Richard Wright's Keyboard Setup on 'Dark Side of the Moon' and His Jazz Influence

Richard Wright’s rig for The Dark Side of the Moon was a carefully chosen mix of electric and acoustic keyboards: a Wurlitzer 200A electric piano (the gritty, percussive sound on “Money”), a Fender Rhodes (the warm, bell-like chords on “Us and Them”), a Minimoog Model D (the searing lead on “Time”), a Hammond M-102 organ (the airy, swirly background pads), and a grand piano (the haunting “The Great Gig in the Sky”). He also used a VCS 3 synthesizer for atmospheric effects like the phasing on “Brain Damage.”

What made his playing stand out was his jazz background. Wright had studied formally at the London College of Music and was deeply into modal jazz—players like Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock. He rarely played simple triads. Instead, he voiced chords with added 9ths, 11ths, and 13ths, creating a floating, unresolved tension. On “Breathe (In the Air),”