Have you every limited yourself to just one instrument/sound

[ABECK]

We have so many options these days, its possible to spend more time and energy on the right sound, rather than the right performance. Has anyone purposely limited themselves to one particular sound at a gig? E.G. only playing piano sounds, or only playing Organ, or mono synth patches (hey, sax players do a shit ton with only one note at a time), etc

It would be interesting to try, but Im sure youd be likely to get the stink eye from the rest of the band.

 

[stoken6]

I find myself gravitating towards Organ at the local jam session. Not deliberately trying to restrict myself, but rather:

- It's a nice contrast to the guitars

- The material tends to lend itself more to organ than piano/EP

- I want to further my organ technique and this provides an opportunity.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Rusty Mike]

In the two big bands, I play 75% AP, 20% EP and 5% B3. I play an Electro 3HP, so I really limit the organ playing due to the weighted action.

 

For my fusion band, I add an Electro 4D on top of that. I do have samples in it for leads and pads, but I find more and more that I can do a lot of what I need by playing with the drawbars and other settings on the B3 emulation. Granted, the tunes we play have little requirement to capture the original sound, but there are areas where you want to get close. For example, we play two Weather Report tunes: A Remark You Made and Palladium, and I want to capture the vibe of the recording. I do have an approximation of the solo patch Zawinul used on Remark, but I find that doing a simple 008400020 with chorale and delay works really well as a substitute. This also allows me to do the pads without changing patches, but using the drawbars to alter the character. Same thing with Palladium; I have a Moog sample in the Electro, but I find that doing the solo at then of the song with the B3 engine is more fun and better sounding.

 

It's been said here before that the B3 was the original synthesizer. I've kind of taken that to heart. It's fun to find ways to use it outside of the norms. It's also helped my own development in that I'm not trying to redevelop the synth chops that I had years ago, and I'm not distracted by creating synth patches. I practice piano first, then organ. It also permits a simpler rig setup.

 

Along the same lines, I recently went ballistic on another band leader. I'm in a new group focused on doing 1940's style supper club/cocktail hour type stuff, very much in the jazz idiom. The 6-piece band is lead by the trumpet player and female singer, rounded out by sax, drums, upright bass and yours truly. The four "sidemen" are interested in this outfit only for the jazz, and are very resistant to bringing other styles into the group. We do stretch things a little bit by including the Post Modern Jukebox versions of All About That Bass and Creep, but otherwise it's jazz based. I play 90% AP in this group (with a touch of EP where appropriate), which is fitting for the style. A few weeks ago, the trumpeter sends a link to a You Tube video of Mas De Nada done by some Brazilian pop girl group and says he wants us to learn this. In the email he asks me to "bring my accordion sound" to the rehearsal (we rehearse at the sax player's house, and I use his Roland RD-700GX) and play accordion like on the record. This took me to that place where ignorant band leaders think the keys are the kitchen sink of the band - this particular guys works with other wedding and corporate bands. I went off on him, that I play piano in this band and nothing else, and that I was seriously offended that he even asked. I reminded him of the style of the band, and never to tell me again what sound to use on a particular song.

 

This is relevant to the OP, as I don't have the time or inclination to practice accordion technique, or emulating any other instrument, for that matter. I agree that other instruments are understood to just play their sound, and nobody is asking them to sound like something else. I play piano. Period. I barely have time to practice that one instrument, and would prefer to get better at it than become mediocre at a variety of other things. If they don't like it they can hire someone else.

 

Overall though, the "right" sound is largely contextual. I know for some pop and rock things, you need to get really close. In other cases, capturing the vibe is what's important. I guess this relates to the Margaritaville thread as well.

[sagetunes]

I'll play only an acoustic piano patch at an acousticky type gig---meaning no drums and bass. It's a good exercise for me. I have to work differently--I might committ to a waling bass line, or I might hardly play anything.

Normally I play rock gigs with full rhythm section---so I'm half B3-half piano/EP.

