Keyboard/Synth players
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Other music related lounges
Forum Name: Music and Musicians Exchange
Forum Description: Talk with and get feedback from other musicians on the site
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=67161
Printed Date: February 24 2025 at 03:33
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Keyboard/Synth players
Posted By: StrengthandWisdom
Subject: Keyboard/Synth players
Date Posted: May 05 2010 at 15:47
|
So I've had had my Keyboard/Synth for almost a year now. I got a Roland Juno D last year as a graduation present. I took lessons all through the summer up to December, and then I stopped because I got bored of them. Lessons seem to involve mostly reading sheet music and playing other songs. Instead I just play my keyboard when I get the time. What do you think? Do you need lessons to make good music? |
Replies:
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: May 05 2010 at 16:42
|
I had a brief flirtation with self taught lessons including reading music. Yeah, I got bored. I found I could have a lot more fun just improvising. I've had no desire to play professionally and am to this day mainly a dabbler.
------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened... 
|
Posted By: StrengthandWisdom
Date Posted: May 05 2010 at 18:36
| I want to actually write music and songs though. I wonder if dabbling can actually get you somewhere. |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: May 05 2010 at 18:54
|
If I had aspirations to write rather than improvise I think I'd have endured the lessons.
------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
|
Posted By: cobb2
Date Posted: May 05 2010 at 21:42
|
Most formal lessons are oriented at reading music- they won't teach you how to compose, only how to write down what you compose. To learn how to compose you need higher learning such as bachelor of music, then you will only be taught how to compose in the formal structures anyway. Most song writing is created by dabbling with an instrument, not by sitting down and writing on paper. Your keyboard probably has a midi interface. With the right software you can get whatever you play to appear on a staff anyway. My advice- if you want to be able to easily play other peoples work take the lessons - if you want to write for your own benefit just keep playing and experimenting with structures.
|
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: May 05 2010 at 22:48
|
^ Nicely put. Keep on listening and keep on playing.
------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
|
Posted By: StrengthandWisdom
Date Posted: May 05 2010 at 23:45
Not just for myself I want people to listen to my music and enjoy it, because I will enjoy making good music. I want to write good music. |
cobb2 wrote:Posted By: jplanet
Date Posted: May 06 2010 at 13:31
|
Just learn as much as you can about every facet of music that interests you. Learn music written by other people that you enjoy, spend some time on scales and theory - once you know how to read music, you will be able to buy books that teach composition and learn songs of every genre... Learning to play existing songs is a key part of learning how to compose. Just as the Beatles - they played hundreds of cover songs while gigging in Berlin before they wrote their own hits...Beethoven grew up learning Bach, etc... ------------- https://www.facebook.com/ShadowCircus/" rel="nofollow - ..::welcome to the shadow circus::.. |
Posted By: mono
Date Posted: May 07 2010 at 10:33
|
I would very strongly encourage you to TAKE LESSONS, while keeping in mind that what you learn is mainly the "technique" part of the instrument. (taking classical or jazz lessons for example will help you learn the technique way quicker than when you practice alone). Still, it is very important to keep "dabbling" and trying out your own ways of playing, not taking the lessons as a "must-do". This way, you will have a good technique (which is very well taught in any fair music school) and you can still make up your own style of playing if you keep experimenting in parallel. If you only "dabble", you will get to a point where your hands just can't follow what you really want to do on the instrument. Taking lessons help you make this unpleasantness occur much less... The piano (or any classic keys instrument) is from what I've seen much longer to get into than for example guitars or drums. After 2 years of taking drum/guitar courses, you can play pretty much any pop/rock song there is (just for the reference). After 2 years of taking piano lessons, you can't do much... Good luck with your endeavor! PS: I've had a Juno-D for 6 years, and it is maybe the most practical keyboard to start with. Light (5kg!!) cheap (got it for 480euros at the time) and has some great organ sounds and a few nice synths. Piano is OK (I like the bass part in the Juno-D piano). ------------- https://soundcloud.com/why-music Prog trio, from ambiant to violence https://soundcloud.com/m0n0-film Film music and production projects https://soundcloud.com/fadisaliba (almost) everything else |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: May 07 2010 at 12:17
My first synth was a  Currently using an old  It survived the house flood barely. Just the bottom right corner got water. The onboard patch bank got messed up, but the plug in memory card is still totally fine. Still need to go in and manually restore the on board patches as the only program I had never worked quite right past Windows 3.1, come to think of it, it didn't work well with 3.1 either.  ------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
|
Posted By: StrengthandWisdom
Date Posted: May 13 2010 at 01:23
I don't really care about Piano itself. I'm mostly interested in keyboard for synthesizers, and keys in heavy metal, which is mostly used for ambiance. I don't care to be a technical player like Rick Wakeman. I would like to be a prog musician though..or maybe get into electronic. |
Posted By: StrengthandWisdom
Date Posted: May 13 2010 at 12:33
|
Here's an e-mail I got from Clive Nolan when I asked him a few questions about it. "Did I have lessons?... Well, my parents were both piano teachers, so I grew up with that all around me. However, I chose to study the violin and the cello. Nevertheless, i was always p[laying around on the piano, and I certainly took a 'classical' education when it came to reading music etc. I remember quite late in my school time, I discovered rock music in general. I had no idea what Progressive Rock was but I guess I fell naturally into that style. I chose keyboards because i couldn't play any of the other standard rock instruments...;) There is a lot to be said for learning to read and understand music, but that doesn't need to stop your progress as a keyboard player... it can just make things easier the understanding of harmony etc). Best advice... if you love it... do it!..;) Cheers Clive" |