Sometimes guys show you things on TH-cam that are so advanced that I’m like, “Well, that’s cool, but I’m never gonna be able to play that.” With Matt, he does things that are often quite attainable for us mortal players. Thanks, Matt!
Despite his incredible talent and success, Matt is one of the nicest guys in the industry. Generous, humble and always happy to share the little secrets that can take a good musician to the next level. Such a great teacher and a huge inspiration. Thank you so much for taking the time and energy, Matt.
I'm just some 40 year old guy trying to learn piano and keyboard (just started a year ago) and whenever I'm having a lull where I don't feel like practicing I throw on one of your videos and immediately I'm pumped up and ready to go! Works every damn time! Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
I’m a bassist and I was in fact drawn to your videos for EDM production. My ears are never bored at any moment of these tutorials. Everything is broken down effortlessly and seamlessly.
Hey man I was transcribing you 25 years ago! (Never quite finished obviously otherwise would be successful). Despite thinking I knew all these tricks I just learnt loads from seeing you put them into action and make it simple. If I may infer a sixth tip you have given it is to do these with utter conviction, the way you launched into those grooves made them so funky. I find the funk immediately deflates if I’m not 100% into it.
And this, once again, shows that Matt is a real pro, and a real gentleman for sharing that. No weird circus numbers, just good practice from real experience, applicable to real situations. Have a nice weekend.
Thanks for sharing your wealth of knowledge, as always. As a drummer who is just starting to get into piano/keys, I think what makes your playing so uniquely groovy is that you're basically playing your keyboard like a drum kit. Your style is very percussive and the "patterns" that you use feel similar to what a drummer would play - if one were to transpose what you're playing by assigning a note/chord to the snare, another to the hi-hat and so on, I think it would sound like a drum part.
Great comment, Alessandro, on Matt playing keyboard like a drum kit! Years ago when I started playing piano in a Latin band, I grabbed a set of bongos to practice rhythms on.
Hey me too! Yes I think it’s an asset and good way to think of the keyboards in a drummer kind of way. There is definitely a percussive element in the keyboard players I’ve watched like James Pace. Also Dr. Lonnie Smith etc.
You'll find electric piano, clav, and Hammond organ with dirt and a little bite in the attack all can be incredibly expressive with accents using the keys in a gently percussive style.... Great channel!
I met Matt in Sydney many years ago. (he may have just joined the band) but the drummer and percussionist from Jamiroquai were doing a rhythm workshop at a jazz bar the next morning after their concert. And slowly all the whole band rocked up, and gave us a mini concert/lesson in how to GROOVE! It was so funky! I think Nick Fyffe was the bass, and Rob harris was funking the guitar! Matt was playing an acoustic grand. I was bugging him so much about gear questions. But he was so patient and cool. Sorry about that mate. But I hope I am making up for it by buying your tutorials! ;)
You know Matt. Whenever I hear you explain how you flavour your playing... I always come to a point where I nod my head, smile, and hear the feeling of jamiroquai and the vitality of that music. I hear the match. And it reminds me why I liked the band for so many years. Aside of that I hope you are continuing to live well and find opportunities to work with ppl (I'm sure you are). All of the best for 22. And thank you, for the light.
Master class...that left hand though!!! Next level thank you so much...keep them coming. What a lovely humble guy, felt like I was having a cup of tea with a mate who is helping me out...thank you Matt.
Matt you are one of the best keyboard players I have ever seen. Thanks for sharing with us beginners/synth players who didn't comefrom piano. I come from a lifetime of drumming.
This was a cool lesson.... Solid advice! As a guitar player who occasionally dabbles in keyboards, this kind of guidance lends itself to other instruments, as well! 😃
Agreed. I started as a singer doing 8 part and picked up guitar later. If I jad played keys first it would have been easier for me to learn other instruments. Relationship with inversions I learned much faster on guitar after seeing them played on keys. It's all laid out in front of you and the math doesn't change unlike the guitar and that g to b string relationship.
You’re awesome! I learn so much and realize how terrible I am simultaneously. Thanks for reminding me not to quit my day job. Thanks for sharing your wisdom!!
