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THE COMPLETEKEYBOARDISTA Guide for Musical Improvement

GEAR &SOUNDS

MUSICALARTISTRY

PLAYINGTECHNIQUE

Sometimes the answer lies notin practicing more, but in

simply having a clear vision ofwhere you’d like to go.

Do you ever feel frustrated that you’re notadvancing musically as quickly as you want? Or do you perhaps feel stuck playing thesame way over and over?

I’ve assembled this guide to help you assess where you are rightnow and share some insight on what your next level of keyboardplaying might look like. In this guide, we will explore beginner, intermediate, andadvanced levels for three categories: 1) Keyboard technique, 2)Gear and sounds, and 3) Musical artistry. Each section will give background information, then point youtoward tutorial videos you can watch on YouTube. Some videos you may have seen and others not. You don’t needto go through the whole guide and certainly not every video. But my hope is that by putting them together in a logicalsequence, you will find something that will unlock your mosthelpful and needed instruction. As always, please let me know if you have any questions or if thereis something else I can do to help you advance as a keyboardplayer! Peter p. 3 p. 8 p. 12

SECTION 1: TECHNIQUEBEGINNER

In most modern music, the keyboardist plays from achord chart. The first step is interpreting what notes toplay based on the chord symbols. If you would like acheat sheet that gives you the notes for each chord,you can find one here in my Music Theory Guidebook -click here. While you’re learning the notes, however,pay attention to how the chords relate to each other -it will pay off later. This video (the very firstOurWorshipSound video!) shows what I mean.

As you are developing confidencein playing the chord notes, the nextsteps are learning to play the notes indifferent orders (inversions), addingthe left hand, and creating rhythm.

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https://youtube.com/watch?v=KZ_Ag8IES2Ahttps://youtu.be/_oncuqCRRPohttp://ourworshipsound.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Music-Theory-Guidebook-OurWorshipSound.pdf

Once you understand thebasics of chords, it’s time tospice them up a bit. Thereis ONE BIG KEY to knowingwhat to do with chords. Can you guess what it’scalled? That’s right - it’s thekey. Knowing the key andcorresponding scale of asong unlocks several bigconnections and the abilityto transpose, play by ear,alter chords, and addmelodies. You can take thefirst step this this video.

SECTION 1: TECHNIQUEINTERMEDIATE

Finding a song’s key is not always aclear-cut process. There are two basicways to get there, and sometimes youneed to use them in combination. Thisvideo breaks down the process.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzFVVB8bMFUhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chPWBhHANmU

Music teachers like to hammer on theimportance of knowing scales.  At this point,you don’t need to be able to play scales withblindingly fast technique.  But you will benefitgreatly from knowing how to form the scalesfor each key and how to keep track of whatsharps and flats are in each one.  This videoshows the easiest way I’ve found to keep track.

SECTION 1: TECHNIQUEINTERMEDIATE

In the beginner section, I talked aboutchoosing chord inversions to minimize

movement around the keyboard. There isone more skill that fits in the intermediatecategory: choosing inversions that create

interesting melodic movement. Click on thelink below to take you to the portion of a

video that discusses this skill. 5

https://youtu.be/ebGmSJW8QtAhttps://youtu.be/cvX-2yGR8LI

In my mind, the best way to go beyond the written chordsis to play melodically. With this method, you either addmelodic notes in between your chords or just allow theleft hand to outline the chords and play only melodieswith the right hand. It’s best to start with a small numberof scale notes and go from there.

Click on this video and watch about sixty seconds foranother quick demonstration of melodic playing:

SECTION 1: TECHNIQUEADVANCED

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dm1T02VKXkbhttps://youtu.be/9jonFe-nrAU?t=471

SECTION 1: TECHNIQUEADVANCED

When you’re growing into advanced levels of keyboardplaying, a lot of it is about hearing and learning chordsand riffs.  When you find something you like, you needto learn to own it and make it something you can playin different songs, whenever it feels right. Here is ahelpful process to help you do this.

As an advanced player, you want to make sure you’reshoring up any weak areas of your technique. As youdo, muscle memory is your friend, as you learn toexecute your technique more and more efficiently.Here are some tips to help grow your muscle memory:

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https://youtu.be/wrz63NetYMwhttps://youtu.be/zpTdRy-reqE

There’s a difference betweenpianists and keyboardists.  Inaddition to piano technique,keyboardists are responsible forplaying great sounds.  In thissection, we will talk about soundtechniques and how to set up yourgear to ensure your playing hasmaximum impact.

Nothing will detract from your performancelike poor sound quality.  Hissing, crackling,

humming, and distortion can ruin even thebest playing.  Step one to fixing some of

these issues lies with proper gain staging. You will want to check and periodically

recheck your keyboard setup to make sureyou are practicing these concepts.

SECTION 2: GEAR & SOUNDSBEGINNER

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZ0OaeTG0rQ

There is no video for this part, butthere are some gear tips to insert inthis section.

Most keyboards have stereo (left and right) outputs. Whenplugging into a sound system, I always aim to connect bothchannels to the main mixer. Even if the final mix output ismono (which is not unusual), sending both channels fromyour keyboard will ensure that the full sound output will beheard.  For a clean, hum-free sound, you want to send anisolated and balanced signal to the main mixer.  To do this,connect your keyboard’s output into a direct box (use twoof them for stereo). Direct boxes (like this:https://amzn.to/2SbCIcX ) will isolate any ground hum, andthe balanced output is less susceptible to outsideinterference.  When using an amp with a sound system,connect first to the direct box and send the balancedoutput to the main mixer.  Then, you can use the other1/4-inch connector on your direct box to connect a cableto your amp.

