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Playing keyboard in a band, Is it fun?


aym

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Hey, I've been playing keyboard for a long time. I can play all the scales and know alot of theory, I mostly just compose stuff myself in DAW on the computer with midi keyboard.

 

Lately I've been having these funny ideas of going out and joining or playing in a band. I've been thinking of buying a workstation keyboard and trying it out.

 

Do any of you play in original bands or cover one? Is it fun to do it?

 

Is there a different set of skills required to play in bands? If so could anyone brief on that, I only know 'standard theory' currently but I can play the blues scale. I'd imagine you'd treat it just like you treat songs and make room for all the instruments, though I'd like to join a band that would let me play solo and lead every now and then lol

 

 

 

I was thinking about progressive rock or electro synth pop rock type groups, if I could find one but they would probably already have a synth keyboardist for it.

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It sure as hell beats digging ditches or something :).

It's a TON of fun , and a HUGE buzz the first time you play live and public with a band - hard to describe really.

Absolutely go for it .

You could be up and running with a band in no time - 3-6 months?.

 

Brett

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When you play to an appreciative audience that dance and sing along, it's the best buzz in the world, (imho). Of course, not all gigs are like that, so you also have to be prepared to tough out some unrewarding evenings.

 

Playing with a band is different to playing on your own. You have to learn to give space to the other musicians, so approach it with an open mind, and be prepared to learn and change what you think you already know.

 

Compared to guitarists, keyboard players are relatively rare, so if you can play a bit, you should find there are opportunities to join a band. The important thing is to play music you enjoy, and to play with people you enjoy playing with.

 

A lot of bands recruit from within a fairly close-knit community of local musicians. Sites like joinmyband.com tend to be full of people that have been learning an instrument for 6 weeks, and think they are god's gift to the world. Register on sites like that by all means, but be prepared to meet a few timewasters. The best thing is to start networking. Go to see local bands, talk to them. Join in on jam sessions. Something will come up.

 

Bottom line is you'll get out of as much as you're prepared to put into it.

 

I have a pretty similar story to yours, really. I played in bands as a student, but spent years just playing in the bedroom for my own entertainment (?!?) before deciding to start playing in a band again. The only regret I have now is that I didn't do it earlier.

 

So go for it. What have you got to lose?

Yamaha CP4 Stage

Kurzweil PC361

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Check out this book : "Old Rocker's Handbook". I found it on Amazon. Fun to read, and answers lots of questions about being in a band.
Nord Stage 3-88, Kronos 2-61, DSI OB-6, Roli Seaboards / Blocks, Crumar Seven / Mojo61, iOS apps, Arturia Lab 61...
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Go for it and good luck. One comment: you probably don't actually need a " workstation" keyboard to be in e.g. a rock or blues band. A basic synth like a Yamaha MX61 will do you fine. If you want to play along to sequences, or trigger riffs/patterns, then a workstation makes more sense.

 

Cheers, Mike

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Huge fun, especially if your band mates are really talented, challenge you, and come up with creative directions to take songs. I play two boards (righthand fill/leads, lefthand bass, which makes it even more fun (especially holding the bass bottom).

KB: Hammond SK1

Bass KB: Yamaha MX49

KB Amps: CPS SS3, linked to TurboSound IP300

Bass KB amp: Fender Rumble 500 combo

 

 

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You haven't lived until you played in a wedding band. The keyboard player usually has the most homework to do, usually makes less money than the front people, carries more equipment around then most of band except for PA and drums. I did it for over 25 years and loved every minute

AvantGrand N2 | ES520 | Gallien-Krueger MK & MP | https://soundcloud.com/pete36251

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Practicing with others will develop your skills 7.3 times faster than playing alone; performing (live) with others will develop your skills 19.6 times faster. Really. These numbers are solid. :)

 

It's not just you though - it's your bandmates. Find the right players and it'll be fun, fun, fun. You'll just KNOW it's right. But if there are personality or skill conflicts you'll know it's just not happening. Finding that right combination can be elusive.

