Who plays keyboard?

[Laura]

When I first joined this forum I was a guitar & bass player, I wanted to record & play along with myself. My ambitions have expanded considerably since I played a keyboard at Sam Ash and realized "this is the way to make that Ambient spacey music that I love." I realized that I could be much more creative with 61 keys and hundreds of sounds, than with 4 or 6 strings. Plus, the keys player gets to sit down!! I bought my first keyboard last november at age 57. I have been teaching myself, jamming with some deadhead friends, learning the chords & chops & left hand playing. Learning the keys is a great goal that will take me thru Midlife, keep my mind busy, give me a social life, stave off Alzheimers & give me something to play even if I'm in a wheelchair. For my latest practice piece I'm trying "Light My Fire."

Toys:
Yamaha MM6
Alesis Micron
Lexicon Lambda recording interface
Cubase LE
Ibanez bass
Ibanez guitar
Yamaha acoustic
Wah pedal & delay pedal

[davebootle]

I've been playing keyboards and singing professionally for a very long time now (as a solo artist). My main and only keyboard is a Roland Fantom X7. It's a great keyboard for what I need! A powerful live sequencer and some good piano, organ and horn sounds. I'm a little disappointed with the feel of the drum pads, they're nowhere near as responsive or touch sensitive as the pads on my little Boss Dr. Rhythm 880!!! Other than that, it works well for me in a live situation.

[DutchDoctor]

I play keyboard.

[Bagnew]

I'm currently Playing a Yamaha MO8, Which is not mine, unfortunately. I Love that thing, man.

[jcamp]

I played keyboards for 80s bands, a waste of classical guitar technique if you ask me.

I really enjoy the touch and physical weight of the Yamaha P60. I use it for the basic midi, then into the old Yamaha DX7IIFD, which is not fun to patch but doable. The Moog Little phatty. . .well, it just rocks. I chain these to a Novation Supernova, M1r, M3r and make lots of noise. But really, 70% of the time, a basic piano sound is the greatest, from Beethoven to Jazz and rock. I bought the P60 because of its weight, about 40lbs, and its excellent piano feel, not the greatest piano sound; but then, I can midi to whatever piano I want on Sibelius or module, I bought the P60 new for 399! (Don't be fooled, the P70 does not come close.) I could save and buy a more expensive unit, but absolutely see no need, nothing comes close to its portability. I have kept my eyes on the lookout for another one, just a good unit, and I don't want to be without one. Yeah, I play. I have a rough life deciding between another synth or another guitar though.

Surprised really, by this thread, I thought there were more players.

But then that's why I got the gigs, I suppose.

Ger

[adalos]

I've been playing piano for about 24 years now. I wouldn't really consider myself a keyboardist though, just a pianist. Obviously, the piano and keyboard are the same as far as key layout, but I find I fumble a lot more on a keyboard due to the smaller keys and lighter sensitivity. I'm so used to the spacing and weight of piano keys that it is hard to get out of that mindset. When you've been playing an instrument for so long, almost everything is muscle memory, and it's awefully hard telling my fingers that an octave span is not what it knows is an octave span.

Now, give me a full sized, weighted action keyboard and lookout! But anything smaller/lighter and I feel sloppy.

[vinceedwards560]

my first post here...

I have a yamaha PSR-E413, and I am playing toccata and fugue in d minor on it mainly.

[Garethoyle]

I took classical piano lessons for 14 years (since I was 4), though once they stopped i became much more of a guitarist strangely enough.
Recently though I bought a Roland E-60 (best investment ever!) which got me heaps back into playing keys again. I don't really use the piano patches though, mainly synths and strings. After 14 years of classical training on a grand piano, keyboard patches just don't cut it

[Andy101]

Hi Guys n Gals,
The names just plain old Andy. There ain't no pichure cos I ain't pretty.

Except pretty old that is.
I am working up to be a wild ravin pensioner and have built up my kit over a few years.

