I did the solo piano thing for several years, Don, but using the arranger gave me more options like cool solo voices and drums that were far easier to use than on a drum machine or workstation.

At first I had an arranger on top of my CLP-300 and played it about half the gig, but gradually the arranger got used more and more, plus it was fun!

I played the last 11 years at a fairly upscale restaurant using only an arranger and, got quite a few arranger type gigs from the exposure.

I still regard it as just one of the several tools available for a keyboard player, but lately, it has proven to be the most useful, at least in my case.

Ian

Playing piano ON a piano is not a necessity, Don. In fact, the vast majority of piano parts can be played on a 76 without very little adjustment (it's amazing how in most pop, you rarely stray outside the 76 range - in fact, back in Mozart's day, he played on a MUCH smaller piano, so a lot of early classical doesn't need 76 either!).

But working on the LH is the main thing. No longer do block chords suffice. Lines, arpeggios, all that stuff you've spent a lifetime on in the RH now matters. Thing is, leaving it until so late in your career is pretty tough. A lot of hand strength and especially stamina takes time to develop. As adults, we always expect to get somewhere significant very fast, and trouble is, this takes years of patience. As kids, at our fastest learning rate in our lives, it still takes patience and years... Why we expect, as adults, to do this in a month beats me!

Baby steps, over years... that's how you do it!

Mind you, on the other end of the scale, I also recommend any piano player that HASN'T played an accordion, or a full organ, etc., to also try to play these too. Every single thing we do opens up new possibilities, new techniques, and those enrich our playing and our lives in ways we can never tell in advance.

Don't close yourself off to anything.

I don't get it...am I alone...I am asked at family get togethers and parties to play "their " piano...

Last Sunday my wife had a family reunion (folks I never met)..and yes they had a piano (Wurlitzer)...naturally you are asked to play...you are a musician..RIGHT!!..

What do you guys do that avoid the piano...do you keep that s950 in the car......or that old accordion in the back seat

I just started playing uke with a small, crazy group; most of which also play in a very active (and terrible) marching band.

They have a ball.

I am wood shedding an hour a day on my sitar, do about 2 hours a week on vibes and am getting pretty good on an Italian made 10 string bass/guitar combination.

I'll play ANYTHING with keys and enjoy it!

When you are a musician, not an entertainer, that's where the fun (and work) is!

Russ

Heck Fran, we have a nice old Steinway upright piano in the main lounge here in the apartment building... a few of us are players and take turns tickling the ivories. It's always a hoot.

It's a nice change from the arranger, and just another tool in the keyboard players toolbox.

The other piano players are fascinated by the Tyros4.

Ian

Fran,

I get conned into playing piano once in a while - but Yes, Fran, I do keep a keyboard in the van at all times. And, for six months of last year, I had one in the boat as well. We had some great raft-up parties out in the middle of nowhere, sometimes 15 to 20 boats all rafted together, with me in the middle and rocking the night away on the 3000 running on an inverter. As for playing the piano, I no longer have that skill. I was fair at best when I did play one, and that was 30 years ago. Back then I played a guitar in honkytonk, smoke-filled bars and sang through a 100-watt Crate amp. I was still using Yamaha, which was the last 12-string I owned. I had an Ibanez 6-string, and sang through an old SM-58 on a boom stand while perched on a bar stool. Those were the days.

Cheers,

Gary

To answer your question Ian; its a 120 bass built into an SD1Plus. I also have a lighter 96 bass Orla KX10, and a 120 bass midi unit to use with a Roland A37. For short gigs and when I use files only, I use the Yamaha KX5. Now that I learned how to post photos watch out ...
Ciao,
Jerry

Donny, back in the day I was the designated chord finder for the tunes we did. I had an old $5 upright that tuned to itself pretty good but was flat. I had to play with my mouth piece hanging off the cork. Me having to figure the chords was a blessing.

We couldn't afford to buy the sheet music. When I bought a black market "fake" book at that time, I really took off and fell in love with the standards. Now I can accompany myself and entertain folks and make them happy. No shame in that friend.

I'm a sax player. And I get compliments on my vocals. I think you do a great job. Your CD's really swing. You're one of the best. Buddy.

Occasionally I get asked to play at a piano but I just tell them I don't play piano. It would only make me look like I don't know what I'm doing! About the most I'll do is Happy Birthday on one.
I actually never do jam sessions or freebies "for the fun of it". I'd come closer to picking up a guitar and picking something and that would be bad now too.
If I'm asked to do something for a good cause or good friend and I want to do it, yes, I take a keyboard and mic. You wouldn't believe how many parties I've been invited to and they casually throw in "by the way bring your gear and play for us a while." On second thought you probably would believe it!
I would never invite an MD over for dinner and say, "by the way bring your stethoscope and blood pressure cuff."
Don't get me wrong I know it's different if you aren't doing this stuff for a living, and it's a hobby that you are good at doing.
If it's fun for you, knock yourself out!
DonM

Well what a interesting post.
I guess I'm lucky then.
I was brought up on a piano and can now enjoy the pa3x in piano mode but I prefer the arranger mode. Why?. It's not laziness. I find my left hand fingers are starting to go bent where they didn't before.
Too much hard yakka supporting a lovely wife who gave me delightful children.
I'm more upset because they have no interest in playing.(even the granddaughters. Got their heads stuck in stupid tablets all the time.
baz