How did you become a keyboard player?

[Biggles]

To get back to the Aussie humour.

One of my Cousin’s is an Aussie who lives in Queensland.

He had a too close encounter with a Mud Crab resulting in a very badly mangled hand.

The crab lost the encounter and provided a very tasty meal for the family and half of Queensland.

 

[CowboyNQ]

...and half of Queensland.

Must have been a small one.

 

[Eric Barker]

I was crazy into music when I was just a little tike. I was a strange child. I memorized most of Muzzorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition when I was about 5 (not playing, humming it around town, driving people crazy). We had a dinky piano in my house in rural Alaska, I used to just sit there and make up stuff. Started lessons at 7. Wasn't too interested in learning music, more composing. I wrote a few small pieces a year and became addicted. I played Trumpet during school for about 8 years, and I'm now back doing it semi-pro, though I can't say I'm particularly great at it. I've always preferred the piano as I can play bassline, outline chords and melody all at the same time, unlike a monophonic instrument. Guitar never made sense to me. I play bass a bit, and that seems natural to me. I grew up on a lot of contemporary classical and 70s jazz, some blues rock (Dire Straights, Clapton). Hated rock and pop until I discovered prog in my late teens, and then it was all downhill from there. Was an addict overnight, gradually I've learned how to appreciate straight rock, and now I do it professionally. Still, I'd say fusion jazz and prog is where my soul is.

I still can't get into much pop, music isn't a social thing for me. I'm addicted to the sound and the pleasure it creates. I feel a lot of pop music is more a tool for social connections, which is cool, but it's not really "loving the music". Most of my favorite music is instrumental, or the lyrics play supporting role.

 

[Rayblewit]

Hated rock and pop until I discovered prog in my late teens,

I'd say fusion jazz and prog is where my soul is.

Prog is such a broad field taking in jazz blues as well as obscure music outside the general everyday run of the mill. pop.
Because it is "Different" is why it appeals. At 16 yrs old I bought my very first LP record. . . Jethro Tull's first album titled "This Was" . . It was a bluesy sounding mix with flute of all things. My friends thought I was nuts. But I soon converted them as they listened and soon realised the cleverness if such music. Prog in the making it was. Heavy Rack was the rage back then.
Now Jazz Fusion is a lot more obscure than prog. Clever music as well and also very different.

Nice post Eric. I think we are on similar pages!
Ray

 

[Eric Barker]

Hard to judge about the obscurity between fusion and prog. Jazz itself has become pretty niche, but the bulk of it today would fall under the fusion umbrella. Prog is an obscure part of a huge genre.

Obviously fusion has faired better amongst jazzers than prog has amongst rockers. Whatever, the two genres are extremely similar, and many of their innovators were involved in both.

 

[Edgar Scheffers]

That was Musial Instrument Data Interface, it opend a total new experience on accordion related playing.
Because I loved organs, but was not able to learn to play on 2 manuals and footbass pedals.
My handicap was that I only knew how to play on accordion bass buttons.
Accordion organs where allready pretty old and expensive when they where new
So Arrangers and soundmodules became my musical world en technical intressed instead.

 

[Kaneda]

Close to four years of music academy at quite a young age, studied classical piano. Owned an acoustic Yamaha piano at home, but got tired of classical music and dropped out of the academy. Bought a couple of synths shortly after but by the time I was 20, all my interest in music had gone so sold the lot.
Or so I thought...
Recently my love for music has resurfaced and I'm going in, at full speed, head first...

 

[goranmagdic]

Apart from playing recorder as a child, I had no musical experience until I decided to start learning piano/keyboard last year (at the age of 34!) I always wanted to play piano, and wished I had a Steinway piano like on Frasier, but assumed I wouldn't have the patience or the time. Seeing celebrities I like playing (who aren't professional musicians) like Kelsey Grammer and David Hyde Pierce from Frasier, Hugh Laurie and Seth MacFarlane encouraged me to have a go!

 

[8tracksboy]

I now own several keyboards.....my gig rig is Korg SV176 and Motif 6. Practice keyboards - Korg DP 3000, Kurzweil SP76, Yamaha s08, s03, M Audio Keysstation 88 and my newest K ARP Odyssey which with all the buttons really intimidates me. I do not incorporate a computer or sound patches into my rig but may someday. Play classic rock 70s/80s, Eagles Tribute Band, Yacht Rock trio/quartet. My favorite music is prog rock from the 70s Brit (Yes/Genesis/ELP/Tull/Floyd/UK, Crimson). Also like Yank Pop Prog - Styx/Kansas/Boston - at least they tried to be a little more different from the typical American Fare. Not sure what ELO is but also one of my alltimers. Favorite Keyboardists....hmm...Tony Banks, Elton John, Billy Joel, Neal Morse, Jordan Rudess - so many to mention. Hard to think of Geddy Lee and Paul McCartney as keyboardists buy they are among my favorites as well....First Popular Song?? Don't Let The Sun Go Down on Me - Sir Elton.

 

[Turbo]

I am 64 and start playing at 8 years old with dad there is a chicken in the water a Dutch song.

 

[Turbo]

With 8 yeard on a piano that was huge. when I was 20 a startet with a yamaha electone organ which came over the years bigger and bigger.
I got the feeling to move over to jazz , bluess, rock and so on and start playing Hammond after a while , but the leslies where so heavy that I needed to look for an electronic Leslie and now I am playing on a Wersi Organ and a Korg Pa3x76 Keyboard.
After 64 years from which I now 56 years play , I feel I would take more and more time to make music , music , music 1!

 

[GeorgeAbraham_Kerala]

I started learning the piano when I was 9 years old. I went for classes till I was 13. I was just sent to learn by my parents. During those times, I had no inspiration and felt learning the piano as a burden. I made little or no progress. I was having a cheap Casio CTK keyboard back then. I stopped going for classes at the age of 13. I packed my keyboard and left it at the attic for the next 6 years. I am from India, and during these 6 years, technology grew and I got exposed to a lot of western music. It was at the age of 19 that I got a chance to listen to the works of Yanni. I was extremely impressed by his music, especially the piano solo in 'Dance With A Stranger' (played by Ming Freeman). I decided to try it out and took my cheap Casio again and spent 5 months figuring out how to play. (THIS WAS THE REAL LEARNING EXPERIENCE). I managed to play somewhat, and decided to go to the same teacher again for a year of classes. This time, I would take the music sheets of Yanni's pieces and would make my teacher help me learn it. After a year of classes, I bought a Yamaha PSR-I455 keyboard (gave the Casio free to a kid who was learning). Yamaha's piano sound inspired me to play more and from there I began playing for my college band, and for the music club of the company that I'm working in. The grace of God, Yanni's music and that Yamaha keyboard made me a better player (I'm still amateur). Right now I own a Roland Juno-Gi which I'm planning to sell to make way for a Yamaha MX61. I had sold my old Yamaha few weeks after purchasing the Juno-Gi.