Rock Organ Tricks and Licks — KeyboardMag

Rock Organ Tricks and Licks — KeyboardMag:

When it comes to playing Hammond B-3 organ in a rock band, there’s a lot of history to be aware of. If you’ve been playing a B-3 or clone in a band, you’re probably familiar with at least some of the most commonly used settings. Back in the 1950’s and 1960’s, some jazz organists in particular, liked to keep their organ settings a secret. Make sure to check out the Hammond settings of those players that came before you, as there are many secrets there to be discovered. Here are a few of my own secret settings I’ve picked up over the years — with some for beginners and some for more advanced players. The following examples should serve mainly as starting points for your own organ explorations. I am constantly tweaking my sound during a performance, nudging drawbars in and out as I play. As you get to know the B3 terrain better, you will be too! (Audio note: All audio examples here were recorded on an actual 1971 Hammond B-3 with Trek reverb going into a Leslie 122 speaker).