Piano-Keyboards

What can Keyboards Add To A Band !!!!
Listen to E.L.P. , genesis, Yes, Pink Floyd, Boston, Foreigner, even simple stuff like The Cars. and try to play it as you hear it.

Keys add SO much to Music!
Awesome groups you mentioned by the way!!

You forgot Dream Theater. Jordan Rudess is awesome.

Having keys in a band is a really good thing in a lot of outfits. Another great example of that would be The Rise of Science (myspace.com/theriseofscience). Check out their song "Shortcomings Can Be Incomplete."

Mr. TKeys. I am in Stamford. Can I contact you? My email is Arlotta@optonline.net

Abigail Williams... that is what you do with keyboards/piano in a band. Abigail Williams.

This is GREAT discussion, guys - I would add a few things - first and foremost, set up SOMETHING that lets you hear yourself! Trusting the sound guy is good - and most bandmates'll like to hear keys through the monitors, but sometimes, no... I actually go through a key amp behind me, and run a line out to the board from there. (Saves on board space as well, as I run three keys through the amp, and balance them myself). Rudimentary, yes, but it works.
Volume pedals are good - but dangerous as well. Especially if you DO have a good sound man. No matter what type of music I am playing, I ALWAYS make sure there's a keyboard heavy song in there (down south, here, its easy - Skynyrd, Allmans, etc...) But there's plenty of new groups that have piano in them again. Fray, Mayer, Coldplay - yes, we're in the back, but your group should be featuring you once or twice, so the crowd DOES know you're there!

And, bands listed ARE great - which reminds me... was watching an old Keith Emerson interview - and the interviewer asked him, "What do you do in your spare time?" His answer: "I PLAY"... "But you play professionally"... "Uh huh... and I LOVE IT! If I'm breathing, I'm playing"...
He's awesome. Simply awesome.

Versatility is what I like about the keyboards. A drum, you can tell its, a drum, a trumpet you can tell it's a trumpet. And a guiitar-lead or bass you can tell. Cool, and radical as it may be. With the keyboards- and technology you can surround a sound, so to speak, and enhance it. You can also cover up your flaws. Speaking from experience. Also they bring excitement, the unexpected, and the explosion. All instruments bring those qualities, but the keybord brings those qualities to the forefront. Do a keyboard right, you can sound like a band.

Pretty simple actually ... keyboards add dimension, texture and depth.

Check me out ... that is my role, dimension, texture and depth.


www.umbramusic.com








[url][/url]

And sometimes there are situations where there simply is no part for keys (in my case organ). Then the best idea is to leave it alone. That's why I also keep a small cache of percussion instruments which can be an interesting sound addition too.

I would say that for the most part keys are there to add a sense of fullness and depth, not unlike the role of a rhythm guitarist. Consider how many times a keys player is asked to emulate a sting or horn section. Certainly solos are warranted, and there are genres where keys certainly take a more up front stance, but overall, I think they're meant to add the flourish and sparkle that makes a song really breathe and live.

Think about what you've heard. There are songs; arrangements of songs where you know there's an organ or some such in there, but it's barely audible. It adds substance without being obvious. It's sort of like how they used to regard the bass: "It's to be felt, but not heard". Obviously, that rarely applies these days, but I think you'll see my point. There are other songs where the keyboard sound is far more prominent, and often critically so. Could you cover Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" without a very in-your-face clavinet sound. No you could not. Could you do "Roundabout" without a sweaty B-3? Nope. You have to be flexible, adaptable, logical, responsible, sensible, reasonable, and smart. Be a musician first; remember that even if your contribution to the song may seem minor, where the music is concerned there are no small parts. How many times in school did I sit there counting who can count how many measures of rest before it was time for me to add my 2 cents worth in band? If you're a REAL musician, then you're an ensemble player, and you have to do your bit, even if you find it dull. 'Tis y' job, mon.

Jah love to all.

I would say that for the most part keys are there to add a sense of fullness and depth, not unlike the role of a rhythm guitarist. Consider how many times a keys player is asked to emulate a sting or horn section. Certainly solos are warranted, and there are genres where keys certainly take a more up front stance, but overall, I think they're meant to add the flourish and sparkle that makes a song really breathe and live.

Think about what you've heard. There are songs; arrangements of songs where you know there's an organ or some such in there, but it's barely audible. It adds substance without being obvious. It's sort of like how they used to regard the bass: "It's to be felt, but not heard". Obviously, that rarely applies these days, but I think you'll see my point. There are other songs where the keyboard sound is far more prominent, and often critically so. Could you cover Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" without a very in-your-face clavinet sound. No you could not. Could you do "Roundabout" without a sweaty B-3? Nope. You have to be flexible, adaptable, logical, responsible, sensible, reasonable, and smart. Be a musician first; remember that even if your contribution to the song may seem minor, where the music is concerned there are no small parts. How many times in school did I sit there counting who can count how many measures of rest before it was time for me to add my 2 cents worth in band? If you're a REAL musician, then you're an ensemble player, and you have to do your bit, even if you find it dull. 'Tis y' job, mon.

Jah love to all.

I don't think it's the instrument that decides what its roll is in a band. It's the musician and what he or she decides they want to be. Keys are very versatile and you can do amazing things with them, or not. Take up another back up instrument to add to your soundscape if you don't think you can make a keyboard fit. Rythym guitar is not always the best choice. I'm learning the flute after all these years of keys and guitars. The choice is infinate.

Just wanted to add one more thing to my previous post regarding a keyboard players roll. I don't know what is worse, a keyboard trying to play a guitar part or guitar trying to play a keyboard part!

I miss keyboards in today's music, by and large. Walls of guitars are not my thing. Back in the day no one had any doubt the keyboard player was part of the band, and in some cases, like ELP, the main melodic content.

It's interesting how, in most European and American Christian music, keyboards (piano/organ) were THE main instrument, if not the only instrument in the building. Now, the guitar has pretty much eclipsed that in a large portion of Christian churches and certainly most all of popular Christian music.

Personally speaking, I do not believe guitars will ever capture what keyboards and a good keyboardist with good equipment can do, unless it's a midi guitar or Chapman stick. Even then ...

if you want glory and groupies learn guitar, if you want to be last hired - first fired play keys

in this disposable world keyboard playing is a background sport in most bands adding stuff they can't do normally when they don't have money for a key person

I had to learn guitar in order to sing in alternative bands so choose carefully what your axe is - in ROCK keys are only back ground fluff and guitar rules

Less and less people are learning keys , buying keys or hauling keys and forget blues jams where you have minutes to set up.