Use your imagination. It's the only requirement needed

Well you are right there ed. I mean I can play a few simple melodies, but when I get right down too it. I really don't play the damn thing. It does sit here more then get used. Maybe it was a mistake for me too buy it. I think I may have jumpped the gun here again. I saw a bargin and I could not resist passing it up. God I feel like such an idiot. I feel lika a person who owns a piano and never really plays it just has it as a piece of furniture. I really thought I would leran to play the thing but I never did. Also I feel intimidated by this thing as well espically the keyboard. BTW: ed, I thought you had a juno-106?


That's the problem machine, I really don't have much of an imagination, when it comes to playing keyboards.

I should have gotten a Roland MC 303 instead of this Juno-106. I have always like drum sounds, and rythms, and looping. Plus the fact with the MC-303 you really don't need to play per-se. Becuse everything is done for you.


If you really want too know the truth. I find that a keyboard is more of a hinderence then a helpful tool.

You can still do all that with your Roland you know.

I'm assuming you are using a computer if you post here so you should have a game port on it too, then thats your midi port.

Get an game adapter cable with midi in/out and you're set.

Theres a whole world of software you can get for free off the net and not be limited by the actual Juno sounds and capabilities you might be unhappy with.

Lots of knowledgeable and qualified ppl here. Just ask the right questions and you'll get the right answers.

good luck

Well Machine, I have a more advanced computer then what I previously had. I don't have a game port on the back that would take the type of MIDI cable that I have. Becuse the serial port on the back is too small. All of the ports for periferals are USB ports. So I would have to get a MIDI USB cable (if there is such a thing).

There are about a thousand different ways to add midi to your computer. You can do so by either adding an external USB/Serial/etc interface or installing a midi/audio card, using PCI slots (or the new PCI slots, whatever the hak they call 'em there). FOr details ask PC users, 'cause I only use MACs.

BTW I used to have a JUNO, but that was years ago.

-ED-

I don't think hooking the juno up to my computer is the answer. I only use about 1% of my brian when it come to music playing. Playing by ear does not work for me because my brain can not reintepret a piece of music back acorss a keyboard. Also it can not reinterprut sheet music across the keyboard. Even when I sit down to just play my mind is a complete blank. Everything that comes out is just random notes with no real progrssion. It's not just with keyboards, it's all musical instuments.

I have zero musical ablity. I can appericate someone else's music, but when it comes to my own playing, forget it!

Ed you were right, it was a mistake for me to get a keyboard in the frist place.

Hang on man. I didn't mean to be too harsh there. I'm sure there is a reason why you like synths and electronic music. I can understand how playing a few scales and chords can be boring. I can also see how being able to play only random notes without getting any musical results is frustrating for you. I'm also pretty confident that with a bit of an effort and time this can change. You don't need to work too hard on it. Give yourself about 5-10 minutes a day to sit down in front of your JUNO and try to play.
One thing that really helped me ,when I was learning how to play by ear was trying to play to another piece of music. I'm not sure if doing something similar will work for you, but I think you should try it.
Cheer up though, enjoy the JUNO. It's not just a keyboard, but a great synth. So tweak up some nice sounds and explore what that baby can do.

-ED-

[This message has been edited by 3351 (edited 01-21-2004).]

Well the reason why I like electronic music goes back to an episode of Sesame Street. Where Steve Wonder was the Guest and was showing off his keyboards to Grover Monster. I was impressed by the sounds comming out of these insturments. They were not like traditional musical instruments. Also they were not the typical instuments found in rock music. Also listening to Switched on Bach got me more an more interseted, as well as a class in electronic music in high school, plus subscribeing to KEYBOARD magazine. This became a hobby to me. I also wanted to learn more about synths and electronic music.

The other reason was that I had always wanted a synthesizer. Becuse i never really saw them as musical instruments. SO-B changed all that for me. I thought that playing a synth would be more fun then playing the paino which I spent year playing. Actually I had learned to play keyboards or even th organ I would ahve kept up with my playing and been better now then I am. I remember my mother telling me I had to learn to play the piano, before playing the organ. Ans since the piano was all my parents had, that and the fact they were not going to spend the money to buy me a home organ, let alone a synthesizser.

Also the music I was learing to play was classical, BOREING!!! So I never really persude it. I even tried a vraity of learning techniques but nothing seemed to help. Even buying different keyboards did not help.

I even figured I would try and make my own experimental music. I like experimantal music. I have a CD on Experimental Musical Instruments called: Gravichords, Whrilies and Pyrophones.

