Why start with E key on boards with 76 keys?

[35miles]

Sorry if this is an old topic, but I didn't see anything on it.

 

I noticed that a lot of boards with 76 keys, they start on E and end on G. I'm wondering why this is the case. Why not start on C, like most 61 key keyboards, or even A, like a piano or boards with 88 keys?

 

Also, you guys with years of playing experience, what starting key do you prefer, why?

[tonyrobbins]

becuase .... uhhhh mmmmmmm well .. .. . ...mmmm well you know..

well its like .o.k .. can you hold for a minute?

[35miles]

becuase .... uhhhh mmmmmmm well .. .. . ...mmmm well you know.. well its like .o.k .. can you hold for a minute?

 

next...

[mate_stubb]

Historical reason is that the Fender Rhodes did it first, it was a big hit, and now that has kind of become the standard range for 76 note keyboards.

[augerinn]

Dunno why, but I'm finally used to it.

 

Left hand knows pinky will hit low E. Right hand was really baffled for a while though, having that G up there right all buy itself right after a single black key. Works really good for C pentatonic though, doing the tilde turnaround with the F#/G.

[Ultimate DJ]

becuase .... uhhhh mmmmmmm well .. .. . ...mmmm well you know.. well its like .o.k .. can you hold for a minute?

 

this just made me crack up! thanks dude!

 

srry man i just dnt hav a clue!

 

 

dj

[Tomkeen]

Sorry if this is an old topic, but I didn't see anything on it. I noticed that a lot of boards with 76 keys, they start on E and end on G. I'm wondering why this is the case. Why not start on C, like most 61 key keyboards, or even A, like a piano or boards with 88 keys? Also, you guys with years of playing experience, what starting key do you prefer, why?

 

Maybe it's useful when playing with guitarists, because they tend to play a lot in E ?

[evildragon]

I don't know. I like piano's A-A range.

 

Haven't tried the M3-73 C-C range, it would probably be awkward for me because I prefer playing in d-minor.

[eric]

The primary reason for E-G on a 76 note board is that it keeps middle C in the same place as you would find it on an 88 note board, right in the middle. If you go here and look at the 88, 76 and 61 key versions of the Motif XS (just an example), you can see that middle C lines up in just about exactly the same place under the display across all three units.

 

This would probably be a huge benefit to folks that are visually impaired.

 

I personally dig the A-C configuration for 76 note boards, as it replicates the same key range as an 88, simply minus one octave. I find this would be useful for muscle memory at the bottom of the keyboard and the top (e.g. I know if I pound the lowest octave on an 88, I'm getting an A). Only a couple of 76 note boards have done the A-C range, such as the Sequential Prophet T8. More recently, this was done on the Infinite Response VAX-77, which I checked out at NAMM.

[evildragon]

 

More recently, this was done on the Infinite Response VAX-77, which I checked out at NAMM.

 

 

How was it?

[pogo97]

 

the Infinite Response VAX-77, which I checked out at NAMM.

 

 

yeah, how was it?

[35miles]

The primary reason for E-G on a 76 note board is that it keeps middle C in the same place as you would find it on an 88 note board, right in the middle. If you go here and look at the 88, 76 and 61 key versions of the Motif XS (just an example), you can see that middle C lines up in just about exactly the same place under the display across all three units. This would probably be a huge benefit to folks that are visually impaired. I personally dig the A-C configuration for 76 note boards, as it replicates the same key range as an 88, simply minus one octave. I find this would be useful for muscle memory at the bottom of the keyboard and the top (e.g. I know if I pound the lowest octave on an 88, I'm getting an A). Only a couple of 76 note boards have done the A-C range, such as the Sequential Prophet T8. More recently, this was done on the Infinite Response VAX-77, which I checked out at NAMM.

 

Thanks. Being new to keys, my mind is a sponge.

[Cydonia]

 

I noticed that a lot of boards with 76 keys, they start on E and end on G. I'm wondering why this is the case. Why not start on C, like most 61 key keyboards, or even A, like a piano or boards with 88 keys? Also, you guys with years of playing experience, what starting key do you prefer, why?

 

 

My view is that most 76-key keyboards start on E simply because it makes sense for a keyboardist playing with other musicians in a band context - and as what we refer to as "E1" is normally the lowest note that can come out from the bass player on a 4-string bass/double-bass with standard tuning.

 

88-key keyboards start on A because traditionally a pianist playing in an orchestra context could then have the whole register/compass of the other instruments at its disposal (conductors and orchestral composers often used the piano for this reason). At the low end, the contrabassoon can go as low as "A0" using an extension (even though usually Bb0), whereas at the high end you have the piccolo, which highest note also happen to be the last C on the piano keyboard.

 

Of course, we now see acoustic pianos with even wider ranges, like the B