Keyboard Magazine June 2010 [PDF]

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A NEWBAY MEDIA P U B L I C AT I O N

Your Perfect Performance Partner The new S Series combines the sounds of the Motif XS, a handcrafted S6 piano and the ease of use of a stage piano. Features such as Balanced Hammer action, combo input jack for adding vocals and guitars, and USB record/playback make it perfect for stage or studio. The compact design of the 88- and 76-note weighted versions are portable and road-ready. The S70 XS/S90 XS also lets you quickly create your own Performances with the amazingly fast Performance Creator feature. With extensive Controller functions, it’s also the perfect companion for your computer music production system.

www.yamaha.com/usa www.motifator.com www.yamahasynth.com ©2009 Yamaha Corporation of America. All rights reserved.







One voice, endless possibilities. 



  

Based on the award-winning Prophet ’08, Mopho is a compact, affordable, great-sounding monophonic synthesizer with a 100% analog audio path. Available now at Dave Smith instruments dealers worldwide. For specs, audio and video demos, and more, visit davesmithinstruments.com.

Prophet ’08 tabletop/rack module

Prophet ’08 keyboard

The Prophet ’08 keyboard has been honored with multiple awards, including:

Celebrating 30 years of innovative synth design.

4EA>GF7%AI7D Jetro Da Silva: Keyboardist - Whitney Houston 2010 World Tour and Professor - Berklee College of Music

“The Fantom-G is a powerful instrument that contains all the necessary tools and qualities to create and perform wonderful music. For Whitney Houston’s 2010 world tour, the Fantom-G plays the role of sampler, sample player, synth and workstation, giving me absolute power to deliver whatever the music calls for. The large color screen is great, and the editing features are very user friendly.”

Seize the musical authority you crave with the Fantom-G, the most powerful workstation keyboard on the planet. With its amazing sound quality, astounding feature set and gorgeous color display, the Fantom-G takes you places that other workstation keyboards simply can’t, from stage to studio and beyond. Rule your musical universe with the Fantom-G and enjoy the absolute power of creative freedom.

Experience the Fantom-G Series Workstation Keyboards at www.RolandUS.com/FantomG and on YouTube.

*() '!3( Tons of FREE new content for your Fantom-G Download now! www.RolandUS.com/Promotions

www.R o lan d US.co m

CONTENTS COMMUNITY 6

A brand new section devoted to your pictures, anecdotes, questions, gear, feedback, and anything else you’d like to share with the Keyboard community!

KEYNOTES Today’s hottest artists help you play better and sound better. 10 PJ Morton on Six Essential R&B Keyboard Sounds 11 The Low Anthem on Recording Antique Reed Organs 12 Eric Frederic of Wallpaper on Guerilla Producing 13 David Fowler of Echo Movement on “Bubble” Reggae Organ 14 Weekend Warriors MAJORminor 16 The Editors’ Playlist: Music Reviews

LESSONS 20 22 26 30

Daniel Minsteris on creative Wurly EP comping Larry Goldings Hammond B-3 master class 5 ways to play like McCoy Tyner Suzanne Ciani on New-Age Synth

COVER STORY 32

ALICIA KEYS talks about her diverse sonic and stylistic influences on her new hit album, The Element of Freedom, and her new signature virtual piano Alicia’s Keys.

SOLUTIONS 42 44

STEAL THIS SOUND Create the brass swells from Robert Palmer’s “Addicted to Love.” DANCE Make your tracks stand out with Real-World Ambiences.

GEAR 18 46 50 54 60 64 68

NEW GEAR at Frankfurt Musikmesse Roland V-COMBO VR-700 Akai MINIAK Livid Instruments OHM64 Native Instruments ALICIA’S KEYS Mixosaurus DAW DRUMS KIT A MusicLab REALGUITAR 2L

Cover photo by Thierry LeGoues KEYBOARD (ISSN 0730-0158) is published monthly by NewBay Media, LLC 1111 Bayhill Drive, Suite 125, San Bruno, CA 94066. All material published in KEYBOARD is copyrighted © 2010 by NewBay Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of material appearing in KEYBOARD is forbidden without permission. KEYBOARD is a registered trademark of NewBay Media. Periodicals Postage Paid at San Bruno, CA and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to KEYBOARD P.O. Box 9158, Lowell, MA 01853.

TIME MACHINE 74

A look back at samplers that changed how we make music.

More Online! THIERRY LEGOUES

Canada Post: Publications Mail Agreement #40612608. Canada Returns to be sent to Bleuchip International, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2.

Video interviews and podcasts!

Get these links and more at keyboardmag.com/june2010 Audio examples for Lessons and Solutions!

Video sneak peeks at hot new gear!

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COMMUNITY From The Editor CONNECT! Tell us what you think, link to your music, share tips and techniques, subscribe to the magazine and our e-newsletter, show off your chops, or just vent! Your forum post, tweet, email, or letter might end up in the magazine! Comment directly at keyboardmag.com twitter.com keyboardmag facebook.com KeyboardMagazine myspace.com keyboardmag

Welcome to the new Keyboard! Periodic makeovers are a must in the magazine world, as we’re always concerned to give you more of what you want, not to mention be more accessible, inspiring, and fun to read. But the way it all goes down is nothing like what you’d imagine from watching sitcoms like Ugly Betty or Just Shoot Me. First of all, you seldom see the people who work at the fictional magazines on those shows actually, uh, working. Second, we don’t have any designer office chairs. Third and most importantly, even if we did, we wouldn’t be sitting in them around a designer table having a hipper-than-thou contest about whose ideas are more “now.” Keyboard has always been about you— playing better, sounding better, and getting the most out of the instruments and technology products that compete for your hard-earned cash. We want to make that happen with more of your input than ever before, and one part of this is the Community section you’re reading right now. Here’s the concept: Tell us

what’s on your mind via your preferred medium (see the “Connect” sidebar at left) and there’s a good chance it’ll end up here. What are we looking for? Your own product reviews for “You Review It.” Your suggestions or complaints to the keyboard industry for “Soapbox.” A time you met one of your keyboard heroes for “Idol Hands.” Pics and descriptions of your weekend gig and keyboard rig for “Dig My Rig.” And other things we’ll think of cute names for once you send ’em in. But that’s only the beginning. We’ll use your input to shape future artist coverage, music lessons, tech clinics, and gear reviews. Feast your eyes on the results of our first online poll on page 8—more and bigger lessons topped the list. You want it, you got it. This month’s issue includes four supersize lessons—piano, Wurly, B-3, and synth—penned by top players including organist Larry Goldings and synth legend Suzanne Ciani. So keep the feedback coming, because you’re the reason we do this. Together, we can make Keyboard better than ever.

forums.musicplayer.com

[email protected]

YOU REVIEW IT! 64-Bit Processing in Logic Pro 9.1 by Kevin Anker, Keyboard Corner forum member

With over a dozen powerful soft synths, over 38GB of added content, and a suite of other useful apps like MainStage 2.1, all for $500, there’s nothing quite like Apple Logic Studio. Logic Pro 9.1 ups the ante by letting you run it as a 64-bit application. The true benefit is that 64-bit apps don’t bump into the old 4GB-RAM-per-program limit of the 32-bit world. A 64-bit application can address RAM in amounts that are effectively limitless—about 16.3 billion GB. Now, there aren’t any machines with anywhere near that much RAM, but 32GB systems are certainly in use. With massive sample libraries like those from EastWest/Quantum Leap and Native Instruments reaching into the tens of GB, streaming large amounts of samples from a hard drive can prove difficult at best. Being able to keep most if not all of a sample library in RAM makes using it much more practical. There is one catch. Logic can’t run 32-bit plug-ins natively when in 64-bit mode, and most third-party plug-ins on the market are still 32-bit. Apple figured out a pretty slick workaround: the AudioUnit Bridge, a separate application to host 32-bit plug-ins that automatically launches alongside Logic. One huge benefit of this is that when a 32-bit plug-in misbehaves, it crashes the AUB, not Logic. Disagree with us about a review? Have something to add? Comment on the article on our website, post on the Keyboard Corner forum, or email [email protected], and you just may see your wisdom here—and win prizes! 6

