I write all my songs on acoustic piano. I find myself doodling on an arranger and can never get anything finished. I do use the arranger, once my piece is assembled and basically use the drum only style.
ZUKI

Hi Wazza & Guy`s,
I would "Vote" for KB`s !
I luv the sound of the piano and the talent it takes to play one.
I`ve been playing KB`s for about twenty years and organs about twice that , so to me the KB and organ are almost the same.
You play a rythmic chord (left H) and melody with right.
When playing piano it almost like you need to have two right hands. For some reason when it comes to "manuals" (keys) the left hand just doesn`t do what it should for me so the organ and KB is a natural choice for me. And that is weird, because playing guitar is no problem getting the left hand to work , but when it comes to "key`s" it`s different and it has always puzzled me.
Either way if you can play both with equal talent then you have all the best. IMO
jedi

Jedi,
I have to agree with you on the guitar vs piano thing, I'm a guitar player both hands in motion no problem.....keyboard the left hand does not work as independently as it does on my guitar....hmmmm has puzzled me too.
jam on,
Terry

Hi Terry,
Glad to hear that I`m not alone. It has always seemed strange that a can get the "left" to work right when playing guitar, I`m no "Steve Howe" or "Eric Clapton" , but at least it (left hand) works (to a certain degree) when playing guitar. I have tried to play some piano songs like "Crime of the Century" and "Rudy" (Supertramp) aren`t too bad but nothing I would want to do in public. I don`t need "tomatos" that bad !! hahahaha Take care and do "jam-on"
jedi

I think the piano and keyboard are very different instruments (the apples & oranges comparison). If someone has learned to play on a piano, then the "feel" of the keyboard will be very different. Also, the way one plays is very different. The piano tries to play all the parts of an orchestra, but with the keyboard, the left hand, by playing a chord, has lots of orchestral help launched. I'm with Jedi on this. I learned on the accordion, then I played an organ for several years before a long gap. We have a piano in my house, but I couldn't play it very well at all. It's that left-hand thing. On the accordion, the left hand played the chords, but just by pressing buttons. The organ has more similarity to the keyboard as far as left hand playing goes. When I was learning on the accordion, I did all the scales and chords and exercises Scotty talked about, but it was my right-hand only. Accordion players are very big on knowing how to play full chords under a melody with one hand. I find the musical knowledge gained has transferred, but not so much the dexterity. On the accordion, all my chord playing with the right hand was while the "keyboard" was in a vertical position. On the arranger, the keyboard is horizontal. That's a major change for the position of the wrist. However, I haven't found that a great disadvantage, because I like to play a lot of the solo instruments (trumpet, sax, etc) with my right hand, and they sound best playing only a single note, not a chord. My left hand still isn't very agile in terms of being able to play a run up and down the keyboard, but it is getting much better at being able to instantly play any chord I want. So - the apples and oranges -- getting the most out of an arranger can mean playing it very differently than one would play a piano.

Terry, Jedi,
couldn't agree more. I can get by, fairly well with the left hand on a guitar, but as soon as I turn it over and put it on the lower keyboard register, all that intelligence and mobility promptly osmotes right out to the other [right] hand. I don't know why, but the darn thing [left hand] just sits there like it has never moved in its life (only ever with the fingers UP tho'). Beats me.

Probably a guitar thing.

For that reason I like the keys vs paino - nope, not a typo... that's how I feel about it, its a pain-o 'cus it hurts my left hand after I play it a while.

I especially prefer the arranger family..

Regards,
Steve


[This message has been edited by S0C9 (edited 11-14-2002).]

I'm with Tom and the KB guys, only because organ is where I started and the early analog synths are where my playing skills really evolved. I have never owned an acoustic piano, and although Im realize it isn't the same, I did have a dedicated electric with similar action ( the Yamaha CP 25 ). I can play an acoustic ok because it seems one way or another I've almost always had access to one , but there is no doubt that I am more expressive on a keyboard / organ because of the way I learned to play. No regrets either. When I was learning to play could have never imagined what was to become possible via midi and electronics. Some of the organs of the day had auto accomp, but there was nothing at that time to compare to what is available today.

AJ

Wazza...For me, I prefer and enjoy the piano more than a keyboard because for me, I enjoy the sound, smell and feel of an acoustic piano. When I'm home alone, and I sit down to create or simply play/practice...I always go to the acoustic before the PSR2000. In fact, I can go weeks without turning the PSR on, But can rarely go a day or two without tinkering to some extent on the acoustic. mainly, it's a combination of the elements I described...plus I find I can be more expressive on the acoustic. The dynamics of soft to loud, smooth/flowing to sticatto for me are more noticeable on the piano...I even think you can communicate attitudes and feelings better on the piano. My only experiene with keyboards is the PSR. I played organ in church as a kid, but was horrible at it. I couldn't make the music flow...it was too choppy and ragged. Now I'm sure it was all my doing, because I just can't get the technique down. It's like I'm uncoordinated....The PSR is better because of the sustain pedal ...but the key feel and lack of warmth (IMO, not factual by any means)always brings me back to the piano...Now, I'm not arranger bashing here on the forum...I practice different techniques on my PSR alot, and am beginning to gig with it next month...and slowly, I will integrate into my act more and more...it is exciting to be able to be a one man band...and have the band play the way you want it to, and I love the versatility of it...but in the end, If I was doing studio work and gigging with a band...I'd have synths/modules and an acoustic in my studio, and play the acoustic onstage. And leave the synth stuff to another keyboard player....that's the long and short of it. For me, like the keys themselves...it's black and white..no gray areas...but that's just me...

I'm a classically trained pianist. So I'm biased.

IMHO there is nothing to beat a good piano....

Except maybe a well sorted Hammond

Or something huge with pipes played by someone who can play the feet as well as the hands...

However, as a gigging musician my favoured options all have problems. Lets start with size and weight! Therefore I'm going around with a PSR2k. I set this up at home too. To create a "tune" that can be sung along to, or easily recognised, then the keyboard is much better. I do not play Beethoven sonatas on my PSR but I can't play Bossa Nova on a piano (not with the right atnosphere or feel, anyhow).

If I had to choose it would have to be a piano. But can I keep the keyboard on top just in case?

Keyboards. Another former Hammond organ player. Chords in the left hand with melody in the right hand comes easy for me. I am trying to teach myself piano, which is almost the opposite of keyboard/organ playing: bass in the left hand using single fingers, and chords in the right. I would love to play piano accompaniment properly. I love the sound of an acoustic piano, but I also love the sound of "The Beast with Hairy Balls" the Hammond B3 with a Leslie 122.
Starkeeper