Also when I frist laid eyes on a Minimoog that's what really got me too want to have my own synthesizer. Basiclly becuse of all those knobs.

Now that I have a synth, even though it's not the one that I wanted, I feel that I should be obligated to learn to play it. Evn my father said I should.

Trying not to get frustrated and dsicouraged is really hard for me.

You know I was just about to give up the whole thing and just say forget it, it's not worth it. Also since I never had much encouragement to continue to play I have not wanted to even bother trying. I figure since no one else cares why should I.

To everything we learn, there is a beginning. For all of us, the first thing we learned how to do was breathe outside air.
I have such a great memory [(quack)now that's a real laugh.]
I remember now, I was in a delivery room at Queens Memorial Hospital in New York.
Suddenly,there was this bright light. It hurt. But then I began to seethese cool awesome patterns and fuzzy images. It was interesting compared to the same old darkness of where I came from. What really sucked was when I had all this fluid coming out of my mouth. They were draining me! Then somebody flicked me and I got startled and gasped air. Wow that was cold stuff. It hurt. This guy was messing with me, no doubt admiring my given equipment (quack!)hey! Quit it you perv! I spat up about a cup and got him right in his hair. Yeah! That stopped him. Then I realized from that time, besides it being really cold, well, sort of but not really cold, but anyway it wasn't so bad out here after all. In fact I believe I am the one in control of everything around here. Say what? huh? who? you're kidding. You are going to call me Peter? Oh man that really sucks. Well hmm I guess it's not half bad anyway. You say the chicks will like it when I get older? Yeah, whatever dude. Well I'll say this much, It beats being a Dick anyway. Maybe not by a lot, but at least a Dick is one thing I'm not. What's this thing hmmm mmmmm hey now I really like this a lot! What is this stuff mmm I like this place now, Im getting good at hanging out, out here.
Wow this is pretty cool I actually like being out here now that I have one of these in my mouth mmm good stuff.
.
Paul, we were all newborn at one time, entering our current enviroment makes for over 400 adaptations to a newborn. Not very comfortable at first having to adapt that much that sudden. In fact, understandably, most newborns are downright pissed off when they are born. Delivery doctors worry about babies that aren't irritable the first half hour to hour. They have to suddenly operate something that was not needed before. The lungs. They get good at it quite quickly, and reap the new rewards from it, like milk. Whenever we are new at something, our enthusiasm begins at a low point and our learning curve at its high point. What happens is we begin to understand how it works and our enthusiasm rises the longer we observe and not yet touch, the higher our enthusiasm rises, yet our learning curve does not drop. It drops when we begin our attempt physically at what we see and understand. My advice is to touch the keyboard only to learn exactly what you are touching. Learn the named notes of each key. Enharmonically too( Ab/G# or C#/Db.)Then locate the position of these on the Treble Clef. Get the feel of that key by closing your eyes and feel the spot where it is on the board. Make note of the gaps. What you will simply learn are jumps and hurdles with your fingers across these "gaps". It will happen sooner than you think especially if you want your hand to be a good gymnast at these hurdles. That is when your hand begins to dance. Even to the most basic moves. You will realize that its cool becuase the outcome(no matter how corny or horrible sounding) are notes. If you change the sequence of how your hand dances so does the music change. First things first though. Drill to know where your fingers are to where you know without even looking. It can take a few weeks even. Make it so that you can place your hands on the board and know exactly each letter name note and where it is on the staff paper treble clef too will be very helpful.
By taking the time to do this first you will put yourself at a great advantage over someone who just knows a pattern of keys to push to play a tune.
I am glad you feel uncomfortable and irritable because that is the beginning of the change process. You may spit in my hair and tell me that I don't care. I expect this at this time. I ask only one thing, and that is to have tenacity. Drill yourself, be your own policeman get to know the board and it will be a friend soon enough. You are a keyboardist just as I am. When we work at our skill, our rewards follow, allways.Rejoice for the knowledge to come. You will learn to recognise and know just as you know which is the brightest star in the sky. It will soon become more and more natural as you progress. The rate of your progression at this time means nothing. The quality of your progress means everything. Absorb and make your physical actions very slow . The less you make physical incorrect actions now by learning high quality the eaiser it will be later to learn quickly with best agility. touch the keyboard only correctly with full knowledge of what keys you are touching.That moment you touch the keyboard blindly and know the key your finger is on, this is your first skill of a keyboardist completed.
Lastly, dont get confused. we all want to have fun on the keyboard and we all will. you have to work just a little. You don't give the biscuit to the dog before the trick do you?

[This message has been edited by MORPH! (edited 01-22-2004).]

Morph fantastically put........