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Fastest way to lose a keyboard player


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This thread has been a fun read. :2thu:

 

I"m currently in three bands where the keys and guitar have equal contribution, but it helps considerably that I don"t make my living playing music and that there are not a lot of keyboard players in my area. I"m okay laying low on a guitar-driven tune with a Hammond or pad/string patch (or even sitting out) but in one of my bands when song selection started to become unbalanced, I said 'I"ll learn Song X when you learn Song Y' and then held out until this was accomplished. I didn"t like having to do this, but now that it is known I will 'go there' it has helped maintain equitable song selection. Fortunately, I"ve never had to resort to a nuclear option (the thesis of this thread) but I have a fully-loaded work situation (understatement) so if things start to become unenjoyable, while not the preferred course of action, sitting on the couch on weekends has a fair degree of attractiveness.

 

Back to song selection, in one of my bands we rotate selecting songs among members. When it"s your turn to select, you propose three songs and then the band collectively decides one of the three to learn. We are all mindful of the band"s style/genre and trust that no one will propose anything too 'off the wall' and it has generally worked out well.

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

- George Bernard Shaw

 

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I just did this. Added Smooth Criminal to a Setlist. Doing the AAF version. It was my decision ððð. But I"m playing guitar this year on 30-40% of the set.

 

I doesn"t matter much if the gig pays. None of this is Rachmaninov.

"It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne

 

"A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!!

So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt

 

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Back to song selection, in one of my bands we rotate selecting songs among members. When it"s your turn to select, you propose three songs and then the band collectively decides one of the three to learn. We are all mindful of the band"s style/genre and trust that no one will propose anything too 'off the wall' and it has generally worked out well.
That's kind of how it's worked out in my main band, more or less by accident. With 4 vocalists, we're always looking to spread the vocals around so one will suggest 2 or 3 songs and whichever one gets the most support is the one we learn, then another suggests some tunes and we do thumbs up or thumbs down on them, and so on. I don't sing so I'm happy to play anything as long as it has a keyboard or sax part that I can figure out how to play. :laugh:
These are only my opinions, not supported by any actual knowledge, experience, or expertise.
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I think I mentioned this elsewhere, but Foo Fighters has Rami Jaffee on keyboards, set up behind the amp line and to stage right of the drummer. I have yet to hear anything resembling keyboards on a Foo Fighters YT video?

 

But I bet the pay is good...

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I think I mentioned this elsewhere, but Foo Fighters has Rami Jaffee on keyboards, set up behind the amp line and to stage right of the drummer. I have yet to hear anything resembling keyboards on a Foo Fighters YT video?

 

But I bet the pay is good...

 

 

In the past--not sure about now--they have done acoustic-style concerts. Probably around the time when In Your Honor came out, which was a double album with all very low-key tunes on the 2nd album (including one with Norah Jones). If that is the same keys player, he did some nice stuff, I particular recall My Hero with some cool piano.

 

I'm not up on all their new stuff, but they have had some piano on albums and some clav.

 

Edit: I'm thinking of the Skin and Bones tour.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOWfM2Sp5k4

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There's another thing: I've played in many bands locally and I know a bunch of musicians. I've been in bands with them or jammed with them or they know me from other bands where they know the players. I'm not a very good keys player - I'm a better sax player - but I've ended up playing mainly (or only) keys in bands because people know I'm a good ensemble player, that I'll fit in, that I'll support and help make the band or the front person/vocalist sound good, and that I'm a nice guy that's easy to work with. Y'know, what your 1st grade report card said - "works and plays well with others." I've been fired from bands or failed auditions but for the most part it was for good reason -- I wasn't a good fit or some other legit reason. But if you know how to get along with people and how to contribute to the overall band sound and show, you will probably work as much as you want. That is, when there's not a pandemic. Under current conditions, all bets are off.
These are only my opinions, not supported by any actual knowledge, experience, or expertise.
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Fastest way to lose ME as a keyboard player? If the setlist doesn't include Rick Astley, I'm out.

 

2nd fastest way to lose ME as a keyboard player? Offer me big $$$$. I do this for the spiritual rewards only. When $$$$ are involved, it cheapens the experience and I am OUT!

Some music I've recorded and played over the years with a few different bands

Tommy Rude Soundcloud

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Fastest way to lose ME as a keyboard player......hire a 2nd guitarist. I really don"t like playing with two guitars. Never have. For me, that"s one too many.

