If you’re a keyboard player in a band that doesn’t need keys or synth throughout the entirety of every song…The Keytar is a great alternative (especially at festivals) because it ultimately does less than a 88 key full size keyboard or workstation…but the stage presence is great and you can still add that extra ear candy to the music too, even if you’re playing something that is simple. It does feel weird as a pianist at first…but it’s really fun and experimental once you get the hang of it. It’s really fucking fun and it’s not a waste of time or money. 🎹🤷♂️
2:15 this is so true. I remember playing my Rockband keytar for a small party with my band at a friend's house and I got asked "anong instrumento yang hawak mo?" bunch of times.
As you were saying, keytars are mainly ideal if the harmonies of the song are already played by someone else. You don't want to be responsible for two-handed comping while standing up with one of these things. However I have done plenty of gigs playing one-handed chords for comping on the keytar. The keytar is best for playing solos. One solution for two-handed playing if you've got an AX-Synth or AX-Edge (with 49 keys) is to put it on a stand and to pick it up and strap it on when you've got a solo and you've got a guitarist backing you. The shorter keytars with fewer keys aren't great for playing two-handed though.
Great pointers and advice. I hear the argument about non-standardization. I've been learning keyboard for years. And initially the keytar seemed like such a novelty item. Yet after watching a few TH-cam videos featuring my keyboard idols, I realize that there may be a fun factor that I'm missing out on without one.
@@vineetplaysinstruments lol. no, I bought a saxophone, and it was super cheap, and I need to get it fixed before I can play high notes.... so havnt really learned how to play that either xD
As a guitarist and a guy who sorta can handle a keyboard, this feels like the absolute perfect instrument to me for it's portability (both while performing and during transport), way wider range of sounds compared to a guitar (discounting guitar pedals because they are extra gear and thus need their own transportation along with the guitar), it's midi capability, the fact that it's already a comfortable stance for me and the sheer cool factor
I‘m a bassist in a pop punk band (yes i know bassists typically fear keyboardists) but i think a keytarist and a guitarist would be REALLY nice instead of two guitarists Just imagine the guitarist giving a really nice powerful chord and the keytarist then do their magic and complement the chord so well with leads and just additional notes
Thanks for this overview. Recently I have been watching a woman who plays 90s videogame tracks in her keytar, and that sparked my interest for this instrument.
Keytars are great, many brands and many excellent players out there. But in my opinion, keytars are just a novelty way of playing regular keyboards in a guitar position. I have played a few keytars but I don't own one, can't really afford a good one yet. So, I take my short Donner entry level table top keyboard, place it upon a guitar stand, prop it up on a one foot high stool, sit behind it on a chair, and similar to a Cello player's position, play it vertically. I even carefully drilled a hole on both ends of the keyboard for a guitar strap, and also play it like a guitar. I have also placed the keyboard and stand up higher on my dinner table, stand behind it just like an upright acoustic bass player does. I will certainly purchase a real keytar one day, but at the moment, a real keytar for me is more of a "want" than a "need". As far as pitch bend sounds like on a keytar, my Donner has a pitch bend wheel I can play with my left hand. Great tutorial! Aloha from Hawaii.
My biggest issue with keytars as a "jack-of-all-trades-musician" (but not a pro in any) the knowledge i have for piano handling doesent really match how i should play on keytars, i can play with hands in those positions on a guitar, but in a keytar i get my right hand way to much to the right to let muscle memory do its work. But yeah its cool.. Check out psuedo echos version of funky town.. Really cheese but i love it
I've been thinking of buying a keytar and, I may as well (just to pair it with my peddal board). Update: I've since purchased a 1987 Yamaha SHS 10 keytar and my god when paired with my pedal board it can be a screamer or sound like a spacey Pipe organ. when I want it to be a screamer, I use preset 41 on the Digitech RP 55 multi pedal and the Ibanez Tube screamer and set the voice setting to 21 for Cello. and when I want it to sound like something from outer space I set the preset on the RP 55 to 43 and throw in my Ibanez CF7 and my MXR delay and change the voice setting from 21 to 2 for the Pipe Organ. NOw I can play songs like ACDC it's a long way to the top (if you wanna Rock n roll) and Linkin Park In the end with using some of the effects and the pitch wheel. (which btw has saved my ass) or even Livin on a Prayer by Bon Jovi.
As the lead singer - I've just ordered a keytar just to add some synth riffs to our sound (so not synth heavy tracks just a little extra to round out some of the songs). Any recommendations for learning resources?
I"m pretty good at walking around and playing with a keytar. I use it mostly for show towards the end of a gig. Especially if I'm soloing. Other than that I like to be stationary since I play multiple keys.
great points and explanations. I think I will just continue with an electric guitar and a separate midi keyboard. it seems one can only play the melody part of a song with a keytar and not the rhythm part.
Agree 100% . You are going to be uncomfortable and handicapped (doesn´t get better with time) but rocking a little tune will get you waaay more applauses than doing a great 2 hand performance on regular keyboard. Plus, you get to be on front (regular keyboardist are put on the back because is boring to watch them). So basically a keytar is like wearing heels: not practical, not cheap to buy but keeps audience eyes on you.
Same, i got mine because i dont wanna be forced to reach over my midi keyboard to reach the normal keyboard all the time. Having a keytar strapped to my chest is a much better prospect and tbh i usually play with one hand anyways while the other is used for mod wheels and the like.
