How to Use Hammond Organ Drawbars

While most organs use stops or tabs for various sounds, Hammond organs are unique in their use of drawbars. Drawbars provide incredible flexibility because each fundamental or partial tone can be individually altered to change the overall sound. The combinations are almost limitless and go far beyond those of classical organs. Drawbar registrations are especially useful when playing modern gospel and jazz.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Hammond organ

Learning to Use the Drawbars

1. Find the drawbars on the console. There are usually two sets of drawbars on the organ, one for the upper (swell) manual and one for the lower (great) manual. When the drawbars are pushed in, they do not produce sound. As the drawbar is pulled toward the player, the numbers 1 through 8 become visible on the bar. These numbers correspond with an increase in volume, about a three decibel increase with each number (8 being the loudest).

2. Listen to each drawbar separately so you can hear the pitch of each one. Hammond organs usually have nine drawbars in the following colors (from left to right): brown, brown, white, white, black, white, black, black, white. The first white drawbar is the fundamental (or 8') pitch. The two brown drawbars to its left are below the fundamental pitch. The first is a full octave below (16') and the second is a fifth above this (5 1/3'). Using the two brown drawbars will add "growl" to the sound. The white drawbars are all on pitch, with the first being the fundamental, the second an octave higher (4'), the third two octaves higher (2') and the fourth three octaves higher (1'). The black drawbars are partial or harmonic pitches: a twelfth above fundamental (2 2/3'), a seventeenth (1 3/5') a nineteenth (1 1/3'). Using the black drawbars will add brightness or "bite" to the sound.

3. Learn how to read registration numbers. Music printed specifically for Hammond organs will have a suggested registration printed a the top that looks like this: 00 8875 400. The numbers correspond to the drawbar numbers. If following this registration, you would leave the first two brown drawbars pushed in, pull the next two white bars out to 8, the black to 7, the white to 5, the black to 4, and leave the last two pushed in. Registrations may be easily altered according to what sound you wish to create.

Tips & Warnings

• In general, do not pull any drawbars farther than the first two white ones (the 8' and 4' pitches). Otherwise, the primary pitch may be overwhelmed by the overtones and become difficult to hear.
• Don't be afraid to be creative. Play with the sound until in complements the music the way you want it to.
• If you hear a registration you like, ask the organist about it. Most are happy to share combinations with others.