Private instruction in Hammond organ, Rhodes electric piano, and synthesis, for pianists who want to become keyboard players. Taught by an active gigging keyboardist.
Not ready to book? Email Nick directly →
You play piano, and you want to know what’s on the other side. How a Hammond organ actually works. What makes a Rhodes sound like that. How synthesis translates everything you already know about the keyboard into entirely new sonic territory.
Hammond organ is its own instrument, even though the keys look familiar. Drawbar science, the role of the Leslie speaker, the percussion settings, the foot pedals, the relationship between left hand and bass. There’s a real curriculum here. We’ll work through it on real organ vocabulary, from gospel comping through the soul-jazz canon (Jimmy Smith, Larry Young, Joey DeFrancesco) and into modern R&B and rock organ playing.
Rhodes and the electric-piano family open another door entirely. The way a Rhodes responds to touch, the role of effects (chorus, tremolo, phaser), the way it sits in a band differently than an acoustic piano, these are things you only really learn by playing one and listening with intent. We’ll do both.
Synthesis is the largest of the three. Subtractive synthesis basics (oscillators, filters, envelopes, LFOs), how synth patches translate to performance, how to actually use a workstation like the Kronos or an analog poly like the OB-X8 inside a song. The goal is for you to be able to sit down at a synth, hear what the patch is doing, and shape it into what the song needs.
Most pianists who come to keyboard study are missing the same things: real organ vocabulary, comfort with synthesis, and the broader skill of using a keyboard as a sound-design instrument and not just a piano in disguise. We’ll work on whichever of those is most relevant to what you’re trying to do.
And yes, the actual instruments are in the room. In-person lessons happen on a real Hammond B3 and Fender Rhodes, not photos of them. You’ll play the things you’re learning about. More about the studio →
Same instrument, different focus. Keyboard lessons emphasize synths, electric pianos (Rhodes, Wurlitzer), organ (Hammond B3), and the role of the keyboard player in a band, comping, soloing, sound design. Piano lessons focus on solo acoustic playing.
Eventually, yes, at least a basic synth or controller. To start, any 61+ key keyboard with weighted or semi-weighted action works. Specific recommendations at your first lesson, or email me beforehand.
Yes, if you want to. Knowing the difference between an EP1 Rhodes patch and a Wurlitzer, or how to dial in a basic synth lead, is part of keyboard literacy. We can go as deep as your gear permits.
We work the skills band keyboards need, comping, soloing, transitions, listening, knowing when not to play. The studio doesn't substitute for actual band time, but lessons can prepare you for it.
Modern pop, R&B, neo-soul, jazz fusion, gospel, and rock all use keyboards heavily. We can focus on any combination.
In person. You'll play the actual Rhodes, B3, Kronos and OB-X8 in the room rather than software emulations. Zoom covers the weeks you're traveling, for technique and theory.