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SOAPBOX

IDOL HANDS

Keyboard reader Brian O’Sullivan

DIG MY RIG

Last summer I met Geoff Downes before the with Keith Emerson. Asia/Yes concert in Montclair, New Jersey, and he graciously signed my sheet music book from Asia’s first album, which I’ve had since 1982. Geoff asked if I found the book useful, noting that it wasn’t 100% accurate. I assured him it was very helpful, and that it helped set me in an excellent keyboarding direction in my early teens. A few years earlier, I met Keith Emerson [shown] after his band played in Annapolis, Maryland. I asked Keith to sign a transcription I’d made of his solo piano piece “A Cajun Alley,” which he played that night. Keith looked it over and said it looked quite good—I was walking on air! Brian O’Sullivan, New Jersey

I was going the direction of “More, more!”—building a rig around Apple MainStage, a Kawai MP4, a Kurzweil PC3-61, a Yamaha VL70m module, and planning on adding a Roland V-Synth and/or VP-770. But as my playing continues to develop, I’ve drastically changed my approach. Less is more. All I use now is my Kawai MP4 and Roland AX-Synth. I constrain myself to an acoustic piano patch (MP4 with a little bell-EP and voice pad for spice) and focus more on the “what” of what I play versus the patches. I’m constantly surprised by the compliments I get on the piano sound from the MP4. GAS [Gear Acquisition Syndrome, an occupational hazard for keyboard players. —Ed.] has me dying to replace it, but it just sounds so good. I allow myself the luxury of the AX-Synth for strolling out into the crowd, extended synth solos, and the like—but now more than ever, I’m a piano player first and a keyboard player, distant second. Most important is amplification: two Acme Low B-1 three-way cabinets for warm, transparent, full-range integrity.

Why, when we have tools to sample, resample, synthesize, and ROMple our way into oblivion; fly MIDI and audio tracks to the moon; and jam with players halfway around the globe, do the companies that produce the current crop of MIDI keyboard controllers avoid the 76-key option? Is 76 keys the new “13th floor” in our collective tower of digital audio? I’m beginning to suspect something of that nature is afoot, especially when Akai’s MPK series leapfrogged over 76 keys, going from 61 to 88. And what of M-Audio, Roland/Cakewalk, and Novation? And are the challenges some face in fully integrating the CME UF7, UF70, VX7, and VX70 due to some techno-cosmic violation of this apparent agenda of a malevolent Higher Bandwidth? Inquiring minds want to know. Allan Evett, via the Keyboard Corner forum

Some keyboard companies think demand for 76-key controllers isn’t enough to justify the cost of making yet another size— Yamaha’s recent KX line does the same as Akai’s. Yet there are exceptions. I own and love a Studiologic VMK-176 Plus. There’s the Infinite Response VAX-77 we reviewed in April (77 keys, but close enough). Though they’re full instruments, not just controllers, the Nord Stage, Yamaha S70XS, and Roland V-Combo (see page 46) all have 76 keys. And if there is an evil spirit making CME controllers buggy, it’s affecting all sizes. So whattaya say, industry? Are 76-key controllers a niche item, or the Goldilocks size the people really want? Stephen Fortner, Executive Editor

Timothy Wat, via Facebook 06.2010

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COMMUNITY @KeyboardMag: Do keyboards have a place in heavy rock/metal? Why or why not?

Know Brainer

The

Poll

What should we print more of in each issue?

Lessons New gear reviews How-tos on duplicating famous synth sounds A-list studio and tour players coverage

Can anyone identify the era of the oscillator board in this Minimoog Model D? I’m particularly interested in finding out what sort of modification has been done to it, which is apparent in the close-up photo.

How-to clinics on using your DAW

Lance Hill, synthgeeks.com

Submit your answer at keyboardmag.com. Music business advice Coverage of up and coming artists Be counted! New polls go live the first and third Tuesdays of each month at keyboardmag.com.

Very interesting question! Jordan Rudess (@jcrudess): I might say yes! Frank Baker (@bakerfrank): I have to agree with

Jordan . . . of course keys belong in metal! Mario Guillermo (@mariokeyboard): 8

Joseph A. (@jainy9): Yes, the dark days of metal in minor keys. Emiko (@emikomusic):

TWITTER TICKER

ASK THE INDUSTRY I have subscribed to Keyboard for many years. I play a Yamaha Tyros. I use the one-note setting with my left hand to control the music styles. I have the split point set down to the first 13 notes on the left. Is it possible to transfer the one-note triggering of the chords the accompaniment styles play, via MIDI, to a 13-note pedalboard (I have a Roland PK-5)? If so, I can control the “backup band” with my feet, freeing up my left hand to play guitars, sax, harp, etc. Ira Thomas Ira, here’s the skinny directly from our friends at Yamaha: The PK5 can control the chord changes within the Tyros with the following procedure: 1. Set the PK5 for “Bass,” have it transmit on MIDI channel 1, and connect it to the Tyros’ MIDI port B input. 2. On the Tyros, press “Function” followed by “H” (MIDI). 3. Select “C” (Master KBD 1). This will setup the Tyros to

receive on MIDI channel 1 via port B for keyboard control. The PK5 will now control the single finger chord changes when the Tyros’ automatic accompaniment is active. If the user wishes to play left hand parts, he will need to adjust the split assignment within the Tyros function menu. He’ll need to either lower the style split point or raise the left hand split point.

I definitely say yes. Wesley Dysart (@wesleydysart): Keys in metal rule when done right. Children of Bodom = great example. KEYBOAR DMAG.COM

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Vienna Choir

Having redefined the world of virtual orchestration during the past several years, the Vienna Symphonic Library is breaking new ground with this impressive vocal collection. The voices of VIENNA CHOIR were cast and assembled exclusively for the recording sessions at Vienna’s Silent Stage, with each singer hand-selected from Austria’s leading choirs. Imbued with passion and emotion, every recorded note and interval is a testament to the artistry of these outstanding soprano, alto, tenor and bass ensembles.

VIENNA INSTRUMENTS DVD Collection 25 GB AU (Mac), RTAS, VST (Mac & PC), stand-alone.

www.vsl.co.at

www.ilio.com

KEYNOTES

PJ MORTON Six Studio Secrets for R&B Keyboard Sounds Having grown up with the music of New Orleans, Grammy-winner PJ Morton knows good sounds—and how to create signature patches in Apple Logic for such artists as India.Arie and Jermaine Dupri. His own album Walk Alone is available now. Michael Gallant

Miking Acoustic Piano We usually put two mics on a piano, Synth Bass There’s a new kind of bass sound on records by artists but the music I’m working on right now is kind of retro, so we use one mic—a ribbon. It doesn’t capture as “sophisticated” a sound, and it takes off some of the piano’s prettiness, which is what I’m going for.

