Piano solo My first attempt

wfaraoni · #1 10-06-2003

Well for those of you who have been exposed to my bluesy guitar playing for a while I just went out and bought a new keyboard. Just Cause I wanted one!! The Only problem is !!! I dont know how to play keyboards but here is what came out.

It makes me seriously wonder if Ive been playing the wrong instrument for 39 years!

The song is called, memories along the seashore

http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/...d=1644&alid=-1

It reminds me of the many times I sat at the seashore and just watched the waves romance the sands edge.

Sure, Ive got a lot of learning and practice to do but for a first attempt and about a weeks worth of playing experience on a real keyboard It seems to have inspired me SOOO I thought Id share it with Y'all

Peace
Bill

joro · #2 10-07-2003

Quote:

Originally posted by wfaraoni
The Only problem is !!! I dont know how to play keyboards

liar...........

I've been hackin' away at the keys for over two years now and I couldn't play this.......

good composition man...I like it a lot...
The recording is dull though...needs some brightness added to it...

Good stuff man,
Joe

GT · #3 10-07-2003

I wish I couldn't play the piano that well!!

That was short and sweet, I have no clue as to how a recorded piano should sound, but sounded good to me.

Keep playing!!

GT

Pedullist · #4 10-07-2003

Very nice, Bill. Lovely chords. I kinda like the 'naive' and 'searching' sound of it.

What's that crackling sound?

wfaraoni · #5 10-07-2003

Quote:

Originally posted by joro
liar...........

I've been hackin' away at the keys for over two years now and I couldn't play this.......

good composition man...I like it a lot...
The recording is dull though...needs some brightness added to it...

Good stuff man,
Joe

Thanks Joro, I'll take that as a BIG compliment. Yes I've played around with a yamaha portable but never got good enough to play a whole song through. (any song) You know easy start stuff and all that. But, I did learn the architecture of the keyboard from that. I only know a few chords ,but I know enough chord theory from playing guitar to figure out a bunch of them. I'm basically pattern playing here,

Guess once a guitarist always a guitarist

..For original compositions the keyboard just seems so logical and intuitive to me. Seems like you can think something and it almost comes out right

.The right hand just works around the left hands chords..Probably most of the talent has to go to the engineers at Korg for the fantastic sounds and features that they have included. especially that arpeggio feature!!
given a little midi editing to take out the BAD notes and viola! this comes out. This is exciting to me.

Pedullist. Thanks

I dont even know what those chords are actually called but there is a "pattern" to them. Crackling Hmmm? probably too much compression. My first post of this was listened to by my cousin (who is a real pianist) who said that it had a little too much attack and brightness on the right hand so I tried to tame it with compression and eq. Im sure I Probably over did it.

GT: Thanks for the feedback I thought it was just me but now I know others can appreciate it as well.

I guess should have bought a TRiton years ago when I first listened to one and was amazed at the sounds that come out of it, Im kicking myself for not doing that now.
This is one amazing instrument.

Peace
Bill

MC Gitarz · #6 10-07-2003

Pleasant little kick-back-and-ponder tune. Nice chords - sweet melody - really captures the waves dancing back and forth as you described. Nice work! I guess we'll be hearing more - seems the reviews are all rather positive!!
~Milan

wfaraoni · #7 10-08-2003

Mc Gitarz, thanks for the feedback, Yup Ill post some more but Ill take some time on the recording and playing. I guess I was kind of excited to hear what was possible with this wonderful instrument and thought Id share this little experiment with the folks in the clinic. There is a LOT to learn and not only the playing but the recording and capturing the best voices. The book was probably written by an engineer

so it will take some time to master it. Definitely lots of new possibilities here.

Peace
Bill

Guernica · #8 10-08-2003

hey dubya,
Nice tinklin' man. I enjoyed the piece. I read that you cut highs off the the tone.... ....maybe a touch too much? The cut sounded like it might be a touch deep. Nice playing here man.

B.SABBATH · #9 10-11-2003

cool piece.. I like it..

I guess you recorded the left hand first and then added the right?

PiltdownMan · #10 10-11-2003

Great playing. Have to agree that it sounds a bit muddy, and I'm getting a little distortion here and there. Brighten it up a bit and back off the faders a tad. :-)

Some very quiet ocean waves in the background would sound cool... or is that too much. Maybe it is.

Keyboard is one of the few (basic) instruments I haven't really tried to learn yet. I really envy people who can elicit emotions with it. Nice work.

Piltdown Man

wfaraoni · #11 10-11-2003

Quote:

Originally posted by PiltdownMan
Great playing. Have to agree that it sounds a bit muddy, and I'm getting a little distortion here and there. Brighten it up a bit and back off the faders a tad. :-)

Some very quiet ocean waves in the background would sound cool... or is that too much. Maybe it is.

Keyboard is one of the few (basic) instruments I haven't really tried to learn yet. I really envy people who can elicit emotions with it. Nice work.

Piltdown Man

Yeah, I compressed the heck out of it and went too far. This was done to try to change the brightness of the tone. When I get more skills Ill redo it, and some ocean sounds were already in mind.

If you want to take the time the original uncompressed version is up there for download as well but Im sure you will agree that its a bit to bright for the piece.

