Playing with a keyboard player......

[Crescent Seven]

He had fun, but told us he couldn't afford to lug his gear around and become part of a 5 piece cover band - too much money to be made playing solo or in a midi-duo.

This is The Universal Truth of Keys and Horns Players.

[rhat]

I have a hard time finding a place for keys in a band with two guitar players, especially in a rock band.

It takes pretty good guitar players to leave enough space for keys. I think ex power trio guys are harder to play with than a two guitar band. At least with a two guitar band ,, they are used to sharing the musical hwy. The power trio guitar players are like southern drivers in an ice storm ..... they are all over the road. They drive me crazy ,,really good rhythm guitar players are getting harder to find I think.... rat

[Funkee1]

I play in a band with a brilliant keyboardist. As I have posted here, the only issue is that he steadfastly refuses to vary from the charts, and gets annoyed when any of the rest of us do.

Sometimes our singer likes to rearrange things on the fly. All the rest of us can listen and afjust, but he gets mad, and just stands behind his board with his arms crossed for a chorus or two.

[rhat]

I play in a band with a brilliant keyboardist. As I have posted here, the only issue is that he steadfastly refuses to vary from the charts, and gets annoyed when any of the rest of us do. Sometimes our singer likes to rearrange things on the fly. All the rest of us can listen and afjust, but he gets mad, and just stands behind his board with his arms crossed for a chorus or two.

 

 

He sounds like a pro ,, typically guys like that tend to like to have things come off like clockwork. I gave your stuff a listen ,,,,I dont know what kind of rig he uses , but if he is managing multiple boards , switching up his routine is a little more of a problem than for a bass player. Man when you hit a clam on a keyboard and come down on a full fisted chord thats wrong ,, its really ugly. My advice is to play like pros ,,,and make your sets and songs run like a swiss watch. You dont want to lose that keyboard player ,, because from what I heard ,,,, he wont have problems finding a new gig. Now i say that from the perspective of a keyboard guy ,,,, All of my giggin on keys was pre synth.... so i can only imagine what his issues are, but i am sure they are a little more complex than just playing bass or chuckin chords on a guitar. I dont even own a synth ,, i am a straight old school keyboard player ... where if you wanted horns ,,, we had real horn players. Today people expect that keyboard player to wear alot of hats .... so ya I can see why he gets pissed when you start freestyling on him. I hope this helps you understand his job a little better. I play bass and guitar too ,, and do some vocals. I pretty well understand how things work ...we were a 7 piece with horns ... so things had to be organized to make it work. rat

[no-logic]

I'm lucky. My keys guy doubles on guitar, so he has a better sense of dynamics.

Yup, here too. Our lead singer also plays keys and guitar. Unfortunately he is not real good at any of these.

[Funkee1]

He sounds like a pro ,, (snip)... I hope this helps you understand his job a little better. I play bass and guitar too ,, and do some vocals. I pretty well understand how things work ...we were a 7 piece with horns ... so things had to be organized to make it work. rat

 

 

 

Oh, I understand, believe me. I try to help him as much as possible when the singer changes up. I just sometimes feel caught in the middle.

 

Nah, I wouldn't trade places with him, nor would I try to make him leave.

 

Chain Reaction is a 7 piece with horns too.

[rhat]

Oh, I understand, believe me. I try to help him as much as possible when the singer changes up. I just sometimes feel caught in the middle. Nah, I wouldn't trade places with him, nor would I try to make him leave. Chain Reaction is a 7 piece with horns too.

 

 

 

well if your singer is going freestyle and pissing off the keyboard player that you want to keep. You need to talk to the singer. While he may think he is the star ,, without a band , he ends up in the kereoke bar. Just my opinion ,,, and I know how good that keyboard guy you have is. Hope this helps. rat

[coyote-1]

I did a duo thing with a singer last night. Just off the cuff, out of the RealBook on anything he knew the words to.

It didn't work out. I'm not that well-practiced a guitarist that I can follow a singer who has no sense of time. We did a few improvised blues that were cool, but any time I tried laying down a groove with complex chords he'd stay with it for perhaps a measure or two and then off he'd go.... it was frustrating. Especially because he's got a freakishly powerful voice, and if he hung in the groove he'd be awesome.

well if your singer is going freestyle and pissing off the keyboard player that you want to keep. You need to talk to the singer. While he may think he is the star ,, without a band , he ends up in the kereoke bar. Just my opinion ,,, and I know how good that keyboard guy you have is. Hope this helps. rat