 

Advice - go for it but with an open mind.

Roland Fantom 06; Yamaha P-125; QSC K10; Cubase 13 Pro; Windows 10

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I agree with all of the above...

 

Just don't expect to make a comfortable living doing it. Playing in bands is a passion, love thing. It is challenging and will break your heart, but the non-material rewards of playing music make it all worthwhile.

'55 and '59 B3's; Leslies 147, 122, 21H; MODX 7+; NUMA Piano X 88; Motif XS7; Mellotrons M300 and M400’s; Wurlitzer 206; Gibson G101; Vox Continental; Mojo 61; Launchkey 88 Mk III; Korg Module; B3X; Model D6; Moog Model D

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Hey, I've been playing keyboard for a long time. I can play all the scales and know alot of theory, I mostly just compose stuff myself in DAW on the computer with midi keyboard.

 

Lately I've been having these funny ideas of going out and joining or playing in a band. I've been thinking of buying a workstation keyboard and trying it out.

 

Do any of you play in original bands or cover one? Is it fun to do it?

 

Is there a different set of skills required to play in bands? If so could anyone brief on that, I only know 'standard theory' currently but I can play the blues scale. I'd imagine you'd treat it just like you treat songs and make room for all the instruments, though I'd like to join a band that would let me play solo and lead every now and then lol

 

 

 

I was thinking about progressive rock or electro synth pop rock type groups, if I could find one but they would probably already have a synth keyboardist for it.

 

Where are you located?

There is a shortage of keyboards players in the UK so getting into a band isn't a problem.

 

Quite a few prog bands too - but mine took 3 years before we got our act together to be able to play Genesis properly.

 

Plus you need at LEAST two if not three keyboards.........

Yamaha CP70B;Roland XP30/AXSynth/Fantom/FA76/XR;Hammond XK3C SK2; Korg Kronos 73;ProSoloist Rack+; ARP ProSoloist; Mellotron M4000D; GEM Promega2; Hohner Pianet N, Roland V-Grand,Voyager XL, RMI
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performing (live) with others will develop your skills 19.6 times faster.

 

The actual figure is 19.6754309. :D

 

It's not just you though - it's your bandmates. Find the right players and it'll be fun, fun, fun. You'll just KNOW it's right. But if there are personality or skill conflicts you'll know it's just not happening. Finding that right combination can be elusive.

 

Yeah, it's no fun if your band mates don't get along, or the guitarist plays too loud. :rawk:

 

But seriously, performing live is a blast.

 

 

When an eel hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's a Moray.
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Should also note that the first ten years of playing in bands you will need to pay a monetary homage to all the previously existing other bands ... starting with mine and the moderators/members of this forum. About $99 (each) per month will suffice to start, and as you get better we'll lower the rates.

 

No. I'm not kidding.... ;)

Nobody told me there'd be days like these...
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And then rent Still Crazy for what happens when the band gets back together for reunion shows after a break-up.

 

Seriously, if you've ever been in a band, you owe it to yourself to watch this film.

Nord Stage 2 SW73, Kurzweil PC3LE7, Moog Sub 37, Alesis Ion, Rhodes Stage 73, Moog Werkstatt-01, Yamaha CP-300

-------------

Knock knock

Who's there?

Interrupting synthesizer

Interrup-MOOOOOOOOOG

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Bands are like marriage to 4 people and gigs are the sex.

 

What Kevmo said ...

 

As you look around and audition, don't just consider how good they sound. Ask yourself, would I really want to be sharing many hours in a van or tour bus with these people. If you can't say yes to that, then keep on looking.

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Is there a different set of skills required to play in bands? If so could anyone brief on that, I only know 'standard theory' currently but I can play the blues scale.

One different set of skills you need are people skills! Cooperating in a group requires a different psychology than working on solo material.