Wow - this is pure gold. These gems are distillations of years of skill and experience. There are no shortcuts to getting to this level, but you can bypass a lot of trial and error here. Amazing! Thanks for sharing this Matt. Just picked up a copy.
Again thanx! It’s so nice that you show how to make the music breathe. Often things you do sound so complex but when explained they are well within reach. This encourages us to try new things live (after we get them down at home lol!). Please keep these tips coming
That reverb accenting trick was nice, might use that somewhere. One trick I use a lot is the expression pedal. Hammond guys have obviously used the pedal to accent notes or phrases as long as there have been Hammonds, but with a modern synth and a piano/Rhodes/synth patch I often use the pedal to bring in another layer to the sound, like a pad sound under a piano patch (similar to the reverb thing). Or with a synth patch I might add a brighter or detuned version of the sound currently playing. The added bonus with the pedal is that in a live situation I can continue to keep both hands on keys; as there are usually one or two hands too few to begin with...
Thank you so much for this video. Huge fan of the band since 1998. Went to the J Concert in Istanbul early 2000s, was a renarkable concert I kept on hearing in my head for years to come. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻✨👋🏼
It's just astonishing that such a talent is so free with his time and his secrets. This is stuff any musician could apply easily and be better for it. I've got the video cranked and am actually playing along with my strat.
Awesome lesson Matt! What I really got from that is that more often than not rhythm and timing is a lot more important than the actual notes. Also really fun to practice these hooks. All these syncopations, they really improve hand independence as well!
I like your laid back and easy to understand approach when explaining. Bouncing is something that's often showcased in keyboard related youtube videos, but I never got an explanation of how to do it (let alone knowing what it's called). So it feels like finding a hidden treasure for me. xD Thanks for sharing the tips Matt! Really cool playing too!
6:20 That 11th chord as pivot works similarly to strumming the open strings on a guitar between chord changes. On a guitar it's always A11 but it works as a neutral in most keys. Edit: I take it back. You can do it in other keys with a barre chord (+no other fingers). Eg. guitar riff from Mrs. Robinson.
Awesome, as ever. Would you consider making a video about those funky jazzy chord progressions and how you developed them? Like your example with em7 11 here👍.
Even the VERY few times that you show something I already know, just listening to you playing is so good for my soul. You’re such an inspiration, thanks for doing these videos!
If you were here, I'd hug you for sharing these invaluable nuggets. I said they were gold before, but I'm promoting them to platinum today. Thank you so much! :)
Arguably the most helpful channel in music on the WWW. These are stylistic tips that sometimes take years to figure out (if ever figured out)! Your channel is really amazing, Matt. I "save" your videos every time I watch!
Matt! This is the best thing Ive seen on the internet! This information is pure gold dust! You are a gent passing on these / YOUR tips to us mere mortals... Thanks man! xx Mistahbenn
I love how Matt makes the metronome sound like it’s a talented musician. I forget who said it, but ‘making the metronome sound good’ is a goal to aspire to.
Thanks a lot Matt. What a great list. I play in a jam band and these tips are great idea generators and ways to add so much by doing so little. I want to tape them on my keyboard. As an 80's player too, I'm comfortable with all the techniques you demonstrate, and have played them in tons of songs, but pulling them out of song context and putting them together to improvise is a wonderful Homer Simpson Doh! moment. I copped the inversion trick (6:00-ish) from another video you did on playing the clavinet, and I had to untwist my fingers for a few minutes to nail it, but it's a great funk lick that's useful in lots of contexts. Thanks!
Hot damn! I just realized that you are one of the main reasons, if not THE main reason I love Jamiroquai! I’m not sure why I never thought about it before. Your keyboard playing pretty much IS the funky sound of the band. I don’t know why more bands don’t take a piece of this style and put it to good use. Come to think of it, I’m a musician who writes, plays, produces, mixes, and masters everything myself (these last two things have been coming along painfully slow, but finally starting to get there), and I don’t know why I haven’t incorporated this style into my music. I always wanted to, but then when I write a song I just never seem to get this style into it. I don’t even know why!?! I love it! I’m kinda bummed that you need work tho. That is just almost incomprehensible. I look forward to whatever you do next. Jamiroquai was kicking ass when it seemed like almost nobody else really was. Subscribed.
