A thread for keyboard players

BaldJean wrote: well, I also play on all that I can lay my hands on, but my favorite remains our Bechstein. and don't ask me for the price; it was ridiculously expensive

You saying that just makes me more curious as to how much it would cost, though anything above free is pretty much out of my range right now.
How large is it exactly? I've never really played a full grand, only nine feet I think.

BaldJean wrote: sean wrote: kibble_alex wrote: sean wrote: okay, i've been playing for about four years now. I started out playing classical,  but got a bit bored by the rigid structure and the philosophy that I could only play other people's work. As much as I enjoy classical music I know I can't spend my life doing nothing but that. Now, I'm at a point where stylistically I play a sort of fusion of classical, free jazz, experimental, and rock. For classical, I like mainly romantic and 20th century composers. I like the other eras but they just don't influence me too much as a whole. I like to take the deep pathos I get from classical and also it's technicality and use that in the context of unstructured improvised music where I can do whatever I want (this is when I play solo). For bands I've played metal, psychedelic, prog, and hard rock/classic rock. Currently I play in an experimental prog metal band and another one where I'm the only member and I play with whoever I feel like playing whatever we feel like at the moment, which tends to go towards the free improv prog/jazz/rock type stuff. For equipment, I have a yamaha s08 synth, a hammond transistor organ, and a hohner melodica. I actually prefer to play acoustic pianos over anything else but i don't have the money or space for one at the time so I play them wherever I can. I also play a bit of accordion and keyboard percussion like marimba, xylophone, and vibraphone. Wow, quite the variety I am also a lot more comfortable on an acoustic piano, the weighted keys just feel so natural. Have you ever played a Steinways? If you ever get the chance, I advise to do so! Gorgeous pianos to play I've always wanted to experiment with keyboard percussion, I am saving up for a marimba at the moment, it would make a nice addition to my keyboard rack. From what I've heard, Kerry Minnear is very sufficiant at keyboard percussion, I only had to listen to Knots and Runaway - Gentle Giant to establish that. I have played Steinway before and it does feel amazing. To me, there's just more of a natural connection to the instrument when it's an acoustic piano. It almost feels as if a synth just doesn't have that at times. If you are a keyboardist, adjusting to percussion shouldn't be hard, it's just a matter of muscle control and disciplining a different set of muscles. The theory is all the same. It had been about a year since I had played marimba and a couple months I was at one and I found I was playing better than I ever had. But it definitely is fun and nice for a change of pace sometimes. For me though it was Zappa that really made me want a marimba, but unfortunately I can't afford one, they're pretty expensive.e I personally prefer the Bechstein to a Steinway. the Steinway is more brilliant, but the Bechstein has better dynamics. but of course a Steinway is a first classs instrument too; it is just a matter of taste what one prefers. among concert pianists about 90% use a Steinway and about 10% a Bechstein, with a minimal rest for other brands

I tend to just play whatever I can get my hands on, which in most cases seems to be a Yamaha, I don't why their pianos are so common it seems. My high school had one and my college has one as well. I don't particularly mind them but I've played ones that I prefer.

kibble_alex wrote: sean wrote: okay, i've been playing for about four years now. I started out playing classical,  but got a bit bored by the rigid structure and the philosophy that I could only play other people's work. As much as I enjoy classical music I know I can't spend my life doing nothing but that. Now, I'm at a point where stylistically I play a sort of fusion of classical, free jazz, experimental, and rock. For classical, I like mainly romantic and 20th century composers. I like the other eras but they just don't influence me too much as a whole. I like to take the deep pathos I get from classical and also it's technicality and use that in the context of unstructured improvised music where I can do whatever I want (this is when I play solo). For bands I've played metal, psychedelic, prog, and hard rock/classic rock. Currently I play in an experimental prog metal band and another one where I'm the only member and I play with whoever I feel like playing whatever we feel like at the moment, which tends to go towards the free improv prog/jazz/rock type stuff. For equipment, I have a yamaha s08 synth, a hammond transistor organ, and a hohner melodica. I actually prefer to play acoustic pianos over anything else but i don't have the money or space for one at the time so I play them wherever I can. I also play a bit of accordion and keyboard percussion like marimba, xylophone, and vibraphone. Wow, quite the variety I am also a lot more comfortable on an acoustic piano, the weighted keys just feel so natural. Have you ever played a Steinways? If you ever get the chance, I advise to do so! Gorgeous pianos to play I've always wanted to experiment with keyboard percussion, I am saving up for a marimba at the moment, it would make a nice addition to my keyboard rack. From what I've heard, Kerry Minnear is very sufficiant at keyboard percussion, I only had to listen to Knots and Runaway - Gentle Giant to establish that.

