There are a proportion of elektronauts who dont play keys.
I know even maestros like cenk dont. (By his own admission)
I did lessons for a bit, years ago and remember some. Turned into more productive tuition as my teacher did similar stuff.
Therefore, sound design, sequencing, effects etc.
I get a lot out of just playing thick chords on the fly with the other gear doing its thing in the background, however,
I want to be more proficient.
Are there any recommendations on YT lessons that arent just shit?
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Im pretty shitty at keys but I learned a bunch of stuff of this guy. http://m.youtube.com/channel/UCu1yiKjTRetsoZ-OSeOMmzg
He explains things in simple practical terms. A lot of it is not my style, but I just watch what’s relevant to me. I’ve learned some cool chord/scale combos from his vids.
I am not a keyboard player, although I started grudgingly learning the piano at a young age. I wish I’d learned it better then, when I was a blank slate with the time to learn.
I think that learning theory is ultimately more important. Guitar and electric bass were the instruments that inspired me for many years, and while I inevitably link my relationship to performance from those noodley years, it was the years I put into studying theory that have made it possible to approach most instruments. I may have to apply some brainpower to know how to integrate a 7th into a chord progression on a keyboard, but I know how and why it belongs, and the rest is a matter of muscle memory.
Music is a language, and while you can often learn enough to ask where the bathroom is, once you can grok enough of the fundamentals of the core you can develop your understanding to communicate across the barriers. I’ve seen native French speakers carry on full conversations with Italian and Spanish speakers. I speak German as a second language, but can get on decently enough with native Dutch speakers. I don’t think music is any different. Once you can hear the nuance, you can communicate well enough-you just need to learn to transpose.
Sound design, sequencing, effects…those are different skill sets. You could probably spend years really learning any one of them, but it’s the real world application that matters, and it’s the way to integrate all of the above that differentiates you as being a native. So the best thing you can do is start to learn the fundamentals and develop your skills based on the avenues that most interest you. If you want to be a player, you need to really understand theory; if you want to be a programmer, you need to understand sound, and if you want to do both you need to understand how those two worlds collide.
It’s trial and error for most of us; dig in and have fun.
I’m not a trained keyboard player, but can manage the basics.
I can play modulated leads and bases - i.e. chords and single notes, with my right hand. I can usually play fundamental notes and underlying powerchords with my left. My left hand is mostly used to twiddling knobs and using expression / mod wheels.
…but I did surprise myself by stepping in to cover for a keyboard player in a band for a year or so. 3 days notice and no rehearsal time to cover for a guy who was too busy in his regular job being Hans Zimmer’s sound design engineer (Howard Scarr). He was initially stuck in the U.S. doing work on Inception.
I really liked playing with a band. Unfortunately, there’s no-one in my locale interested in doing the kind of material I’d be interested in doing…
I am not a keyboard player but bassist. I instead use a midi sonuus b2m to control my synth. It works nicely and I can focus my time on getting better on my instrument (bass) and on sound synthesis.
learn to read music and the world is oyster.
This will allow you to learn music theory which will allow you to understand every piece of music in the world written in the western style, and the music you create too.
Practical thing to do:
Learn a minor pentatonic scale
C Eflat F G Bflat C
Feel free to slide from Eflat to E and FSharp to F or G and use the major 6th A within the scale
Learn 12 bar blues in C
4 bars in C, 2 bars in F, 2 bars in C, 2 bars in G, 2 bars in F and repeat
Start playing (12 bar takes you from blues to rock, funk, jazz, everywhere when combined with gospel/classical)
Same for me. In the early eighties when I was in my teens, my grandparents bought a Hohner e-organ for me (after much nagging), and I started going to piano classes. Ended up fighting with the teacher instead of learning (I wanted to play songs, not practice chords, so I wasn’t having fun), and then I got a computer and the organ lost its appeal.
Certainly one of my regrets, though the early computer exposure had its benefits, too. I later picked up some basic skills with strings (these days just ukulele, not much into guitars), but I’d definitely like to play the keyboard well. “Just” a matter of making time and doing it, I guess.
This may help:
It’s a great quick reference if you need it. Full description is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6bD1qJxRow (note, he’s using this as an example on how to find a key, but describes it as a tool as well).
Thanks for the responses guys.
Everyone of them makes sense.
I guess the simple answer of to study and practice.
Missus is out this arvo, so im booked in to my studio for some work.
Cheers.
im trying to learn and practice accordion piano for 2 years.
i found this ( i have the french one) a very good read.
just checked and it’s not the same book, not the same authors, but hope it’s equal, mine is