Urban Strings When I’m trying to make the string tones in Logic [soft synths] sound authentic, I roll off the high end. When I’m going for more of an urban, synthetic sound, I go with the high end. Real and Virtual Rhodes When we record the real thing, we go direct out and put two mics on the [Suitcase] speaker so the tremolo sounds true-to-life. In EVP88, I mess with the tremolo, tweaking the speed so it sounds just right. I don’t like the tines too bell-like, so I roll that off as well. I love playing a real Rhodes, so I adjust the sound close to what I’m used to.

Virtual B-3 For my demos, I use EVB3. I control it with a Yamaha Motif, set my mod wheel to affect Leslie speed, and set the sliders of the Motif to act like drawbars. The way I play organ, I’m changing drawbars all the time, so it’s good to control that from the keyboard.

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like Kanye West. The bottom has a feel like a Roland TR-808 drum machine, but it has pitches. I start with a factory synth bass in EXS24, then add a lot of low end to get the boom—an important thing about the 808 is how long it booms, so you want the release time a little longer. Set it to monophonic, since you don’t want notes to overlap. It’s a very muffled type of bass.

Snakey Lead In the late ’60s, Stevie Wonder had this cool lead that was sine-y, warm, and high, with some glide. I program my version of that on Logic’s EFM1. I pick a sine wave that’s close—I’m going for warm, so I don’t want a lot of high end. I take the release all the way off and set the attack a little late, for a sneaky kind of lead, not one that hits right when you trigger the note. I don’t detune at all, and I put the octave up and set it to monophonic.

More Online

Get these links and more at keyboardmag.com/june2010 Exclusive video tour of PJ’s studio.

Visit PJ Morton online.

THE LOW ANTHEM Pumps Up Their Sound with Antique Reed Organs Folk rockers the Low Anthem are currently headlining their first U.S. tour in support of their album Oh My God, Charlie Darwin, on which they took a unique approach to creating a sonic identity: recording antique, pedal-pumped reed organs. Their 1915 Estey organ is of special interest, as it was played by an Army chaplain in France during World War I. The band has also found organs in Vermont, Indiana, and North Carolina. Their organic sound is a joy to experience and a perfect complement to the voice of keyboardist Ben Knox-Miller, who took time out to speak with us about this unique quest.

Think a B-3 is vintage? One of the Low Anthem’s vintage reed organs is this turn-of-the-century model from Vermont organ builder Estey, established in 1840.

Why did you seek out antique pump organs for the record? We weren’t looking for one. We weren’t satisfied with any of the digital keyboards’ organ sounds. It appealed to us more that this was actually air moving across reeds and there was some element of chance, a real physical thing happening, and the beautiful woody resonance. So you never thought you could get the same sound by using samples? No. The pump organs are very unpredictable and a lot of that has nice charm to it. Who were some of your influences? Neil Young uses a lot of pump organs. We recently saw him play and he played solo acoustic on the pump organ. Tom Waits also uses pump organs on his recordings. On “To Ohio,” which organ was used? The Estey portable pump organ. There’s a nice blend of the traditional pump organ that sounds kind of like a mockup of an electric organ sound — kind of corky, naturally woody, and crackly. On “The Ghosts who Write History Books,” by contrast, that’s a really clean organ sound. What about on “Cage the Song Bird”? That was the Estey again, the predominant organ we recorded with. We also have a harmonium on stage, and a melodeon we just bought. It’s from 1850. We found it in Newcastle, Indiana. Joanie Fotouhi

More Online Get these links and more at keyboardmag.com/june2010

Hear samples of the Low Anthem’s pump organs.

Tons of Low Anthem fan photos. 06.2010

How to find and maintain an antique pump organ. KEYBOAR DMAG.COM

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KEYNOTES

Eric Frederic as Ricky Reed with partner-in-

While producing Bone Dry, the new single from A B & the Sea, Eric heard singer Koley O’Brien’s foot pounding out quarter-notes. Transforming that sound into a TR-707 kick breathed propulsive power into this otherwise folksy cut.

Your bass not bad enough? Try doubling two bass guitars, a baritone guitar, and this fat analog patch from Arturia 2600V.

clubslime, drummer Arjen Singh.

WALLPAPER Eric Frederic on Guerilla Producing In Wallpaper’s hit “I Got Soul (I’m So Wasted),” co-creator Eric Frederic becomes lounge lizard Ricky Reed. His drunken hipster character roasts hot babes and cool dudes alike as irresistible synth pop bubbles away. As a sendup of obnoxious club slime, it’s pure guilty pleasure, but how seriously should we take this writer/producer/synthesist who calls his latest album Doodoo Face? Very. From the initial percussion on the opening track “Indecent,” Eric brings more than your standard loops and honks. “That’s a guy from my Ghanian drumming ensemble at UC Berkeley,” he explains. This is party-pop? At 1:33, an instrumental break channels Steely Dan, Prince, and P-Funk, and—remarkably—renders them fresh. Eric: “I try to find the strongest points about the song and make them really big. You’ve got to level the playing field. The strongest point could be the entire chorus. Or just the bass line. Find ‘that’ sound and treat it like gold!” Sometimes making a sound really big means getting obsessive: On his remix of Jay-Z’s “DOA,” Eric turned a tubercular bass part into a monster by doubling it with two bass guitars an octave apart, a baritone guitar, and a synth patch. On a folkie Josh Ritter remix, he spent hours porting parts in and out of a cassette recorder while he held the pause button halfway down to achieve a warbling effect. On “Celebrity,” Eric recorded a sax part through the entire song, then spent hours pasting individual notes to create indelibly disturbing sax lines. Richard Leiter

Sometimes you don’t have to double your bass—just use different ones on the verse and chorus. Remember Eric’s Golden Rule: “Producing is subtractive. Take out anything that isn’t golden.”

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DAVID FOWLER On Reggae Bubble B-3 Organ Playing Grab some headphones and give your favorite reggae track a close listen. Under the surface, you’ll hear tightly-woven patterns performed with organic precision. These propelling rhythms turn simple chops into deep-pocket grooves. Here’s how to nail the classic and often misunderstood organ comping technique known as “the bubble.”

Sound Set your B-3 or clonewheel drawbars to 80 0000 003. Turn off the vibrato/chorus and harmonic percussion— that pinging sound isn’t what we want for the bubble. Keep your rotary speed slow. The result is a mellow vibe with a hollow body and a well-defined bottom end. Rhythm The classic 16-count exercise “One-e-and-a, two-e-and-a, three-e-and-a, four-e-and-a” is crucial, so keep it in your head. The reggae rhythm uses tight staccato chords, often referred to as skanks (results may vary if you seek definitions in Google). Your right hand plays the skanks on the “and” upbeats. Guitar and keyboard skanks often share the same beat, but the organ can complement the chord with inversions and a clean, octave-long stretch. Technique Your left hand adds quick chord hits about an octave below your right. Play the “e” and the “a” from the exercise with your left hand. Add your right hand back in, and the result is a bouncing “left-rightleft; left-right-left” occupying all 16th-notes in each beat except the first—so the complete bubble phrase is “e-and-a”. Leave plenty of space in this motion—since each chord is staccato, the chords should be naturally disconnected. Bubbles rely on tone to push the feel. Find inversions for the chords to make sure your left hand stays between the second and third octave.

