Hullo,

[JimRH8]

Hullo everyone,
I'm a bass guitar player, who recently took the notion to learn keyboard. The reason being I've always loved keyboard/piano/organ/synth based music (especially Classic Rock and Heavy Metal), but I know hardly anyone who can play, so i bit the bullet and decided to give it a whack. I bought a 2nd hand Casio, "CT 420", Is what it says on the front, and I have to say, it's a beast. I can play a few chords etc. using the little theory I've learnt from guitar playing, and I'm looking to remain self taught, I have took music lessons in the past, but i found them tedious and de-motivating (without trying to offend any of you taught musicians), plus i don't have the cash!

Being a toatal beginner with virtually no knowledge of keyboards, I have a few questions about this forum:
-is there an FAQ section or anything similar on this website for begginer keyboard players?
-is there a keyboard equivelent of guitar tab on the internet, just for learning and playing songs?
-are there any rules, written or unwritten, that i should know about this forum? or even keyboard playing itself? I know there are lots of intricacies and trends in guitar playing circles, makes/brands that are reverred or taboo, techniques and types of guitar that are pretty firmly adapted to thier genre, players and bands that are worshiped by some groups and despised by others (although, obviously that's just generalisation, and far from applies to everyone)

I'm really looking forward to learning a completely new instrument, and finally being able to make the sound that I hear in my head a reality. Any replies will be greatly apreciated, thanks!

 

[Gratwhol]

I don't know about any FAQ-section as of yet, but there are some threads about connection a keyboard to a computer for example.

For learning and playing songs you could use GuitarPro, works just as fine for keyboards as for guitars. You can play using the notes, or you could just use the tablature, whatever suits you the best.

Many people consider Casio taboo, because the low prices mostly match the low quality, but Casio seems to be taking it up a notch in their new series of keyboards. I've never had a Casio keyboard, so I'm really not the one to preach about that.

But anyway, welcome to the forum! I bet you're gonna have a lot of fun playing keyboards

<<Gratwhol>>

 

[JimRH8]

yeah, i had the demo of guitarpro, but the trial period ran out. I was thinking of getting a chord diagram book or something from a music shop.
The keyboard sounds fine, although it doesn't have a MIDI out, so hooking it up to a computer, i would just use a jack lead, but i'm not that bothered.

 

[Laura]

Hullo everyone,
I'm a bass guitar player, who recently took the notion to learn keyboard. The reason being I've always loved keyboard/piano/organ/synth based music (especially Classic Rock and Heavy Metal), but I know hardly anyone who can play, so i bit the bullet and decided to give it a whack. I'm looking to remain self taught
I'm really looking forward to learning a completely new instrument, and finally being able to make the sound that I hear in my head a reality. Any replies will be greatly apreciated, thanks!

I liked your post! I did the same thing. I've played guitar & bass for many years, I was playing a keyboard at Sam Ash and I realized "hey--this is what I need to write my own ambient /spacey tracks!" Plus there seemed to be so much more potential for creativity with 61 keys and 600 voices than in 4 strings.

I was going to go for one of those Yamaha PSRs but my son the shredder advised me against it. He said "any keyboard with built-in speakers is strictly for home use." I wanted something a little more just in case the opportunity came to jam with a band. So I went for the Yamaha MM6 which is somewhere between a home keyboard and a "serious synth". The serious synths such as Roland and Korg intimidated me as a beginner because I didn't know what most of the knobs did. (it's been several months, now I do know about those knobs, now I'm kinda wishing I'd bought a used Roland or Korg on Craigslist... but when you're a newby, it's better to buy something new just in case.) Anyway, the MM6 is pretty basic, but it's fairly easy to use for a beginner and it sounds great.

I taught myself by buying a few beginner rock keyboard books, chord charts etc. Reading music was/is still a challenge, but as a guitar player I at least understood basic chord theory. So I picked out the chord shapes, taught myself, practiced awhile...and then an incredible piece of luck happened....I found my old band-mates from the 90s who play Grateful Dead tunes, and they were re-constituting a jam-band! So I asked if they had room for a keyboardist "in training". I have been jamming with them ever since! (I'm glad I didn't buy one of those 'home keyboards' cause that wouldn't have had enough volume, these guys are LOUD.

I think playing with others is the best possible training you could have. Good luck!

 

[JimRH8]

Yeah, it's gonna be ages before i've got the ability to play in a band, I'm kind of kicking myself over not having looked to see if it had a midi out, now - I had planned to get one a couple of years back with MIDI. Although this keyboard has most of the sounds i want, especially that Van Halen "JUMP" sound, it's my favourite!
with referance to loudness, at a push, I was just going to DI the keyboard straight into a PA? Are there any problems you get with impedence, or clipping etc?

 

[Laura]

Yeah, it's gonna be ages before i've got the ability to play in a band, I'm kind of kicking myself over not having looked to see if it had a midi out, now - I had planned to get one a couple of years back with MIDI. Although this keyboard has most of the sounds i want, especially that Van Halen "JUMP" sound, it's my favourite!
with referance to loudness, at a push, I was just going to DI the keyboard straight into a PA? Are there any problems you get with impedence, or clipping etc?

If you're a beginner, I wouldn't worry all that much about MIDI. Learning to play is far more important! If you have an "audio out" jack, you should be able to record audio tracks into a computer.