pizzafilms Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 I play keys in a church band that plays mostly Hillsongs and Chris Tomlin. If you're not familiar with them, it's mostly straight ahead rock that's basically wall to wall guitars. On their recordings, what little you can hear of the keys are simple pads, maybe a little B3 or piano, but mostly non-existent. My patch list is stale and I need to shake things up. I'm looking for patch ideas or some bands to listen to that have a creative keyboards (that you can hear) in guitar dominated music. I've tried to be as creative as possible, but I need some new ideas. I end up playing a lot of B3 or maybe some sawtooth kinda "Jump" patches on the uptempo tunes, and simple pads, string/pads, vocal/pads and pianos on the ballads. I've used some arpeggiator stuff on some of the energy songs, and that's kinda fun, but I WANT MORE!!!! I mostly need some ideas for the uptempo tunes. B3 is fun, but not for every tune, and the "Jump" thing sounds way too 80's. I use the ES2 inside Mainstage as well as TruePianos (awesome, btw), Albino and Omnisphere. I LOVE Omnisphere, but I wish they'd be as creative with some bread and butter patches instead of so much focus on film scoring stuff. Anyone know what I'm talking about? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! (sorry, but I'm gonna cross post this message on a few other forums because I'M DESPERATE!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrimsonianKing Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 Some (kinda) oriented-guitar rock bands that also have a lot of B3/keys(in general) going on : Deep purple (the organ is as important as the guitar here) Uriah Heep (I could say the same thing to this band) Camel (b3, moog, some other synths, some Rhodes, it's all there) Kansas (Some great piano/b3 works through out their career) Goblin (Great italian band, lots of clav, italian organ, piano, weird funky synth sounds) And of course, Yes (moog, b3, you name it) Any of those bands have a lot to offer for the keyboardist, some more than the others but they're worth checking out. "The purple piper plays his tune, The choir softly sing; Three lullabies in an ancient tongue, For the court of the crimson king" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pizzafilms Posted May 10, 2011 Author Share Posted May 10, 2011 Thanks, but that's exactly where I'm already coming from...Yes, Genesis, Kansas. Love it all, but I'm looking for something way more current. From what I can hear, it seems like if it's got interesting keyboard work, it's dance oriented and not what I'm looking for. And in the genre that I'm playing...guitar dominated alt rock...there's nothing interesting at all happening from the (can't even hear em) keyboards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrimsonianKing Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 Thanks, but that's exactly where I'm already coming from...Yes, Genesis, Kansas. Love it all, but I'm looking for something way more current. From what I can hear, it seems like if it's got interesting keyboard work, it's dance oriented and not what I'm looking for. And in the genre that I'm playing...guitar dominated alt rock...there's nothing interesting at all happening from the (can't even hear em) keyboards. Hmm...I see. Well, if you're looking for some "modern alt. rock", check out : Radiohead - Ok computer Cooper Temple Clause - See through this and leave and Portishead - Dummy They're all alternative rock/electronic albums that might interest you. Lots of fresh ideas with a vintage feel to them. "The purple piper plays his tune, The choir softly sing; Three lullabies in an ancient tongue, For the court of the crimson king" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobadohshe Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 Maybe listen to some slightly more ambient stuff like 'The Album Leaf'. Also, there's some kind of cool stuff happening on 'Mute Maths' self titled album if memory serves. Kawai C-60 Grand Piano : Hammond A-100 : Hammond SK2 : Yamaha CP4 : Yamaha Montage 7 : Moog Sub 37 My latest album: Funky organ, huge horn section https://bobbycressey.bandcamp.com/album/cali-native Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Muscara Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 If you start doing more with keys, what will the other band members as well as your audiences think? Is there room for this? Don't get me wrong, I understand where you're coming from, but you may end up creating a situation where you'll make things worse overall if you're not careful. "I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck "The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pizzafilms Posted May 10, 2011 Author Share Posted May 10, 2011 If you start doing more with keys, what will the other band members as well as your audiences think? Is there room for this? Don't get me wrong, I understand where you're coming from, but you may end up creating a situation where you'll make things worse overall if you're not careful. COMPLETELY understand and agree. I'm not looking to turn the keyboard parts into way more than they're not, I'm just looking for more ways to add to and compliment the wall of guitars. And with all the zillions of sounds available to modern keyboardists, there has to be something else to play with guitars besides the standard B3 and piano sounds...that works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana. Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 Are you familiar with Faith No More? Take a cue from the Roddy Bottum school of playing keyboards in a heavy rock band: melodic string parts. [video:youtube] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoodyBluesKeys Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 We play some of that type of music also - I have a Kurzweil PC2 there, and tend to use some of the full orchestral stuff, with sfz brass, woodwinds, and strings. Sustained notes kind of lay low in the mix, but the peaks if I hit just a little harder go over the guitars. I also use some of the synth lead sounds occasionally, especially those with sharp varying filters that give enough of a distinct sound. Some high up distorted Hammond from the Electro 3 as well. Another thing that works very well is finding a spectrum hole where the guitars are not - like the upper ranges of flute sounds - don't need a lot of volume there to be heard, since the range is clear except for me. Fortunately, we use a wide variety of praise and worship music, so it is not like all Hillsong and Tomlin. We do a lot of stuff that is orchestrated by Travis Cottrell. We are helped by the fact that pretty much everyone in the band, guitarists and all, understands that rests are a part of music just as much as notes, and for the purpose we are playing, volume wars just don't get it. If there are any lapses there, the M.D. has a word or two with the overly loud one. (We do get more out on the edge during rehearsals than during services). Howard Grand|Hamm SK1-73|Kurz PC2|PC2X|PC3|PC3X|PC361; QSC K10's HP DAW|Epi Les Paul & LP 5-str bass|iPad mini2 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stillplaying Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 pizzafilms - I'm with D-Bon. Forget about big pads and go for melodic (single line) strings. Even for organ - single line, one hand stuff. I gigged with some very loud Marshall stack type bands - albeit more the "South Of Heaven" variety than Contemporary Christain Music - but hearing the Faith No More guy's approach was another way to join in that worked. Good luck. I've a bass player friend that comes round to jam who is in a praise or worship band or whatever you guys call them. Any time I'm playing in a church/chapel it's been Bach or old SATB hymns or ... But fitting in with loud guitars - sacred or secular, the single line "Faith No More" approach is your friend. Good luck. I'm the piano player "off of" Borrowed Books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stillplaying Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 Hmm...I see. Well, if you're looking for some "modern alt. rock", check out : Radiohead - Ok computer Cooper Temple Clause - See through this and leave and Portishead - Dummy And all I got to play was Wesley type hymns, the odd cantata and some country and western style stuff that didn't scan very well by Graham somebody or other from a book called Mission Praise. I want a paid keyboard Sunday morning keyboard gig at your place. I'm the piano player "off of" Borrowed Books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrimsonianKing Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 Hmm...I see. Well, if you're looking for some "modern alt. rock", check out : Radiohead - Ok computer Cooper Temple Clause - See through this and leave and Portishead - Dummy And all I got to play was Wesley type hymns, the odd cantata and some country and western style stuff that didn't scan very well by Graham somebody or other from a book called Mission Praise. I want a paid keyboard Sunday morning keyboard gig at your place. "The purple piper plays his tune, The choir softly sing; Three lullabies in an ancient tongue, For the court of the crimson king" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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