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Post subject: Anyone else play keyboards? -check out my latest acquisition
Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 5:39 am
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Aspiring Musician
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Location: Richmond, VA
I know this is a Fender site, and we're all diehard Fender fans. I don't exactly have a Fender Rhodes, but I did recently pick up a very nice, hardly used, Yamaha DGX-505 "Portable Grand" full size, 88 key, keyboard from an older friend of mine. He gave me such a deal on the price, I couldn't turn it down! :mrgreen:

It's an older model and discontinued (they now make the DGX-630 as the top of the line model), but is still packed with so many bells and whistles, it blows the mind!
http://usa.yamaha.com/products/musical-instruments/keyboards/digitalkeyboards/dgx_series/dgx-505/?mode=model

Thank God he included the original owners manual and assorted paperwork from Yamaha, so I was able to "RTFM" and try to figure out all the buttons, settings, functions, etc... 8)

I made a You Tube video of myself jamming on it by ear at first, and then trying to play a simple tune (Danny Boy) by sight reading piano sheet music and trying to learn to get my hands to talk to one another. For all you multi-instrumentalists out there, look in the background of my video... You'll see my Fender Stratocaster, my Samick bass, my trombone, my trumpet, my old 50's Euphonium (Baritone) that I picked up off Craigslist, and on the other side (not quite seen behind the keyboard and darkened out by the curtains, and all in their cases), my 12 string acoustic, my mandolin, my violin, my clarinet, and even an old marching band mellophone!



Anyone have any tips on getting better on keyboards and most importantly, getting my hands to "play nice" with each other and communicate musically? I can do it by ear as seen, but playing for real with a piece of sheet music is another story.


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Post subject: Re: Anyone else play keyboards? -check out my latest acquisi
Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 6:00 am
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ButchA wrote:
Anyone have any tips on getting better on keyboards and most importantly, getting my hands to "play nice" with each other and communicate musically?

Usually the problem is the exact opposite - to get the hands to operate independently.

My advice is to find a piece of music where you can play a repetitive and very simple bass line - just a few notes that doesn't require moving your hand or changing fingering. Then play the melody on top of it. After a while, change the melody a bit. Or change the bass line a bit. Take a pause with either hand.

For sheet music, start out with something that also has chords listed in addition to the G and F clefs. Since you play the guitar, chords are very useful hints to get the bass line right. And get some practice books that you'll actually like. If you buy what the store recommends, chances are you'll end up playing "baah baah black sheep" and "twinkle twinkle little star", and pull your hair out in frustration. Because most of what's out there are going to be books for kids.

Once you get a little more comfortable, a keyboard amp or pair of powered studio monitors will help a lot. The built-in speakers of "composer" keyboards are, quite frankly, not very good. They're like hooking a guitar up to a $29 Honeytone toy amp - better than nothing, but not anywhere near the real sound these things can create. Hooked up to decent amp/speakers, the "Portable Grand Piano" of even the lower end Yamahas can sound really really nice.


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Post subject: Re: Anyone else play keyboards? -check out my latest acquisi
Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 6:59 am
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ah well on the journey you go!!

I started out playing piano in late 2004.. for the first 2 or so years, I hit it really hard, and I practiced constantly, and took lessons. even now, I'll go thru stages where I will play more piano than guitar (I've been playing guitar since I was 10.. so 47 years, not to date myself)


the hardest thing was to get the left hand/right hand independence to work. It just.. takes... time... The more you do it, the quicker you will progress.

Arth1 is spot on in his reply.. I can't really add more advice, IMO he nailed it.

If you can,, I would consider hooking up with a teacher for a few months,.. then try to digest the lessons, then after 6 months of self study, go back.


Be patient. it's a wonderful instrument, I love piano, and I can now easily play any number of solo pieces, (some classical, some of the "new age" stuff, as well as a number of songs I've written) I was really happy that I took the step.


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Post subject: Re: Anyone else play keyboards? -check out my latest acquisi
Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 8:44 am
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The DGX series has some pretty cool sounds. I used to have a Fender Chroma Polaris and Korg M1, but now use a Korg X-50.

One of the things that helped me learn is playing melodies. I would
learn them and then try to play them well in every key. It sharpens
up your 'feel' and flexibility using various inversions of
the chords with the melody constantly using different keys.

Listen to and try to play along with a wide variety of music. This also
helps you to find patches that come close to the sounds that you're
hearing (B3, Wurly, Clavinet, Rhodes, etc).