Variations Played straight, the resulting rhythm has a machine-like drive. Swing the bubble, and it breathes life into the song. Once you master these two feels, try some variations. One groove-move involves a second drawbar manual set at 00 8005 000. With your right hand, lay down a legato chord on the first sixteenth-note of the downbeat of each measure, then quickly return to the bubble. My favorite variation is to keep the right hand on a piano or Clav and the bubble in the left hand. David Fowler plays in Echo Movement, a band at the forefront of the new American reggae/surf-rock scene. They’ve shared stages with the Legendary Wailers and Steel Pulse, and were on the Vans Warped Tour in 2009.

More Online

Get these links and more at keyboardmag.com/june2010 David Fowler teaches you the reggae bubble organ technique.

See where Echo Movement is playing next. 06.2010

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KEYNOTES

Chris Anderson Steve Sutkin

WEEKEND WARRIORS Steve Sutkin and Chris Anderson of the MAGs New Jersey’s MAGs started as a “midlife crisis” of the band members—the acronym stands for Middle Aged Guys. They cover a diverse range of material in the classic rock, soul, and Motown vein: Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, the Beatles, Steely Dan, Led Zeppelin, and Sam & Dave. Ed Coury DAY GIGS Steve: Director of a state agency that deals with public bidding. Chris: Sales manager for a large mortgage company. HOW WE GOT STARTED Steve: My then four-year-old daughter began piano lessons 15 years ago. I fell in love with the piano and decided to play myself. Chris: I took piano lessons in high school and hated them. I managed to learn a handful of Billy Joel songs, despite a 20-year hiatus from keys. INFLUENCES Steve: Chuck Leavell and Thelonious Monk.

Chris: Billy Joel, John Jarvis, Johnnie Johnson, Elton John, and Roy Bittan. I love the way Elton and Roy fill the space between verses. GEAR Steve: Yamaha S80 through a Roland KC-500 amp. Chris: Yamaha YPG-225 through a Peavey KB-100 amp. After reading Keyboard’s review of the Casio PX-330, that may be next. WHY WE PLAY Steve: It makes me feel good. Chris: Out of all the things I’ve done, nothing is better than having fans rock out to my band! MORE AT magsrock.com

MAJORminor Joshua Condon Joshua Condon has been a working musician since his early teens. “At 15, I began studying at the Eastman Community Music School—a 200-mile round trip commute—and also began as a church accompanist and music coordinator,” he says. “Recently, I headlined my own Christmas show, and also won the David Hochstein Recital Competition in piano. In the fall, I’ll be performing classical music on Rochester radio station WXXI FM 91.5.” First memory of jazz piano: Vince Guaraldi’s A Charlie Brown Christmas. His music introduced me to jazz, and his vocabulary was pivotal in my own musical development. Age lessons began: At six, I began classical piano, and at ten, began seriously studying jazz as well. Favorite pianists: Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, Herbie Hancock, Wynton Kelly, Red Garland, and Bill Evans. Why piano? It has the most versatile range of sound possibilities: a thunderous orchestra one minute and a weeping violin the next. The profound scope of textures one can learn to command is greater than on any other instrument I know of. Worst gig nightmare? If I were to mess up a piece of music I had practiced for a very long time. That’d make me feel like I’d wasted days or weeks of my life in preparation. How important is traditional training? While there are successful musicians who have made it without such training, the most skilled musicians are the ones who have studied this system that’s been in place for hundreds of years. Read or play by ear? Both. Reading music is crucial to your ability to teach others, whether in a band or classroom, or just to learn new music for yourself. However, being able to play by ear lets you grow in how you speak through your instrument—as a part of you. Jon Regen

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exclusive distributors

800.747.4546

KEYNOTES THE EDITORS’ PLAYLIST Jon Regen WILLIAM FIELDER Love Progression Reissued just months before his death in 2009, this burning 1985 album is proof that renowned educator Fielder was as fierce a force on the concert stage as he was in the classroom. Backed by blazing post-bop pianist Mulgrew Miller, Fielder’s polytonal title track is a lesson in modern jazz harmony. Other standout cuts include Miller’s “Brooklyn At Dawn” and Fielder’s own “Validity.” A celebration of a tireless musical champion. (Prescription, ejazzlines.com) STEFANO BOLLANI TRIO Stone in the Water A legend in his native Italy, Bollani now shows this side of the Atlantic what the accolades have been all about. A fluent mix of sonorities ranges from the tranquil quality of Caetano Veloso’s “Dom de Iludir” to Bollani’s metrically shifting “Il Cervello del Pavone.” With its gracious touch, Bollani’s pianistic command is impressive not only for its virtuosity, but for its musicality. One of today’s most original voices in jazz. (ECM, stefanobollani.com) ISAAC RUSSELL Isaac Russell Ever wish you had the guts to say what was really on your mind? Isaac Russell has been speaking his inner truth since his early teens. Signed to Columbia while still in high school, the gifted 18year-old songsmith hits the ground running. On “Lighthouse,” “Made Me a Man,” and “Golden,” he walks the line between sensitive troubadour and renegade. Featuring vintage keyboard work from Zac Rae, this EP portends great things to come. (Columbia, isaacrussel.com)

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Robbie Gennet

Stephen Fortner

MARCO BENEVENTO Between the Needles and Nightfall You never know what to expect from pianist and effects experimenter Marco Benevento, but you always know you’re in for a ride. Benevento has spent the last few years thinking outside the definition of not just what a piano sounds like, but of its place in a band. He’s not really playing jazz per se; the grooves feel more indie rock than anything. Indescribable and highly evocative stuff. (Royal Potato Family, marcobenevento.com)

HYPERBUBBLE Candy Apple Daydreams Early Eurythmics meets Josie and the Pussycats! Drum machines and resonant analog squirts form the basis of this duo’s unapologetic anthems to the golden age of electropop. “Girl Boy Pop Toy” even admonishes “synthesizer haters” to come to a gig and be converted. The vibe is all about having too much fun to care if you look like a dork, and if you’re too cool for that, the joke’s on you. (Bubblegum, hyperbubble.net)

MAURI SANCHIS Groovewords Funkmaster Sanchis is the first Hammond and Moog endorsee out of Spain, and he does both companies justice. Sanchis enlists a host of deep-grooving friends to lay down some of the tastiest music this side of Segovia, including famed trumpeter Randy Brecker and a host of talented singers. But it’s Sanchis’ whirring Hammond and melodic Moog lines that stand out amidst the tasteful funk/soul/jazz tunes. (BHM, (maurisanchis.com)

EVERYBODY WAS IN THE FRENCH RESISTANCE NOW! Fixin’ the Charts, Volume One Equal measures Austin Powers go-go, Ben Folds angst-pop, and Dresden Dolls cabaret, Eddie Argos and Dyan Valdes’ collab just may be the most musically and socially astute expression of being justified in one’s smartassery that I’ve heard in recent memory. Not to mention that I’ve personally been on the male friend end of the guy-girl conversation in “He’s a Rebel” way too many times. (Cooking Vinyl, myspace.com/fixingthecharts)

BETH THORNLEY Wash U Clean Singer/songwriter Beth Thornley comes into her own on Wash U Clean, her third and possibly best album yet. With a seasoned voice and tasteful piano chops, Thornley’s music evokes a variety of flavors song to song without losing her identity and style. From the retro sax-honk title song to the Beatles-esque “There’s No Way,” Thornley eludes easy classification. Wash U Clean had me reaching for the repeat button. (beththornley.com)

LANCE HAYES Forza Motorsport 3 Original Soundtrack Picture the best moments of Jan Hammer’s Miami Vice TV score updated to today’s sonic sensibilities, and you get an idea of why this is one of the few video game soundtracks that stands on its own outside the game. No surprise that it’s great for driving, but it’s smooth enough to put on when your date says that, yes, she’ll come up to your place for one last drink. (Microsoft, DJDM.com)

What’s on your playlist? What should be on ours? Let us know by email or Twitter, or at forums.musicplayer.com.