My 'Studio' has -
PC Dual Core 300gig HD and 2 Gig Ram
Ableton Live Six
Omega Lexicon Interface
Behringer Monitors
Plus a few bits to push some noise in -
Started 50yrs ago with a plywood guitar (Chucked some time ago Like 49 1/2 yrs ago)
Progressed to a Columbus Crest 30 yrs ago Still plays well)
a Couple or so of Classicals Hand Made Sanchis Model 40 good for Flamenco and a Brazilian made DiGiorgio both 70s and an Epiphone C50 Classical from 86

And of course the compulsory Fender Strat with a Fender FM25 DSP. ANnd a Travel Guitar Hand Built by Richard Cross (Shapleywood Guitars) of South Wales. Full size Fingerboard and a small body Acoustic Electric. Great little machine

All Guitars can be played through all the kit as I have a Clip on Pick up that works real good with the acoustics.

I seem to have acquired 4 Keyboards along the way an ancient Korg and Yamaha PSR 100 but the ones I currently use are a Yamaha PSR E314 and an MM6
And a decent Mike an AKG 1000s
Sooo thats the basic kit and then ther's the odd foot switch and effects Pedal

As yet I am still pulling it all together. Time is the thing. 2yrs to retirement (if I make it) and then the neighbours can look out!

Although I have had some success with the MIDI thing again time keeps me from developing that side. I can of course get plain old analouge into Ableton and work from there.

And what do I do with it all.
Well I like Jazz Blues Classical Flamenco, Rock n Roll and suchlike

Thats's all for now

Andy

[captaincowhouse]

I learnt piano from a young age (maybe 5. I'm now 20). Did up to grade 5, then gave up. My music teacher at school told me off, and told me to find another teacher. So I did, and did my grade 6. Started learning grade 7, but I got bored of it, so for a couple of years I learnt some jazz piano.

Then 2 years ago, I came to BIMM (music college in the UK). Started off with a songwriting course, which was awful and killed my love of songwriting. Haven't really written anything since then. I had many meetings with people in the college to tell them their course was rubbish, and that was when the head of songwriting said he was running a keyboard course the next year, and I should apply. Up until then, piano had always been a leisure activity, that I didn't take too seriously. I always considered myself more of a guitarist/singer.

So yeh, just over a year ago I started the course and haven't looked back since! It was a great course for me, and has pretty much changed my life. I love it! I learnt so much from it (I had no idea what a wurli, rhodes, clav etc was) and now i'm forging a living out of my new love.

Anyway, here's a list of my gear. Short, but i'm not one to be lugging around many keyboards, as you'll see:

M-Audio Pro-keys sx88 - This was my first keyboard. Needed something lightweight, with some good keyboard sounds on it, and this fit the bill perfectly. It's got some great pianos and electric pianos. The organ is a bit lacking though, which is a shame althought that's only when you turn the "lesley" on. It really just adds vibrato to it.

Yamaha MM6 - After a few months of my first keyboard, I wanted more sounds, and also a 61key board, for easier transportation. I was looking at the Roland Juno-D and the Korg X50, but then I found the demo vid of this keyboard on youtube and was sold instantly: YouTube - Yamaha MM6
It's a good keyboard. Got some decent sounds, but it's really let down by some of the synth leads and also the modulation wheel. It only adds vibrato to everything. Ridiculous. Only sounds good on the synths.

Korg MicroKorg XL - Bit of an impulse buy, but I was sort-of looking for a synth to use aswell as the yamaha. Saw one up on ebay and just went for it. Lovely bit of kit. Some awesome lead and bass sounds. The keys are really small and finicky, which I guess adds to the charm, but it can get difficult to play some things.

Finally,
Roland Ax-Synth - Yes! A Keytar! I've been looking at getting a keytar for a few years, just for the novelty really. The thing that was holding me back before was the price (because roland discontinues the AX-7, second hand prices on ebay were astonishingly high) and the fact the good ones were MIDI controllers. When I realised I could get this one on 0% finance, I just went straight for it, and I LOVE it! It's nice not to be stood behind a rack of keyboards, and it's quite comfortable to play aswell. The only drawbacks are the placement of some of the buttons (you have to have it quite low, to be able to get your left hand in there, so reaching for patch buttons is a stretch) and that all editing pretty much has to be done on the computer.

Wow, that turned out longer than I thought, but I hope someone finds it interesting!