Chord organ
The chord organ is a kind of home organ with a keyboard and a set of chord buttons, enabling the musician to play a melody or lead with one hand and accompanying chords with the other, like the accordion. It was invented by Laurens Hammond in 1950[1] as an electronic home organ based on vacuum-tube circuits similar to the Novachord and Solovox.
In addition to Hammond, Wurlitzer,[2] Farfisa and Estey Organ also made chord organs..
In the 1960s, Magnus Harmonica Corporation introduced their electric chord organs similar to electrically blown small home reed organs.[3] Since then, chord organs were generally designed as toy instruments, and separated from the mainstream of home electronic organs. In addition to Magnus, also Emenee toy companies, Bontempi and Belcanto made chord organs.
Chord organs have seen a recent revival amongst minimalist and ambient musicians.
Chord organ musicians
- Daniel Johnston
- The Microphones/Mt. Eerie
- The Music Tapes
- Elliott Smith
- Modest Mouse (on the album Sad Sappy Sucker)
- Paul Tesluk (of Johnny and the Hurricanes rock group.)
- Cortney Tidwell
References
- ↑ "Laurens Hammond". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 2009.
His later inventions included ... the chord organ (1950), on which chords are produced simply by touching a panel button.
(Note: In 1950, Hammond introduced S-6 chord organ) - ↑ Wurlitzer Model 4100 BP (1959–1963) has chord unit on lower left. See image for details.
- ↑ "Magnus Organ Homepage".
In the 1960's, Magnus introduced their famous Electric Chord Organs to compete with Hammond.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chord organs. |
- dead link] "The Hammond Chord Organ". Cook County Forest Preserve District. (1997/2003). Check date values in:
|date=(help) - "Magnus Chord Organ - Inside Look". Magnus Organ Homepage. Archived from the original on 2011-07-09.
- "Disassembly Photographs of a Small Electric Chord Organ". Take It Apart dot net. 28 May 2006. Archived from the original on 2009-04-12.