Keyboards ***......?

[Ancientangler]

On any given day, there must be a dozen bands (including mine) advertising and/or networking for a keyboard player and never finding one. My city has two colleges with music programs. I've networked with teachers from both schools, with no results. The teachers are mystified that keyboard players don't want to step up to the plate. We have lots of jazzers with sax & trumpet playing the same snoozy standards, but keyboard players? Nope. There are three keys guys here and they're all in multiple bands which are so busy that they don't have time for more work.

I'm gonna guess that most people learn an instrument because they heard someone else playing it and they liked the way it sounded. Do today's music listeners not notice the keyboards in music? Does it not seem sexy enough?

 

[buldog5151bass]

Unlike guitarists and drummer's, most keyboardist don't start playing because they hears their favorite band. They started taking piano lessons, and are used to playing alone.

Lots of keyboard in modern music, but not the soloists.

Keyboards are expensive, have a steeper learning curve (not playing the instrument, but knowing the actual equipment).

If you can find a keyboardist with the chops, the equipment, and the ability to play with a band, you found a diamond in the rough.

 

[Ancientangler]

Unlike guitarists and drummer's, most keyboardist don't start playing because they hears their favorite band. They started taking piano lessons, and are used to playing alone.

Lots of keyboard in modern music, but not the soloists.

Keyboards are expensive, have a steeper learning curve (not playing the instrument, but knowing the actual equipment).

If you can find a keyboardist with the chops, the equipment, and the ability to play with a band, you found a diamond in the rough.

This local keyboard diamond has given up on anything but jazz. I can count my best gigs on one hand and they were all with him. Hang on for the piano solo....

 

[buldog5151bass]

Many years ago, I taught myself to play enough on keys to play some in bands. I'm not exactly Rick Wakeman, but I can fake my way through Don't Stop Believing, Just What I Needed, and the like.

 

[Ancientangler]

Many years ago, I taught myself to play enough on keys to play some in bands. I'm not exactly Rick Wakeman, but I can fake my way through Don't Stop Believing, Just What I Needed, and the like.

I've considered that idea, but my band's leader said he'd hang himself if he had to go looking for another bassist. I'm no Victor Wooten, but he likes the pocket we make and that's hard to replace.

 

[buldog5151bass]

It can't hurt to learn some. You can play some of the important Hooks on keys, and fake the bass on keys with your left hand during them.

 

[el jeffe bass]

For the last few years I have really gotten into playing keyboards. I am retired from both my career and playing gigs so I largely use it to keep my mind working. When I was playing gigs I was a bassist and/or utility guy. I regret not learning keyboard back when I was playing gigs, it’s a VERY marketable skill both as a bassist and utility. If you have an iPad or laptop getting into keys can be pretty inexpensive, all that you need is a midi keyboard, stand and a few VST’s (virtual synthesizer technology). Learning the keyboard is pretty easy compared to a fretboard and it doesn’t require much to add a lot of sonic space to a band.

 

[DirtDog]

Unlike guitarists and drummer's, most keyboardist don't start playing because they hears their favorite band. They started taking piano lessons, and are used to playing alone.

Lots of keyboard in modern music, but not the soloists.

Keyboards are expensive, have a steeper learning curve (not playing the instrument, but knowing the actual equipment).

If you can find a keyboardist with the chops, the equipment, and the ability to play with a band, you found a diamond in the rough.

And many keyboardists I know make for terrible bandmates.

 

[bikeplate]

Build some key tracks. We do it in one of our bands.

 

[pfschim]

I am one of those players who started out on piano when I was very young (6). I kept it up though college so I am a modestly functional keyboard player and I do play keys and bass in some bands. I am a much better bass player than keys player, and I strongly prefer playing bass, so I don't ever set out to be strictly a keys player in any band situation.

I 2nd bikeplates comment ... build some keys tracks. I've done this for several bands, and as long as everyone is good to play with tracks, it can really add depth to a setlist.

 

[monsterthompson]

I’ve been looking at a new keyboard synth and some of the YouTube and review comments I’ve seen seem to indicate keyboardists can be a peculiar group of people with some personality quirks.

