Keys for the future
Its been a while since the local music bands (atleast most of us) stopped misusing the sequencers and opted to (again) play music as how it should be. However the damage done still can be visible. One direct effect is the ugly stigma (even fear) over the use of keyboard in live bands.
As fewer and fewer people are playing keyboard in bands, the younger generation are failing to appreciate the rich tones and versatality added by the sound of a live piano or an organ or rhodes. Metaphorically its like outlawing a bunch of colours from a colour palette when painting something.
The dilemma here is that most of the music we listen to (and play) have keys on it somewhere or the other yet its still taboo to play keys when playing the same stuff by the local bands.
Any suggestions for the future of keys and keyboardists in locals bands are welcome!
January 18th, 2007 at 21:12
A few years back, in a show held in Raalhugandu area we were not allowed to use the keyboards for the FEAR that someone might use a sequencer!!! So much for the intellect of the organisers! Keyboards were feared! We need more colours in our palette and also need painters (keyboardists, organists and pianists)!!!
January 18th, 2007 at 23:00
yeah if they want to play the real thing, play it properly without ommitting the keyboardist. but alas nobody seems to care. if you’ve ever seen people like jordan rudess perform live you would know how ‘gaddaa’ a keyboardist really is
January 19th, 2007 at 00:17
some of the local metal bands like grotesque and nothnagel have used keyboards in live shows, but nowadays its not easy to find a talented keyboardist even though we find quite a lot of guitarists this is what everybody says. If there were young talented keyboardists around i’m sure the bands could use them. its just that they are rare.
January 19th, 2007 at 09:44
our band needs a keyboardist and its really hard to find one. For some reason its seems they are distinct, But i am sure there are people who have interests in keyboard but they have some issues of their own i guess. ( to coming forward)
January 20th, 2007 at 03:21
The question of whether few bands play with keyboardists either because the rest of the band and/or the public either dispproves using keys or there just arent good enough keyboardists is debatable. Whilst its a circular argument, one reason why our music scene havent diversified from the mainstream guitar dominated pop/rock music to genres such as jazz and classics is due to lack of good keyboard players.
For my part I do encourage every musician regardless of the instrument they play to familiarise with the basics of keyboards. Its a powerful and easy tool to have in the musical arsenal to visualise theoretical concepts such as chord formation theory, modes and scales.
January 23rd, 2007 at 09:25
I totally agree to this thread. Power of keys is what led Pink Floyd songs into Fame.
By the way, We are in need of a Keyboardist, Anyone interested to join our band (blues/rock) please call or SMS 960-7788444
January 25th, 2007 at 03:00
Zeroc, I suggest you put a new ad post for a keyboardist under classifieds for a better response. Good luck!
August 17th, 2009 at 23:46
Hello there all, Keyboardist, esp you.
Does that person have to be ‘young’? How about around 43? I chanced upon this site today and couldn’t help reading all this. I am, you could say, a pianist and a maldivian. In fact i am a pure classical pianist. Classical music is of such a serious nature and such an alien genre to the Maldives music scene i am scared to go back to Male’ with this career of mine.
Playing the piano had always been my dream ever since i laid my eyes on the piano at the Montessori School i attended. Ever since i’d always fantasized about it.
And 36 years later fate landed me in Sri Lanka and for the past 7 years i’ve been an ardent and serious student of purely classical piano. I started with John Thompson’s Piano for Little Fingers. Since then I have sat for a number of Associated Board of Royal Schools of Music, London practical exams and now i am at my Grade 8 level. I am the proud owner of a pro-concert upright, Kawai, (reconditioned of course but it’s the best i can afford to buy, but it’s my most precious and proudest possession). I have achieved a life time dream, believe it or not.
I am rather handicapped in many ways, as i haven’t cared to play any other type of music except classical and i am forced to remain faithful to every note, direction and timing on the sheet music. So i am not a versatile player and you can’t ask me to modify and do great things on the piano. Classical music is serious serious music and can bore many a person to death. But once i got into it and came to know, love, appreciate, study and play great works of composers from the Baroque, Classical and Romantic era; Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin, Schubert, Strauss to name a very very few, i lost interest in all other types of music and i became an old bore to many people. But i have found happiness, adventure and a whole new life in this wonderful thing i do here in Colombo. It’s my wish to go back to Male’ someday soon and teach little children as well as adults, classical music. Everyday hase been a wonderful adventure for me and i know i am truely blessed.
I just want to share with you my musical experience, and this is not in the intention of boasting but to give inspiration and hope to all other dreamers like me.
Niumath