Members mstreck Posted November 6, 2012 Members Share Posted November 6, 2012 ... I would appreciate any tips for setting up at a gig. Do you keep your keyboard right in front of you so you're constantly behind it, or do you have it off to the side so that you need to turn away from the audience to play it. Neither seems all that appealing. So what do you do? Thanks! Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tlbonehead Posted November 6, 2012 Members Share Posted November 6, 2012 My bass player does both. He is always behind it, whether playing bass or keys. Its pretty easy as a 3-piece though. He has his whole side of the stage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members twostone Posted November 6, 2012 Members Share Posted November 6, 2012 So when playing KBs do you have to look at the keys? so does it matter if you front or side if your watching your hands press which keys that need to be pressed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mstreck Posted November 6, 2012 Author Members Share Posted November 6, 2012 Originally Posted by twostone So when playing KBs do you have to look at the keys? so does it matter if you front or side if your watching your hands press which keys that need to be pressed? Depends on what parts I'm playing, haha! I'll have two keyboards stacked on a single stand, and I really don't want to spend all night hiding behind them. I spend most of my time on guitar, at least for now, so I'm thinking of maybe setting it up at a 45-degree angle kinda off to the side, faced away from stage center and out of my way for most of the night. I have a couple of weeks to figure it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kmart Posted November 6, 2012 Members Share Posted November 6, 2012 Think 45 degree angle, not 90... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mstreck Posted November 6, 2012 Author Members Share Posted November 6, 2012 Originally Posted by kmart Think 45 degree angle, not 90... Haha! Great minds! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members twostone Posted November 6, 2012 Members Share Posted November 6, 2012 I really don't want to spend all night hiding behind them. QUOTE]Well there you ago you answered your own question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members n9ne Posted November 6, 2012 Members Share Posted November 6, 2012 Last weekend was my first time I incorporating a keyboard at a gig. I set up the keyboard just outside of my mic stand at a 45 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tlbonehead Posted November 6, 2012 Members Share Posted November 6, 2012 Originally Posted by kmart Think 45 degree angle, not 90... yes, definitely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Miko Man Posted November 6, 2012 Members Share Posted November 6, 2012 To the extent that you can set the guitar/keys player on stage right with the keyboard further SR, the better it will be (assuming a right-handed player). The keyboard at 60 degrees to the front of the stage might help too. Mark C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mstreck Posted November 6, 2012 Author Members Share Posted November 6, 2012 Originally Posted by Miko Man To the extent that you can set the guitar/keys player on stage right with the keyboard further SR, the better it will be (assuming a right-handed player). The keyboard at 60 degrees to the front of the stage might help too. Mark C. That's my situation. And that sounds like a very viable solution. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members madjack Posted November 6, 2012 Members Share Posted November 6, 2012 I use swell and sustain pedals with my keys and a pedal board for guitar so doesn't work for me to set keys facing audience. Usually set keys perpendicular facing sidestage for ease of change and movement flow to rest of band. I also set up two vox mics for ease of switching. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ggm1960 Posted November 7, 2012 Members Share Posted November 7, 2012 I can't play anything less than an 88 anymore so space is often an issue and I like to do a lot of keys, in fact, I'd prefer to chuck the guitar and just do keys so the keys for me are always front and center. Many is the time that I'll be switching between guitar and keys during the same song and I'm using the same vocal mic either way. It's also important that they are positioned where I can look over at the rest of the group. I've found it's very difficult to try and place the keys at an angle because 90% of the time stage depth is a bigger issue than width and it's easy to get oneself blocked in. The answer is sure to be different for everyone and probably depends mostly on how much keyboarding you're going to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Consume Posted November 7, 2012 Members Share Posted November 7, 2012 Do like Kerry Livgren of Kansas! LOLhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wveGtAQk6Ko Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dan88z Posted November 7, 2012 Members Share Posted November 7, 2012 Are you the only person on your side of the stage? If so, then set them up next to the drums, facing them, so they are at a 90 degree angle to the front of the stage. Then you have your guitar player room, and can still get to the keys easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WynnD Posted November 8, 2012 Members Share Posted November 8, 2012 I used to work with a guitarist who also played keys. He just played guitar behind his stand up keyboard. (I have never played keys standing up.) I play bass and keys at times. (Not in my current band.) And I would play the bass while standing behind the keyboard. So in our cases it was pretty much the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members New Trail Posted November 8, 2012 Members Share Posted November 8, 2012 Originally Posted by dan88z Are you the only person on your side of the stage? If so, then set them up next to the drums, facing them, so they are at a 90 degree angle to the front of the stage. Then you have your guitar player room, and can still get to the keys easy. I don't like the look of a guitar player playing guitar standing behind a keyboard, either.Maybe if there's enough room on the stage angle the keyboard slightly so you're at least sorta looking toward the audience? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wesg Posted November 8, 2012 Members Share Posted November 8, 2012 Maybe get a cordless guitar rig and walk out a few steps to look nice? Wynn -- you should try playing and standing. Unless you're trying to play really technical parts that are heavy on damper, you should be able to transition very quickly from sitting to standing. I believe that keyboard plays look better standing up. It's easier to connect with the audience. There's a guy on here ... ScottS? .. that has a really cool rig where his keyboard is angled down so the audience can see it, and his body/frace has more exposure when he's singing (boom stand). I think that's great presentation. Wes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tullsterx Posted November 8, 2012 Members Share Posted November 8, 2012 I always stand behind my keyboard. But I'm playing keys 85% of the time or so. I've wondered about it though. But most of the time I'm playing and singing so I couldn't really go anywhere anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members the_big_e Posted November 8, 2012 Members Share Posted November 8, 2012 Does a keytar address the problem? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarguy19 Posted November 9, 2012 Members Share Posted November 9, 2012 I'm stage left and play guitar 90+% of the time. My keys are to my left at almost a 90 deg angle to the stage. Standing behind them would kill crowd interaction for me plus it would take up the room I need for my pedal board. When I have room, I put it at a 45 deg angle. I agree it's not that appealing facing away from the audience, but as someone else mentioned I'm looking down at my hands pretty much the whole time anyway aside from the few moments I look up to check things out...so it doesn't matter. Stage presence for me on lead guitar is much more important. EDIT: Just check out my avatar!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mstreck Posted November 9, 2012 Author Members Share Posted November 9, 2012 Just check out my avatar!! Yeah, I was hoping to have it sit at a 45-60 degree angle, but I have a feeling that limited stage room is going to force it into a 90. I can only think of one or two places that we play where I can get away with anything other than a 90. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members New Trail Posted November 9, 2012 Members Share Posted November 9, 2012 Does a keytar address the problem? For me it wouldn't. I use a Nord Electro for B3 and piano sounds and I don't think a keytar would cut it for that. Maybe it would be okay as a synth solo instrument or for the novelty effect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted November 10, 2012 Members Share Posted November 10, 2012 Just depends on your style, I suppose. I play keys on probably 75-80% of the tunes (and play both keys and guitar on a few), so I set up like the pic in my avatar shows---the keys in front of me along the front line so when I put on the guitar I have the room to move across the stage. I now also have a third keyboard that sits off to my right forming an L-shaped keyboard set up. I also just opened up a box with my new keytar inside last night! I hope to use it 4-5 times a night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members PhilGould Posted November 10, 2012 Members Share Posted November 10, 2012 Usually at an angle to my left, as I'm left-handed and so my guitar is pointing right. That way my guitar neck isn't in the way when I need them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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