Guernica. Yes see above I squished it

thanks for your listen

B sabbath, No, both hands working at the same time. I just let it flow, played some left hand pattern chords (not sure what they are) and let the right hand go where it wanted to. I did midi edit out those BAD

notes that I hit. Theres still enough timing issues and unusual note variation that it is a reflection of Me

and my lack of skills. Long Island eh, Commack, Hauppauge, centereach,shirley, patchouge, selden.... some of the places I lived when a lot younger. Many hours were spent on the beach just enjoying the beauty of the nature there.

Peace
Bill

SLuiCe · #12 10-11-2003

If this isn't lounge I don't know what is. Very relaxing stuff Bill. It's going to be hard going back to work on the rock stuff after this. I just want to order a martini. Nice playing, even if you did edit some stuff. It has a nice feel.

Nilbog · #13 10-11-2003

Great song!

boydrj · #14 10-11-2003

Nice job, for not knowing how to play. Definitely has that "melancholy sitting by the seashore wondering what life is all about" feel to it.

The recording itself suffers from something crackling (maybe recorded a bit too loud...it could be clipping just a bit)

Nice composition, though.

wfaraoni · #15 10-12-2003

Quote:

Originally posted by SLuiCe
If this isn't lounge I don't know what is. Very relaxing stuff Bill. It's going to be hard going back to work on the rock stuff after this. I just want to order a martini. Nice playing, even if you did edit some stuff. It has a nice feel.

Thanks Sluice, coming from you, I take that as a great compliment, Now I just have to learn to play and record it

I don't think you'll have any problem getting back in the rock groove, Its in your blood

Nilbog, Blush.............. Thanks

Boydrj, your not the first to notice some crackling, so Ill take your word that its there. probably squished it too much, see above.

To all, Thanks for the encouraging responses to my attempt to play the keyboard. I will pursue it further . A few years ago I "almost" learned how to play Yesterday by the beatles from one of those easy play song books on a yamaha psr keyboard that simply did not keep my interest. I guess I'm just better off just doing my own thing anyway.
The only thing I can add is.

I love this Triton!!

its very inspiring.

Peace
Bill

groucho · #16 10-13-2003

Hey, REAL pretty stuff here, man. I just listened to it 4 or 5 times in a row. Mix-wise I'd say the "too bright" version sounds much better than #2. I don't think it's too bright at all.

I would also say: don't compress at all. Piano just doesn't respond well to it, especially solo piano. And there's really no need in a tune like this for compression that I can see.

This one reminds me of a lot of people I like. I hear a little Eric Satie in there, some Windham Hill players like Russel Walder & Barbara Higby, a little Keith Jarrett... good stuff.

Chris

M.Brane · #17 10-13-2003

Didn't realize you had a piano player inside ya' tryin' to get out?

I can't deal with keys. The damn notes are all layed out chromaticly!

I like the unmolested version better. I think you just recorded it too hot. Most samples don't respond well to a lot of EQ & dynamic processing.

Pretty good for a newbie pianist!

The Ghost of FM · #18 10-13-2003

Bill,

I was in Cuba last winter on a holiday and in the lobby of the hotel where I was staying there was a piano lounge.

In that lounge was a beautiful young lady who would play an old grand piano that had to be 60 years old and why I even mention this is because the tone on your piano is remarkably similar to what I heard there, live at the hotel. You avatar of Ernest Hemingway, also helped that memory along too as he spent a lot of time in Cuba in the good old days before Castro.

Your avatar is Hemingway, isn't it?

The song itself is a very pleasing composition.

Me likes!

wfaraoni · #19 10-13-2003

Quote:

Originally posted by The Ghost of FM
Bill,

I was in Cuba last winter on a holiday and in the lobby of the hotel where I was staying there was a piano lounge.

In that lounge was a beautiful young lady who would play an old grand piano that had to be 60 years old and why I even mention this is because the tone on your piano is remarkably similar to what I heard there, live at the hotel. You avatar of Ernest Hemingway, also helped that memory along too as he spent a lot of time in Cuba in the good old days before Castro.

Your avatar is Hemingway, isn't it?

The song itself is a very pleasing composition.

Me likes!

LMAO

Its not ernest

Its Me... or an artists perception of me that I had done when visiting central park in NY city. Ernest did write my most favorite book, The old man and the sea, though

thanks for enjoying the composition

M brane,, thanks for the listen my friend,, To me the keys seem to make sense more than the fretboard does

Go figure, almost 40 years playing the guitar and I discover that the problem may be Im a keyboard player somewhere deep inside. Well lets see if I can build on this before I commit to a new instrument.

Peace
Bill

dafduc · #20 10-13-2003

I'm floating, floating over a meadow... there are pretty young girls there, wearing Laura Ashley prints, and they're talking... about feminine hygiene!!!

Seriously, listened to v. 2. Pretty - excellent sound, perhaps a bit too much midrange - sounds more spinet than grand. But VERY realistic.

A few fumbles, and it wants a little more rhythmic variation, I think - that's a LOT of 8th notes - but ya fooled me - you sound like a player with a few years of lessons under your belt. Very nice.

Daf

wfaraoni · #21 10-16-2003

Dafduc, thanks for the input.

Hopefully Ill learn how to play eventually but as I said before this triton is amazing!!

Peace
Bill

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