06.2010

The Keyboard Gear That’s ALL THE RAGE Is at

Dave Smith Instruments Mopho Keyboard

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SWEETWATER EXCLUSIVE! Moog Little Phatty Stage II Looking for that breakthrough oughh piece i e ooff kkeyboard eybbbooar ey ardd gear?? Y You’ll ’ll fifind ndd it i at Sweetwater. SSweetwater We take the time to seek out the hottest gear, period — from trusted names as well as fresh new manufacturers. Just take a look at our massive selection of keyboards, plug-ins, recording gear, and more by clicking over to www.sweetwater.com. And whenever you have questions about something you’ve seen or heard, rely on Sweetwater — a fellow gearhead is just one phone call away.

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NEW GEAR THE BEST OF FRANKFURT by Stephen Fortner MUSIKMESSE 2010 KORG’S POWER TRIO Korg (korg.com) released not one but three new keyboard-based synths at Musikmesse, and all of them were extremely hard to put down.

MicroStation This total workstation in a mini-keys format packs Enhanced Definition Synthesis derived from the M3 and 480 fully editable factory sounds. A full-featured 16-track sequencer with loop and grid modes is onboard, and up to five insert effects, plus two master effects and one overall effect, can be in play at once. It’s the most production power we’ve ever seen packed into a keyboard anywhere near this compact. | $850 list

PS60 Aimed at simplifying live performance, the PS60 is also based on M3 sounds, and is always in a multitimbral mode of up to six parts: Piano, Electric Piano, Organ, Strings, Brass, and Synth. You turn these parts on and off, choose sounds, and quickly create splits and layers in the central Easy Setup panel. | $TBA

Monotron This monophonic, real analog palmtop synth is just fun on a stick, and the ribbon keyboard is surprisingly easy to play accurately. You can get far more tonal variation than the five knobs might suggest—from sine-y rap leads to resonant acid bass lines. Last but not least, the price makes it literally an impulse buy. | $85 list

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RADIKAL TECHNOLOGIES ACCELERATOR Concept: Eight-voice virtual analog synth. Big deal: Has an iPhone-like accelerometer that sends assignable MIDI controllers when you tilt the keyboard end-to-end or front-to-back. We think: Okay, the accelerometer is fun, but the real killer app is the sound: creamy, lush, and very authentically analog. Radikal is officially back on the map. $1,998 | radikaltechnologies.com

FEELTUNE RHIZOME Concept: Computer meets groovebox. Big deal: Runs Windows Embedded OS and its own sequencer that hosts VST instruments and effects. We think: Our initial skepticism disappeared at first play. The host software is so intuitive and responsive, and the hardware controls are so well-implemented, that you really do forget it’s a computer. $3,000 (est.) | feeltune.com

STUDIOLOGIC NUMA ORGAN Concept: All-modeling clonewheel organ. Big deal: Joey DeFrancesco’s signature is on it, as he was involved with its conception. Uses the same technology as the Italian KeyB, Joey D’s touring organ. We think: The drawbar and rotary simulation are stunning. Depending on the price, this baby could eat a lot of clonewheel market share very quickly. $TBA | studiologic.com

HELMTRONIC CHALLENGER Concept: Monster analog monosynth. Big deal: Four oscillators. Two filters. Four envelopes. Two-voice mode makes it a pair of pannable synths with two oscillators each. We think: This unabashed act of Voyager one-upmanship sounds huge. It’s a prototype, though, so there’s no word yet on commercial availability. $TBA | Website TBA

EIGENHARP TAU and PICO Concept: More affordable, compact versions of flagship Alpha controller. Big deal: Each button senses velocity, pressure, and X/Y motion like a joystick. All these send different MIDI controllers, as can breath, but you don’t have to blow into it to make sound. We think: There’s a learning curve, but these are the most expressive alternative controllers on the market. Tau: Approx. $2,800 | Pico: $590 | eigenlabs.com

06.2010

KEYBOAR DMAG.COM

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LESSONS Daniel Mintseris ON CREATIVE WURLY COMPING The Wurlitzer Electronic Piano is loved the world over for its vintage sound. Songs like Ray Charles’ “What’d I Say,” Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” and Beck’s “Where It’s At” are just three of the countless Wurly classics. My rig of choice these days is a Wurlitzer 200A with a MIDI controller on top and my MacBook Pro on the side, loaded with Ableton Live and other goodies. I feed my Wurly into the laptop through a MOTU UltraLite interface for realtime processing, sampling, and looping. The Wurlitzer’s sharp attack and full, barking low end are great for rhythmic, percussive playing that borrows ideas from strummed acoustic guitar, bass, and even drums. In Ex. 1, I put a spin on a classic funky figure that recalls the Hohner Clavinet as well as slapped electric bass. Notice the beefed-up bottom end and the auto-wah. Extreme articulation really makes this figure work, so “spank” the accented beats and barely touch the ghosted sixteenth-notes for that “muted string” effect. Ex. 2 is another rhythmic pattern, with “strummy” right-hand octaves and crunchy left-hand power chords. I process the sound with Ex. 1

Albeton’s Saturator overdrive and highpass EQ, and use compression to bring out the grit and crackle. Work on keeping your right hand steady and relaxed here. In Ex. 3, I’m playing a gentle 6/8 pattern, atmospherically enhanced by the Grain Delay effect in Live, bandpass EQ, and a touch of slow Leslie speaker simulation courtesy of Native Instruments B4. Try it yourself with different keys and chord progressions, keeping consistent octaves and fifths in the right hand, and basic two-note voicings in the left. Ex. 4 turns up the groove with a steady eighth-note “hi-hat” and “snare” in the right hand, and a syncopated bounce in the left. Remember that the Wurly is all about articulation and feel. Keep the backbeat strong, the upbeats laid back, and dig into the bass notes. The dreamy, percolating sound of Ex. 5 shimmers from timed reverse and filter delays. Turn the tremolo up, roll the right-hand octaves and fifths lightly for waves of texture, and use wide left-hand intervals to create full, pulsating pads. The trick with a sound like this is to find open voicings that carry over well into the next chord.



       4







 

    4                   

         4              4                  

Ex. 2

B

A5



F 5

G5

A5



F 5

G5

A5



F 5

G5

A5



F 5

G5

 4                  4                                         44  

                

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Daniel Mintseris is known for his work with artists like Marianne Faithfull, Peter Cincotti, Martha Wainwright, and Teddy Thompson. He and cellist Dave Eggar just released Convolutions for Cello, Piano, and Electronics, an experimental album inspired by 20th-century classical music. Jon Regen

Ex. 3

Fsus2/A

C

Gadd4/B C

Fsus2/A

Gadd4/B

68







































     68





 

 

 

 







 



    





 



  

Ex. 4



D

A /D

G/D



B /D

D



A /D

G/D

N.C.

 4









 4   

    

   

    

    

    

   

                   

  

 44  

 

 

 





 

 



           

   

  

        Ex. 5

           4     4           

   4      4     

  Esus2

Badd9

More Online Get these links and more at keyboardmag.com/june2010

Mintseris plays MP3 examples of these lines.

The inner workings of the Wurly.

More on Mintseris’ experimental album.

