Hi guys, I'm playing in a band where my keyboard player likes to be super loud and plays like only with his left hand. The way he plays just makes me feel like I don't need to even play. What do I do?
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heavy left hand keyboard
- Thread starter edisonsexybeast
- Start date
Just like any 'musician' who plays for himself and not the band - dump his butt and find someone who knows how to play keyboards in a band setting.
If the band doesn't recognize and deal with his problem, then it's time for you to walk.
If the band doesn't recognize and deal with his problem, then it's time for you to walk.
edisonsexybeast said:
Good keyboard players are like good shop teachers. At some point in time they managed to amputate most of the fingers on their left hand.
Another option: Move practices to your house. Start scheduling them close together so people leave instruments. When you're alone with his keyboard disconnect all the low keys.
Or stick an EQ between him and the PA and suck his bass. Knobs are better than sliders. You can pull the knobs off and put them on at the wrong angle. What looks like 12 is really 7.
Oh, stop! Enough with the damn firings! The answer to every question on here is not "dump his butt."
Simply quit playing in the middle of a song. Then when asked why you're not playing, say, "I don't need to. The keyboard has my part covered." That will at least start a dialogue on the way to working out a solution.
Simply quit playing in the middle of a song. Then when asked why you're not playing, say, "I don't need to. The keyboard has my part covered." That will at least start a dialogue on the way to working out a solution.
Having worked with a pianist myself, you may need to reach some kind of agreement: you simplify your basslines as long as he turns the goddamn volume down - your low notes should carry a lot more weight than his, but as long as the volume and/or low freq aren't excessive on his, he can do twiddly parts on the left hand without interfering too much with your groove. Hopefully.
Tell him to turn down , play chords ,
move up an octave away from your frequencies.
and say you'd like to start doubling riffs with him in certain parts of the songs .
If someone in a Band plays too loud he's an idiot in my mind .Also Drummers don't have to be beating the sh!t outta the kit all the time .It's a waste of energy. Dynamic control is better for everyone and the music .
I went to an audition where the guitar player was so loud you couldn't hear anything .I politely asked him to turn down and reluctantly he did ,the other players agreed with me too .If he had'nt turned down I'd have left .Be assertive ,not arrogant. .What do the other band members think ?
move up an octave away from your frequencies.
and say you'd like to start doubling riffs with him in certain parts of the songs .
If someone in a Band plays too loud he's an idiot in my mind .Also Drummers don't have to be beating the sh!t outta the kit all the time .It's a waste of energy. Dynamic control is better for everyone and the music .
I went to an audition where the guitar player was so loud you couldn't hear anything .I politely asked him to turn down and reluctantly he did ,the other players agreed with me too .If he had'nt turned down I'd have left .Be assertive ,not arrogant. .What do the other band members think ?
Honestly, many answers people give here are childish (dump his ass) or passive aggressive (stop playing or messing with his stuff).
Assuming your both adults, try talking to each other.
This will take you much further in almost every possible situation
Assuming your both adults, try talking to each other.
This will take you much further in almost every possible situation
It's one thing for a keyboard player to be a competent, tasteful player who, out of the habit of playing solo, uses his left hand a bit more than he should in a band setting.
I agree that situation would benefit from discussing the situation reasonably. In the OP's example, it really sounds like the guy is basically a lost cause if he only plays with his left hand! Either he doesn't give a crap, has no ear and/or he's a pretty poor excuse for a keyboard player.
Polite suggestions probably won't work miracles. Although my assumption was that the situation had at least been brought to the keyboard player's attention by the OP and he ignored it. Hence, the butt dumping.
I have literally quit a band over this, mainly because I complained and tried to get the keyboard player to change to no avail, and no one else in the band backed me up. "Piano bar" style keyboard players often can not control their left hand.
Ideally, keyboardists will either EQ out low freqs that will clash with the bass player, or limit their left hand activity, or try not to play much below middle C, or some combination of those. Especially on the most offending synth and organ patches rich in harmonic overtones.
If your keyboard player won't budge on this issue, you're screwed. Have fun playing with cancelling frequencies making it nearly impossible to hear yourself.
Ideally, keyboardists will either EQ out low freqs that will clash with the bass player, or limit their left hand activity, or try not to play much below middle C, or some combination of those. Especially on the most offending synth and organ patches rich in harmonic overtones.
If your keyboard player won't budge on this issue, you're screwed. Have fun playing with cancelling frequencies making it nearly impossible to hear yourself.
"Talking about it" sounds like it should work - but it never does. I've played in many bands since 1988, and it's always the same - someone in the band is doing something that is causing a problem. You try everything to get them to stop doing it - heart-to-heart talks, written notices, arguments, ultimatums - you name it. The offender *might* make a slight change for a week or two, but then they go right back to doing what they want to do. The problem gets so bad, you end up either firing the problem person or quitting. The only variable is this: do you do it now, or do you do it later?
IMO, YMMV.
IMO, YMMV.
Oof! A little passive-aggressive, isn't it? Better just to stop the song halfway through and start the dialogue yourself -"Sorry, there's just too much going in the low range, we need to do something about it."
Or not use it at all... as the keyboard player in my jazz band. He tucks his left hand behind his belt in back or sometimes uses it on the bender bar. And I never had to ask him to do this. But he's been around the block a few times so he didnt need to be asked.
Im sorry to hear you have to deal with a novice keyboardist who cant figure this out.
Sorry, but I TOTALLY disagree. There's one bass player for a reason. An Experienced, On the Ball keyboard player will not play in the bass range unless there's a need for some unusual complimentary part, which is rare.
If he's in the bass range at all and 'twiddling' or at 'low volume' and can't control himself, all he's doing is muddying the mix. It's completely counter productive.
And I'm not altering the bass part because he doesn't know how to function in a band setting !
Find competent, experienced players !
I subbed for a band once where the keyboardist was literally playing lefthand bass all night. I just stopped playing, picked up some drumsticks and started to play percussion!
Most of those type of cats have been playing like that for decades and it's pretty hard to get them to change. And they don't seem to have a clue! Good luck!
Most of those type of cats have been playing like that for decades and it's pretty hard to get them to change. And they don't seem to have a clue! Good luck!
Most modern keyboards are touch sensitive as well, so there's a setting that can be turned down to allow him to continue to slam the keys but have the response be the same as if he merely tapped them.
+1
Yul Brynner here is exactly right. he may have been a killer robot run amok in Westworld, but he knows a thing or two about the inner workings of your typical work-a-day band. Every band I have been in has pretty much worked exactly like this. Thanks for your insight, Mr. Brynner!
IME, this can be resolved by talking to the keys player. I played with a guy that was the lead singer as well, and played solo 4 days a week. I just explained to him that when he plays solo his keys are his band, and when we're playing together he doesn't need to rely on them as much. basically we agreed that his left hand was limited to 1 note at a time, or small intervals as close to middle-C as possible. That left room for me in the bass clef, while the guitarist was generally playing higher range chord work and lead harmonies.
don't quit if this is your only issue. talk it out, explain your concerns and make a plan. you'll learn from the experience.
don't quit if this is your only issue. talk it out, explain your concerns and make a plan. you'll learn from the experience.
Everything about playing in the band revolves about one musician leaving enough room for others - in the sense of mix and notes played. This is basic for a good gig.
Try to have a serious talk with keyboard player and at least one more experienced musician or a sound guy, who understands the problem. Good luck!
Try to have a serious talk with keyboard player and at least one more experienced musician or a sound guy, who understands the problem. Good luck!