Hey Matt, this is again great stuff! Many thanks. Have you ever thought about doing kind of a step-by-step keyboard or synth course (as a book or online) with your compiled lessons and insights? This would sell like mad to be sure. Or is there one I've not been aware of?
Those grace notes are also known as squeeb-squeeb across the internet.. Extremely useful as usual, thank you so much! The more a watch Matt's videos, the more fun I get from playing.
I only play basic keys to support my guitar and bass playing but in this video I found a wealth of knowledge that will encourage me to push a little harder on the keyboard so I can get some of that fantastic colour in my music. I'll be watching this one multiple times. Thanks.
My first exposure to you Matt. 1st off, thanks. After kind of a slow start to the video (my A.D.D. surfacing) I found your lessons here very helpful, well explained and presented. I appreciated you sharing this with us. And, I hope you find the work that you were looking for. :) 12:07
I watched this video awhile ago and fortunately it resurfaced while I was looking for some inspiration. I am going to be adding some keyboard tracks onto some tunes and was considering including some clavinet parts (sort of how Bill Payne does in 'Spanish Moon'). This content of this video session is providing great ideas and motivation. Many thanks Matt.
The fact that one of the master keyboard players of our time gives us these free lessons still amazes me! Thank you as always Matt!
I’ve bought some more of his tutorials that you can work on for a lifetime. I’m going to by this one.
Never heard of her…🤔🧐🚬🚬😜😂😂 jk jk
1:39 Accents
5:11 Bouncing
8:04 Grace notes
11:08 Fourths
14:12 Syncopation
Sometimes guys show you things on TH-cam that are so advanced that I’m like, “Well, that’s cool, but I’m never gonna be able to play that.” With Matt, he does things that are often quite attainable for us mortal players. Thanks, Matt!
Despite his incredible talent and success, Matt is one of the nicest guys in the industry. Generous, humble and always happy to share the little secrets that can take a good musician to the next level. Such a great teacher and a huge inspiration. Thank you so much for taking the time and energy, Matt.
I'm just some 40 year old guy trying to learn piano and keyboard (just started a year ago) and whenever I'm having a lull where I don't feel like practicing I throw on one of your videos and immediately I'm pumped up and ready to go! Works every damn time! Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
That Jamiroquai vamp at 6:56 was fire
I’m a bassist and I was in fact drawn to your videos for EDM production. My ears are never bored at any moment of these tutorials. Everything is broken down effortlessly and seamlessly.
3:21am …………cannot sleep and stumble across your channel…………….fantastic stuff………………subscribed
Hey man I was transcribing you 25 years ago! (Never quite finished obviously otherwise would be successful).
Despite thinking I knew all these tricks I just learnt loads from seeing you put them into action and make it simple.
If I may infer a sixth tip you have given it is to do these with utter conviction, the way you launched into those grooves made them so funky. I find the funk immediately deflates if I’m not 100% into it.
True!
And this, once again, shows that Matt is a real pro, and a real gentleman for sharing that. No weird circus numbers, just good practice from real experience, applicable to real situations. Have a nice weekend.
There is something magical about the sound of those electric pianos. It makes me want to learn piano in a way that acoustic piano doesn't.
I've officially watched this 5 times. Now I'm off to enjoy the playing on the rest of his channel.
Thanks for sharing your wealth of knowledge, as always. As a drummer who is just starting to get into piano/keys, I think what makes your playing so uniquely groovy is that you're basically playing your keyboard like a drum kit. Your style is very percussive and the "patterns" that you use feel similar to what a drummer would play - if one were to transpose what you're playing by assigning a note/chord to the snare, another to the hi-hat and so on, I think it would sound like a drum part.
Thanks yeah rhythm is key for me!
Great comment, Alessandro, on Matt playing keyboard like a drum kit! Years ago when I started playing piano in a Latin band, I grabbed a set of bongos to practice rhythms on.
