Quote:
Originally posted by WDMcM:
Quote:
Originally posted by DonM:
[b]I've even compromised somewhat by going back to a 61-note controller, even though Charles said on another post that only those that can't play very well can live with that.

Hi Don,

I started classical piano lessons at age 5, and then at 13 I moved to jazz improve. I went to college as a piano major. I can play pretty well. Lately I have been doing some blues gigs using my Genesys Pro mainly for acoustic and Rhodes piano sounds. I do sprinkle in the occasional brass, sax, clavinet, etc. but mostly piano. The reason I have been using the Genesys is because many of the places this band plays has very little room to set up in. I have taken my Promega 3 (88 note weighted) with me from time to time, but the extra length of the unit sometimes can be a problem. Sure I love having all 88 keys to work with, and weighted hammer action at that, however I think (actually I will go as far as saying I know) that more experienced players can make due with 61 keys. Yes it's nice to have all 88, or even 76, but a decent keyboard player can make 61 keys work just fine.

A while back the singer wanted to do Crazy. No one in the band had ever played it before (go figure) and I pretty much hate that song but unfortunately I knew it, so... The song went well and everybody loved it. Did anyone in the audience say, what's up with the piano part? Where were the rest of the notes? No. Granted, I would have liked to have had an extra lower octave when it came time for me to do a solo, although I did grab the octave down button once toward the end just for dramatics.

Less face it, an arranger instrument covers the bass part. And normally some of the accompaniment tracks are in the lower and upper registers, so the fact is having 76 or even worse 88 keys available to those who can't play very well only serves to muddy up the total sound because of their lack of experience in knowing what NOT to play.

"There, does that make you feel better?"

lol,

Dave



Dave, I was just taking a little subtle shot at cgiles, but he didn't take the bait!
I've been getting by with 61 keys for many years. Sure I prefer 76, but 61 will fool most of the people most of the time.

Thanks,
DonM
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DonM