Customer Reviews

Blues and Rock Techniques for Hammond Organ [VHS]

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Let's just say that the description on the cover of this video is exaggerating a bit when it says "Learn to get the thrilling organ sounds that have enhanced blues, jazz, gospel and rock and roll throughout the history of popular music."

For starters, Cohen doesn't come off as that great of an organ player. His sense of rhythm is a bit klutzy, and he doesn't really get that great a sound out of his B3. This isn't helped by the production sound - Cohen's voice is clear as a bell, but the B3 sounds distant. What you do hear is a lot of the noise of the keys being pressed, which interferes with the viewer's perception of the organ sound. The solos are OK, nothing exciting - be warned that they do assume a certain amount of knowledge of basic chords on the part of the viewer. I also expected more tips, tricks, and secrets of the masters, although there are one or two. He shows you what the drawbars do, but except for a fadeout at the end of one tune, he never manipulates them during a solo. Pedals are not covered, and although he plays bass lines with his left hand, he never discusses how to get a good bass sound. He gives the expression pedal the briefest of mentions, whereas its control is an important technique.

If you're completely new to the organ with a bit of keyboard theory under your belt, you may find this video beneficial.