 

Same here. They'd have to be really good at leaving space for others and good luck finding that at my amateur level. Too much midrange going on and monitors and mixes are a challenge. I played about a hundred gigs in an early version of my current band when we had a 2nd guitarist and I never heard him at all at gigs (he was at the opposite side of the stage, and I didn't yet have my in-ears). Turned out when we recorded a couple gigs that I wasn't missing anything.

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Do the inevitable (around these parts) mash-up medley of "So Lonely" and "No Woman No Cry" â both were hits, so fair game for a cover band, and at least a ubiquitous staple here in Germany. I'm queasy about covering Marley, but okay. Nice organ part.

 

BUT: Whitebread singer insists he's gonna do it wearing a rasta wig, a tam, and sunshades, with a fake spliff. And, of course, messes with the lyrics.

 

The gig was a solid payer, but that was the straw that broke me, and I took my leave soon thereafter.

"The Angels of Libra are in the European vanguard of the [retro soul] movement" (Bill Buckley, Soul and Jazz and Funk)

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Do the inevitable (around these parts) mash-up medley of "So Lonely" and "No Woman No Cry" â both were hits, so fair game for a cover band, and at least a ubiquitous staple here in Germany. I'm queasy about covering Marley, but okay. Nice organ part.

 

BUT: Whitebread singer insists he's gonna do it wearing a rasta wig, a tam, and sunshades, with a fake spliff. And, of course, messes with the lyrics.

 

The gig was a solid payer, but that was the straw that broke me, and I took my leave soon thereafter.

 

That wouldn't work for me either, unless EVERY song had a costume to go with it and the entire show took on more of a Benny Hill approach - where everything and anything is fair game for mockery including one's self.

Otherwise, no.

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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I mainly play in blues bands that love to have keyboard players so I don"t really have this problem. What makes me quit is when the guitarist can"t play rhythm and it leaves me to do all the work and I end up not being able to play like I want to.

 

Players who don't listen and serve the music are no fun. The drums and bass should be grooving hard but open for solo sections, with an occasional accent. Additional backup behind a solo needs to lock the groove, stay simple and stay out of the soloist's way. It's not just keyboard players who suffer from this sort of amateur approach to the music. It's tough to play a guitar, harmonica, saxophone etc. solo over something that doesn't groove or is cluttered up with un-needed notes in the wrong register.

 

Dynamics are paramount as well, bashing along through an entire solo section does not inspire the soloist to creep up and build to a peak since they now have to try and come out above a flatlined mess.

 

It is a reality of gigging bands that sub-par players end up in bands because "best friends" or "has a cool practice place" or other non-musical reasons.

At this point, it's all or nothing for me. A pickup gig might be different if it pays OK and everybody is nice. I can do that once but not ongoing unless it's a blast. A bit of cash is nice but it doesn't feed my soul like a great session will.

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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At this point, it's all or nothing for me. A pickup gig might be different if it pays OK and everybody is nice. I can do that once but not ongoing unless it's a blast. A bit of cash is nice but it doesn't feed my soul like a great session will.
The rule:

1. Good music.

2. Good pay.

3. Good hang.

Need 2 out of 3 to play.

All 3 is a unicorn.

These are only my opinions, not supported by any actual knowledge, experience, or expertise.
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Quickest way to lose ME really is: Hire a single/unattached chick singer. Within 3 months SOMEONE in the band will be hooking up w/her, and from that moment it's all downhill. Second quickest way is to aquire one of them gunslinger blues geetar heroes, you know, beat up strat, leather hat, big belt buckle, goes by all three of his names (Johnny Lee Doe) and when anyone asks him what he plays he sneers and replies, "I play LEAD guitar.....I can't hit the door fast enough....
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Fastest way to lose ME as a keyboard player? If the setlist doesn't include Rick Astley, I'm out.

 

I think we've all just been Rick-Rolled.

Muzikteechur is Lonnie, in Kittery, Maine.

 

HS music teacher: Concert Band, Marching Band, Jazz Band, Chorus, Music Theory, AP Music Theory, History of Rock, Musical Theatre, Piano, Guitar, Drama.

