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purplepiper View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Best Instrument for Solo Composition?
    Posted: June 19 2007 at 21:25
I like to use acoustic guitar, as like piano, it is a very visual instrument. I don't play piano at all though, so I naturally choose guitar. I think acoustic guitar and piano are the best for composition, whichever fits you best.
for those about to prog, we salute you.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 10 2007 at 07:58
I have a GR30 synthesizer that I use with my guitar. The only problem is I am spoilt for choice. It comes with great samples. If, for example, you want to play sax then bending notes on the guitar gives you the authentic bends that acoustic driven instruments can best provide. You can even play lead guitar to the chords of the synthesizer.

Even still it is worth getting a keyboard to play as well...
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 06 2007 at 16:51
Get a Mac and use their free Garage Band. 
 
Get a midi controller for your guitar and/or a midi keyboard, poof you are ready to compose by recording audio/midi and using loops and grooves.
 
Cut n paste the parts, moving them stretching them, key shifting them.
 
so fast and easy to arrainge with.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 15 2007 at 20:14

I think all instruments are good and enough for solos, but it depends of musician's skills

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 17 2007 at 12:33
i'm not a good enough keyboard player to follow the above discussion, using it mostly as a rhythm instrument, but as a good singer I can tell you that being able to accompany yourself with a sung melody is worth its weight in compositional gold and to me more important than the instrument you're using.

unless it's woodwind, I suppose it's a bitch to sing along there
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 17 2007 at 12:25
Originally posted by Tigerthink Tigerthink wrote:

Originally posted by Angelo Angelo wrote:

Eh, I suggest you keep the guitar AND get a keyboard next to it, or even better, a piano if you can afford it.


It seems like it would be easier to play fast with nonweighted keys.  And I can make the keyboard sound like almost anything I want.  What advantages does the piano have, aside from an authentic live sound?


That's subjective I guess. For me the piano works better specifically because of the weighted keys (the challenge of doing something that requires you to balance speed and technique), and it saves you from the temptation to make it sound like something else - there are no buttons to do that Wink.


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 17 2007 at 11:54
Originally posted by Tigerthink Tigerthink wrote:

Originally posted by Angelo Angelo wrote:

Eh, I suggest you keep the guitar AND get a keyboard next to it, or even better, a piano if you can afford it.


It seems like it would be easier to play fast with nonweighted keys.  And I can make the keyboard sound like almost anything I want.  What advantages does the piano have, aside from an authentic live sound?
 
Well as a lifelong pianist, I just feel at home with a weighted keyboard.  I have weighted and non-weighted boards and both have their place.  My little Korg Prophecy is light and fast for those ripping solos, the Alesis weighted board is fantastic for expression, and not just for piano sounds but also for lush pads and highly synthetic sounds too.  And of course you have 88 keys and don't (very often) find yourself running out of notes
 
My 5 octave EMU is great for Organ, being fast and semi-weighted. - It also has a killer Keith Emerson C3 type sound with the right amount of "haze" and "spit"
 
I would love to learn another instrument, but being an old fart, I just wouldn't have the patience now.  Keys will just have to do me.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 13 2007 at 20:43
Stick with the guitar, it's a much more compelling instrument to listen to.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 13 2007 at 20:32

I agree with red sector. Sometimes an instrument will inspire you. If you have a guitar and keys handy, sometimes you'll want to play one, sometimes the other.

A piano can be great but a guitar is much more portable.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 12 2007 at 18:26
to answer the question in your thread title, it all depends on how good the player is. doesn't matter what instrument you play or not.

just think, if you got good at both guitar and piano, you could write a piece on each, and use the other to compliment the first in each piece. a guitar driven song with a nice piano work, or vice versa.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 12 2007 at 16:37
Eh, people forgot to mention the most important. And that is, what kind of music are you going to do? I personally compose all my solo songs with my guitar, but am getting a keyboard too because I want to make some music that is a bit different. These two are completely different instruments, and say, you can't really compose a piano-song with a guitar or the other way around. At least it's difficult.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 12 2007 at 14:35
Originally posted by Angelo Angelo wrote:

Eh, I suggest you keep the guitar AND get a keyboard next to it, or even better, a piano if you can afford it.


It seems like it would be easier to play fast with nonweighted keys.  And I can make the keyboard sound like almost anything I want.  What advantages does the piano have, aside from an authentic live sound?
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 12 2007 at 13:44
Originally posted by Snow Dog Snow Dog wrote:

Dustbin lids.


Thus spake Animal the Drum Muppet LOL
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 12 2007 at 13:43
Also bass is an excellent instrument and very diverse if you know how to use it correctly. But, he's a guitarist so, let him try the keyboards and then advance with some other instrument.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 12 2007 at 13:41
Originally posted by MadcapLaughs84 MadcapLaughs84 wrote:

I think that the keyboards are a real help for music theory, in my opinion is the most complete instrument. So, if you can with both instruments go ahead, or you can use one of them only as a support for composition.



I agree. Keyboards are a big help for music theory. I would expand to other music instruments. I play bass as well and that could be a better choice for a support to keyboards than the guitar.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 12 2007 at 13:38
I think that the keyboards are a real help for music theory, in my opinion is the most complete instrument. So, if you can with both instruments go ahead, or you can use one of them only as a support for composition.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 12 2007 at 13:34
Go with both instruments. Being able to play more than one will help you with your solo stuff since you don't need to rely on anyone for that instrument.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 12 2007 at 09:04
Dustbin lids.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 12 2007 at 09:01
I play solo with just a keyboard. Due to multitracking (keyboard feature) and many different sounds, I can substitute drums (not very recommended), bass, and guitar and write full songs by doing that by just pressing play on what I recorded on the keyboard, hold up the mic and record.

I recommend keyboards, but don't be afraid to pick up another instrument. For prog, guitar and flute could be very useful.




Edited by Zitro - January 12 2007 at 09:02
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toolis View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 12 2007 at 07:54

i'll go with piano too...
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sometimes amateurs turn us on, even more...



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