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Advice on playing "Africa" (Toto) in a one-keyboard band


stoken6

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Y'all are nuckin futs. Just don't comp for your solo. The guitar can do it.

 

If you want to do some special scale harmonizer effect, just set it to harmonize on B pentatonic. Even if a couple of the intervals change, it will still sound close enough (I don't hear where that happens but Bernmeister has the ears). You'd have to kick the effect of when it does that F#m7 line and kick it back off after.

 

But yeah, just don't comp there.

 

Right on, Bobby. I'd further add that the solo could simply be an improv'd lead - and nobody in the audience would likely be the wiser. But it depends on what the OP prefers to do at that spot. The scale harmonizer effect could sound cool...

 

I'm attempting to learn four sets of relatively new material quickly - mostly blues influenced stuff, with lots of piano and B3 parts; plenty of brass/sax section lines going on, too. Oh, and the sax player left the band shortly before I took the gig. I'm not trying to learn all of her parts note-for-note; except in rare instances, I think keyboard based sax leads come across rather fake - even on today's instruments. And right now I'm only picking up the most important, 'signature' brass lines.

 

The audience is simply not going to be sitting there analyzing my keyboard arrangements - at least I hope not. That means they're not on the floor dancing, buying more drinks - IOW, keeping the club owner/management happy so that I get another gig.

 

If I was to analyze the keyboard parts of each song for my new gig to the degree shown in this thread, I wouldn't be ready until 2015; and the first gig is next month. No offense intended, but sometimes we over-analyze instead of taking the simplest approach, and then just playing. Been there, trying to stop going there.

'Someday, we'll look back on these days and laugh; likely a maniacal laugh from our padded cells, but a laugh nonetheless' - Mr. Boffo.

 

We need a barfing cat emoticon!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I've never played it, but I'd likely just ditch the synbrass and bail the solo, complete with layered sounds.

Dan

 

Acoustic/Electric stringed instruments ranging from 4 to 230 strings, hammered, picked, fingered, slapped, and plucked. Analog and Digital Electronic instruments, reeds, and throat/mouth.

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Hmmm, what WOULD Greg Phillinganes do?.....

 

How about kick my butt into next week?

 

With four keyboards, at that. Cool to see how Greg puts the parts together for the two, Toto songs. Would be interesting to see how he'd do that with one keyboard. I suspect he could pull it off on the OASYS.

'Someday, we'll look back on these days and laugh; likely a maniacal laugh from our padded cells, but a laugh nonetheless' - Mr. Boffo.

 

We need a barfing cat emoticon!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The audience is simply not going to be sitting there analyzing my keyboard arrangements - at least I hope not. That means they're not on the floor dancing, buying more drinks - IOW, keeping the club owner/management happy so that I get another gig.

 

If I was to analyze the keyboard parts of each song for my new gig to the degree shown in this thread, I wouldn't be ready until 2015; and the first gig is next month. No offense intended, but sometimes we over-analyze instead of taking the simplest approach, and then just playing. Been there, trying to stop going there.

 

No offence taken, and none intended in the following response:

 

Why am I interested in this level of analysis? I've realised as I grow older that I want to stretch myself as a musician, not as a tech. So I actually want to shed that solo a bit and come out of the process able to do something new.

 

If I had a pick-up gig tomorrow night, sure I could improv a solo - or just play the RH/top-line of the recording. I have a bit more time, so I want to work out playing both solo lines together, to develop myself as a musician. It will take a bit of metronome time, but that's no bad thing.

 

I appreciate your contribution to the debate, Allan.

 

And to everyone who's said "leave the comp to the guitar", +1. The drop in density if I leave out the synth-brass in the solo is a good thing in the solo.

 

Cheers, Mike.

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The audience is simply not going to be sitting there analyzing my keyboard arrangements - at least I hope not. That means they're not on the floor dancing, buying more drinks - IOW, keeping the club owner/management happy so that I get another gig.

 

If I was to analyze the keyboard parts of each song for my new gig to the degree shown in this thread, I wouldn't be ready until 2015; and the first gig is next month. No offense intended, but sometimes we over-analyze instead of taking the simplest approach, and then just playing. Been there, trying to stop going there.

 

No offence taken, and none intended in the following response:

 

Why am I interested in this level of analysis? I've realised as I grow older that I want to stretch myself as a musician, not as a tech. So I actually want to shed that solo a bit and come out of the process able to do something new.

 

If I had a pick-up gig tomorrow night, of course I could improv a solo - or just play the RH/top-line of the recording. If I have a bit more time, I want to work out playing both solo lines together, to develop myself as a musician. It will take a bit of metronome time, but that's no bad thing.

 

I appreciate your contribution to the debate, Allan.

 

And to everyone who's said "leave the comp to the guitar", +1. The drop in density if I leave out the synth-brass in the solo is a good thing in this particular solo.

 

Cheers, Mike.

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Less interestingly probably, here's a video of me covering the song at a backyard party in an 80's tribute band from last summer - trying my best to recreate the harmonized keyboard solo "live." The guitar is mixed way too loud for the song imo.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMrgfmoPsCg

Rich Forman

Yamaha MOXF8, Korg Kronos 2-61, Roland Fantom X7, Ferrofish B4000+ organ module, Roland VR-09, EV ZLX12P, K&M Spider Pro stand,

Yamaha S80, Korg Trinity Plus

 

 

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Less interestingly probably, here's a video of me covering the song at a backyard party in an 80's tribute band from last summer - trying my best to recreate the harmonized keyboard solo "live." The guitar is mixed way too loud for the song imo.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMrgfmoPsCg

Nice job, Rich!

"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing."

- George Bernard Shaw

 

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Thank you Moonglow, that's really nice of you.

Rich Forman

Yamaha MOXF8, Korg Kronos 2-61, Roland Fantom X7, Ferrofish B4000+ organ module, Roland VR-09, EV ZLX12P, K&M Spider Pro stand,

Yamaha S80, Korg Trinity Plus

 

 

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