 

 

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I'll put up with a lot of shit in and around the bandstand. However, the following are certain to elicit a pissy prima donna response from me *every time*:

 

1) Tell me there's not enough room on the stage, so I need to set up off stage - Stage Left/Right (3' below everyone else, in the dark)

2) Cram me in next to the drummer with his crash cymbal 12" from my right ear

3) Ask me to set up in front of the bass stack or the guitar stack.

4) And my favorite: do a sound check before I'm plugged in, and then say it "sounds great!"

Muzikteechur is Lonnie, in Kittery, Maine.

 

HS music teacher: Concert Band, Marching Band, Jazz Band, Chorus, Music Theory, AP Music Theory, History of Rock, Musical Theatre, Piano, Guitar, Drama.

 

 

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3) Ask me to set up in front of the bass stack or the guitar stack.

 

I used to play in a band with a 4-piece horn section. At first, I was stuck behind them. Here's the thing about people blowing a horn: For every action, there's an equal but opposite -- and malodorous, in this case -- reaction. I got tired of feeling like I had set up in the middle of the campfire scene from "Blazing Saddles" and asked to switch places so they'd be behind me. That worked a lot better from an olfactory standpoint, but they nearly killed what was left of my hearing.

Live: Yamaha S70XS (#1); Roland Jupiter-80; Mackie 1202VLZ4: IEMs or Traynor K4

Home: Hammond SK Pro 73; Moog Minimoog Voyager Electric Blue; Yamaha S70XS (#2); Wurlitzer 200A

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1) Tell me there's not enough room on the stage, so I need to set up off stage - Stage Left/Right (3' below everyone else, in the dark)

This one says it all wrt how they value the keyboardist's contribution in the band. Flat no. No exceptions, and a definite red flag IMO.

Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.

-Mark Twain

 

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I left a band with horns for the same reason, they were incredibly loud on stage (and I was behind them). There were also three guitar players all with boutique amps and custom-made pedalboards. Not only did their tone suck, but none of them could play very well. They were a "Dad Band" and they had tons of money for gear, but not a lot of talent. I lasted 4 gigs-

 

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Suggest a cover song that gives you something to play on keyboard, guitar player brings in a "cool version" with the keyboard parts omitted, band says "that's cool let's learn that".

 

Happened in at least two bands.

 

I'll tell you what. I'm getting paid no matter what. That's one less song for me to learn and create patches for. I'm ecstatic.

 

But I was going to say "fastest way to lose a keyboard player?" Tell them they have to play the songs correctly.

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Play Superstition in E, playing hogging the main riff on guitar.

 

It's funny you should say that. I think simply asking what key they play Superstition in and would they be willing to do it in the original key would probably tell me everything I needed to know to take up or turn down an offer to join a covers band.

This is a little OT, but I used to occasionally sub for an R&B/Funk/Soul cover band that did Superstition in... C. Their lead singer was excellent, but they had to take pretty much all the Stevie stuff WAY down for him. It wasn't too bad, though it did really start to change the character of the tunes to move the key that far from the original. Certainly playable... though you still can't do the black-key gliss at the top of You Haven't Done Nothin' in C minor!

Samuel B. Lupowitz

Musician. Songwriter. Food Enthusiast. Bad Pun Aficionado.

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Last guy that lost me a few mos ago:

"Let's get together so I can feel it out"

 

I played with 21 bands in 2019, while sure some we got together so they could check me out and rehearse, there were actual gigs booked coming up after i was being hired for and it wasn't just a feel out deal for no reason and they knew of me by word of mouth or recommendation. I am a hired gun. Here's the setlist, here's the date and here's the rehearsal and sometimes it's only here's the set here's the date load in at 7. See ya.

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Here's the setlist, here's the date and here's the rehearsal and sometimes it's only here's the set here's the date load in at 7. See ya.
I've done my fair share of those gigs. I do like to know also other essentials such as "what version (single/album/live/cover/your own...)? What key? How do you end it?". I do enjoy the thrills of those kinds of gigs. Preferable to 6 months of "it's a dominant seventh WITH A FLAT FIVE [...] you just need to take the fifth down a half step [...] so play the Eb instead of the E [...] never mind, I'm out"

 

Cheers, Mike.

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Add your brother (on 2nd guitar) to the tribute band when the original band had only 1 guitar player in it. Also, he couldn't play worth ##?!!

Yamaha Montage M6, Nord Stage 4 - 88, Hammond SK-Pro 73, Yamaha YC-73, Mainstage, Yamaha U1 Upright

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