing high Eb, D, and Db for about 2 seconds, and then did palm wipe (glissando) down to low Eb octave and the bass line started. For sheer volume, you can unleash a scream almost any time.
Another one of his tricks was to percussively rhythmically slap his palms on about 5 keys about ⅔ of the way up the keyboard. Like a guitar chuff. 3 or 4 quick slaps at the start of a phrase.
Another trick, which I use all the time, I call a "rump" because of the sound it makes. When you play a bassline note with your thumb, use your other four fingers to rapidly and percussively play four scale notes below it running up to the bassline note.
Also, if you're parking the little finger, that becomes a melody note. Punch the volume just before the note and rapidly rock it back when you hit the melody note. This emphasizes the note with volume, and also adds the distorted overtone series. This gives the effect of a different horn-like drawbar sound for the melody, giving the effect of three different drawbar settings. It takes practice, but it sounds awesome.
You can also try playing. trills on the preset keys for a choppy effect. Very nice.
The Hammond is the motorcycle of the organ world. Not impressive in the parking lot, but wild in the twisties. Actually, calling a Hammond an organ is a misnomer. It's actually 1930's additive synthesis technology. It's actually almost exactly unlike a pipe organ.

Wolfi

[InsaneWayne]

That "parking the pinkie" technique really nails the classic Hammond sound. Reminds me of Boston.

[geoffwebber]

Funny Jack should mention Keith Emerson. I had just started thinking about him when Jack mentioned the parked pinky. Keith used to use daggers stuck in the keyboard, I always though it was just a bit of showmanship, but now more than 50 years later I have learn't the true reason. Mind you Jack would have a problem imitating some of Keith's other tricks. Such as pivoting his L100 on one corner (to induce feedback), thumping it down on the ground to jangle the reverb coils and turning the power off and on to make the tone wheels spin down and up again... Those were the days. I saw him when he played with The Nice, I was sat on the floor about 6 feet away from him, talk about a genius - he was one!... Oh and he could play his L100 from behind, so he could wheel it around. Now can you imagine the brain power required to transpose left and right hands and have all the keys back to front, and still play as if it was quite normal!!!

[alwayscasesensitive]

In 1988, I bought a Korg M1 from Andertons and I've still got it and still play it. Jack probably wasn't even born then! Enjoyed the video.

[TheOriginalSOOTY]

Reminds me of John Lord and Deep Purple, makes the Hammond come alive..Thanks for the tips :)

[specsbattle]

11:23, that's why we need that excitement in music.

[grandwazooX]

Man. I am 53. i was searching for you for at least 20 years.

[Notmehimorthem]

The more I watch Jacks videos, the more I like him

[RonaldFigura]

Saw Rod Argent use the lower part of his leg to do what I would call a "smear". And I saw Emerson do what I guess you could call "wiping the table" starting at the top octave and coming down multiple times and then swirling his way back up. Crazy. Or how about the intro to "Hush"? Jon Lord plays the Hammond like a drum.

[danielkinney]

This is the best DAMN CHANNEL on YouTube period...

[journeyofsound]

Brilliant Jack you taught us new B3 Tricks Thanks.

[cameronmcminn]

I’ve noticed the pinkie trick for years but hadn’t heard it spoken of. So cool. I’m going with the Billy Preston wooden wedge idea next gig! (Allows total flexibility)

[papashuvitsskateboardforth]

I don’t even play keyboards, just love your presentation vibe. Keep it real frosty, Homes

[lesteraizlewood]

Great tips for all keyboardists. Many thanks.

[gtoctane]

For the love of all that is holy...please do more of this stuff!!!

[hoggwriter]

Your chording suggestions with the "plant your pinky" example is BASIC TRAINING for anyone playing covers or jazz or their own expressions out there. You've nailed it with these three tips, especially the last one. I'm sure I could look beyond, but with your tips, there's fundamental foundation for soundin' good on stage or in the studio. It's exciting! Thanks for your lessons, A. Means a lot.

[georgeray]

Jack is a great lecture teacher. He reaches all of us in YT land and shows us what we need to practice for the next two months. Park the Pinky should be the title of your next solo.

[markram]

Wow, as a failed keyboard student this was exceptionally accessible, fun, concise. Jack has great energy and presence, practical and profane (the beeped "rooster" an unexpected pun). While the claim of mastery improving one's opportunity for interpersonal excercize is credible, he might have to dial back a bit or he won't have time to make these excelpent video tips.

[rickcaruso]

Those wedges you spoke about.. Were actually just hardware store bought, factory made $2 bucks, quid, yielded a large bag of them,
generic wooden clothes pins ? It gets even better because you then split them down the center any way you chose it became a twoffer
in other words one equaled two halves. Some guys, Blokes then took paint stir sticks of course the wooden ones they gave you for free
when buying a gallon of paint then wanted a dime or 10 penny, pence pennies for them so we took a dozen and glued the clothes pins
to the stir sticks in different configurations an octave, a fifth, a third . Once others saw what you were doing they'd copy you and than was
the time to look for new tricks to get laid over. Keep up the good work you are reliving our life's and were watching you ! So far so good.