Learn Music and Ministry

When I decided to sit down at the organ to start learning the "Brown Beast" I quickly discovered how uncomfortable chording could feel.  This may prove true for you as well and especially true for the beginning organist.  But those uncomfortable feelings will soon fade once those small muscles you never knew where there start to develop.  I call those important little muscles, "non-mirror muscles".  You can flex your big muscles all day but it's those small fiber muscles that need the most attention when playing the organ. 

The Hammond Organ is such a signature piece in the modern church.  Even though it serves different rolls, depending on the type of ministry, it's still unmistakable in any house of worship.  From the "rock and roll" contemporary churches that don't use the foot pedals, to the "soulful black gospel and pentecostal churches", the importance of the instrument is still there.   One interesting fact I learned is pentecostal musicians use the feet pedals like a bass player and will always leave the feet pedals on the organ.  The rock and roll style modern churches play the organ like a keyboard and will almost always remove the feet pedals.  So while developing your left hand, learning to flow in your style of worship is keys due to the left hands connection with the bass notes.

This next statement is from experience so know that it has proved true in my life.  Left handing chording is more common in "black gospel" than in "contemporary worship styles of gospel".  So, if you are wanting to play in a G.O.G.I.C church you will need to master this skill before you would if you are learning to play for "Israel Houghton's Band".  This is due to the style difference in the music.  In the contemporary churches you are most likely going to play an auxiliary roll with the band and the organ will blend into the mix.  In the pentecostal type church the organist might be the Minister of Music or lead musician so it might carry a bigger roll.  This also proves true when backing a preacher.  So I thought it important to recognize you're situation before you dive to deep into chording with your left hand.  Chording with your left hand you will is simple in one aspect because your bass notes will almost always correspond with the left hand.

Examples:

             G Bb (which is Eb's tritone) will most likely use an Eb on the feet pedals

            The 2-5-1 chord progression will play those notes on the feet and your chords will follow that progression 

            Etc.

Below I'm placing a few tips to help you develop your left hand on the Hammond organ.  Use these tips and make them a habit.  And if you're guilty of doing the opposite of these tips simply change today and form a new habit.

            For starters take the simplest song you know and learn to chord it using the left hand.  This hand is underdeveloped only because of its non-use.

            Never scoot or position your body to make your left hand comfortable.  Learn the left hand fingerings for your basic major chords.  Both hands should feel equally comfortable.

            Get rid of the "chorus nervous tick".  Most people don't chord well with their left hand so they hit the chorus/tremolo switch on/off the whole song.  Let that switch alone please.  (Lol) 

            Stop looking down at your feet the pedals aren't going anywhere.  Learn to feel your way around the feet pedals.

            Learn to set your drawbars so that your "Bb preset" and "B preset" are different.  Example "Bb" is set mellow and "B" is set full bleed or loud.  This will help you transition quickly and smoothly.