Once in a great while I'll play only B3 if there's another keyboard guy that prefers to play piano. Again, interesting exercise.

[ABECK]

ignorant band leaders think the keys are the kitchen sink of the band -

Isn't that the truth.

[Phil Aiken]

I prefer a small palate of quality sounds and do not personally enjoy changing sounds a ton, or being the strings/horns/fx guy.

I very much enjoy the occasional gig where I just play organ, or piano (or electric piano).

 

 

[ElmerJFudd]

On the other hand, it's always nice to see someone bring the work that went into the recording to life:

 

Paul Wickens here on Penny Lane.

[video:youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTlVgxo2P7c

 

Or David Rosenthal on Scenes from an Italian Restaurant.

 

But yeah, if I could play a mic'd acoustic piano all night. That'd be fine with me.

[El Lobo]

I tend to play mostly organ because I prefer that sound. I'll use AP on some rock or blues tunes that really call for it, and EP on some tunes where that seems best, especially when I need the attack. And wah clav on funk tunes. But I double on sax. It's my home instrument (I'm faking it as a keyboard player). Talk about limiting yourself to one instrument and 1 note at a time ... but you can get a lot of different sounds out of a sax if you know how to play it.

[ProfD]

Yep. Electric piano (EP) is my primary sound. I'll split and layer it with other sounds. I'll play some organ and clav too.

 

But, when it comes to EPs...like hot sauce, I put that sh8t on everything.

[Dave Bryce]

if I could play a mic'd acoustic piano all night. That'd be fine with me.

+1

 

dB

[rickzjamm]

It's fun & challenging as a keyboardist to re-create sonic textures like monster Paul Wickens, I'm willing to bet many of the members here could happily & accurately cut that prestigious gig with PM (no offense to Wickens) but I'm old school & prefer APs & EPs only... but then I'd lose my gigs.

[ABECK]

I'm inclined to think that the versatility of an organ offers such a dynamic palette that one could be surprisingly effective with just that if so inclined.

 

I don't have the stones to try it, but maybe I should.

[mate stubb]

I take just an organ to the gig every time I can get away with it.

[DulceLabs.com]

When I was providing background music for live theatre back in the 90s, the trusty D-50 was a very cool soundtrack machine but as it got so cliched, I found myself drawn to just using the house piano for everything. NOW THAT is the ultimate soundtrack instrument.

[Rofox]

In the early 70s I'd ditched the Vox Continental 300 and Rhodes and was happy with a Wurli EP200, first with a girl singer guitarist then solo with the aid of a Honer "Minipops Junior" I used just that and a couple of Marshall 4x12 cabs for two years and then added a Honer D6 clav and a Logan String Melody 11. That was a hell of a lot for one man to shift- I lived in a first floor flat (apartment) and so had 4 x 6 trips each gig - (I would never leave anything in the van overnight) These pre-midi times were the happiest. Although my rig developed year by year (Oh the thrill of first midi-ing together a Roland RD200 and a Korg DW8000...) it was never more immediate.

Back on topic; Just one sound? I'd be very happy to do a gig entirely on the Wurly - any time.

Problem is I gave my battered and beloved EP200 to my daughter for her 21st birthday, (Iknow - what greater love?) so I'd have to make do with vastly inferior emulations....ohhh I loved that board!>

[Lindaru]

I have for the time being limited myself to my MicroKORG, but not to just one sound on it.

 

I do strings, synth, church organ, rock organ, combo organ, you name it on that.

 

I think if I was limited to only one sound on it, I would go

 

[David Emm]

I once supported a friend at a poetry slam with, at her request, one sound per piece: a synthesized Ondioline for one, a solo choir voice for another and a giant reverbed flute for another. It was very instructive to be musically present without stepping on her narrative. I'm with Lindaru, because I could never give up the broad range of influences that brought me to Here & Now. That orchestral aroma is in my bones for good! OTOH, I've seriously loved playing solo piano or wringing out my favorite mutant pipe organ/B-3-like Combi. Putting myself on the hot seat in real-time and showing off my chops made it okay to play over my big ol' sequences for the rest of the show. People fully get computers now, but it always seems to win them over when you let 'em see you sweat enough to know you're not just pushing Play.

