How to Use Hammond Organ Presets

Presets are an easy way to achieve a variety of sounds on the Hammond organ. The type (or sound) of the presets and where they are located vary with each model. Some Hammonds have factory-set presets that cannot be changed. Other models have factory-set sounds and will also allow you to save your own registrations to certain preset keys. Becoming familiar with the presets will help you achieve the right sound for your music and will also help train your ear as you learn to create your own combinations of sounds.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Hammond organ
• Organ owner's manual (if available) for reference

Learning About the Presets

1. Determine what presets are available on your organ. Refer to the owner's manual if you have it. Several popular models, including the Hammond B-3, have an octave of opposite-color keys (the natural notes are black, the sharps and flats are white) on the left side of the keyboard (organ keyboards are also called manuals). These are preset keys and do not function like regular keys. Other models have presets as tabs placed above the manuals. Some Hammonds have draw-bars only and do not have any preset registrations.

2. Be aware that on organs with opposite-color key presets, the lowest one (a bass C) will cancel any preset. The other keys each set the organ for a particular sound. When a preset key is pressed, it will remain down until another preset key is selected or the cancel key is pressed. The top two keys (a B flat and a B) are usually available for you to program your own sound. You can create a registration using the draw-bars and program it into one of these two keys.

3. Press the tab, on Hammond organs that have tab presets, to hear the programmed combination and lift the tab to cancel. The label on the preset tab describes the sound, such as "Ensemble" or "Flutes and Strings."

4. Listen to the presets and find the style of sound that works best with your music. After selecting the desired preset, practice setting and canceling the tabs while you play. This will help you change the presets with confidence.

Tips & Warnings

• If you find a preset you like, try to mimic the sound using the draw-bars. Doing this will help you learn how the draw-bars work. It will also give you a starting point from which you can build your own customized registrations. White draw-bars are the fundamental tone, black draw-bars are a partial (usually a third or fifth above the fundamental).
• Try experimenting with different effects, such as vibrato or percussion. These will give additional color and character to your sound.
• Make sure you are using the presets that correspond with the manual you want to play on. Some presets are only available on one of the two manuals.
• Double-check your presets before any performance, especially if the organ is used by other people who may have reset them.