I have played Steinway before and it does feel amazing. To me, there's just more of a natural connection to the instrument when it's an acoustic piano. It almost feels as if a synth just doesn't have that at times.
If you are a keyboardist, adjusting to percussion shouldn't be hard, it's just a matter of muscle control and disciplining a different set of muscles. The theory is all the same. It had been about a year since I had played marimba and a couple months I was at one and I found I was playing better than I ever had. But it definitely is fun and nice for a change of pace sometimes. For me though it was Zappa that really made me want a marimba, but unfortunately I can't afford one, they're pretty expensive.e

BaldJean wrote: piano, classical and jazz mostly. we have a real monster at home, a Bechstein D 280. wonderful instrument, but still nor completely payed for . the monster takes up a third of our living room space, and we have a huge living room. here a catalog photo of the monster; if I had a scanner here I would post a pic of our own

Looks like it's definitely worth taking up that much space. I wish I had space for that myself.

Those are near enough my feelings towards the debate, sheeves. I've always found Keith to be a little too bombastic and technical for me, a bit like comparing Portnoy to Carey on drums. Rick leads you into his amazing skills little bits at a time.

As for the keyboard players you mentioned kineto_zetetics, I have only ever heard Ryo Okumoto (shook the guys hand at a Spock's Beard gig I went to ) and Andy Tillison. Both are superb. However, Thomas Bodin is a little deeper than that: he's quite laid back with TFK, try looking at his solo works. I was greatly impressed, he is also a very skilled songwriter.

I'm off to play some Brahms now

I agree with both of you on the point of acoustic pianos. Sadly no synthesiser manufacturer has been able to match the feel of the action and the sensitive and linear control of dynamics of a real piano. The nearest thing I have is a Yamaha S90 but this is still a far cry from my Welmar piano.  The worst keyboard I own in this respect is a PolyMoog whose keyboard is appauling. I tried tuned percussion for a while but couln't get on with it at all (great sounds though - saw Evelyn Glennie on Marimba several years back she was sensational).

okay, i've been playing for about four years now. I started out playing classical,  but got a bit bored by the rigid structure and the philosophy that I could only play other people's work. As much as I enjoy classical music I know I can't spend my life doing nothing but that.
Now, I'm at a point where stylistically I play a sort of fusion of classical, free jazz, experimental, and rock. For classical, I like mainly romantic and 20th century composers. I like the other eras but they just don't influence me too much as a whole. I like to take the deep pathos I get from classical and also it's technicality and use that in the context of unstructured improvised music where I can do whatever I want (this is when I play solo). For bands I've played metal, psychedelic, prog, and hard rock/classic rock. Currently I play in an experimental prog metal band and another one where I'm the only member and I play with whoever I feel like playing whatever we feel like at the moment, which tends to go towards the free improv prog/jazz/rock type stuff.
For equipment, I have a yamaha s08 synth, a hammond transistor organ, and a hohner melodica. I actually prefer to play acoustic pianos over anything else but i don't have the money or space for one at the time so I play them wherever I can. I also play a bit of accordion and keyboard percussion like marimba, xylophone, and vibraphone.

kibble_alex wrote: Moogtron III wrote: Hi, I've been practicing the piano since age 9, and for the moment I'm participating in two different musical settings: a band which plays 'traditional' music like gospel, blues, rock, and a more progressive experimental collaboration: we're with two keyboard players and a drummer (style a bit like Michael Giles).   My keyboard heroes are Eddie Jobson, Tony Banks, Keith Emerson, Rick Wakeman, Dave Stewart and Ton Scherpenzeel. My style is a bit Banks-like (unusual chords, yet not a lot of real dissonants) and Wakeman-like (not the virtuosity, but something in the style, with a lot of arpeggio's, scales and using more sunny major keys than average).  I like it, just out of curiosity, what gear do you own?

kibble_alex wrote: Oh boy, you assume that because I'm still at school that I still do homework As for the classic Wakeman vs Emerson debate (which has been going on for years no doubt), I still think that as a musician that tidiness and emotion are everything. Don't get me wrong, I love Keith's solos in Stones of Years and KE9, but i think Wakeman is slightly more inventive, even though his solos don't take as much from jazz as Emerson's. He has a unique finger position also that I find very interesting indeed, and it opens him up to more interesting stuff than Emerson's traditional style. I also saw a youtube video of Keith doing a similar thing to Oscar Peterson with a piano blues improvisation, and I was not impressed. It was a load of random notes strung together with the odd melodic bassline thrown in here and there, also musically quoting from Take A Pebble. There is not one thing Wakeman has done that hasn't impressed me.

Hi, I've been practicing the piano since age 9, and for the moment I'm participating in two different musical settings: a band which plays 'traditional' music like gospel, blues, rock, and a more progressive experimental collaboration: we're with two keyboard players and a drummer (style a bit like Michael Giles).