Hey me too! Yes I think it’s an asset and good way to think of the keyboards in a drummer kind of way. There is definitely a percussive element in the keyboard players I’ve watched like James Pace. Also Dr. Lonnie Smith etc.
You'll find electric piano, clav, and Hammond organ with dirt and a little bite in the attack all can be incredibly expressive with accents using the keys in a gently percussive style....
Great channel!
What a time to be alive, I cannot believe videos like this exist. Matt you are a true legend!!!!!!!
I met Matt in Sydney many years ago. (he may have just joined the band) but the drummer and percussionist from Jamiroquai were doing a rhythm workshop at a jazz bar the next morning after their concert. And slowly all the whole band rocked up, and gave us a mini concert/lesson in how to GROOVE! It was so funky! I think Nick Fyffe was the bass, and Rob harris was funking the guitar! Matt was playing an acoustic grand. I was bugging him so much about gear questions. But he was so patient and cool. Sorry about that mate. But I hope I am making up for it by buying your tutorials! ;)
wow that was a fun time
you kept us all dancing through the whole set Matt....World class player of funk.
He makes it seem so simple, that's what a great teacher does
You know Matt. Whenever I hear you explain how you flavour your playing... I always come to a point where I nod my head, smile, and hear the feeling of jamiroquai and the vitality of that music. I hear the match. And it reminds me why I liked the band for so many years. Aside of that I hope you are continuing to live well and find opportunities to work with ppl (I'm sure you are). All of the best for 22. And thank you, for the light.
Master class...that left hand though!!! Next level thank you so much...keep them coming. What a lovely humble guy, felt like I was having a cup of tea with a mate who is helping me out...thank you Matt.
Matt you are one of the best keyboard players I have ever seen. Thanks for sharing with us beginners/synth players who didn't comefrom piano. I come from a lifetime of drumming.
My pleasure!
This was a cool lesson.... Solid advice!
As a guitar player who occasionally dabbles in keyboards, this kind of guidance lends itself to other instruments, as well! 😃
Agreed. I started as a singer doing 8 part and picked up guitar later. If I jad played keys first it would have been easier for me to learn other instruments.
Relationship with inversions I learned much faster on guitar after seeing them played on keys. It's all laid out in front of you and the math doesn't change unlike the guitar and that g to b string relationship.
You’re awesome! I learn so much and realize how terrible I am simultaneously. Thanks for reminding me not to quit my day job. Thanks for sharing your wisdom!!
Wow - this is pure gold. These gems are distillations of years of skill and experience. There are no shortcuts to getting to this level, but you can bypass a lot of trial and error here. Amazing! Thanks for sharing this Matt. Just picked up a copy.
Doogie Howser theme style 9:00 - awesome sounds and great playing!
The best practical keyboard lesson I’ve ever seen
Love that Wah Pedal 😍
it's made by Jam
@@MattJohnsonJamiroquai i know i have one as well😊
Again thanx! It’s so nice that you show how to make the music breathe. Often things you do sound so complex but when explained they are well within reach. This encourages us to try new things live (after we get them down at home lol!). Please keep these tips coming
That reverb accenting trick was nice, might use that somewhere.
One trick I use a lot is the expression pedal. Hammond guys have obviously used the pedal to accent notes or phrases as long as there have been Hammonds, but with a modern synth and a piano/Rhodes/synth patch I often use the pedal to bring in another layer to the sound, like a pad sound under a piano patch (similar to the reverb thing). Or with a synth patch I might add a brighter or detuned version of the sound currently playing. The added bonus with the pedal is that in a live situation I can continue to keep both hands on keys; as there are usually one or two hands too few to begin with...
Love your lessons Matt
I can't quite remember my piano teachers being as funky as you...
Your lessons are invaluable
Thank you so much for this video. Huge fan of the band since 1998. Went to the J Concert in Istanbul early 2000s, was a renarkable concert I kept on hearing in my head for years to come. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻✨👋🏼
Loved Istanbul!
I love the spaces you put in so that not every hole is filled up.
It's just astonishing that such a talent is so free with his time and his secrets. This is stuff any musician could apply easily and be better for it. I've got the video cranked and am actually playing along with my strat.
