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Is Progressive Rock Keyboard Playing a Priority ?


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another way to present the question is ...

 

" Is Progressive Rock Keyboard Playing or Progressive metal keyboard playing A Priority ? "

As an approach, or genre , you like to play on your keys ?

 

I consider Derek Sheridian a Progressive Rock keyboard player

 

We all know about JR and Dream Theater, and all that is heavily discussed elsewhere.

So thats a 2nd 'progressive' or metal rock example. { not talking keyboard technique].

 

Much of Porcupine Tree and certain Steven Wilson albums progressive/metal rock with excellent keyboard work.

 

Those are my current progressive rock examples.

 

The question is ,, is this style of keyboard playing a priority with you ?

Does it rank in your top 5 ?

 

I attempt to compose progressive rock, [ its not 100% ], you will hear some examples

in my Progressive Heart Playlist:

 

Sane in Left Brain, 100 Beating Hearts , Desert Heat, are my examples

 

Interested if you emphasize hard/,metal/heavy rock in your keyboard approach

Why fit in, when you were born to stand out ?

My Soundcloud with many originals:

[70's Songwriter]

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Well, I'm in an original progressive metal band and took some facetime lessons from Derek, so I'd say yes!

Dan

 

Acoustic/Electric stringed instruments ranging from 4 to 230 strings, hammered, picked, fingered, slapped, and plucked. Analog and Digital Electronic instruments, reeds, and throat/mouth.

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If they're calling with a gig, yeah.

 

Also, I love headbanging. Grew up on Metallica first.

 

 

What if its ' unpaid " ?

 

Metallica is definitely heavy metal. I recall 1 or 2 songs having piano

 

By and large, I didn't 'hear ' keyboard parts in their material.

Thus, I haven't followed them

 

If you have a song example or 2 that kills it, let me know.

 

Thanks

Why fit in, when you were born to stand out ?

My Soundcloud with many originals:

[70's Songwriter]

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Have you checked out Derek Sherinian's current project, Sons of Apollo? Lots of good stuff.

 

[video:youtube]

Dan

 

Acoustic/Electric stringed instruments ranging from 4 to 230 strings, hammered, picked, fingered, slapped, and plucked. Analog and Digital Electronic instruments, reeds, and throat/mouth.

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First, to answer the original question - no, I don't consider hard rock in my arsenal.

 

And then a related question - what are we calling hard rock these days?

 

Seems to me the origin of hard rock keys could be Jon Lord, Vanilla Fudge, Iron Butterfly, Steppenwolf era. Straight rock with organ.

 

Now, it appears when we're talking hard rock keys, we're really emphasizing progressive metal.

..
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Have you checked out Derek Sherinian's current project, Sons of Apollo? Lots of good stuff.

 

[video:youtube]https://www.youtuYfkE

 

what I like about this tune, is that they made a good transition at 2:38. And showed good subtlety and made the song interesting

 

I like every solo album by Derek up to Oceana [ 2011]

Why fit in, when you were born to stand out ?

My Soundcloud with many originals:

[70's Songwriter]

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First, to answer the original question - no, I don't consider hard rock in my arsenal.

 

And then a related question - what are we calling hard rock these days?

 

Seems to me the origin of hard rock keys could be Jon Lord, Vanilla Fudge, Iron Butterfly, Steppenwolf era. Straight rock with organ.

 

Now, it appears when we're talking hard rock keys, we're really emphasizing progressive metal.

 

thx for the answer on your pref.

 

I hear you, on the iconic bands of the 60's.

 

I attempted to define the genre [ not very precise, I know] with my ' current ' examples.

 

Progressive metal might be more definitive/accurate.

Why fit in, when you were born to stand out ?

My Soundcloud with many originals:

[70's Songwriter]

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If they're calling with a gig, yeah.

 

Also, I love headbanging. Grew up on Metallica first.

 

 

What if its ' unpaid " ?

 

Metallica is definitely heavy metal. I recall 1 or 2 songs having piano

 

By and large, I didn't 'hear ' keyboard parts in their material.

