Why not leave all bass keys - even for shorter KBs?

[EricBarker]

From an ensemble perspective, this becomes problematic. The moment you add a bass, you're expected to lay off the low end and get outta the way. I feel your pain because I'm originally a pianist too and VERY heavy on the low end (I love busy bass lines). But if anything, it's probably good to take the low end away from me!

[stoken6]

Give Minetti Custom Keyboards a call? They can chop a DP down to something like this:

Cheers, Mike.

[Dr Mike Metlay]

Another (no doubt gonna be ridiculed) vote for 76 notes A-C. I almost never use the top octave, and would be happy to transpose to 4' when I do. Uh-oh, I just used a pipe organ term and further muddied the discussion....

No ridicule from me! I have only owned two 76-note boards in my life. The first was a Sequential Circuits Prophet-T8 that was A-C, and I adored it; the second was a Roland U-50 that was E-F, and I... did not adore it.

[AnotherScott]

On a real piano, I don't think I've ever needed the bottom three keys. Starting on C instead of A would have no downside for me.

[MathOfInsects]

On a real piano, I don't think I've ever needed the bottom three keys. Starting on C instead of A would have no downside for me.

When my piano tech had to fix a key, he stuck the missing hammer down on lowest Bb, since "you're never going to play that anyway."

[cassdad]

I'm using 2 Yamaha DXR-10 amp/speakers, and they do the job extremely well, to my surprise. I also try to stay out of the bass player's lane by 1) not playing loudly with the left hand, and 2) EQ'ing with less bass. YMMV.

I might have missed it in your original post, but I didn't realize you were playing with a bass player. I thought this was for a solo context, particularly because you mentioned playing basslines and parts.

 

It seems odd to me to insist on retaining every low note that occurs on a grand piano, but then to EQ yourself so that when you play them, they won't be heard well. If you don't my asking, if your goal is to stay out of the bass player's way, why play all those bass parts and lines in the first place? Perhaps a good challenge might be to go the other way and force yourself out of that last octave or two, in favor of some higher parts in less crowded frequencies?

 

Apologies for my being confusing. I do both solo and with a band. In my defense, in my particular situation, EQing the bass down accomplishes my goal.... I'm often just doubling the bass player, thus in those cases my goal is not for anyone to listen to my left hand, it is just simply easier for me to play. I find it significantly more difficult to have to NOT use my left hand (dangle it there, consciously have to keep it off the keys, etc). Just me, I know, and as some have said, I guess it's just my personal preference, and not a usual situation. (Although, when I wrote my initial post, I had, apparently incorrectly, assumed that most piano players would be more comfortable with both hands on the keys. I stand corrected!)

[cassdad]

I'm majorly a piano player, normally play with 2 hands (feel awkward if I don't have both hands on the keys). Furthermore, I regularly use the bass side of the keyboard for octave bass notes as well as bass runs, and find it annoying to run out of keys. As 73 and 61 note keyboards all "steal" notes from the low end, I'm forced to cart around an 88 note KB in order to play "normally". I also note that I rarely use the top octave notes.... so if notes had to be "stolen", my preference would be to steal them ALL from the top rather than the bottom! Furthermore, just switching the octaves still results in a low "E" or "C", not the low "A" I'm used to.

 

This: https://dexibell.com/prodotto/vivo-s1/?lang=en/

 

[video:youtube]

 

WOW - thank you! I think this is what I'm looking for! Finally!!! [Although I do share the sentiments of "Groove On" who points out how, at least for someone like me who wants to use only 1 KB, and wants it shorter, how counter-productive it is to put the controls on the left side!]

[cassdad]

You want a board that goes down to A, but up to "less than C" 7 octaves above? VAX77 was A-C 6.25 octaves.

VAX77 goes from A0 up to C7 (low A to one octave below high C); you can have the "hot key" play D7, or you can set up a pedal that will momentarily switch the octaves up to get to high C when needed. Works well with a little practice to get that top octave, and kinda fun when playing repeating figures elsewhere.

 

 

Wow, thank you! Should I decide to go with virtual sounds, this appears to be a good potential solution!

[cassdad]

On a real piano, I don't think I've ever needed the bottom three keys. Starting on C instead of A would have no downside for me.

When my piano tech had to fix a key, he stuck the missing hammer down on lowest Bb, since "you're never going to play that anyway."

 

 

He obviously never wanted to play "Tomorrow's Girls" by Donald Fagen! (Requires low Bb for the bass line.)

[Analogaddict]

IMO A-C is the perfect layout. Octave shifting solves the rest!

 

I own a VAX77 and an RD64 and it feels so natural to have the full bass range for piano. I could live without the low A, Bb and B, but I need the low C even with a band. E-G below A are pretty useless without Bosendorfer samples.