Awesome lesson Matt! What I really got from that is that more often than not rhythm and timing is a lot more important than the actual notes. Also really fun to practice these hooks. All these syncopations, they really improve hand independence as well!
Liking the snare hook. More like a conversation than a monologue. New fan here.
I like your laid back and easy to understand approach when explaining.
Bouncing is something that's often showcased in keyboard related youtube videos,
but I never got an explanation of how to do it (let alone knowing what it's called).
So it feels like finding a hidden treasure for me. xD
Thanks for sharing the tips Matt! Really cool playing too!
6:20 That 11th chord as pivot works similarly to strumming the open strings on a guitar between chord changes. On a guitar it's always A11 but it works as a neutral in most keys.
Edit: I take it back. You can do it in other keys with a barre chord (+no other fingers). Eg. guitar riff from Mrs. Robinson.
yes man thank you !! this is awesome please never change your videos have changed the way I play music
I knew tip #1 because it helped me singing in choir and not lose the timing.
Awesome, as ever. Would you consider making a video about those funky jazzy chord progressions and how you developed them? Like your example with em7 11 here👍.
Matt, has chops for days. This channel is ridiculously good. Thanks, man ✌️ ❤️
OH man this is golden. Thank you.
Matt, you are the best. Thank you for sharing your incredible talent with us!!!
Even the VERY few times that you show something I already know, just listening to you playing is so good for my soul. You’re such an inspiration, thanks for doing these videos!
I love that grace notes... i often used that. Thanks sir
Underrated bruv. Respect your musicality
If you were here, I'd hug you for sharing these invaluable nuggets. I said they were gold before, but I'm promoting them to platinum today. Thank you so much! :)
Arguably the most helpful channel in music on the WWW. These are stylistic tips that sometimes take years to figure out (if ever figured out)! Your channel is really amazing, Matt. I "save" your videos every time I watch!
Matt! This is the best thing Ive seen on the internet! This information is pure gold dust! You are a gent passing on these / YOUR tips to us mere mortals... Thanks man! xx Mistahbenn
What an incredible talent! Toby is smiling down on you, you wonderful bastard.
Cheers.
This white-walker is one hell of a keyboardist! Truly great! Hats off sir.
This man is worthy of my bow down. Superb, brilliant, immaculate. I have loved Jamiroquai's music since my teen. This man is part of history.
Man, your timing is impeccable! I struggle to keep time sometimes, especially in the left-right bounce. Need to keep practicing.
Oh my god has a youtube channel... Whish to see you guy live on time. High on my wish list.
I just watch your videos to listen to you play.
(I do learn things along the way, but I’m really here to just enjoy the music)
“…and it keeps the funk alive.” Love it!
Thanks Matt. What generosity. I love you
i love how you always got a nice groovy bassline in your left hand.
I love how Matt makes the metronome sound like it’s a talented musician. I forget who said it, but ‘making the metronome sound good’ is a goal to aspire to.
Great tips, gets me out of the rut! Cheers Matt also using the wah pedal, a very cool effect.
This was absolute gold! Thank you Matt!
What a player! It must be a real joy for other musicians to jam with a player of this calibre.
Thank you! To the bone…you are extrem cool. L G Majo Berlin, Germany. 🎹❤️👍
Matt… this video just changed my life. I would LOVE private lessons if you do this!
Love those suspensions and trills.
Thank you, I've been in a bit of a rut, but I think these tips can help bring me out!
Just, thank you always! I'm not a keyboard player at all, but love watching your videos and learning from your perspective. Cheers!
Thank you Matt… i love ur tips & tricks… i feel you like ‘one of us’ … really thanks… and compliments from Italy
13:13 instant Orbital vibes! Thanks Matt for your generous teachings once again 👍
Great tips maestro! I find there's not a lot of this type of content around for enhancing keyboard playing in a band environment, so v helpful.
Thank you so much! Trombonist turned keyboardist here. You are getting me "gig ready"!
you deserve a million like Matt, thanks alot i am keep watching every single video you have made. you rock man thanks again
This man is a Master and that Weeknd collaboration might just work for real - make the first move mane!
Man you have seriously quality talent my friend. Amazing how you channel that so fluidly.
