Jazz Arranging for Keyboardists

May 16 2013 3:00PM
Keyboard players are naturally good arrangers. We do it every day while we’re writing, tracking, putting chords to melodies, and mixing our music. All of these activities involve selecting textures, achieving balance, and More...

You Know More Voicings than You Think!

Apr 5 2013 6:00PM
When I wrote my first textbook Jazz-Rock Voicings for the Contemporary Keyboard Player, I included some common “shell” voicings that I heard on recordings by jazz greats. For example, I heard Wynton Kelly and Red Garland More...

Keeping Practice Interesting

Jul 25 2012 4:00PM
by Helen Sung TIME IS PRECIOUS, SO IT’S IMPORTANT TO LEARN TO PRACTICE EFFECTIVELY. ALTHOUGH I NOW PLAY MAINLY jazz, how I practiced as a classical pianist has always stayed with me. In classical music, much of practicing is More...

5 Ways To Play Like Greg Phillinganes

Jul 25 2012 4:00PM
by Matt Beck ONE LOOK AT GREG PHILLINGANES’ RÉSUMÉ AND YOU’LL QUICKLY UNDERSTAND why he has risen to the top of modern music. Greg has toured and/or recorded with Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton, Herbie Hancock, More...

Booker T Video Repost

Oct 12 2011 12:00AM
We've been meaning to catch up with Booker T. Jones since his Grammy win for the 2009 album Potato Hole--for which we interviewed him back in August '09. If you haven't heard his latest, The Road From Memphis, you're missing out, More...

Welcome to Keyboard's November 2011 Links Page

Oct 10 2011 12:00AM
Exclusive interview with the Flaming Lips! Evan Bogart talks songwriting, keyboards, and production. Miss our Summer NAMM gear wrap? It's online?     More...

5 Ways to Play Like Larry Young

Nov 1 2010 1:00AM
Organist Larry Young carved out a truly unique path on the holy Hammond B-3 organ. His modal, John Coltrane-esque approach was a total departure from the soul and jazz organ styles that had dominated the airwaves of the ’60s More...

Samurai Keys Multi-Keyboard Multitasking

Sep 1 2010 12:00AM
Often, our jobs involve playing multiple keyboard parts at once. As important as the music itself is, it’s also vital to make sure that your multikey rig works ergonomically with both your body and playing style. Keeping your More...

Finger Independence

Apr 1 2010 1:00AM
by Kiki Ebsen  In my touring career with artists like Colin Hay of Men at Work, Wilson Phillips, and my own band, it has always been challenging to find time to practice. That’s why I’ve come up with my own exercises that can More...

Ten Minute Technique - Warming Up Under the Gun

Jan 22 2010 8:10AM
by Josh DodesFinding time to practice is difficult for all of us. Whether you’re on the road, running from one gig to the next, or dealing with distractions at home, it can be daunting to keep your chops up. Whether at sound More...

The Chord Doctor - Expand Your Chordal Command

Jan 22 2010 7:45AM
by Clifford CarterYou hear that the government is contemplating another multi-billion dollar stimulus package. That’s an intimidating number I can’t even digest. A much kinder, gentler number is 12 — the number of notes in the More...

Get Funky on the Rhodes

Jan 22 2010 7:05AM
Influential recordings from the late 1960s by pioneering keyboardists (such as those by Joe Zawinul, Chick Corea with Miles Davis, and Billy Preston with the Beatles) brought the Rhodes electric piano to the forefront of modern More...

Synth Sense - Hot Synth Licks for Non-Synth Players

Jan 22 2010 7:00AM
by Matt BeckMatt Beck, known for his burning keyboard and guitar work with pop icons Rod Stewart and Rob Thomas, just released his latest solo CD, Anything Which Gives You Pleasure. Learn more at myspace.com/mattbecktwenty. More...

Rock The Piano Glissando

Dec 1 2009 12:10PM
It’s part comedy and part drama. Early rockers, Broadway rehearsal pianists, and Jersey rockers alike have used and abused the piano glissando. It’s dramatic, cool, and aggressive, but it’s also a tad clichéd — which could More...

Whole Tone Tips Part 2

Oct 1 2009 5:15PM
Last month, we dove into the theory behind the whole tone scale and explored some creative ways to play with it. This month, we go deeper, using the whole tone scale for more complex melodies and figures. Remember to dial up More...

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