Jan Hammer on BBC Rock School (1987)

The Miami Vice producer chats about using presets and shows off his Yamaha KX5 remote keyboard!
These interviews are stitched together from episodes 1,2 and 4 of the show.

[@LichaelMewis]

This man is a pioneer.

[@aristotlekumpis7095]

Another example of how someone really makes themselves different than others. This guy helped define 80’s synth music.

[@oholm09]

I can related that

[@colinthorn]

Absolute pioneer and genius with a totally unique voice, especially on Mini Moog and synthesizers

[@nj1255]

Genius! No wonder he's considered one of the best keyboardists.

[@OwenAdamsMusic]

"The guitar couldn't do that!" - great quote from this synth legend!

[@chizmo7]

Jan is a genius.

[@mtjoy747]

Jan Hammer, Hans Zimmer, i see a pattern...of greatness

[@prajnachan333]

Jan, we love you and your music so much. So grateful 🙏 for your gifts to us. 🕉

[@kickinit333]

His hard work paid off. I've played guitar for over 30 years and he is one of the very few keyboardists that plays a convincing guitar voice. The solos in Seeds of Life for instance.

[@ottmarsoulier7432]

Indeed Kawika. Ever heard his solos on Tour de Force... Al di Meola? Splendid!

[@riproar11]

He's also great at guitar. The guitar intro of Airport Swap is incredible along with the guitar riffs throughout it!

[@justinelliott7136]

My main influence on keyboards, my head was firmly tuned when this episode aired and how I wanted that guitar sound on my Casio CT430 lol. I moved on to Jens Johansson who took the keyboard lead to even more heights on the first Malmsteen album. Great times and the start of me trying to capture that expressive lead soloing on keyboards but ultimately I ended up learning guitar lol. Loads of ways now to get a good lead sound on a synth and still keyboard leads are in the minority which I quite like. I can't thank Jan enough for the music he brought into my life.

[@kellysmith4625]

What a brilliant mind Jan has.

[@mikeytesh9613]

I love Jan Hammer from the Czech Republic xx😃

[@lordiari7110]

What a legend!

[@CarlSolovox]

"All you need is a sharp attack, some sustain, a guitar amp and then you can achieve the same sound. Then it just comes down to how you play." Also: Being Jan Freaking Hammer helps.

[@Oneness100]

Yeah, and for everyone else, you have to go through the Jan Hammer School of Pitch Bend before you use the pitch wheel on a gig. Lots of keyboard players make that mistake of not doing it, and they make a fool of themselves. There should be a lock on the pitch wheel for gigs until you have mastered it. George Duke is one of the few others that understand how to use the pitch wheel and he learned it from listening to Jan Hammer.

[@user-ss8iy2to6t]

@@Oneness100 the korg nanopad bends notes better than any

[@Oneness100]

@@user-ss8iy2to6t Sorry, but Jan isn't going to use a Korg Nanopad. He uses a keyboard with a pitch wheel. PERIOD. I actually thought the Whammy Clavinet would be something Jan would have checked out. It's another that looks VERY easy to go pick bends. I saw George Duke use it. The Korg Nanopad is just a little toy.

[@user-ss8iy2to6t]

@@Oneness100 When did i say he uses a NANOPAD derp? the NANOPAD is a x y axis DEP you know nothing about electronics ha ha

[@Oneness100]

@@user-ss8iy2to6t Bro, calm down. I know what the NanoPad is, I just know he's not going to use it and it's a toy product. Yeah, I do know something about electronics. you didn't understand what I wrote. sounds like you don't know how to comprehend what was written. Jan uses a pitch wheel, PERIOD. That's what he learned, that's what he innovated making it sound like a guitar and that's one of the reasons why he's legendary. The Nanopad is a separate unit, it's not part of a keyboard. It's not practical for use in a live performance. He uses the Keytar, which is a self contained keyboard, controller with a pitch wheel integrated into the unit. Or, he uses a Minimoog or a similar type synth or controller with an integrated pitch wheel.

[@CaseJams]

This is amazing. Thanks for posting. He mentioned the oberheim expander. I like the earlier oberheim sem models for now and just even posted an oberheim drone yesterday. Thank you YT algorithm for once!

[@brianambrosemcmahon8531]

The man who defined the phoneme of Miami Vice .

[@KeytarKris]

Truly outrageous!🎹🎸🤟

[@fragnet7673]

"let's get the fairlight started" one word: epic

[@amulpatel]

What a treasure.. thank you for uploading

[@LOYAL4YA]

Thank you for positing this interview. That cue sounds like it was meant for a Miami Vice episode.

[@MrFabiomassid]

Genius.

[@eleganteaura]

Hard asf

[@davefox7516]

This video is endorsed by Cooper&Burnett

[@MsCristyful]

4:23 Yeah then Chris Poland came about with Megadeth and did all this with his guitar almost identically Jan Hammer was a huge thrash metal solo influence around Bay area bands the best can bend so wildly but that's mainly with the Marshall amps and Jackson Guitar combo with godly amount of vibrato

[@zippy_uk1046]

Sounds like "Star Cycle" - and was used for the title music to "The TUBE"

[@Hades1980s]

Was looking for this sound in his music discography. Thanks!

[@Jamaicafunk]

@@Hades1980s It's actually on Jeff Beck's There & Back album.

[@rocchistefano4855]

Genius

[@shawnhapney8784]

That's Right.

[@nielswil]

I wonder how he change the ribbon controller for the pitch wheel.

[@Jamaicafunk]

Modified... Chick's was also modded. I think the guy who did those mod's was named..'...Moss' I can't remember. I had his card once a long time ago.

[@anthonycrook1987]

took me so long to think about adding a overdrive to those gtr like leads, Jon Lord should have gave a clue, even if was an amp. good sounds now, but power chords still lacking.

[@E180TEKNO]

the german artist muscicien are very strong in compotition of music zimmer / hammer and other

[@jazzualdo]

Jan Hammer is Czech not German.

[@E180TEKNO]

@@jazzualdo ok it's one error of my part

[@80ssynthfan48]

Plus Harold Faltermeyer.

[@E180TEKNO]

@@80ssynthfan48 qui es ?