Beginner looking to learn

C

conception28

New member
Hi all

I'm really interested in learning to play keyboard and possibly move to create/play different sounds through a synthesiser further down the line. However the fact that I know very little about the technicality behind all of this has made it difficult.

I'm mainly looking to create the kind of keyboard/synth sounds found with bands like Haim and Friends (there are several live vids on youtube) among others of the same types of genres. I'm mainly interested so that once I've grown in skill and knowledge I can look to join a band later on.

Is there any advice anyone can give me on how best to get started? What gear is best to start out with? What is the best way to learn to play and create different types of these sounds? What kinds of gear would I need further down the line to really make the most out of these instruments?

As I said, I'm really unfamiliar with this area so any information anyone has on the essentials/basics within this would be ideal.

Cheers
 
conception28 said:
Not yet

Looking to buy something to learn on fairly soon.. obviously something pretty cheap to start with
Click to expand...

Ah OK, cool. :)

What's your budget for the keyboard, and have you seen any that interest you yet? If you have this information, it might help someone who knows about starter keyboards to help you find something that will see you through the next few years.
 
Unless you are already somewhat proficient on another instrument, you're going to need to take formal lessons. Set your budget accordingly.
 
Do you know anyone who plays a piano? I would find someone and ask them for a lesson in understanding the keys. This way you can get a feel of what you are getting into. If you know how to play another instrument, you can apply your knowledge to the keyboard (a G chord on a guitar sounds like a G chord on a piano and though they are positioned differently, a scale has the same intervals on any instrument it's played on). As with any instrument there are techniques that are learned to be proficient. Like mjb said, take formal lessons. They will only help. I learned theory on piano and although I can't play any mean, dirty blues solos, I can add textures to songs and fill in passages and stuff, which is the direction I think you want to do. Find a friend with a dusty Casio in the closet or hit up craigslist and by a $20 cheesy keyboard. Although you should not get discouraged by not being able to obtain the sounds you want at first, remember finding that sound is sometimes a life long chase. I apologize if I'm being elementary about your skill set, but these are suggestions I would give someone who is about to start before they commit a lot of money into something that one day may either consume all of their time and money or gather dust in a closet.
 
I started with reading a book Home-Recording-For-Dummies
It is easy to read and will give you a better idea about recording and "how it works"
Regard gear.
If you want to play with MIDI -
You will need
Mac or PC
MIDI controller (keyboard) with USB
Recording software which has VST instruments.
Mayself I use M-audio 25, Cubase, Reason.
 
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