LH with bassist?

[SMcD]

What do you guys do with your left hand when you're playing with a bass player? I'm in a 5-piece rock band, and usually I play with my right hand only (To give him space, and also some poor coordination on my part ), leaving my left hand to work the volume, pitch bend, change patches, etc. What do you guys usually do when someone else is covering the bottom end?

[ProfD]

Play bigger chords.

 

Even in Rock music, chord voicings can be spread between hands.

 

 

[timwat]

Drop 2 and drop 3 voicings.

[mate stubb]

Play another part on another keyboard. Organ and piano, or piano and synth, etc.

 

 

[SMcD]

See, I've only got one keyboard. And I wouldn't want my sound to be too overpowering. My sound is mostly Deep Purple-inspired (Even though that's not the kind of stuff we play); what did the Lord himself do?

[mcgoo]

My sound is mostly Deep Purple-inspired (Even though that's not the kind of stuff we play); what did the Lord himself do?

 

Actually, you can hear two handed organ playing in a decent amount of his work. Otherwise, he was probably working the drawbars.

[SMcD]

Thanks for the advice, guys!

 

Now, as far as 2-handed playing is concerned, where do you guys play? I usually play in the middle-low range of the keyboard (Mostly guitar-type parts); where could I squeeze in some extra notes for heavier rock? Too low, and I risk muddying up the bass; too high, and the parts won't fit well (Because, like I said, a lot of it's kinda heavy).

[Dave Bryce]

See, I've only got one keyboard.

Does it split?

 

dB

[SMcD]

Not conveniently.

 

But I just sat down at my upright piano and worked out some 2-handed versions of my key parts in our song (Adding bass lines, chords below higher melodies, etc.). Hopefully, they work well in a band setting with EP/organ/synth sounds.

[mcgoo]

don't add just to add. Add what's necessary. Leave out what's not. That means sometimes both hands, one hand, or no hands! Sometimes, you'll need to remind guitar players of the same ethic!

[SMcD]

Well, only one hand is really necessary in this environment. I just don't wanna look stupid with one dead hand up on stage.

 

Ironically enough, I'm left-handed, but completely right-dependent on the keys.

 

Also mcgoo, telling a guitar player to shut up once in a while is like asking a fish to stop swimming so damn much.

[kanker.]

Would you rather look stupid or sound stupid? Do what's best for the music.

 

Take apart things other players have recorded and learn from it.

[King Julien]

I used to mostly play one handed in this situation but over time I've found its possible to add bass effectively. The idea is to complement what the bass player is doing. Because the tones are different and the lines are different I think this works well. As always you must use your ears.

[KeyMoe]

Be tasteful! I have always said, "a good musician is one who knows when NOT to play......"

[Ian Benhamou]

don't add just to add. Add what's necessary. Leave out what's not. That means sometimes both hands, one hand, or no hands! Sometimes, you'll need to remind guitar players of the same ethic!

 

Amen!

[Ian Benhamou]

As a musician in a band, regardless of the style or context, your goal is to make the band sound the best it could. Sometimes that means filling up the spaces, sometimes it means doubling another player's part for more impact, sometimes it means not playing at all, and sometimes it's simply adding flourishes for finishing touches. As a keyboard player you have the privilege of splitting, layering, sequencing, triggering drum loops, or samples of sound FX, etc. You have A LOT of options, so choose them wisely. Every band is different, every song is different, and even choruses of a song should theoretically be slightly different within a single song. Just use your ears. dude. We all have a musical subconscious which is a product of all the records we listened to, and all the songs we learned how to play. Your ears will gravitate you to the sounds you like. Learn to use your instincts.

[kanker.]

Be tasteful! I have always said, "a good musician is one who knows when NOT to play......"

And at the very least, that's in between tunes

[SMcD]

Thanks for all the tips, guys!

 

This band is one that plays mostly "modern rock", so there's not a whole lot of wiggle room, creatively. You know the stuff I'm talking about: Mainstream-radio stuff with 3 powerchords and simple song structures. I do what I can, but exploration is somewhat limited.

[J. Dan]

I'd be curious exactly what you're playing.

 

I do covers and play exactly what the keyboard part is on the CD. If it overlaps the bass, so be it - that's what the CD does. But I also try to make it sound good through the FOH. A lot of times, this means EQ'ing the part so it blends.

 

As an example - Madonna, Material Girl. Synth Bass all the way. You think the bass player's going to just sit it out? heck no. So I have the synth bass part, minus the bass. In other words, it's in the right octave, but it's eq'd so that you mostly hear the filter sweeped attack of it. The bass player plays along and provides the low end.

 

Another good example - Don't Stop Believing by Journey. The whole intro has left-hand (piano) bass and (heaviliy chorused) bass guitar. Again, I set up that piano patch to be kind of thin so that it doesn't compete with the bass in the low frequency range. They add together to create the appropriate sound.

[SMcD]

Wow! That's a great idea!

 

As for what we play: Turn on your radio, and channel search until you find a channel that's "Today's best rock" or whatever. That's us. We play 90's and 00's stuff like Nirvana, Metallica, and on the less heavy side of things, some "pop-rock" like Nine Days, Papa Roach, etc. Not my first choice of music, but it's a fun band.

 

Most of the music we play doesn't have keyboard parts, because it's mostly guitar-driven and radio-friendly. I tend to take the "Guitar 2" parts and modify them into key stuff. Usually in the style of Mr. Lord, as previously mentioned. It's a great test of my musicianship, and a fun challenge sometimes to make keys relevant in this style of music.

 

 

We also do a damn good cover of Green Onions.