06.2010

KEYBOAR DMAG.COM

21

LESSONS

LARRY GOLDINGS

Takes Your B-3 Playing to the Next Level

Larry Goldings has injected his signature Hammond organ and multi-keyboard sound across funk, pop, jazz, and alternative music. He has toured and recorded with Pat Metheny, Maceo Parker, Madeleine Peyroux, and James Taylor, and his songs have appeared in Space Cowboys, Proof, and The Office. Jon Regen

1. Go to church. In this Gospel accompaniment idea, I harmonize a melodic line. In the first bar of Ex. 1a, I alternate between a Bb triad and a C minor triad. Note that the inversions change as the line descends. As the idea nears its resolution in bar 2, I pass to the last chord with a diminished chord. Ex. 1b is similar to Ex. 1a, but with rhythmic variation. When I’m playing organ in this style, I typically use a very transparent drawbar setting, such as pulling out only the 8' or 4' drawbar. The Leslie would be fast, with no chorus/vibrato. Using such an airy sound really lets you stand out without getting in the way texturally. Hear this kind of playing on my CD Quartet, on the track “Hesitation Blues.” Ex. 1a

     44                  

           

    B

Use left hand for bottom note, if necessary

Ex. 1b

3        44                                             3 3

3

2. Chord symbols are just suggestions. When given a chord chart, take tasteful liberties that improve on the existing harmonies. In Ex. 2, I’m using clusters in bar 1 (which sound great on organ) and fourths in bar 2 (also a strong sound), while ascending step-wise with the top note. This provides good voiceleading to resolve on an unexpected F minor/major seventh chord—notice how rich a sound you can achieve with these types of voicings. When I’m comping, I typically have the first and third drawbars out, and the second drawbar out halfway. Use the C3 chorus/vibrato setting on your Hammond or clonewheel, with the Leslie effect braked. Check out my CDs Moonbird and As One, especially the songs “Woodstock” and “Mixed Message,” for many related examples.

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Ex. 2 Fm7



A 7



D maj7

C7

Fm7

4                         4       

4  4      

3. Less is more. When your left hand is busy playing bass lines, your right-hand chords can only have five or six voices. But a big sound with lots of harmony is possible with just two notes, particularly if one of them is moving. Use this idea to think about moving inner voices. Because it sustains, the organ is perfect for this. Notice how the bottom line in the right hand creates dissonance and suspensions in the harmony. Ex. 3 is particularly useful on a ballad. Ex. 3 Dm7

G7

Cmaj7

Fmaj7



Bm7 5

E7

Am

4      4                4     4    

4. Comp Freddie Green style. Guitarist Freddie Green played with the legendary Count Basie, and organ players can learn a thing or three from him. His kind of accompaniment, shown in the chord sequence in Ex. 4, is all about voice leading, thirds and sevenths, and groove. Comping like this can also be effective behind a guitar solo, since that instrument is no longer providing the pulse if it’s soloing. If you’re playing in half time, this can inject a nice, light swing feel into the music. Don’t rush—lay back, and dig in a bit more on beats 2 and 4. Ex. 4 Dm7

G7

Em7

Edim

Dm7

G7

Cmaj7

C6

44                                  

4    4       Em7  5 Em7  5/B  Asus7 A7 Dm maj7 Dm6 Fm7 B7                                 

1

5

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LESSONS 5. Add second and third voices to your melody. I often improvised a harmonized, secondary melody in one lower voice, as in Ex. 5a. It could be a sixth below a voice that moves in contrary motion to the melody, or simply a strong second line that implies more harmony, adding shape and color. When your left hand is playing bass lines, this is a great way to fill up the sound without resorting to block chords, which sometimes sound too heavy-handed. Ex. 5b adds a third voice, harmonized with the interval of a second. This sounds much less predictable than playing block chords. Pull out your first three drawbars, and set percussion to third harmonic, soft, and long decay. Use C3-setting chorus. My lower-manual bass setting is typically the first and third drawbars out all the way, and the second drawbar halfway. Again, try a braked Leslie setting. A good example of this is on “I Think it’s Going To Rain Today” from my CD Moonbird. Ex. 5a



F7

B 7

Bdim

F7



Fsus7

B 7

4             4                           4  

            4    Ex. 5b



B 7

F7

F7

Cm7

F7



B 7

4             4                         4              4       

6. Think shapes. To play “outside” of the harmony, I think less in terms of modes and scales, and more in terms of shapes. In the ii-V-i progression of Ex. 6, I start by outlining the D half-diminished chord to create a clear jumping-off point. Then I alternate between two shapes: fourths and triads. My goal is to land on my feet once I get back to the C minor chord. This wide intervallic sound is great on the organ, and is all over my playing—listen to “Zoloft” off Moonbird, and “If” from Trio Beyond’s Saudades CD. Ex. 6



Dm7 5

G7

Cm6/9

4          4           4th

triad

triad

4th

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Larry Goldings plays these examples for you. 24

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Carson-era Tonight Show footage of Goldings funking it up with Maceo Parker.

Goldings and Steve Gadd play “Chega de Saudade.”

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KORG Korner ‡Ž…‘‡–‘‘”‰‘”‡”ǡ™Š‡”‡™‡–ƒŽ™‹–Š ‡›„‘ƒ”†”‡ƒ†‡”•ƒ†‘ˆˆ‡”Š‡Ž’ˆ—Ž–‹’•ƒ† –”‹…•‘‘—”’”‘†—…–•ǤŠ‹•‘–Š™‡ǯŽŽ„‡ –ƒ‹‰ƒ†‡‡’‡”Ž‘‘ƒ––Š‡Ǧͳ–ƒ‰‡‹–ƒ‰‡ ‹ƒ‘ǡ™‹–Š‘”‰‡…Š‘Ž‘‰›ƒ”‡–‹‰ ’‡…‹ƒŽ‹•–‹…Š ‘”‹†‘‹Ǥ Rich, I think many readers will be happy to see Korg continuing to create new sounds for the SV-1. Definitely. At the moment we have three sets of sounds; and many of the new sounds are the result of user requests. Using the editor software, you can compile a custom set of 44 sounds – the 36 sounds on the SOUND TYPE and VARIATION knobs, plus the 8 FAVORITES. All of these new sounds can be downloaded for free from www.korg. com/sv1. Despite its vintage charms, the SV-1 remains an ideal piano. For the first time, Korg has sampled a brighter Japanese grand piano in addition to the darker European grands. How can players customize the piano sounds to suit their playing style? There are a couple of things you can do to tailor the piano to your liking. The first and easiest way is to adjust the EQUALIZER and REVERB/DELAY settings. Next, you might try adjusting the way the keyboard reacts to your playing style. Press the TOUCH button, and then press one of the eight FAVORITES buttons to select one of the eight velocity curves. If you want an easier response for lighter playing, check out numbers 2 and 3. If you want a lot of control over the full dynamic range, try either 6 or 7 instead. There are also some tuning curves you can explore. Press the FUNCTION button, and the FAVORITES buttons will blink. Press 1 to select equal temperament, or press 2 or 3 to play using two different Grand Piano Stretch tunings. In general, the stretch tunings are best for solo work and the equal temperament should be used when playing in a band setting, or when blending with other keyboards.

