The forgetten instrument?

[Synthoid]

People's ignorance is baffling sometimes.

 

That pretty much says it all!

[Byrdman]

Look at classical music. The ratio betwen keyboard players and others is huge. In Baroque music, the keyboard just lays down a continuo part.

 

Yea, but the keyboard player more than likely wrote the piece, orchestrated the parts, did the contracting and conducted as well.

 

 

 

Quite so, and as someone else has already pointed out, is often the case today too. But that also implies that the keyboard player had to be a much more highly trained musician to get the chair in the first place and had to perform many other tasks as well. So it tends to support the idea that the keyboard, in and of itself, was undervalued.

 

You don't really see the keyboardist as a "star" just for their playing until the early to mid nineteenth century. And some of them were pedalling pretentious rubbish of their own composition every bit as bad while popular as anything perpetrated by a rock guitarist. I think its telling that this phenomenon coincides with the development of the piano as a powerful instrument.

[Threadslayer]

Several thoughts to consider:

 

I think the audience listens with their eyes. The audience gets hooked into seeing a show, rather than just hearing music. Performance for them is theater. Guitarists and bass players have the ability to move around a stage and create theater in addition to playing. Drummers are often very physical when they play--they move. Keyboardists typically are often positioned behind a tier of instruments, often sitting. Playing piano typically requires one to stay in front of the keyboard, not moving around much. We look more like a "teckie" or "board op.".

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was made exquisitely clear to me at a country fair back in the early '70s. Some popular country artist of the time was headlining and his band was playing a warm up set. The front man was a guy in a red jumpsuit strutting and gyrating around the stage banging on a spangled Stratocaster - which wasn't plugged in - but these screaming guitar licks were blasting out of the FOH speakers!? On closer inspection, there was a quiet little guy in the background, partially obscured by a stack of amps, absolutely shredding on the pedal steel, while the red-suited jackass up front provided the 'eye-candy' to the teenyboppers.

[DanS]

The crowd doesn't care about keys; never has. Don't get your expectations out of whack. Our task and slot is to be the chief musician; the professor. All our energies and talent go directly into the song. Nobody cares about the music as much as we do. We are cult-members of the groove. All this is lost on the audience who may notice the song sounds good.

 

True dat.

The only person who has ever commented on what I do in the band (aside from the members), is the singer's husband.

He is genuinely impressed with what I bring to the table.

The audience doesn't give a phoque.

[Garrafon]

I think that, as soon as we change this emoticon from a guitar player, , to a keyboard player, the problem will be solved.

[Outkaster]

Interesting. I create a thread on the same topic almost with a very similair theme and the reaction is totally different.

[DanS]

Interesting. I create a thread on the same topic almost with a very similair theme and the reaction is totally different.

 

The main difference is I didn't post in the other thread.

[Phred]

I get comments like "You are the best keyboard player I have ever seen (yes ...Seen...)" Or, "Your keyboard playing blew me away" or whatever at almost every gig. I am decent enough, but not anywhere close to the playing level of many people on this forum.

 

My 'secret' (not much of a secret) has been mentioned in this thread several times. Look like you are enjoying yourself. Be one of the most energetic members of the band. Move around, sing along with your solos, jump up and down, etc.

 

I stand up when I play. I play better sitting, but look better standing.

 

[DonaldM]

Look at classical music. The ratio betwen keyboard players and others is huge. In Baroque music, the keyboard just lays down a continuo part.

 

Yea, but the keyboard player more than likely wrote the piece, orchestrated the parts, did the contracting and conducted as well.

 

 

 

You left out doing the dishes, taking out the trash and booking the tours!

[Morizzle]

I think that, as soon as we change this emoticon from a guitar player, , to a keyboard player, the problem will be solved.

 

http://www.ben-newman.de/smilie/music/piano1.gifhttp://cache.hyves-static.net/images/smilies/default/smiley_piano.gifhttp://planeteannelaure.free.fr/Animations/smiley_piano.gifhttp://members.shaw.ca/wenpigsfly/smileys/piano.gifhttp://www.borderline-selbsthilfe.ch/forum/images/smilies/Arcade.gifhttp://www.greensmilies.com/smile/smiley_emoticons_stars_takethat_gary3.gif

[ADino]

I thought this thread had something to do with accordians....

[Mark Schmieder]

I'm still trying to figure out what a forgetten instrument is.

 

This is the only thing I could find on the subject:

 

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Forgetten

 

[Blue JC]

The crowd doesn't care about keys; never has. Don't get your expectations out of whack. Our task and slot is to be the chief musician; the professor. All our energies and talent go directly into the song. Nobody cares about the music as much as we do. We are cult-members of the groove. All this is lost on the audience who may notice the song sounds good.

 

That sums it up perfectly as far as I'm concerned.

 

You're looking for adoration reserved for guitarists and lead singers I'm afraid. However, if you stick with it, you will have a rewarding career in music, make a decent living and your guitar player will be changing the oil in your car in a couple of years.

[humannoyed]

I'm still trying to figure out what a forgetten instrument is.

 

This is the only thing I could find on the subject:

 

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Forgetten

 

 

My old Polysix became a forgetten instrument when the battery ran low...

 

 

[Phred]

Awesome emoticons Mo!!

 

I just noticed that http://www.borderline-selbsthilfe.ch/forum/images/smilies/Arcade.gif is actually playing pacman, or another arcade game.

[B3_borne]

I get comments like "You are the best keyboard player I have ever seen (yes ...Seen...)" Or, "Your keyboard playing blew me away" or whatever at almost every gig. I am decent enough, but not anywhere close to the playing level of many people on this forum.

 

My 'secret' (not much of a secret) has been mentioned in this thread several times. Look like you are enjoying yourself. Be one of the most energetic members of the band. Move around, sing along with your solos, jump up and down, etc.

 

I stand up when I play. I play better sitting, but look better standing.

 

+1000

 

I get the same thing ... I personaly think I'm a Hack

[Morizzle]

Awesome emoticons Mo!!

 

I just noticed that http://www.borderline-selbsthilfe.ch/forum/images/smilies/Arcade.gif is actually playing pacman, or another arcade game.

 

Oops Yeah, his technique somehow bewildered me. Now I know why.

[Tusker]

Awesome emoticons Mo!!

 

I just noticed that http://www.borderline-selbsthilfe.ch/forum/images/smilies/Arcade.gif is actually playing pacman, or another arcade game.

 

Oops Yeah, his technique somehow bewildered me. Now I know why.

 

 

Hell no. That's the Joystick on the Roland Z-Synth ... an interface everyone can use.

[Jon May]

Bloody Mary - I would have never thought to set up my stand like yours. Brilliant ito added showmanship. Lets the audience see your hands (which as the magician noted, "...never leave my wrists".)