How to play keyboard - can't describe what I really meant :(

[blueangel]

Hi peeps !

Let me intro a little before I post this (ermm...) question..

I used to play guitar ( rhythm / chords mostly ) and also tried my hands on bass guitar. Everything was self taught and exploration and some with helps from friends. I rated my skills in playing 4/10 ( haa ! ) and had no single idea to read scores.. only know chords playing. Thus I can strum and sing at the same time, thats about it.

Now after selling off my electric and bass guitars and my old Casio keyboard, I pick up a new Casio keyboard. Nothing grand, just backside ichy and wanted to play keyboard again.

The problem is I only know how to read those fake books scores.. those with alphabetical chords and notes with numberings 1,2,3 etc. since I can't read scores ( those 5 lines with beansprouts aka staffs / clef things, whatever ... )

But I can't play and sing anymore because I have to read the chords, play the 1,2,3 notes ( melodic part of the song ) and all the while the concentration is too much I would either miss the lyrics altogether or miss the melody.

Recently my friend ( a lady :roll: ) sent me her MIDI song she recorded and found that she don't play the melody part at all - its like rhythm plus chords.. she can't explain to me what was that and asking her to come my house to teach me is quite ( ermm ) .. well.. got to ask her again.. not so nice lah..

She said she reads the scores and the chords but don't have to play exactly to the melody part because then it would be easier to play and sing. I want to do just that.. anyone can advise me what this method is called ? Any website that can explain that in detail or books I can get easily from say Kinokuniya or Borders bookshop etc ?

Really appreciate if anyone can direct me to my question.. I tried searching this forum, but I don't know what it would be called as in my method. What about improvisation ? Is this something similar in nature - memorize the chords and improvise the rhythm myself ? If yes, how to improvise ? Books ? Experiments ? :?

 

[Jereth]

Heya! Welcome to Soft!

I'm pretty new here too, and being a pretty much self taught and still learning keyboardist, I can relate. I started out trying to play the melody line plus chords, but it all seemed somewhat flat and unsatisfying. Then I realised that a lot of songs don't include the melody line or only bits of it for emphasis at certain points, and serve to accompany and enhance the effect of the singer.

My main songbook is this old beat up Let It Be Me songbook that was published in thailand a gazillion years ago and that I can't seem to find a new edition of.. which is sad cause it's pretty much a fakebook + lyrics with a wide range of songs from the 80s to early 90s.. I even raided chatuchak market in bangkok looking for it when I was there, haha

I usually just play chords in various voicing with a rhythm that suits that particular song, and if I'm familiar with how the piano part sounds I try and work in some of the little licks and riffs, like the one in Imagine by John Lennon.

There's some good reference of different styles on this site

http://www.poppiano.com.sg/

Heh, I'm not affiliated to play by ear sch, I did just meet up with one of their students today tho, finally got my keyboard stand from him! haha

About what it's called.. if i'm not wrong it's called Comping? Heh, would need one of the more knowledgeable softies to confirm that..It is improvisation since you're not playing everything out of a book or anything. On how to improvise, I'd say listen to more music! And get familiar with the chords, the different placings and inversions of them.. the best way is playing more songs of course.. I'd love to amp up my music theory n experience and go the jazz route, pure improvisation babeeyy! 8)

 

[blueangel]

OK I got that Made In Thailand Let It Be Me fake book.. I'll sell you for a Grand :lol: All chords and lyrics.

So Comp'ing is the word I should use to relate to that kind of playing styles huh 8)

I just picked up from that website you mentioned and started playing a Broken Chord ( ? ) something like that.. and that was a little cooler than playing major chords though.. so I am also trying to try my fingers on some different styles too.. but blues is something new to me because I'll be interested in pops..

Favourites are U2 and some chinese oldies.. or rather those 90's.