Thus, I haven't followed them

 

If you have a song example or 2 that kills it, let me know.

 

Thanks

I mean, they're a strings-and-drums band with very little exception (save maybe a piano overdub on one or two songs, and their handful of concerts with the San Francisco Symphony in 1999 and 2019)...

 

But it doesn't mean the material doesn't lend itself to keys at all! :wink:

 

[video:youtube]

(Just an FYI, that's an unlisted video -- that performance is a little rough around the edges, in no small part due to the drunk dude who kept trying to grab the mic from our lead singer... but it's fun enough that I'm happy to share it here.)

Samuel B. Lupowitz

Musician. Songwriter. Food Enthusiast. Bad Pun Aficionado.

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If they're calling with a gig, yeah.

 

Also, I love headbanging. Grew up on Metallica first.

 

 

What if its ' unpaid " ?

 

Metallica is definitely heavy metal. I recall 1 or 2 songs having piano

 

By and large, I didn't 'hear ' keyboard parts in their material.

Thus, I haven't followed them

 

If you have a song example or 2 that kills it, let me know.

 

Thanks

 

Two out of three of good money, good music, and good people, right? And anyway, even pass the hat gigs (in the days of gigs) tend to do alright if you're even slightly picky about saying yes.

 

Also no, Metallica isn't heavy on keys at all, just adding that for my own personal context.

 

I would also definitely include heavy organ stuff like Tim mentioned.

 

Another band I was familiar with but didn't realize they featured keys is Between the Buried and Me. Definitely more in the modern progressive metal lane. Seems like he mostly either plays or sings/screams, not much of both at the same time.

 

[video:youtube]

[video:youtube]

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I was digging that until he started singing. Not a fan of the cookie monster vocals.

Dan

 

Acoustic/Electric stringed instruments ranging from 4 to 230 strings, hammered, picked, fingered, slapped, and plucked. Analog and Digital Electronic instruments, reeds, and throat/mouth.

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I was digging that until he started singing. Not a fan of the cookie monster vocals.

 

I agree with you. I had to tolerate the vocal to listen to the tune. I get its the song writers pref.

Why fit in, when you were born to stand out ?

My Soundcloud with many originals:

[70's Songwriter]

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What does the gig pay?

 

As someone who plays in one of these bands, I can tell you....NOT MUCH! For our thousands of streams worldwide, I think so far we've made about $16. I think we broke even on the CD's we had printed. Gigs pay enough to cover the web site.

 

You have to tour Europe to make any money in metal.

Dan

 

Acoustic/Electric stringed instruments ranging from 4 to 230 strings, hammered, picked, fingered, slapped, and plucked. Analog and Digital Electronic instruments, reeds, and throat/mouth.

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So it's a lot like playing jazz. Except you've already made $16.

 

Well, we're a 6-pc, so after dividing it up.....

 

[video:youtube]

Dan

 

Acoustic/Electric stringed instruments ranging from 4 to 230 strings, hammered, picked, fingered, slapped, and plucked. Analog and Digital Electronic instruments, reeds, and throat/mouth.

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What does the gig pay?

 

As someone who plays in one of these bands, I can tell you....NOT MUCH! For our thousands of streams worldwide, I think so far we've made about $16. I think we broke even on the CD's we had printed. Gigs pay enough to cover the web site.

It is sad that when I read that... I was a little envious! :roll:

Samuel B. Lupowitz

Musician. Songwriter. Food Enthusiast. Bad Pun Aficionado.

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If they're calling with a gig, yeah.

 

Also, I love headbanging. Grew up on Metallica first.

 

 

What if its ' unpaid " ?

 

Metallica is definitely heavy metal. I recall 1 or 2 songs having piano

 

By and large, I didn't 'hear ' keyboard parts in their material.

Thus, I haven't followed them

 

If you have a song example or 2 that kills it, let me know.