[J. Dan]

Well, quite honestly, for what you're doing, if there's not a keyboard part intended to be there, I probably would not walk on the bass territory too much. I would probably mostly do fill parts unless you can work in some decent solos here and there. And ditto what others have said about worrying about what it sounds like, not what you look like. I've played in bands where I left the stage to get a drink during certain songs because I couldn't really add anything useful to a song (Jimi Hendrix Purple Haze for instance - I toyed around with some various parts but ultimately decided not to play anything). Some of those songs probably have enough to keep you pretty busy, but for the ones that don't - don't feel like you HAVE to do something.

[SMcD]

Not sure my band members would be keen on me leaving the stage.

But I see what you mean. On certain songs, I don't come in until the second verse, and then play little fills over the vocals or whatever.

The rest of the time, I'm doing guitar-like parts. I have the occasional key solo, too.

[mcgoo]

If you ever get a chance to see Tony Banks of Genesis, or watch a video of him, you'll see a lot of times where his right hand is busy doing an arpeggiated riff or melodic line & his left hand is doing nothing. Then a transition will come up & he brings in some huge organ or pad sound with the left. The transition wouldn't have near the effect if he had been keeping both hands busy the whole time.... and I don't think anyone ever says he looks stupid!

[Joe Muscara]

Where is that thread about how no one notices keyboard players anyway?

[Al Coda]

What do you guys do with your left hand when you're playing with a bass player? I'm in a 5-piece rock band, and usually I play with my right hand only (To give him space, and also some poor coordination on my part ), leaving my left hand to work the volume, pitch bend, change patches, etc. What do you guys usually do when someone else is covering the bottom end?

 

Several possibilities:

 

1.)

playing another keyboard simultaneously, probably more than 2...

 

2.)

doubling bass-guitar riffs/lines

 

3.)

doubling guitar riffs in fourth or fifth

 

4.)

r.h. upper manual of the organ, l.h. lower manual ...

 

If you see Don Airy playing w/ Deep Purple, you´ll notice he uses the left hand to fill the gaps in the right hand, playing short clusters, dead notes, slurs and glisses w/ the left hand,- sometimes changing the manuals, jumping from lower to upper manual w/ the left hand.

 

But don´t forget the drawbars, the halfmoon switch, and the perc. and chorus/vibrato rocker-switches.

There´s enough to do only w/ the organ IMO.

 

5.)

doubling heavy riffs in different key-ranges w/ 2 hands, each playing the same line in octaves. Use distortion/overdrive and Leslie or rotating speaker sim in brake or stop mode.

 

6.)

hold a cigarette w/ the left hand

 

7.)

keep the cigarette in your mouth and present a bottle of Budweiser in your left hand

 

8.)

pull the colt out of the holster and shoot the shouter, the guitarplayer or both while playing an amazing solo w/ the right hand

 

there are more options for the left hand I won´t comment here because they´re XXX-rated...

 

:-)

 

A.C.

[Stan Martin]

One finger. One note. The perfect note.

 

Especially with a band with more than 4. I just joined a 10 piece band. I'm bringing a pillow to gigs and will find a place in the back with a wall to lean on.

[J. Dan]

6.)

hold a cigarette w/ the left hand

 

7.)

keep the cigarette in your mouth and present a bottle of Budweiser in your left hand

 

8.)

pull the colt out of the holster and shoot the shouter, the guitarplayer or both while playing an amazing solo w/ the right hand

 

These are my favorite!

 

Do you play any other instruments? Even just sort of? I've always thought guitar parts inevitably come out sounding cheesey on a keyboard. Even with good effects, etc - you can't really strum or even voice them the same way and make it sound like anything other than a cheesy attempt at a guitar sound.

 

The previous keyboard player in my band played Rhythm guitar parts on the keys. When I joined the band, even though I hadn't played guitar in a band before (I did play bass), I decided to bring out a guitar and play rhythm. I figure me doing a mediocre job of strumming some chords on a real guitar sounds better than doing an excellent job of playing a cheesy guitar sound on the keyboard.

 

There's also tambourine, shakers, castinets, cowbell (MORE COWBELL!!!), etc.

[Ian Benhamou]

Do you play any other instruments? Even just sort of? I've always thought guitar parts inevitably come out sounding cheesey on a keyboard. Even with good effects, etc - you can't really strum or even voice them the same way and make it sound like anything other than a cheesy attempt at a guitar sound.

 

The previous keyboard player in my band played Rhythm guitar parts on the keys. When I joined the band, even though I hadn't played guitar in a band before (I did play bass), I decided to bring out a guitar and play rhythm. I figure me doing a mediocre job of strumming some chords on a real guitar sounds better than doing an excellent job of playing a cheesy guitar sound on the keyboard.

 

There's also tambourine, shakers, castinets, cowbell (MORE COWBELL!!!), etc.

 

Guitars on keyboards suck big time! Instead dial up a good Wurly patch with some distortion ala "Cradle Will Rock" and pound out some power chords!

[Moonglow]

....I do covers and play exactly what the keyboard part is on the CD. If it overlaps the bass, so be it - that's what the CD does....

My approach as well, and I typically don't receive a lot of glares from our bass player....although I will avoid playing octaves with my left hand if it sounds too heavy/muddy. I will only play the upper note of the octave.....in the cello range, as opposed to the bass range. I'm not sure if this makes sense or is even theoretically correct...but it's what I try to do, nonetheless!

[Al Coda]

The previous keyboard player in my band played Rhythm guitar parts on the keys.

I figure me doing a mediocre job of strumming some chords on a real guitar sounds better than doing an excellent job of playing a cheesy guitar sound on the keyboard.

 

2.) 3.) and 5.) in my last post didn´t mean playing guitar(sounds) on keys,- but doubling real guitars w/ overdriven organ or clav sounds great.

 

A.C.