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playing keys

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E

Equality 7-2521

Guest
yo im primarily a sampler but i want to learn the basics of playing keys.

can some of the key players inform me on the most important things i need to learn.

like do i just need to know cords?

keep in mind that i dont feel the need to be a pro at playing a piano or anything i just want to be able to program keys in a way that progresses well. na mean? i want to know which keys are the right ones to press.

any tips, links?

thanks
 
Shonsteez

Shonsteez

Gurpologist
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 33
bthis!
Well MEss...Since im tha first to have a stab at interjecting thought in this one...I just want to to say that im not really a keyboardist, but i do play from more of a self-taught perspective, and i what i usually do is just feel it out and play what feels and sounds good to me...Yes thats very unconventional...but it seems to work and ive also learned alot just from that...I started out as a guitar player, so i already knew basic scales and chord structures...so what i did, was just used that and applied it to playin tha piano...Seriuosly tho, just play and listen ...as long as you gotta good ear it will just come to you...
Theres stuff out there on tha internet tho to help you be a better player tho...Do a google search for scales and and chords...

Steeze
 
E

Equality 7-2521

Guest
up untill now that is the method which ive been using. (i only realy use keys to play the bassline.)

i can hear what i want it to sound like in my head and then i press all the keys untill i get the one i want.

thats wh y i want to learn keys....to avoid the trial and error process. i was thinking if i knew cords or something i would know automatically which notes i want. also i would be able to write simple music.

the site im currantly using to learn from is

http://members.aol.com/chordmaps/index.htm

does this look like a good site for what i want?

cheers
 
bigdmakintrax

bigdmakintrax

BeatKreatoR
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 123
bthis!
I suggest if you want to learn some good riffs, band in a box, or video tapes and last but not least lessons, band in a box plays any midi song and it will show you the notes to play and you can slow it down to any tempo, and you can play along with it, it has every known scale, chords and you can even record it also has a sequencer.
 
M

MIKELABZ

Guest
I GREW UP AROUND PIANO PLAYERS AND I TOOK PIANO LESSON FOR A BRIEF PERIOD. I'M NOT FLUENT IN PIANO PLAYING I USUALLY JUST TAP OUT CHORDS USING ONE OR TWO FINGERS. RECENTLY I JUST SCRAPPED THE IDEA OF USING A KEYBOARD. WITH THE FL-STUDIO PIANO ROLL I FIGURED I DONT NEED IT. I USE MY EAR SINCE I DONT KNOW THE KEYS THAT WELL AND IT SEEMS TO WORK JUST FINE FOR ME.
 
B

beats18

Member
ill o.g.
learn theory

Yo, to make your tracks more musical and more valid to the idustry today, learn theory. I took theory in high school for two years and it makes a world of difference. It makes music more tangable and you can create ideas u have more efficiently. Chord progressions and scales should be the first thing. Another area to learn is four part harmony writing. That will help when constructing your lead, bassline, and harmonies. Theory also helps even if you are a sampling king. Just think, you get a sample such as a orchestral line or guitar part, now you have to add bass and what not. If you know theory, you can find the "key" or key signature that the sample is in, then create a bass line in that scale. I can't believe how many times i heard beats where the bass and other sounds people add are not in the same key as the sample! Basically it makes your beat making alot more easier and more creative if your know at least some beginners theory.

Good Luck Yall !!
 
C

Chedda

ILLIEN
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 5
i would say you only need to learn scales if you want to be able to play some basic niceness. you can learn scales from many sites. just get to grips with the different major and minor key scales then once you've mastered them you can create any chord within any key with ease. also with learning the scales you will find that you can improvise when you're trying to make ur self a lil riff to put in, all you have to do is know the key of the tune you're making. let's say you're making a tune in the key of d minor, there is a d minor scale, if you master that, then you can make a riff for your tune randomly playing ANY note in the d minor scale and it'll sound ill. u feel me?



peace
 
M

mArkoFdAbEaTz

ILLIEN
ill o.g.
to tell you the truth i dont know how to play the keys but i come up with pretty good melodies just by messing around. i think you gotta have some type of rythm and you cant try wilding out on the whole keyboard if you dont know what you doing. if i hit a key i like i wont go more than 5 keys to the right or the left for my melody. i definetly want to learn how to play for real though so i can play what i hear in my head.
 
E

Equality 7-2521

Guest
awesome

thanks alot for the feedback. i think i know what i need to do now
 
DJ Reflex

DJ Reflex

Turntablist, Producer
ill o.g.
Hey! also if u have the option of using cubase it has a built in "chorder", just punch a simple melody with the controller keyboard and it will play the chord, u can select any key and it works very well. however this wont help u unless ur using vst instruments like a vst synth or soft sampler. Just thought id let u know! otherwise its trial and error for me, taking piano up nect year though
Word!
 
classic

classic

I am proud to be southern
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 90
bthis!
as a classical pianist for 15 years and a producer for 2 months. I found that knowing the keys are a definite plus. As far as scales are concernd i think you will only need a VERY basic knowlege. It does help to know how to transpose stuff in a differnt key signature. Casue alot times when you sample stuff its not in the same key as your other samples. (ex flute may be tuned to E flat bassline tuned to A). Usually with some training you can do this by ear.

One thing about choruds that is helpful is be able to find hamonies that werent there.
That has been the biggist help my training has givin me so far. But again alot of this stuff can be done by ear.

It comes down to this. YOu can know all the music theory in the word and stull suck. The music has to be in your heart first. If you got that. Learing the keys will be easy as hell.

If you got any questions give me a shout and i wil do my best to answer em

class..

P.S Some of the best muscians in the world dont know how to read or write music.
 
N.U.G.

N.U.G.

ILLIEN
ill o.g.
yo there is a lot of great info on here.

BigD that "Band In A Box" sounds like a good learning tool. Do you have it?
 
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