Lastly, try to download some backing tracks and work on your
ad-lib skills. It all comes down to practice. It might not seem
like it at times, but you will keep getting better if you stick with it.

Good luck!

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Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!


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Post subject: Re: Anyone else play keyboards? -check out my latest acquisi
Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 3:19 pm
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Thanks guys...

Yeah, playing keyboards is way more difficult than playing guitar. Or maybe it's just my strange perception. I mean, on a guitar you can finger pick with your right hand and play various notes and chords with your left hand, and both are working independently. But trying to do something similar on keyboards/piano is hard!

I agree about the "Keyboard/Piano Book 1" type of music books... I will NOT sit there and play "I've Been Working On The Railroad" or "Mary Had A Little Lamb" or something so ridiculously easy, that I'd get frustrated. But then again, I don't need something like the complete works of Tchaikovsky or Beethoven, that would be so far advanced and so over my head, that I'd probably give up.


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Post subject: Re: Anyone else play keyboards? -check out my latest acquisi
Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 4:03 pm
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ButchA wrote:
I agree about the "Keyboard/Piano Book 1" type of music books... I will NOT sit there and play "I've Been Working On The Railroad" or "Mary Had A Little Lamb" or something so ridiculously easy, that I'd get frustrated. But then again, I don't need something like the complete works of Tchaikovsky or Beethoven, that would be so far advanced and so over my head, that I'd probably give up.

What's wrong with Mary Had a Little Lamb? :D




There's plenty of good rock music for piano too, that's not too advanced, but sounds good. And you can do the rhythm guitar and guitar solos on your guitar. Being able to play all parts of a song is strangely satisfying. Now if only I could play drums too...


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Post subject: Re: Anyone else play keyboards? -check out my latest acquisi
Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 4:09 pm
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"The pipes are a-callin', laddie!"

I don't have any tips to offer but that is trés kewl, Bruce!

I've often thought about picking up an inexpensive keyboard for my studio -- perhaps your intrepid journey will inspire me at some point.

RAWK ON!

8)

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


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Post subject: Re: Anyone else play keyboards? -check out my latest acquisi
Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 4:15 pm
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Retroverbial wrote:
"The pipes are a-callin', laddie!"

I don't have any tips to offer but that is trés kewl, Bruce!

I've often thought about picking up an inexpensive keyboard for my studio -- perhaps your intrepid journey will inspire me at some point.

RAWK ON!

8)

Arjay


What's cheaper than a Casio? Touche'! :lol:


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Post subject: Re: Anyone else play keyboards? -check out my latest acquisi
Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 4:20 pm
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Incredible though it may be, I've seen some nice Yamaha's and Korg's on my local C/L......many of them $200 or less.

Casio's are toys, for children.

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


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Post subject: Re: Anyone else play keyboards? -check out my latest acquisi
Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 4:22 pm
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ButchA wrote:
Thanks guys...

Yeah, playing keyboards is way more difficult than playing guitar. Or maybe it's just my strange perception. I mean, on a guitar you can finger pick with your right hand and play various notes and chords with your left hand, and both are working independently. But trying to do something similar on keyboards/piano is hard!

I agree about the "Keyboard/Piano Book 1" type of music books... I will NOT sit there and play "I've Been Working On The Railroad" or "Mary Had A Little Lamb" or something so ridiculously easy, that I'd get frustrated. But then again, I don't need something like the complete works of Tchaikovsky or Beethoven, that would be so far advanced and so over my head, that I'd probably give up.


Sounds like "Mary Had A Little Lamb" and "I've Been Working On The Railroad" are right in your wheelhouse. :idea:


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Post subject: Re: Anyone else play keyboards? -check out my latest acquisi
Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 4:23 pm
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Retroverbial wrote:
Incredible though it may be, I've seen some nice Yamaha's and Korg's on my local C/L......many of them $200 or less.

Casio's are toys, for children.

Arjay


Do they make paper cut-out keyboards for like a buck or two? :lol:


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Post subject: Re: Anyone else play keyboards? -check out my latest acquisi
Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 4:47 pm
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Retroverbial wrote:
Casio's are toys, for children.

Yeah, children like Jean-Michel Jarre and They Might Be Giants.
There's absolutely no reason for you to act a snob when you don't even play keyboards.


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Post subject: Re: Anyone else play keyboards? -check out my latest acquisi
Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 6:58 pm
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That's very true that Casio's are not a toy, but I will admit... They are at the low end of the scale though. Casio's can be bought anywhere for like $100 or $150 and up. They are not of the same quality or sound as Korg, Yamaha, and Roland.


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