Professional Keyboardist?

[Jesse381]

I think before trying to be a professional, audition for some local bands, play in local bars/night clubs and stuff. If you're good, you'll work your way up eventually.

You can also use youtube as a demo format to showcase your skills. Videotape yourself playing some cover songs, and if your good you'll get a lot of views and might get discovered on youtube.

[mrwonderful]

First off you got to be talented and second you gotta have piano chops.

[Ambience]

Originally Posted by mrwonderful

First off you got to be talented and second you gotta have piano chops.

I already play keys. I am not bad, but not professional either.
Hence, why I need advice.
Stating the obvious is not help here.
There are tons of piano prodigies I have heard of once and never heard again, meaning talent isn't everything unless people feel what you play.

[jdsowa]

It works like this: you need to play in a local band. You and some friends. You will mingle with other local bands in the scene. Your band will open for bigger bands. You will make friends with people along the way. Eventually, when an opening comes up, someone will contact you if they think you're a good player and a nice guy.

My guess is that if you were to survey professional keyboard players, you would find that 99% of them had been taking piano lessons since childhood. At any rate, that will be your competition: guys who are your age that that already have 10+ years experience on the instrument and can sight read in their sleep. If you grind away at it, though, perhaps you could be good enough by 23 or 24. Also, you get bonus points if you're attractive, have a muscular build and cool hair.

[RyanC]

The auditions for these things are going to be packed with berkelee cats etc that are exceptional musicians. You need chops, to be able to play, transpose by ear and even better if you know thousands of songs off the top of your head.

But...there is more than that. It doesn't take Stevie Wonder to backup Jordin Sparks. The guy who gets that gig is 6'2 and ultra fit, very fashionably dressed and styled hair/tatts/piercings etc. Also it will help if you have supreme ableton skills and can double on keys and running the playback tracks.

After that move to LA, or maybe NY. Those are the places where the auditions are held, and go to music school (even CC) that way you get to know people in that scene so you can do as many of them as possible.

[Ambience]

Originally Posted by RyanC

The auditions for these things are going to be packed with berkelee cats etc that are exceptional musicians. You need chops, to be able to play, transpose by ear and even better if you know thousands of songs off the top of your head.

But...there is more than that. It doesn't take Stevie Wonder to backup Jordin Sparks. The guy who gets that gig is 6'2 and ultra fit, very fashionably dressed and styled hair/tatts/piercings etc. Also it will help if you have supreme ableton skills and can double on keys and running the playback tracks.

After that move to LA, or maybe NY. Those are the places where the auditions are held, and go to music school (even CC) that way you get to know people in that scene so you can do as many of them as possible.

Thanks for the advice man.
But i heard all Berklee cats play the same lol

But the advice is solid. Thank you

[jdsowa]

Yea.. they play the same. Well.

That's all that matters. You're playing somebody's backing track, not being an original artist. Nobody cares about your original voice if you're an anonymous dude in some star's band.

[RyanC]

Originally Posted by Ambience

Thanks for the advice man.
But i heard all Berklee cats play the same lol

But the advice is solid. Thank you

You have a church background?

[Bender412]

Chord professions?

[mrwonderful]

Originally Posted by Ambience

I already play keys. I am not bad, but not professional either.
Hence, why I need advice.
Stating the obvious is not help here.
There are tons of piano prodigies I have heard of once and never heard again, meaning talent isn't everything unless people feel what you play.

Okay then start working with professional artists..

Get a promoter, hire a established manager, contact A&Rs.. Etc

It takes money to make money. Invest wisely.

[Ambience]

Originally Posted by RyanC

You have a church background?

Yes

[Ambience]

Originally Posted by mrwonderful

Okay then start working with professional artists..

Get a promoter, hire a established manager, contact A&Rs.. Etc

It takes money to make money. Invest wisely.

Now thts good advice lol thanks man

[3rd Degree]

Like everyone said, it starts with a local band. Again, like everyone said, most people who play keys live are exceptionally talented and have a bunch of experience playing the keys. I know a few people who do this and their level of talent is often far above who they play with.

My advice is to get to the point where you can play anything you hear without much work. Sitting in on some of my friends bands, that's really what the keyboard player does, the guitar player jams something out, the keyboard player plays it back. They may just sing notes. Then the keyboard player "embellishes" that idea a bit to bring the instrument out.

[Ambience]

Originally Posted by 3rd Degree

Like everyone said, it starts with a local band. Again, like everyone said, most people who play keys live are exceptionally talented and have a bunch of experience playing the keys. I know a few people who do this and their level of talent is often far above who they play with.

My advice is to get to the point where you can play anything you hear without much work. Sitting in on some of my friends bands, that's really what the keyboard player does, the guitar player jams something out, the keyboard player plays it back. They may just sing notes. Then the keyboard player "embellishes" that idea a bit to bring the instrument out.

Will do. Im practicing two to three hours a day starting today. Going to go over scales over and over again till i master them completely. Once i do that everything will come to me lol

[The Aristocrat]

Originally Posted by Bender412

Chord professions?

I have no idea why but I found this response hilarious but you know what he meant.

[afrokeys]

Go to Chuuuch! Listen, practice, perform, repeat....eventually you can get there if you dedicate yourself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlyL-f8lTi0
Thats me on the rhodes and moog bass. I will say don't expect to make any money for a long long long long time Do it for the love....

[Ambience]

Originally Posted by afrokeys

Go to Chuuuch! Listen, practice, perform, repeat....eventually you can get there if you dedicate yourself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlyL-f8lTi0
Thats me on the rhodes and moog bass. I will say don't expect to make any money for a long long long long time Do it for the love....

Wow man your really great!
Love the coloring of your chords!

And hell yeah man i could care less about money. I'll burn it all in your face, i do it for the passion!

How do you practice? Any specific exercises you do?

[vintagelove]

Originally Posted by Ambience

Will do. Im practicing two to three hours a day starting today. Going to go over scales over and over again till i master them completely. Once i do that everything will come to me lol

From a late started (on keys) myself, obviously you have to know your scales. However you would be better server starting on the Back 2 part inventions then the 3 part sinfonias, then playing scales for an hour a day. Those will teach you much more about how music works than playing Db 3 octave scale at a billion bpm.

Learn as many accompaniment styles on the basic chord progressions as you can.

[mat1]

I'm one of those guys in the background with the tats and hair lol. Advice that I wish someone had given me.. Play in church, get a great teacher, join a pop/soul cover band for the repetoire.

In terms of practising, technical exercises are essential but learning songs is more important. Learn to play changes.. build your way up!

Oh and get a teacher !!

[afrokeys]

Excercises? Not anymore....Although I play nearly every day for at least an hour, its whatever I am feeling at the time. I would say start with music theory first. Theory will get your mind going in the right direction. To me, memorizing the intervals between notes and cords is the key to really being able to play. Knowing what they sound like, where they are, and being able to forget the middle step in the sequence of Feel-Think-Play......That's a real player right there, imo......
A tip: When loading up a song or session (Used to take forever), have a keyboard plugged in and try to figure out the last song you heard. I spent years doing that and I am convinced it helped me get to where I am today.