Piano was my first instrument. I wanted to take flute but my parents said start with piano because it is the foundation... I never got around to flute. I moved on to the closest thing to it. Bass ;-) Two of the best things for my musical training were playing keys in a cover band and sequencing keys for my dance band. Bassically (typo on purpose), it taught me this. Get away from the bass player, he doesn't need your help (*Unless you're from Minneapolis. Go look up The Time and check out bass and synth bass doubling at it's Cool best). It's not always true but it's often a good way to let the music breathe. And while I am thinking about it. If you want to be a professional musician, remember this. The more you can do...the more you can do. I work full-time in music as singer, bassist, keyboardist and chart writer, arranger, sound engineer... you get the idea. Anyway, back on point.
These days I work mostly as a bassist/singer. So, I played my first night of covers on keys in a few years, with the CityCats this past Saturday night... Krista White (and all you shape-shifting or should I say sound shifting keyboard players out there), I've never respected you more than I do right now! Twas quite fun in a hold your breath and pray you remember where all the right sounds are kind of way... It really WAS quite fun AND I was holding my breath and praying I could find the right patches etc, etc etc... I TRULY remember why I prefer playing bass! LOL! I DO play keys regularly at my church Celebration Community Fellowship and then I AM running loops and switching patches and singing. But 30 IS more than 5... Gracious landscapes alive!
So, pianists out there. If you really want to stretch your ears. Join a cover band. It's great for ear training, counterpoint and learning the art of leaving breathing room... Playing strings, horns, piano, organ and pert near any and everything else including secondary guitar parts it's great for the ears... Like I said, it's been a while. THANKS FOR A FUN CHALLENGE, CATS!
Now you (piano) cats go and have fun learning...EVERYTHING!
Accounting is my name and numbers my game. Give me debits, credits, assets, liabilities, equity, throw in some income, cost of goods sold & expenses. And let's not forget the month-end or year end adjusting journal entries. For the unadjusted trial balance leads to the adjusted trial balance with the wrap up in the Balance Sheet and its partner Income Statement. And least we show partiality, my personal nemesis, cash flow statement. All this to say my wonderful mighty bass playing twinner...what's a "patch", "breathing room" and "sound shifting".??? Would love to sit a few minutes with you to broaden my number crunching, bean counting world :-)
ReplyDeleteGosh, I feel so underdeveloped being just a retired pharm tech. Well, I did have aspirations to someday own a pharmacy... 'IDEAL DRUGS" but alas, only a dream now...However, it does free up time to read these wonderful posts!!! Miss you Aaron! Would love to sing along with you again! Gotta go, my life of leisure is beckoning....
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