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Don't Stop Believing options for playing without a full time keyboardist


azmyth

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We want to play this song. I'm the singer, but I can't play the keys and sing at the same time.

 

I've been practicing the intro which is really the only part I am super concerned with having as its so iconic.

 

I was thinking of trying to use a loop station or something to play it once, and then loop it. Then I get the "they actually played it" but without having to learn how to sing it and play it.. and its the only song we'd need it for so far and we don't want to hire a keyboard player for one song. any thoughts?

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Obviously having a piano is best for that song.  But, if you don't, we play it by breaking the piano part down into bass and guitar.  The bass does the "left hand" and the guitar on a clean setting does the "right hand".  The only part where it gets a little tricky is when the distorted electric guitar fill comes in.  Switching to that, getting the fill in, doing the dramatic Bom Booooommmmm, and then finishing off the verse takes practice to sound right.

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Some friends of mine do it with no keys at all. They start with just the guitar playing the bass line and chords, but with a slow, bluesy groove. (Think Tracy Chapman's Give Me One Reason, but replace the I-IV-V with the DSB chord progression.). The drums and bass do the swell and double-hit, then drop out until the full band kicks in at the chorus. . Works pretty well.

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We have TWO keyboard players playing this song and it's one of the big ones of the night, however one show two years ago neither of us was available. I was out of town on business and Richie our other player caught the beginning of the flu just before the show (on the way to the venue) two hours away. He couldn't finish the gig so the band had to play the song as a 4 piece. Our guitar player during the set break worked out the right hand parts and the bass player played the bass line. This was in a packed and popular club... the crowd couldn't have cared less. They sang right along with the song just as they had done 20 times before. I've seen alot of bands cover the song with the iPod option. They get through it. If you can sing the song and do it justice thr audience will be focused on the lead vocals and not the instrumentation. 

 

Just my $.02

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My .02: Do what u gotta do but please keep working at it until you can handle it by yourself in real time. It's doable and the next piano/vox tune will come easier. Take it slowly at first, with a click, and break it down little by little- maybe for beginners just start with right hand chords and have the bass carry the LH part.

 

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Piano Whore wrote:

 

My .02: Do what u gotta do but please keep working at it until you can handle it by yourself in real time. It's doable and the next piano/vox tune will come easier. Take it slowly at first, with a click, and break it down little by little- maybe for beginners just start with right hand chords and have the bass carry the LH part.

 


 

That's a good suggestion.

As simple as it is, I remember it taking me a bit of practice to get the right hand/left hand playing both parts like they should.  I can only imagine trying to sing as well as Steve Perry on top of it at the same time. 

 

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If you only need the keys for one song, just play a recording of the piano part. 

I was going to suggest you work on it, but, if you're not really interested in playing keys and don't need the keys for anything else, just play a recording and sing along.  

 

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