I’ve had some self taught key players in past bands and had no problems with them, other than them being a little unfamiliar with music theory.

I’m sure they think bassists are odd ducks.

 

[J Wilson]

Unlike guitarists and drummer's, most keyboardist don't start playing because they hears their favorite band. They started taking piano lessons, and are used to playing alone.

Lots of keyboard in modern music, but not the soloists.

Keyboards are expensive, have a steeper learning curve (not playing the instrument, but knowing the actual equipment).

If you can find a keyboardist with the chops, the equipment, and the ability to play with a band, you found a diamond in the rough.

Buldog pretty much nailed it. I'd add that there's a continuous arms race in keyboard sounds. So where with guitar or bass you simply buy this month's hot pedal, often with keyboards they only update so much so you can wind up continually churning the latest and greatest for real money, then one more learning curve and will it MIDI and play nice with your other gear.

Or on the other hand, schlepping a full B3 with Leslie(s) is a big job.

 

[Low Main]

Why choose between bass and keyboard? Why not just do both?

It can't be that hard can it? Do you really need to be a freak?

 

[fdeck]

Within the jazz scene, I don't think pianists are harder or easier to find than any other instrument. Likewise for classical. The problem may be the transition from piano to keyboard. My guess is that there's consistent enough demand for pianists qua pianists, that they don't feel the need to play music that is much more gear intensive, louder, and that they may perceive as being unchallenging.

 

[Neck Diver]

Yes, keyboards are expensive. Don’t need a B3, get a Nord Organ if you got $5k.
When I saw the G3 concert in 2024 Vai, Johnson & Satriani each had a band member that would alternate between Rhythm Guitar and a Nord keyboard of some type to help fill out the sound.

If I coud go back in life I would choose to be competent at rhythm guitar and keys. But guess I’d have to throw in bass and drums because I wouldn’t want to give them up.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

I usually see wanted ads for bands looking for keys seemingly more so than other instruments. If you're good at keys, write your own ticket.

 

[Bass Motifs]

It's not really a star instrument in a rock band or covers band, filling out the sound, playing the horn parts etc. I'd guess most good keyboardists don't find that interesting or rewarding? Jazz on the other hand, or a keyboard centric group....

 

[Wasnex]

Playing keys in a cover band is a different skillset than many keyboardist or pianist possess. Don't believe me, consider the abundance of comments about that keyboardist stomping all over the bass with his/her left hand. This sort of player is just doing what comes naturally and it would work fine and be totally appropriate if they were doing a solo gig. In a cover band they need to change the way they voice chords and stay out of the bass players way. Much easier to say than do apparently.

Standard band instrumentation I am used to is bass, guitar, keys, vocals, drums. Probably not a surprise since I came of age in the 80s. A good keyboardist is rare and coveted.

 

[Spectrum]

Don't know if it's relevant to this problem, but nobody wants a piano in their house like they used to. I've heard you can't even give them away on Craigslist these days. Once was a time when pianos were everywhere and there were Wurlitzer stores in shopping malls selling organs.

 

[Sertsa]

I was surprised at this, too, from both a gigging perspective and being in music school (quite some time ago now). A lot of the pianists I knew really didn't want to play gigs that were not classical or jazz. From what I gathered, many saw it as not the best use of their time, believing banging out chords in a rock band was time away from working on, say, Rachmaninoff for an upcoming competition or recital. (One pianist was told she had to work on her recital pieces instead of accompanying me for an audition at another school).

But, as you said, the keyboardists who will gig and are good at it were in high demand. I once sat down at a piano in a bar as we were wrapping up and noodled some pentatonic blues. A couple days later I got a call with an offer to play keys in a band. The guy was surprised when I said I didn't really play piano. He said he didn't need a virtuoso, he just wanted someone willing to hammer a C chord for three minutes. I turned it down, as I didn't have a keyboard at the time.

As for the affordability, yeah. But unlike when I was in music school, you can get a reasonable digital piano with 88 weighted keys (I've had a Casio for a few years) or a synth like a Yamaha Reface for a few hundred dollars.