So you're tired of resting those lazy feet on the foot rest under your Hammond organ bench? Here are some exercises to get those organ feet flyin'. These organ pedal exercises focus on the left foot as it is the foot primarily used in Gospel organ.
Building Confidence
It is crucial that you do not look down. Build your confidence. It was said that when Jimmy Smith was first learning to play the Hammond organ pedals that he taped a drawing of the organ pedals to the wall in front of him. He focused on this drawing, imagining where his feet were on the pedals while not looking down. Classical technique teaches that you should keep your knees together. This provides your leg a constant point of reference allowing it to remember how far it has to stretch for each note. It is also advised that you use a metronome while performing organ pedal exercises.
The White Organ Pedals
The first part is to learn the first octave of white pedals with the right foot, aka the C Major scale. The technique introduced here is the heel-toe technique. Start with your toes on the first C. Then play D with your heel. Then play E with your toes. Continue in this heel-toe fashion up to the next C. You should land on it with your heel. Then return back down.
Beginning with a slow tempo, play the pedals in whole notes (four counts). When you are very comfortable at doing this without looking, move on to half notes for each pedal (two counts). Lastly, move on to quarter notes (one count). As you get comfortable, increase the tempo.
Adding The Black Organ Pedals
Now we will learn the first octave of the chromatic scale. Start with your heel on the first C. Then play C# with your toe. Then play D with your heel. Then play Eb with your toe. You will now need to utilize the second technique for playing Hammond organ pedals. Slide your toe from the Eb to the E. Then continue with your heel to F. Continue up with the heel-toe technique all the way up to C. Do not slide from Bb to B with your toe. (Try this and see what happens when you head back down.)
Other Common Gospel Bass Pedal Movements
You have now learned the two main techniques for playing organ pedals. Now it's time to apply them to some common Gospel bass lines. Begin with whole notes, then half notes and lastly quarter notes.
Circle of Fifths - Practice moving around the circle of fifths with just your toes. (C, F, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, B, E, A, D, G)
Circle of Fifths w/Tritones - Here is an alteration of the circle of fifths. Play each note in the circle of fifths followed by its tritone. (C, Gb, F, B, Bb, E, Eb, A, Ab, D, Db, G, Gb, C, B, F, E, Bb, A, Eb, D, Ab, G)
I - III - Practice this movement around the circle of fifths. In the key of C this is C to E. Next you would play the I to the III in the next key in the circle of fifths, in this case F. Sometimes it will be best to use heel to toe and at other times toe to heel. (C, E, F, A, Bb, D, Eb, G, Ab, C, Db, F, Gb, Bb, B, D#, E, G#, A, C#, D, F#, G, B)
I - bIII - This is very similar to the previous exercise. (C, Eb, F, Ab, Bb, Db, Eb, Gb, Ab, Cb, Db, E, Gb, Bbb, B, D, E, G, A, C, D, F, G, Bb)
I - II - bIII - III - I will leave you with one final exercise. Play this progression around the circle of fifths as well. For C this is C, D, Eb, E. Then you move to F. Notice how nicely each of these movements leads you to the next note in the circle of fifths. I will leave writing this out through the circle of fifths on your own. You should be a pro by now.
I recommend HearAndPlay's Gospel Organ Courses!
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