For a clean, hum-free sound, you want tosend an isolated and balanced signal to themain mixer.  To do this, connect yourkeyboard’s output into a direct box (use twoof them for stereo). Direct boxes (like this:https://amzn.to/2SbCIcX) will isolate anyground hum, and the balanced output is lesssusceptible to outside interference.

SECTION 2: GEAR & SOUNDSBEGINNER

Most keyboards have stereo ( left andright) outputs. When plugging into asound system, I a lways aim to connectboth channels to the main mixer. Evenif the f inal mix output is mono (which isnot unusual ) , sending both channelsfrom your keyboard wi l l ensure that theful l sound output wi l l be heard.

When using an amp with a soundsystem, connect f i rst to the directbox and send the balanced outputto the main mixer. Then, you canuse the other 1/4- inch connector onyour direct box to connect a cableto your amp.

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https://amzn.to/2SbCIcX

SECTION 2: GEAR & SOUNDSINTERMEDIATE

The first sound to add toyour main keyboardsound (e.g. piano orelectric piano) is a padsound. A pad is thesustained wash ofsound that glues a mixtogether. The easiestway to add a pad soundis to play a dronerecording for the key ofyour sound. This videoshows how.

Once you’ve learnedto layer a pad soundwith your piano, youcan use the filtersetting to widelyvary the tonequality, addingdynamics to yoursound. Here’s how:

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https://youtu.be/YePFZ-VaM98https://youtu.be/nCR_9hdg6mo

Computers add an incredible amount of ability to playgreat sounds.  I love to use Apple’s Mainstage softwareand have transitioned toward using it for all my soundswhen I play live. I have learned several tricks forsmooth performances. This video shows how I set updifferent layers to progress dynamically through a songfor greater impact.

I have some additional resources to help you withMainstage. 

Once you decide that Mainstage isright for you, the Mainstage KeyboardCourse will save you loads of time.

Most of the sounds I use areones I’ve developed myself. You

can get them here.

The first is a free mini-course: Get Started With Mainstage

SECTION 2: GEAR & SOUNDSINTERMEDIATE

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https://youtu.be/T22LafGbJAshttp://getstartedwithmainstage.com/https://ourworshipsound.com/mainstagecoursehttps://ourworshipsound.com/synthlayers2https://ourworshipsound.com/mainstagecoursehttps://ourworshipsound.com/synthlayers2http://getstartedwithmainstage.com/

Since our end goal is to move peopleemotionally, solid technique and greatsounds aren’t enough without musicalartistry.  Here’s where we’ll talk abouthow to carry a sense of artistry in yourplaying. Though our specific medium ischurch/worship music, many of thesetips are more generally applicable.

Often, the musical fit in a momentisn’t something on the chart, and achord progression you create willfeel best.

SECTION 3: ARTISTRYBEGINNER

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOtKxqu1zAs

One of the best ways to express emotion in your playingis to create dynamic changes.  This video shows what Imean.

The rhythms you choose can also carry asense of emotion and artistry.  Here is avery simple rhythmic technique thatcreates a musical tension and resolutionwith every chord.

SECTION 3: ARTISTRYBEGINNER

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https://youtu.be/O-8Q92TzwBwhttps://youtu.be/s0f70Y6ZROE

I’ll say it again: rhythm isvery important to yoursense of musical artistry. You can’t have too manyrhythmic techniques inyour repertoire. Here areten ideas to explore.

Musical artistry requiressensitivity. Here are sometips for controlling yourplaying and your soundsthat will help you tosensitively and artisticallysupport what’s going onaround you.

Maintaining a musicalmoment requires smoothsong transitions.  Often,the keyboard player is theone responsible for thosetransitions.  Key changescreate challenges, buthere are some strategiesfor making them easier.

SECTION 3: ARTISTRYINTERMEDIATE

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nodGvcW5XcEhttps://youtu.be/PNwRyC-HeKIhttps://youtu.be/x6fuMyvSGjA

Artistic keyboard playingrequires great sounds,but your artistic impactalso depends on beingin complete control ofthem.  That can be quitethe task when you alsohave to play difficultparts or even sing! Hereis one way to set upsound patches for quickand easy changes. Thistutorial uses Mainstage,but you can apply thegeneral concepts toother technology.

If you are akeyboardist who isalso in charge oftriggering backingtracks and/or loops,you can streamlineyour sound patchchanges by setting upyour differentsoftware applicationsto talk to each other.

SECTION 3: ARTISTRYADVANCED

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https://youtu.be/3yQyFmdPWpYhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pal0x9E6FXY

THANK YOUfor viewing this guide! 

For complete keyboard instruction, check out:

Fluent Piano video courses: Chords, Melodic, and Background

The Mainstage Keyboard Course

Custom Mainstage sounds

from OurWorshipSound

© 2020 Peter Thompson / OurWorshipSound  All rights reserved.

http://fluentpiano.com/http://fluentpiano.com/http://fluentpiano.com/https://ourworshipsound.com/mainstagecoursehttps://ourworshipsound.com/synthlayers2https://ourworshipsound.com/synthlayers2