Playing keyboard in a band, Is it fun?

[Stokely]

I'm a weekend casual player (though we've had more 2-gig weekends lately) so keep that in mind with my advice!

 

Gear-wise, I'd keep things simple at least at first. You don't want to be fiddling with technical problems while you are getting used to the dynamics of being in a band. I'd buy a decent single keyboard that can cover a lot of ground--my recommendation, for rock at least, is a Kurzweil pc3 used, but I've had success with my older Motif too--and get to know it well. Buy a decent 12" powered monitor (again IMO, there are amps out there but I prefer 12" monitors); I actually own a pair of cheapies and they do get the job done but if I had it to do over again I would have bought one nicer one. Eventually you may end up not needing a stage monitor of your own all the time--I currently have in-ear monitors and the band supplies the other monitors--but I still bring one out for benefits or practice.

 

As an aside, if you are not used to playing in a live band, it's going to be a shock how loud it is. I wish I'd gone to in-ear monitors years ago simply because they reduce the overall level.

 

Playing gigs is a big jump from practicing or just jamming with a group. Most non-pro bands don't make the leap before fizzling in my experience. You may have to go through a few, then again you might get lucky first time! But gigs are where everything (good and bad) really ramps up! No matter how much you practice, gigs are a different animal...for one thing, you may not hear things as you are used to, and at times you have to power through issues where your brain is saying "whoa, we need to stop this train and think about it...."--nope, the show must go on. Kind of like your life after kids: the highs get higher, the lows lower, but you are rarely bored

 

As far as finding bands, that's a whole set of threads, but don't fall into the thinking of "they would have already found a player". Players come and go from bands for a large number of reason constantly. When we were looking for guitarist, our leader was filled with despair after a couple months with no success...she'd say "we've tried everyone in the area." No, next week five good players could suddenly be looking for bands. High on my list of criteria are other musicians that want to move forward and get someplace--even if it's to the local bar--and not sit in a practice room month after month messing up the same 20 songs (yes that was my first band after a 20 year layoff)...my current band learned 10 songs for last practice and gigged 7 of them the following day, simply because everyone learned their parts and took it seriously (as you can for a casual group I guess). But other people just want to jam in a garage, and nothing wrong with that if it floats your boat!

Going back to the volume thing, hopefully you also find some players that value their hearing and know how to lay off a bit...drummers are notorious for just saying "I'm a rock drummer and this is how I play!"

 

 

[I-missRichardTee]

Amazing sometimes, agony on rare occasions, mostly in the middle

Have not read this whole deal.. I assume you have a nice dolly- roller carry, of some kind.. important.

[timwat]

You may be surprised and shocked by band life, which may or may not include:

 

- fetching women touching you in places your mom told you to leave alone, simply because you can still play those two chords over and over again that earned you a dolphin sticker from your piano teacher when you were nine.

 

- the illogical narcissistic hubris and arrogance of a singer insisting all of your collective success hangs on whether or not they get their Keystone Light for free.

 

- four-hour arguments with a guitar player with questionable hygiene (who can't read music) that turns personal about your mother and sister, all about the third chord of a song that neither of you wrote.

 

- banging on the door of a dressing room for ten minutes straight to get a funk guitarist to get to the stage by downbeat (he doesn't), and finding out at the set break he stayed in there for the first three songs of the first set because he couldn't decide between wearing the red suit or the black one.

 

- getting fired from a band on Sunday morning because they think you don't agree with their choice of band name. Then being begged to rejoin on Sunday afternoon after they figure out you never even knew what the suggested band name was going to be.

 

- never hearing yourself play. Except that one time at sound check. After which the guitar player insists you're too loud.

 

- falling for the hot singer.

 

- finding out what penicillin is for.

 

[allan_evett]

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

 

That's right. And the fights can be even more spectacular. But there's nothing quite like playing a make-up gig

[Bill H.]

Playing in bands has been known to accentuate addictive tendencies in the musician - be it drugs, alcohol, gear, or sex.

