I had this issue very briefly last night. Our keyboardist is very tasty and respectful but on one certain tune he decided to experiment a bit with a different approach, using a left hand heavy line. The stage last night was akward so I couldn't see the keyboardist. The second I heard him come in with the the low end line I moved so I could give him the hairy eyeball. It was like he knew it was gonna bug me so he was ready for the "look" and stopped immediately, then we both had a good laugh. Its great having good players in your band!!
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heavy left hand keyboard
- Thread starter edisonsexybeast
- Start date
I struggled with this issue for a year. I just talked with him about it at first and it helped a little. But it didn't get resolved until we had a keyboard player who knew what he was doing sub on a couple of songs for us. Our keyboard player couldn't believe how much better the band sounded.
He just eq'd the bass out of the keyboard. Really that solves most of the problem. Keys have the boomiest crap sounds on earth and it's like these people think it's OK.
People play in bands and I swear they don't listen to the sound the band is making...... It's frustrating.
He just eq'd the bass out of the keyboard. Really that solves most of the problem. Keys have the boomiest crap sounds on earth and it's like these people think it's OK.
People play in bands and I swear they don't listen to the sound the band is making...... It's frustrating.
Keyboards can usually make stronger low bass sounds than a bass can.
Sometimes there is room for a keyboard to be doing the sub bass, and the bass guitar to be above it (either in pitch, or EQ-wise), playing a better-articulated, more percussive line.
Not relevant to all genres of course. But rather than saying 'turn that down' or 'stop playing that', you could phrase it as 'on top, or underneath'?
Sometimes there is room for a keyboard to be doing the sub bass, and the bass guitar to be above it (either in pitch, or EQ-wise), playing a better-articulated, more percussive line.
Not relevant to all genres of course. But rather than saying 'turn that down' or 'stop playing that', you could phrase it as 'on top, or underneath'?
Pay off the soundman to cut everything below 1k in the keyboard channel via EQ or high pass filter... OTOH if he's worth his salt he's already doing that anyway.
That wont fix the keyboardist playing your parts but at least it will clean up the FOH mix.
That wont fix the keyboardist playing your parts but at least it will clean up the FOH mix.
I'm a keyboard player and teacher. I teach my students that there is 2 main way of playing piano and keyboard:
- with a bass player (you almost never play bass line except if the song require it and you agree with the bass player on the way to play it. I'm thinking of some ballad, boogie, or contemporary pop.)
- without a bass player (you play the bass lines)
That do not mean that the keyboard player can't play with his left hand, but there is a way to use it to play higher notes and that give a professionnal touch to the music.
A lot of self taugh or classicaly trained keyboard player don't know that. And once they know it, it takes some time to feel confortable not playing the bass notes all the time.
Don't start a fight with him. Show him the way and be patient.
- with a bass player (you almost never play bass line except if the song require it and you agree with the bass player on the way to play it. I'm thinking of some ballad, boogie, or contemporary pop.)
- without a bass player (you play the bass lines)
That do not mean that the keyboard player can't play with his left hand, but there is a way to use it to play higher notes and that give a professionnal touch to the music.
A lot of self taugh or classicaly trained keyboard player don't know that. And once they know it, it takes some time to feel confortable not playing the bass notes all the time.
Don't start a fight with him. Show him the way and be patient.
As someone who played piano before anything else, it's hard resist dipping into those frequencies. But I think if my band had a keyboardist with that problem (or even just had a keyboardist....) I would personally explore higher register parts - think post-punk bassists. I know that is not everyone's cup o' tea though...
