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American Idol Band Keyboardist


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Have any of you guys noticed the number of blatant mistakes made by the keyboardist in the A.I. band? Last episode, he started off the very first song with the wrong patch (sounded like Sweetness in Motif) and then switch ed to Piano about 4 measures later...sounded awful. I rewound with my DVR and pointed it out to my fiance...of course, she got pissed because she was so in tuned to the singer. Earlier in the season, the keys player was playing an awfully, cheezy patch on a funky song. Sounded like a patch from the DX7...just excrutiating. There's been some other blatant mistakes like wrong notes, chords, and with cues. Just thought I'd mention it...I know I'm not perfect, but hell, maybe I should try out for the background band next year, eh?

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Before you jump consider this. 24 kids on the show means learning 24 songs each week with special arrangements and changing keys to fit each of the 24 singers. Then you have some that change songs, maybe more than once. On top of that, they have very little time to put those songs together. I'm sure most of them are also working other jobs. Then the next week you start over from the beginning with 20 new songs for the kids, plus a group song, plus a song for what ever ex-idol is going to perform.

 

Early in the season that has to be one of the hardest jobs around. Can you imagine playing in a band that changes sets to the point of replacing 20 songs every week? Even worse, pick up a song you played two weeks ago, but change keys and arrangements to fit someone else and stick it back in the show.

 

Robert

This post edited for speling.

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Originally posted by Rabid:

Before you jump consider this. 24 kids on the show means learning 24 songs each week with special arrangements and changing keys to fit each of the 24 singers. Then you have some that change songs, maybe more than once. On top of that, they have very little time to put those songs together. I'm sure most of them are also working other jobs. Then the next week you start over from the beginning with 20 new songs for the kids, plus a group song, plus a song for what ever ex-idol is going to perform.

 

Early in the season that has to be one of the hardest jobs around. Can you imagine playing in a band that changes sets to the point of replacing 20 songs every week? Even worse, pick up a song you played two weeks ago, but change keys and arrangements to fit someone else and stick it back in the show.

 

Robert

I agree that it would be a tough gig. Several years back, I had to arrange & perform with a backing band to a comedy troup. Skits changed each week (about 20 skits per show) and I had to rewrite and learn new songs a day before the gig and make sure the band was prepped.

 

Regarding the mistakes: I just don't see any of the other rhythm section members making crucial mistakes. I was just so surprized that he wasn't prepared for the very first song they played. Yeah, maybe I have an obsessive attention to detail...

Play only what you hear within...if you hear nothing, play nothing at all

My Gear: Motif; Ensoniq MR-76; Suitcase Rhodes; Earthquake MKII Pedal; DiscomBOBulator; PodXT

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Two words: Paul Mirkovich.

"I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck

 

"The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI

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Also, do they appear to be using any references, like sheet music? I don't watch the show so I don't know.

 

If not, then this just compounds the issues listed above by Rabid. Granted, I'm sure the songs and arrangements they're performing are fairly simple (no Steely Dan covers, right?), but even still, with so many contestants, and with different songs in different keys every week, it's gotta be tough to keep it straight.

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I thought they were smoking on that Sinatra tune the other night. Lots of tasty piano work. It would be a fun gig to have. Lots of work but challenging.

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I hear a few cheesie patches every now and then, but I haven't really heard any bad mistakes so far. For all the reasons Robert mentioned, I admire whoever is behind it all. I wish that the camera would focus on the bandmembers, if only for an instant. I never see them. Thanks for giving me a clue as to who they are.
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  • 2 weeks later...
something tells me these players aren't working in walmart during the day. with all the $ that show generates i'm sure the players are getting scale and are under contract to have no other jobs. that being said.... there are no excuses for sucking!either get on the ball or go home.
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In this situation you are only as good as the charts put in front of you. I'm not making any excuses for them, but I have a real problem with the sound. The piano is too loud & the music is too loud for the performer. I find the music is so loud that often I can't tell if the performer was off pitch.

Steve

 

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It's all going to change as of next week because they are going to a much bigger theater with a large studio audience. Who knows if this band will even be playing. Should be interesting seeing how the band sounds in this new arena.
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