Silly queston . . . how much do you play with just one hand in a band?

[David Loving]

I think it's just a matter of listening to everybody else, keeping it simple, and not stepping on another player: bass, guitar, vocals, whatever. I try to pass on some musically useful information, not just play. Some tunes lend themselves to more activity than others. I tend to have a pretty active left hand but I try to keep it out of everybody else's way so as to contribute, not detract. The whole thing is the groove, not being showy or noticed. A huge part of keys [to me that means piano, rhodes and b3-once in a blue moon strings although I tend to substitute organ there now that I have an xk3 - I hate instrument imitations - just hate it] is rhythm. If the band is not in the pocket, it doesn't matter what you're playing, you're going to suck. I went to a praise band clinic one time and heard one of the performers remark that if you have 6 players in the band think about playing one-sixth of the time - good illustration. What hand you play with? one-twelfth each ?

[88keys4me]

A measure of any band's appeal is: do they sound balanced? When we choose to play solo (as opposed to soloing in a band), we can use one or two hands however we see fit - it's our personal gig. But when playing together with others, our primary goal is to add value to the ensemble. The approach will vary with the selection being played. A tune anchored by the keyboard player (Keith Emerson comes to mind) provides the maximum opportunity for us to not only showcase our abilities, but to do so by laying down a structure over which our band mates will add their complementary sounds.

 

By contrast, when playing a tune where another musician is fronting, we need to understand what gaps exist in the combined sound of the band, and fill them with the precise phrase that enhances the richness of the experience. That can be as simple as just one note, or a chord, or a more complicated figure, all depending upon the genre and the desired result: Quick and complicated? Slow and soothing? Or somewhere in between those two extremes.

 

Less is often more. Enhancing the band's effect is a game of give and take. If you want to play more notes, even if you're not soloing, others in the band must be sensitive enough to know when to back down in order to provide the "air time" for each additional note you play in a given measure. Likewise, you have the same responsibility to them. This kind of teamwork is what makes good bands sound great.