 

But probably more along the line of what you meant... If you're going to do cover material, yes, you need to know a lot more than theory and scales (blues or otherwise), because you have to know the parts. Of most value is a good ear. Expecting to play keyboard parts for most popular cover material off sheet music or charts you find on the internet won't really cut it. So if you haven't yet done this. I'd say that you should pick a handful of popular songs you like that you think you'd enjoy playing in a band, and work on figuring out the chords and the important keyboard lines just from listening to the recording. (As mentioned in another thread, there are tools available that will allow you to slow the recordings down and even loop small parts of them, so you can more easily figure out parts that may be hard to hear or go by too quickly for you to easily catch in real time.) Make sure you can reliably play along with the recording before you attempt to play along with other live players (which will not be as easy as playing along with the recording). Charts and sheet music might be helpful shortcuts to get going, but they are often incomplete if not just plain wrong, so you have to use your ears, and that's a whole other skill from theory and scales or technique.

 

You mention progressive rock and synth pop rock, so you can't even really just fake things by merely knowing the chords, you have to know very specific keyboard lines, which you pretty much have to be able to duplicate by listening to them. Also check out that other thread,

https://forums.musicplayer.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/2550564/Call_Me_Blondie_Runnaway_Del_S#Post2550564

 

I was thinking about progressive rock or electro synth pop rock type groups, if I could find one but they would probably already have a synth keyboardist for it.

Sure... but people start new bands all the time... and established bands have to replace players who leave for whatever reason. See: people skills. ;-) Okay, sometimes it's that people have other obligations, move, get a better gig, whatever... but sometimes it's a mater of the difficulty of getting all the personalities to get along.

 

Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-)

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Bands are like marriage to 4 people and gigs are the sex.

Right. Just don't get these out of order. (see numerous previous threads about the perils of banging the singer)

Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.

-Mark Twain

 

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Go rent the movie Spinal Tap. It'll teach you everything you need to know about being in a band.

 

Or "The Commitments." Brill.

Soul, R&B, Pop from Los Angeles

http://philipclark.com

 

Cannonball Gerald Albright Signature Alto, Yamaha YC73, Fender Rhodes, Roland Juno-106, Yamaha MX61, Roland VR-09, MicroKorg XL, Maschine Mikro, Yamaha Reface CP, Roland MKS-50

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I think coming from where you are, all fun intended, "A greenhorn" to the stage. I think it will be a great thing for you! There is an old saying they used to say to me when I was "green". "Good thing about being green is you haven't had time to learn any bad habits yet.":laugh:

I think the more you do it with different players, different venues, different genres, you will realize your positive experience will cime the type of people you work with.

But starting out..Your gonna dig it hard! Something about making people dance and have fun is gonna get in your blood. Chances are..it'll stay there the rest of your life. ;)

"A good mix is subjective to one's cilia." http://hitnmiss.yolasite.com
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Hey, I've been playing keyboard for a long time. I can play all the scales and know alot of theory, I mostly just compose stuff myself in DAW on the computer with midi keyboard.

 

Lately I've been having these funny ideas of going out and joining or playing in a band. I've been thinking of buying a workstation keyboard and trying it out.

If you are already into composing via a computer, don't buy a keyboard with workstation capabilities. Just get a straight keyboard that plays sounds.

I was thinking about progressive rock or electro synth pop rock type groups, if I could find one but they would probably already have a synth keyboardist for it.

Keyboard players are not all that numerous compared to guitarists, drummers, and bass players. There's usually more bands looking for keyboard players than keyboard players looking for bands. You will find your band.

 

Playing in bands is sometimes fun, sometimes a nightmare - but I think I can safely say that for all of us in this forum it's been life changing.

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I've had about two lifetimes worth of fun playing in bands.

 

There's an old saying from Mexico (or so I've been told): "you have to wring a lot of joy out of life just to break even."

 

Don't get a workstation . . . wrong tool for the job, especially for someone just starting out.

Gigging: Crumar Mojo 61, Hammond SKPro

Home: Vintage Vibe 64

 

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