 

[Lindaru]

People fully get computers now, but it always seems to win them over when you let 'em see you sweat enough to know you're not just pushing Play.

 

They know I am really playing and not running a backing track because I occasionally do the "clamette*".

 

 

*Clamette = n. A quick error in a musical composition that is quickly recovered so as to hopefully not be noticed except by your fellow band members who have rehearsed the song a million times and know you had a momentary practically instantaneous lapse of fingering.

 

[niacin]

Hammond. The last pop gig I played the entire first set on Hammond. Soul, funk, a few current pop things. Also did a fill-in wedding gig a couple of months back and the drummer, who also sings sometimes, and loves 80s synth stuff, asked if I knew Jump. Actually, no, but it's in my head, so yes, and I'm not digging around menus for a saw wave, so I just kicked the overdrive up. Like Jon Lord would have. They loved it. lol.

[yannis D]

In my band No1 i tend to play organ/farfisa/vox most of the times with some Wurlies/EP's and some clav on occasion

 

In my band No2, i do mostly EPs/Wurlies and less organs and clav

 

In my "working" group (with a well known female singer, so big crowds), i do 50% organ and the other 50% is accordion, glogenspiel, vibes and some pads, as there's a dedicated piano player in the group

 

On all occasions i use my Nord Electro 5, an accordion (in the "working" group), and occasionally a real glogenspiel

 

[B3Nut]

I do that a lot with the Hammond. Even when I bring another keyboard, I end up playing mostly organ all night...

[Tom Williams]

Every once in a while I will do a whole set (which is often the whole gig) with an AX-Synth set on my favorite bass guitar patch. There's a certain creative element that is stronger than when I do LH bass plus some other keyboard/guitar sound.

Besides which, lame 80's jokes aside, people really seem to respond well to it.

[Tom Williams]

^ Woo-hoo! I just broke 400 posts. :-) ^

[Geoff Grace]

Cowbell!

 

Best,

 

Geoff

[Geoff Grace]

Okay, actually this:

 

if I could play a mic'd acoustic piano all night. That'd be fine with me.

+1

 

dB

Best,

 

Geoff

[Matthiola]

I went back to the basics after I sold my Korg Oasys. That instrument made me realize my focus was all wrong. For years I was only craving for more sounds, more functions. Nowadays, I mainly play organ. Just playing with that "one sound" has made me a better musician, be more creative. There's little you can't do with just one instrument.

Years ago I saw Erik Truffaz Quartet, with Patrick Muller on keyboards. He only played a Rhodes with a few effect pedals. The huge array of sounds coming from that one instrument was simply amazing.

[keyClicker]

Yes.

 

Like I mentioned before... I use only one instrument per gig.

 

I only have one instrument on stage, and usually it revolves around ac.piano, el.piano, and hammond.

 

It depends on the gig, the style, the venue, etc. But always one instrument on stage per gig.

[MotiDave]

One instrument yes, one sound ... never once. I'm not good enough to play just one sound lol.

[KenElevenShadows]

We have so many options these days, its possible to spend more time and energy on the right sound, rather than the right performance. Has anyone purposely limited themselves to one particular sound at a gig? E.G. only playing piano sounds, or only playing Organ, or mono synth patches (hey, sax players do a shit ton with only one note at a time), etc

It would be interesting to try, but Im sure youd be likely to get the stink eye from the rest of the band.

 

I played a keyboard that had a billion sounds on it, and only used 2-3 sounds, mostly using a Rhodes type of sound.

 

The drummer asked, "Why don't you use other sounds?"

 

I replied, "Why don't you?"