This demonstration and explanation was delightful and insightful! I really like your wonderful, funky and groovy playing style.
Thanks a lot Matt. What a great list. I play in a jam band and these tips are great idea generators and ways to add so much by doing so little. I want to tape them on my keyboard. As an 80's player too, I'm comfortable with all the techniques you demonstrate, and have played them in tons of songs, but pulling them out of song context and putting them together to improvise is a wonderful Homer Simpson Doh! moment.
I copped the inversion trick (6:00-ish) from another video you did on playing the clavinet, and I had to untwist my fingers for a few minutes to nail it, but it's a great funk lick that's useful in lots of contexts. Thanks!
Hot damn! I just realized that you are one of the main reasons, if not THE main reason I love Jamiroquai! I’m not sure why I never thought about it before. Your keyboard playing pretty much IS the funky sound of the band. I don’t know why more bands don’t take a piece of this style and put it to good use. Come to think of it, I’m a musician who writes, plays, produces, mixes, and masters everything myself (these last two things have been coming along painfully slow, but finally starting to get there), and I don’t know why I haven’t incorporated this style into my music. I always wanted to, but then when I write a song I just never seem to get this style into it. I don’t even know why!?! I love it! I’m kinda bummed that you need work tho. That is just almost incomprehensible. I look forward to whatever you do next. Jamiroquai was kicking ass when it seemed like almost nobody else really was. Subscribed.
I really like your playing. It's full of energy and your funky sound is so cool
Thanks for explaining the these wonderful real keyboardist tricks! Your a Great teacher! Blessings & Merry Christmas to you!
You're a magician Matt. Best music youtuber going.
I have learned pentatonic passage from mr. Johnson. All loves it! ))) ti-ti-ti-ta-ta-ta-ta-bluuuuhhmmmmmm...wowowowow.... very beatiful coda!
Your tips and tricks videos just keep getting better and better. Thank you!
That was great, thanks for your honesty!
This video it's the best new record I listened this week.
Goosebumps listening to this ...
Wow!! Awesome video Matt!! I especially love the GRACE NOTE trick!!! Thank you so much for this content!
Hey Matt, this is again great stuff! Many thanks. Have you ever thought about doing kind of a step-by-step keyboard or synth course (as a book or online) with your compiled lessons and insights? This would sell like mad to be sure. Or is there one I've not been aware of?
Thank you so much for doing those videos. Really helpful. Love your style
Those grace notes are also known as squeeb-squeeb across the internet..
Extremely useful as usual, thank you so much! The more a watch Matt's videos, the more fun I get from playing.
Great Matt!!! Thanks a lot!!!
From Venezuela but I am actually in Berlín.
If you listen to the soundtrack of Rocky 1 & 2... boy the opening sounds you are creating stinks of that vibe! Love it!
Tasty little clav thing at 3min 12s Matt! Definitely a tune there!
You are great so talented God bless you 👍🎼🎼
Watched again. Thanks for these gems.
I only play basic keys to support my guitar and bass playing but in this video I found a wealth of knowledge that will encourage me to push a little harder on the keyboard so I can get some of that fantastic colour in my music. I'll be watching this one multiple times. Thanks.
My first exposure to you Matt. 1st off, thanks.
After kind of a slow start to the video (my A.D.D. surfacing) I found your lessons here very helpful, well explained and presented. I appreciated you sharing this with us.
And, I hope you find the work that you were looking for. :) 12:07
Well if you ever heard the stadium-moving funk band Jamiroquai, you were previously exposed.
I watched this video awhile ago and fortunately it resurfaced while I was looking for some inspiration. I am going to be adding some keyboard tracks onto some tunes and was considering including some clavinet parts (sort of how Bill Payne does in 'Spanish Moon'). This content of this video session is providing great ideas and motivation.
Many thanks Matt.
Just wanted to say thanks for all the entertaining videos and Merry Christmas.
The Intro is fire! so smooth. Great content as always. Thank you!
Thank you! I love the way your right hand becometh a demon* claw of funk when on a monophonic run.
*My phone first swiped "Devon".
Brilliant advice. Great sound and feel.