 

Thanks

I mean, they're a strings-and-drums band with very little exception (save maybe a piano overdub on one or two songs, and their handful of concerts with the San Francisco Symphony in 1999 and 2019)...

 

But it doesn't mean the material doesn't lend itself to keys at all! :wink:

 

[video:youtube]

(Just an FYI, that's an unlisted video -- that performance is a little rough around the edges, in no small part due to the drunk dude who kept trying to grab the mic from our lead singer... but it's fun enough that I'm happy to share it here.)

 

Wow, that sounds pretty good! Great grooves and keys work!!

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Have you checked out Derek Sherinian's current project, Sons of Apollo? Lots of good stuff.

Man, I really like that! Thanks for sharing!

 

Old No7

Yamaha MODX6 * Hammond SK Pro 73 * Roland Fantom-08 * Crumar Mojo Pedals * Mackie Thump 12As * Tascam DP-24SD * JBL 305 MkIIs

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The new Nightwish triple album arrived two days ago. Great album!

 

Trans Siberian Orchestra are the ones who get virtuoso keyboards, guitar, violin, bass, drums, string, horns, all the everything going and everyone has a good time from kids to senior citizens. Those shows are amazing. They are also through composed, so that keeps a lid on too many notes with not enough to say. They aren't "metal" enough for the growling crowd. They aren't "out" enough for prog, but they put on a great show, and give arenas of average folk fairly complex material to digest. There's always a story, and the live show is super well produced.

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Is prog rock keyboard playing a priority?

 

Afraid not. I enjoy listening to it, I have the chops to play it, but where I live there's no market for playing it. If there's no appreciation for it, there's no point for me to learn it.

 

Our band covers some Styx songs and Carry On Wayward Son, but that's only because the classic rock crowd knows them.

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Is prog rock keyboard playing a priority?

 

Afraid not. I enjoy listening to it, I have the chops to play it, but where I live there's no market for playing it. If there's no appreciation for it, there's no point for me to learn it.

 

Our band covers some Styx songs and Carry On Wayward Son, but that's only because the classic rock crowd knows them.

 

I understand. I reside in a relative dead zone where locals and venues have

zero interest in original music, jazz, instrumental music, etc etc etc.

 

And that makes Zero diff to me. Because the bubble I reside in is not relevant to what music I create.

IOW, I am not interested in seeing which way the local herd is.

 

The world is huge in comparison to the area I reside in.

 

Anyway, I read that often here. " Its the money. It is about the money ". "Does it pay ? "

 

My context is from the artist view, where money is not the motivator.

 

I don't expect much agreement or interest about this context.

 

The context does exists outside the need and priority to catch and snatch Benjamins.

Why fit in, when you were born to stand out ?

My Soundcloud with many originals:

[70's Songwriter]

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Supper's almost ready, but I wanted to slip in a few quick points:

 

1) I cannot listen to the kind of vocals where the singer sounds like he/she has been gargling with rusty nails. Shout-screaming doesn't count as singing in my world. And if you consistently can't tell what the words are because their voice is so distorted, it ain't singing, it's just noise.

2) I cannot abide unrelenting hostility in the lyrics (e.g. "I want to rip off your head and shit down your throat"). I mean, really, don't we have enough hostility in the world? I, for one, don't need more than I'm already exposed to.

3) The infusion of heavy metal into what I would call prog has a tendency towards being a shred-fest of minor/pentatonic/whatever scales at light speed. I want to make clear that I'm not against speed, per se, but if the best you can muster is just a scale, then that ain't a melody. You didn't actually create anything. You're just regurgitating a music lesson you saw on YouTube. (...they probably didn't pay for it...)

4) #3 brings up the "What is progressive music?" question. It's hard to define. I maintain that prog is the category people dump music in when they can't figure out where else to put it. I, for one, hear nothing whatsoever in common between, say, Yes and Pink Floyd, yet they're both classified as prog.

 

The supper bell just rang.

 

Grey

I'm not interested in someone's ability to program. I'm interested in their ability to compose and play.

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