 

Playing in bands has been known to cause failure in day gigs, marriages, or both.

 

Like I said, it's a life changing event.

[Jeff Comella]

Just do it! A bunch of neighborhood guys got together to make some noise and 11 years later we are still doing it. We only play a few bars per year which keeps it fun. This spring we are to play at a Pirates game. We are a classic rock band and still do our versions of some of the songs many of you here moan about, the audience participation tunes like Mustang Sally, Roadhouse Blues, to Whipping Post. It's a lot of fun....oh and keep the day job too.

[Synthoid]

- never hearing yourself play. Except that one time at sound check. After which the guitar player insists you're too loud.

 

Been there, done that, have the T-shirt.

[bluzeyone]

I like the shirt that says "More 'Me' in the monitor"

Oh! And sage advice: If you hit a bad note on stage Always make a face at the guitar player!

[Threadslayer]

- falling for the hot singer.

 

- finding out what penicillin is for.

poetry.

[Brettymike]

Just do it! A bunch of neighborhood guys got together to make some noise and 11 years later we are still doing it. We only play a few bars per year which keeps it fun. This spring we are to play at a Pirates game. We are a classic rock band and still do our versions of some of the songs many of you here moan about, the audience participation tunes like Mustang Sally, Roadhouse Blues, to Whipping Post. It's a lot of fun....oh and keep the day job too.

 

This say's it all - Brilliant.

 

Reminds me of a time years ago when the lead singer in one of the bands I was in, suggested we sort of ditch our day jobs .

Only for the Brave and super confident. Roll the dice and try your luck if you dare .

Edit: I forgot to say - only for the already Rich .

 

Brett

[vortmaxx]

- four-hour arguments with a guitar player with questionable hygiene (who can't read music) that turns personal about your mother and sister, all about the third chord of a song that neither of you wrote.

 

Oh yeah, been here, but it was only about a half an hour, and it was the bass player, trying to play "Jessica".

 

Seriously though, it can be about as much fun as you can have in public with your clothes on.

[b3maniac]

Just a few things to let you know, - keyboard players get the hot chicks. Practice hand positioning and finger action to develop strength and endurance. Don't be afraid when chicks invite you into the dark behind the stage. If any of these bother

You, you might not want to actually be in a band. Lol

[Michael Wright]

- never hearing yourself play. Except that one time at sound check. After which the guitar player insists you're too loud.

no shit.

[Bif_]

Wanna play in a band??

 

My two words of advice:

 

HEARING PROTECTION.

 

I'm serious.

[mcgoo]

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

 

My two words of advice: HEARING PROTECTION.

 

If gigs are indeed like sex (some are), then Hearing Protection is like Safe Sex.

[Bif_]

then Hearing Protection is like Safe Sex.

 

Google 'tinnitus'.

 

It's a suck condition. I have it. I got it from too much loud music.

No cure for it. It has gotten worse as I get older. I'm sitting here in a quiet room with all these high-pitched sounds in my head.

 

You don't want this.

 

Greg

[Adan]

Am I the only one who thinks the original post may be a hoax?

 

 

[MAJUSCULE]

Am I the only one who thinks the original post may be a hoax?

 

 

It's Dave Horne pulling our collective legs.

[timwat]

You do realize Dave Horne and Theo have never been seen in the same place at the same time, right?

[ksoper]

Am I the only one who thinks the original post may be a hoax?

 

 

I wondered that myself when the thread appeared, which prevented me from posting a long, philosophical reply. But since everybody else jumped in...

 

In '75 I was hanging around the local music store when a gray-haired guy strumming a guitar told me not to go into the music business. I thought, "Screw you, old man," and joined a band. 38 years later I do not regret my decision.