Let’s move back to the vintage side of things. I understand that using the editor opens up new parameters and features for the amp models – including selecting different cabinets and controlling the gain staging with more precision. Exactly. The DRIVE knob on the SV-1’s front panel is only one part of the equation. It’s like the gain knob on an amp, but without a master volume. The editor gives you that extra volume control so you can add as much tube gain as you want without raising the overall level of the SV-1. In fact, using the editor, you also have a three-band EQ just for the amp, and adjustable Presence. Combine that with a range of selectable cabinets, and you’ve got an impressive palette of control. In general, the editor lets you go much deeper than the front panel. For critical EQ settings you’ll want to use it, because it offers sweepable control over the mid frequency. Most of the effects will have many more controls, which you can’t access from the keyboard itself. You can also add EQ to the RX noises and layers, which is especially useful with our new alternate sound banks. There’s even a ‘Compare’ function, similar to the one you’ll find in our workstations. While modifying a sound, you can press ‘Compare’ to quickly revisit the saved version of the sound, and press it again to go back to your edits. This is great stuff, but some of this may be a bit deep for some users. Do you have any simple tricks that you can share? Sure, using the Editor you can adjust the Touch Curve for each sound individually. Many people find that to be the essential tweak per sound to make the SV-1 their own. Now, let’s say you’re playing along with a backing track that isn’t quite in tune, and you need to adjust the pitch of the SV-1 to a very small degree. Just press the FUNCTION button, then turn the TREBLE knob to fine-tune. Here’s another cool trick: if you want to isolate the RX noises or a layered sound, turn on the AMP section, and then turn the DRIVE all the way down. At this point you’ll only be hearing the RX noise or layer. To adjust the level of the RX noise/Layer, press the FUNCTION button, then turn the BASS knob. If you have a favorite Korg product you would like to see explored, or a question you would like to see answered, drop an email to [email protected].

Š‡…‘—––Š‡Ǧͳƒ†‘–Š‡”‘”‰’”‘†—…–•ƒ–‘—”‘ˆϐ‹…‹ƒŽ ‘——„‡…Šƒ‡Žǣ™™™Ǥ›‘—–—„‡Ǥ…‘Ȁ‘”‰—•ƒ˜‹†‡‘•

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5 Ways To

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LESSONS

Play Like

MCCOY TYNER When I was first learning jazz piano, McCoy Tyner’s style had a big influence on my playing. Years later, during a set with saxophonist Gary Bartz at a jazz club in Washington, DC, I was doing my best McCoy emulation when McCoy Tyner himself strolled right past my piano! After the set, he was extremely complimentary of my playing, which made me feel great. Later, I asked him, “How do you feel that so many pianists have copied your style?” He replied, “I consider it a compliment.” Just then, an eavesdropping friend sung her best “air McCoy” impression: “Fifth, fourth . . . fifth, fourth, fourth.” Tyner smiled at her and replied, “There’s a lot more to it than that!” To play like McCoy, it’s important to understand a few basic building blocks of his immediately identifiable piano sound. George Colligan

1. Fifths in the Left Hand. One of McCoy’s signature sounds is playing fifths in his left hand, usually the root and fifth of whatever the designated chord is. In Ex. 1, we’re voicing an F7 chord in this way by simply playing F and C in the left hand. Much of the music Tyner played with John Coltrane was modal or pedal-point based. Playing the root and fifth in the lower register solidifies the harmony, and can also set up a dialogue with the drummer. Ex. 1

F7

4   4  

2. Perfect Fourths in the Left Hand. We tend to think of Western harmony in terms of thirds, but during the Middle Ages in Europe, thirds were thought of as dissonant. Intervals of fourths and fifths were considered resolutions. An added advantage of playing the perfect fourth in the left hand is that it gives a grounded, “home base” quality to the harmony. In other words, fourths sound solid. Tyner often plays two perfect fourths based on the root, as in Ex. 2, where an F7 chord is voiced using the notes F, Bb, and Eb), or he might play one with the root on top (for example, F7 as G, C, and F). Ex. 2

F7

    44     26

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3. Augmented and Perfect Fourths in the Left Hand. These voicings have more tension due to their use of the tritone interval: a sharp fourth. Tyner will often shift from this voicing to our previous voicing and back. So, for a Bb7 chord, he might play Ab, D, and G as in Ex. 3a, then he’ll shift to Bb, Eb, and Ab as in Ex. 3b. In “Blues on the Corner,” he plays F, B, and E against a Bb7 chord, (Ex. 3c), which is quite dissonant. Tyner is a master of tension and release, and Ex. 3d shows how Tyner combined perfect and augmented voicings on his version of the Antonio Carlos Jobim classic “Wave,” from the album Supertrios.

  44      Ex. 3c B7  44     Ex. 3a

B 7

4.

Chromatic Playing and Two-Handed Comping. “Planing” refers to intervals that remain intact as they move around. In Ex. 4a, we’re planing a series of left-hand fourth voicings. Diatonic planing stays in the current harmonic key or mode, as in the Dorian mode of Ex. 4b, and chromatic planing moves without regard to the key center, as in Ex. 4c. Tyner sometimes keeps the same lefthand voicing intact, moving it relative to a home key, until he resolves it. Also notice that 4b and 4c use combinations of fourths and thirds to make smooth voicings across both hands. Listen to John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme for examples in context.

Ex. 3b

 

44    

Ex. 3d

Cm

  

44 

      

                      44 

    

Ex. 4a

Ex. 4b Cm Dorian Mode

     44                       44          Ex. 4c Cm Dm Em F m G m Bm  44  

 

            

              

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LESSONS 5. Using the Pentatonic Scale. We often hear five-note or pentatonic scales (Ex. 5a) in Asian and African music. Tyner uses his unique improvisational sense to manipulate them in this example from his song “Blues on the Corner” (Ex. 5b). Often when a chord is dominant, Tyner will play a minor pentatonic based on the fifth of the chord. But he might also play a minor pentatonic based on the root of the dominant chord, then go off in another direction (Ex. 5c).

Ex. 5a Minor Pentatonic Scale

4  4               1

3

4

5

7

44

  

 44                       

 

   

4   4

Ex. 5b

E 7

 44                                                       

 

   44        



  

Ex. 5c

B 7

etc.

George Colligan is a pianist and composer who has worked with Cassandra Wilson, Buster Williams, Don Byron, Ravi Coltrane, and many others. Most recently, he joined drummer Jack DeJohnette’s new quintet. Colligan has appeared on over 100 CDs, 19 of them as a leader. His latest release is Come Together on the Sunnyside label. Colligan is Assistant Professor of Jazz Piano at the University of Manitoba. Jon Regen

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Audio examples of these lessons on our site! 28

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06.2010

Find out where McCoy Tyner’s playing live.

Hear McCoy use these techniques on a killer solo rendition of “Giant Steps.”

7+(6281'2)$1,&21

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LESSONS

SUZANNE CIANI

On New Age Synth Composer and synthesist Suzanne Ciani is a pioneer in electronic music. She has released 15 albums, ten of them on her independent label Seventh Wave. A five-time Grammy nominee in New Age music and a winner of the Indie Award, her career has also spanned film and TV scoring, notably the “pop and pour” sound for Coca Cola, created on a Buchla modular synth. Jon Regen

“Snow Crystals” A lot of my compositions are influenced by the idea of a sequencer, since in the early days I didn’t use a keyboard to play the Buchla synthesizer. Now when I play sequences on a keyboard, I just change the eighth-note figures to easily change meters. I’m using a Celeste-like sound here. The song “Snow Crystals” is all about patterns, and changing from a 5/4 pattern to one in 6/4 is very comfortable. You can hear this piece in full on my CD Silver Ship.

  4 54  64       4                  4  5               64 4    4

   54                     6  44   4       

1

4

  6   54    4                       6  54   4  loco

 64                         54        

More Online Get these links and more at keyboardmag.com/june2010

    4     4     Three more new age   synth lessons and full  44   let ring

Audio and video of Suzanne on the Buchla modular synth. 30

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L.H.

audio examples.

