Classic Rock keys question

[Laura]

Does anyone know the song "in a Gadda Da Vida"? I've decided to try & learn it (since I grew up on it). I'm learning the very first intro riff and it has a series of 4-note arpeggios in the key of D, running up the keyboard. I'm wondering if the guy played it with 2 hands or one. This is technically difficult for one hand (for a newbie anyway) because of the progression of octave stretches. Really I am quite puzzled about the role of the left hand in classic rock and whether most of it is right=hand only, whether the left hand plays bass notes, 5ths, accents, or nothing.

 

[PianoMan]

Looks like he's playing it with one hand... playing it with 2 hands would actually probably be harder. After listening to cleaner versions on Youtube... it's not a technically difficult run, and if it's difficult then I encourage you all the more to learn in and practice it, even faster than the recording. Would be good practice.

 

[RotorOnTop]

I've been to alot of concerts and seen well known keyboard players use their left and right index fingers to do fast runs. I think what ever it takes to get the job done works, if it sounds good. BTW In the Garden of Eden (first title) is an awesome song and when Iron Butterfly came out with it in the 60's (yes I remember it on radio haha) the drum solo was what blew everyone away, and the length of the tune. Another great intro for a rock song is Lazy by Deep Purple, an organ part. It took me a long time to get it, and I'm still limited to my own live version. The main thing is learning everything we can off of one song, lots will apply to others we play. Keep on practicing Laura. You have very good questions going on here. The left hand in rock music...on organ, draw bars, leslie, slides...piano, I guess this depends on level of expertise (chording with left hand) and since I am limited on my piano playing I use it for simple bass notes, and most bass players like this better than competing with them, and I use it just to know where I am at in songs, to keep up with the over all progression of the song. I hope this helps some. And you are right...jammin with a band helps alot.

 

[Laura]

The left hand in classic rock

>The left hand in rock music...on organ, draw bars, leslie, slides...piano, I guess this depends on level of expertise (chording with left hand) and since I am limited on my piano playing I use it for simple bass notes, and most bass players like this better than competing with them

Yeah, here is my experience about this... the one band I jam with, we have a bass player who plays a 5 string bass very Loud. I don't feel any need to play the bottom end so I just play right handed. The other band I jam with, I play bass and it is dominated by a guy who plays a Very Loud Korg piano. He plays both hands, the entire keyboard, he is basically a soloist. So I don't feel as if they even need a bass player!