 

 

[richforman]

Have been gigging from my very early twenties, I just turned 52, it has remained a huge and very important and rewarding part of my whole life (have had a serious day job career going the whole time too, but the gigs still have amounted to a somewhat substantial percentage of my income, maybe 20 or 25% at most times). Anyway I suspect there might be a somewhat of a hard crash landing in the future, probably in the next decade or so, when good gigs and band spots just get harder to come by and eventually trail off to nothing as I (all of us!) just get too old to credibly appear rocking on stage....and if and when that happens there will be a big depressing void in my life for the last decade or two. (Hoping to fill the time with my other hobbies and travel but it will be impossible to shake the inner identity as a gigging musician and I will sorely miss it and probably drive everybody I know crazy still talking about it!) Oh well it will have all been worth it.

[AnotherScott]

as I (all of us!) just get too old to credibly appear rocking on stage

Mick Jagger and Paul McCartney are still pulling it off. And there's always these guys...

 

[video:youtube]

[Threadslayer]

Am I the only one who thinks the original post may be a hoax?

 

Definitely ocurred to me. It just had the faint, redolent odor of troll.

[Kevmo]

I dont care

I need to sanity check why this increasingly difficult hobbie is worth it.

[I-missRichardTee]

I dont care

I need to sanity check why this increasingly difficult hobbie is worth it.

If you love music, don't allow band hassles/ economy, and buying gear, mess with your natural urge to play music.

[richforman]

Yeah, I'm thinking it might be a case of, if you're even wondering whether "this increasingly difficult hobby is worth it," then it might not be for you. I think most of us long-timers were bitten by the bug early in life and never really question it, despite the frequent hassles, heartache, frustrations, expense and delayed gratification, it is just something we keep doing because in Woody Allen's immortal words, "we need the eggs."

 

[Outkaster]

I would watch out. One thing I am surprised not anyone here mentioned is the respect thing. Keyboard players are not respected that much. Sorry but my experience is you have to fight tooth and nail for every ounce of respect from other musicians. Most are too lazy to know what to do because they dont play our instrument. I wont get into bands where the following happen:

Have to justify why you play a certain song to other musicians that are too lazy to understand

Play with more than one guitarist , unless there is another keyboard player

Wont play with musicians were keyboards are an afterthought.

Im told to bring a smaller rig, fuck you bring one less amp or guitar I say

Play in bands where they want keyboards to just to loosen us up or just to provide a little color Fuck that Id rather put pins in my eyes

Musicians that tell me everything about my own gear when in reality they are not informed at all

For me the biggest answer was to form my own band. So far so good.

 

[JeffLearman]

Despite not being a particularly strong player, I've never had any trouble getting respect from the band, or at jams. Especially when they can't quite figure out what chord to play. Getting respect from the sound guy is more of a problem.

 

Playing with other musicians, and playing live, both require skills that are different from playing alone at home. I don't know about other folks, but here are the things I had to learn when I started:

 

* Timing. Actually, I learned my timing sucked when I got a 4-track, trying to play with my own tracks! Solution: metronome.

 

* Groove. You have to build a gestalt with the other players. To do this, you have to LISTEN, LISTEN, and LISTEN.

 

* Don't stop when you make a mistake.

 

* Don't expect to remember exactly what you planned to play. You have to be able to roll with it.

 

* Don't expect everyone else to play what everyone agreed to play. The arrangements will change without notice. The singer is always right.

 

* Be prepared for the next song, as soon as the last one is done. This includes keeping your rig simple, until you're ready for more complexity.

 

* Mean what you play, even when you didn't play what you meant.

 

Are we having fun yet?

[Kevmo]

Yeah, I'm thinking it might be a case of, if you're even wondering whether "this increasingly difficult hobby is worth it," then it might not be for you. I think most of us long-timers were bitten by the bug early in life and never really question it, despite the frequent hassles, heartache, frustrations, expense and delayed gratification, it is just something we keep doing because in Woody Allen's immortal words, "we need the eggs."

I am one such old timer.Im just getting weary battle with less gig venues less applause appreciation from smaller crowds.i will keep fighting the good fight but this solder is runnin low on ammo

[richforman]

I have found that fighting tooth and nail for respect is not an effective way to get it.