Rock and Roll Organ Lessons : How to Simulate Hammond Organs

Here are some useful tips on playing a Hammond organ simulator in rock music. Watch this free video on music theory.

Expert: Craig Dockery
Bio: Craig Dockery is an accomplished musician and graphics artist. Craig plays multiple instruments and has played in many bands. Currently he is the front man for indie darlings, The Vinyltones.
Filmmaker: matt senatore

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• scales
• theory
• rock
• roll
• keys
• instruments
• notes
• musical
• keyboards
• bands
• organs

[jinkypatio]

I can't wait until 2015 when Nord Electros start showing up on Craigslist for $50. I'm so there.

Yes, a Leslie is a huge part of the sound -- a cheap option is any combo organ (i.e. Farfisa, Vox, Acetone, et. al. plus a cheapo Leslie pedal, like the Danelectro Rocky Road).

[organeu]

Nord is all you want, but never will be an HAMMOND respectable organ. Real Hammond player still want HAMMOND on stage. Now with the XK3 for musicians without a van, and possibility to bring an unrivaled B3, the XK3 is the best keyboard.

[RayManzarekGod]

@organeu I totally agree.... The Nord sounds too clean for me...

[themilksnatcher]

2:00 sound like the begining off One Republics All The Right Moves

[gietek]

Wow, that Leslie simulator sounds like crap.

[sugarfreeallstar]

Of course the Nord C2 is going to sound better, but it's not quite as portable and costs twice as much. The NI B4 has synth keys, which makes a huge difference to me when playing as I am used to the waterfall keys of an actual organ. I haven't heard the XK3c, but at the time I bought my Nord the smaller, portable Hammond clonewheel sounded the worst of all of them, maybe they have improved, I don't know, so factoring in all of that, to me "Um yea" my Nord Electro is "as close as you will get"

[TheMadMusicMan]

Um no, the Nord Electro is far from the "as close as you will get". Things like the XK3c, Nord C2 and NI B4 sound far better then the Electro.

[sugarfreeallstar]

I used to haul a B3/Leslie combo around for 12 years and in the interests of saving gas when touring and wear and tear on my body (as I near 40) I opted for the Nord Electro 2. Nothing will ever be as good as an actual B3/Leslie combo but the Nord is about as close as you will get right now. I found that running the stereo outputs to 2 different amps really enhanced the leslie effect as it would pan between them.

[argonnj]

You can also simulate the Leslie by feeding the keyboard through a Phaser. Tony Banks of Genesis jettisoned his Leslie in favor of the MXR Phase 100 on Wind and Wuthering and Then There Were Three albums. I think the phaser actually sounds better.