Suzanne demos synths on vintage Letterman and 3-2-1 Contact.

The L1 Compact system. ®

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The L1® Compact portable line array system is the latest development in our efforts to improve live sound for performers and audiences. It has been engineered to be our smallest and most lightweight system, and to offer unique benefits for musicians, mobile DJs, presenters and others who value both exceptional performance and portability.

To learn more, visit online or call:

Bose.com/live4 1-800-486-1869

The L1 Compact system combines PA and monitors into one system, and using Bose® Spatial Dispersion™ system technology, a single L1 Compact system can deliver balanced sound to everyone onstage and in the audience. It packs up easily, so it can go from car to stage in one trip, and it sets up in under a minute. There are no speaker wires to connect, no stands, no heavy loudspeakers. We believe the L1 Compact system can make your life as a performer easier and reproduce your sound with a level of clarity and realism you may never have thought possible.

©2010 Bose Corporation. C_008610

RANDALL SLAVIN

COVER STORY

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“I wanted it to go somewhere new,” reflects Alicia Keys about her hit album The Element of Freedom, just minutes before bringing 20,000 hungry fans at Newark, New Jersey’s, Prudential Centre to their feet. “I was listening to a lot of different music, which is what I tend to do before I start an album. It was about saying, “What am I feeling? And what feels good to me?” What feels good to Alicia Keys is almost always a barometer of what listeners gravitate to as well. In the decade since she broke out with her 12-times platinum, and five-time Grammy Award-winning debut Songs in A Minor, the prodigious pianist, singer, songwriter, actress, humanitarian—and now virtual instrument entrepreneur—has sold over 30,000,000 albums worldwide. Make no mistake, though—Keys is a fiercely devoted musician at her core, ready at a moment’s notice to talk shop around a piano about her latest recorded discoveries, keyboard acquisitions, and musical influences. On The Element of Freedom, Keys’ immediately recognizable, piano-centric, R&B-meets-pop panache is bathed in a retro glow. Supple vocals meet analog filter sweeps, and Motown-worthy melodies are updated with dirty, MPC-like drum grooves. It’s a re-imagining of the soul sound that has made her one of the most acclaimed artists of the last decade. Continued KEYBOAR DMAG.COM

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COVER STORY One of the most amazing things about The Element of Freedom is what’s not on it. Is it true that you didn’t use a real piano, that all the acoustic piano sounds came from your Alicia’s Keys virtual piano plug-in?

Anthony Miller

ALICIA’S KEYBOARDISTS “I’ve been Alicia’s musical director since the beginning,” says Onree Gill. “I started with her in 2000, and have worked with her ever since.” Keys, Gill, and Anthony Miller hold keyboard court behind three different rigs. “Alicia’s playing a Yamaha C2 grand piano with MIDI. The C2 drives the Alicia’s Keys virtual piano, which she loves. The engineer mikes the C2 as well, and decides each night how much of each signal to use in the house. Alicia also plays a Suzuki Omnichord and a separate synth rack with a Yamaha Motif ES6 and Minimoog Voyager. She makes sure to have a digital piano backstage to warm up—usually a Yamaha PF85.” Anthony Miller plays a Yamaha Motif XS7 and XS8, along with a B-3 organ chopped by L.A. supertech Ken Rich. Gill also has a Motif XS7 and XS8 onstage. Onree Gill Says Gill, “I can bring up different sounds on different Motif faders: a piano here, some strings there. It’s perfect for what I do.” Gill runs some drum and sample tracks on a Roland VS-2480 hard disk recorder. “I sequence in Pro Tools and Logic, then I transfer everything to the 2480. It’s rock solid for the road.”

Believe it or not! That sound is so incredible. Basically, we miked up my piano, a Yamaha C3 Neo, in my studio. We were able to sample the exact sound of my piano that I love so much, and really get all the dynamics of the way it feels; the soft pedal, the reverberation when I hold it, the sound when I hit it extremely hard, when I hit it soft. . . . It was done in such an incredible fashion that now I don’t have to mic my piano every time. Obviously, as you know, miking a piano, it depends on the tone you’re going for, and sometimes you do a great job, but sometimes you’re like, “Uh?” Sometimes it takes 30 minutes, sometimes all afternoon. So to be able to turn it on and have it be just like I want it? [Smiles.]

If you’re a guitar or sax player, you can take your instrument with you every night. But I find that even if I have the same piano, the hall or the sound system changes, and I always feel a little bit behind the 8-ball. Do you feel better playing Alicia’s Keys for that reason?

Oh, yeah. Especially on stage, because I tried a lot of different keyboards, and they were okay. But to have the sound that I love? I’m really glad we got to do it. Was the impetus to create Alicia’s Keys the fact that you wanted to take the sound of your home piano with you?

Yeah, that’s where it began. Definitely. To take my sound with me, wherever I went. On the road, or while I’m working in the studio, because you go to different studios and that’s a whole other thing. Sometimes, a given studio’s piano sounds great, sometimes it doesn’t. Also, for people who might not have access to an acoustic piano, they can have the sound of an acoustic piano.

If you’re using Alicia’s Keys on the whole record, you get many different sounds out of it. There are times when it sounds like a Yamaha CP70 electric grand, and times when it sounds like a full Yamaha S6 or C7 concert grand. There’s a lot of range there.

If you hear a CP70, it’s because we did use a real CP70 on the record. But the sound of Alicia’s Keys does have a lot of range to it. We’ll even put effects on it, you know? We’ll put guitar pedals on it, and it will sound totally crazy. So you have that freedom to do many things. The Element of Freedom is an amazing marriage of old and new sounds. Sometimes an artist will go for an older, retro sound, and it sounds forced. But this record sounds seamless. Talk a little bit about your conception for the album’s sound design.

At the beginning of making this record, I really wanted to explore some interesting combinations of sound and style. Take the Police—I listen to them a lot. Obviously, they have that kind of ska vibe to them, but then they definitely still have a soulful thing, but then they still have a pop sensibility in terms of where the chord changes and melodies go. So I love that.

More Online Get these links and more at keyboardmag.com/june2010 See exclusive video of this interview, in which Alicia performs songs from The Element of Freedom! 34

KEYBOAR DMAG.COM

06.2010

Alicia discusses Alicia’s Keys with Native Instruments.

Visit Alicia’s musical director and keyboardist Onree Gill.

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COVER STORY Second, I was really into Genesis, because I just loved the darkness of it, and the way they experimented with drum machines, but also with live drums, and how they crossed between the two. Some songs start out really dark, like “Mama,” but then the choruses would just open up. I really wanted to understand what that was about. Third, I listened to a lot of Fleetwood Mac. That was because one of my closest friends invited me to see them for her birthday. At first, I was like, “Sure.” [Rolls her eyes.] Everybody was singing along to every word, and I was the only one who didn’t know the words. I felt a little embarrassed. But it was cool, because it opened me up to a whole other sound, and drum style, and group. Of course I knew their big songs—everybody does. But to go deeper in, like the Tusk album . . .

that was the one that I really went back and zoned on. So, those were the kinds of things I was listening to, and I did start concentrating a lot on the songwriting style, and that influenced the chords I would use, and the way I wanted the choruses to be. It was about just opening up the flow. I knew I wanted to experiment, and plus, I was in my studio collecting tons of keyboards. My engineer, Ann Mincieli, is a collection addict. So, she’d be like, “I saw this new. . . .”