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Hammond Organ Facts

Hammond Organ Facts
The Hammond organ is a musical instrument of the electronic instrument family. The first model of Hammond organs was manufactured in 1935 after being invented by Laurens Hammond and John Hanert. Hammond organs, until 1975, were created with a tonewheel to create sound, but from 1967 to 1985 there were also transistor models. In 1986 the digital model was released. Hammond organs are considered to be some of the first electronic organs produced and are considered to be the most successful organs created. When first sold they were popular as a less expensive option for churches and for musicians looking to keep costs down.
Interesting Hammond Organ Facts:
A musician that plays the electronic organ is referred to as an organist.
The first organ models produced by Hammond were console organs in 1935. Spinet organs were not introduced by Hammond until late in the 1940s.
Console Hammond organ models have 61 note manuals arranged similar to the keyboard of a piano, as well as two octaves of pedals or more. These models usually require an external speaker cabinet and amplifier as they are not built in.
Spinet Hammond organ models have 44 note manuals arranged similar to the keyboard of a piano, as well as one octave of pedals. These models have an internal amplifier and speaker system.
When a key is pressed on the organ, the note sounds until the key is released, unlike when playing a key on a piano.
To control the volume the organist must use a pedal, as pressing a key harder will not result in louder sound.
When playing a Hammond tonewheel organ the sound is manipulated by a drawbar - which is a pulled out to increase volume and pushed in to decrease.
The Hammond tonewheel organ made it possible to have presets that could be initiated by pressing a button.
Some of the features that different Hammond organ models have are vibrato and chorus, harmonic percussion, Leslie speaker controls, start switch, and the run switch.
The spinet Hammond organs were more affordable for home organists and helped to make Hammond a household name.
The first Hammond organs were not made to be mobile as they were heavy and awkward to move. Various companies have tried to create portable versions which became easier as technology advanced in the later part of the 20th century.
Notable early fans of the Hammond organ included George Gershwin, Eleanor Roosevelt, Henry Ford, and Albert Schweitzer.
The 'First Lady of the Hammond Organ' is considered to be Ethel Smith because she was one of the first musicians to perform with the Hammond organ when it was made available.
Other early fans of the Hammond organ included Count Bassie and Fats Waller, and it continued to gain popularity in a variety of music genres including rock, pop, gospel, jazz, and blues.
The Hammond organ is still being used today, despite the fact that the company eventually became Hammond-Suzuki after financial issues forced it to close. It is still possible to find parts for older models and they continue to be used by professional musicians.


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