Hi! One little thing: Steve Masakowski did NOT invent the Moog Liberation. What he did invent was a modified guitar that had keys on the frets which controlled a synthesizer. He called this the key-tar. Other than that, great video!
My first keytar made me want to play guitar. it was a small toy keyboard that was actually a mini travel keyboard and you could only play one hand at a time.
I need ur help, plsss suggest me the best microphone under $500 for vocal, and also m confused between bias fx2 and amplitube for best classic clean crunch tone
The at2020 is an industry standard we use for all of our videos. You can go with that. Its versatile and relatively budget friendly. As for amp sims, i use amplitube! I love their american tube patches which is a simulator of the fender tube amp. Gives a good clean crunch tone too.
I totally agree with you, buddy. It's a pain to hang this thing around the neck and play fluently like a normal keyboard. I own two Keytars (Roland Edge), and it gives me extensive shoulder pain and numbness after playing for just 5 minutes. This is too heavy a model for the purpose it's designed for. Only those guys built like a cow or bull can hang this darn thing and play for several hours or until the battery dies off. 😂
Yes, keytar can be used as a strap-on keyboard (playing keyboard parts in a band or solo). However, there is another use; emulating a guitar. Here's what I mean: th-cam.com/video/lPX1iygYbto/w-d-xo.html
I'm a keyboard player, but also a self-proclaimed attention-wh*re. Getting a keytar allowed me to have so much more stage presence without having to change my instrument. Granted, having a keyboard on a stand will always be more practical: you can have more keys, multiple keyboards, you can change patches more easily... but whenever a song _can_ be done on a keytar, it is totally worth it.
Informative video. You should try putting the mic closer to the middle, so that you angle your head to the left from the right… or move to the left side and angle to the right… you get what I mean? Simply put, swap your place with then mic stand. It look weird, like you are looking outside the window while talking to the audience.
Representing Bass gang here: playing keyboard with only one hand is what keyboard players in a band should be doing 95% of the time anyway. Mix sounds like crap if you have two instruments trying to fill the low end. Obviously you need both hands for parts when the bass doesn't play.
i been thinking about making some DIY Keytars out of vintage Casio & Yamaha keyboards & selling them online for around~$250, would anyone be interested in something like that?
I think 💭 the KEYTAR is such a cool musical instrument 🎸. It is like 👍🏻 a guitar 🎸 and a keyboard 🎹 combined so you’re free to move around during the performance 🎭 of a song 🎶. I think 💭 that the KEYTAR is just _c r i m i n a l l y u n d e r r a t e d ,_ if you ask me.
" Because most commercially available keytars out there have different models, different designs, unlike if you compare it to a guitar or bass guitar where all of it just looks the same." Unless you are trolling, this has to be one of the worse observations I have heard a musician make. So you're saying a stratocaster, flying V and Les Paul are basically "All the same?"
I’ve never played an instrument seriously I’m not a musician in anyway I have no idea what I’m doing I just think this instrument is cool and I want to learn how to use it
![Roland AX-Edge Keytar [Product Demo]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/T2B9ASSNzZI/mqdefault.jpg)
If you’re a keyboard player in a band that doesn’t need keys or synth throughout the entirety of every song…The Keytar is a great alternative (especially at festivals) because it ultimately does less than a 88 key full size keyboard or workstation…but the stage presence is great and you can still add that extra ear candy to the music too, even if you’re playing something that is simple. It does feel weird as a pianist at first…but it’s really fun and experimental once you get the hang of it.
It’s really fucking fun and it’s not a waste of time or money. 🎹🤷♂️
Also the keytar is pretty good if you were an accordion player that wanted to play in a band but they didn't want an accordion
To quote Gabe Saporta "If there's no Keytar what are we even doing here???"
keytars are keyboards but epic
yes
keyboards aren't already epic?
@@radiance5911 yA
@@radiance5911they are
2:15 this is so true. I remember playing my Rockband keytar for a small party with my band at a friend's house and I got asked "anong instrumento yang hawak mo?" bunch of times.
As you were saying, keytars are mainly ideal if the harmonies of the song are already played by someone else. You don't want to be responsible for two-handed comping while standing up with one of these things. However I have done plenty of gigs playing one-handed chords for comping on the keytar. The keytar is best for playing solos. One solution for two-handed playing if you've got an AX-Synth or AX-Edge (with 49 keys) is to put it on a stand and to pick it up and strap it on when you've got a solo and you've got a guitarist backing you. The shorter keytars with fewer keys aren't great for playing two-handed though.
This video was so informative and helpful- thank you! I am a singer considering getting a keytar for more mobility while performing.
Great pointers and advice. I hear the argument about non-standardization. I've been learning keyboard for years. And initially the keytar seemed like such a novelty item. Yet after watching a few TH-cam videos featuring my keyboard idols, I realize that there may be a fun factor that I'm missing out on without one.
Considering purchasing a keytar and this helped me out. Thanks!
Did you buy one?
@@vineetplaysinstruments lol. no, I bought a saxophone, and it was super cheap, and I need to get it fixed before I can play high notes.... so havnt really learned how to play that either xD
As a guitarist and a guy who sorta can handle a keyboard, this feels like the absolute perfect instrument to me for it's portability (both while performing and during transport), way wider range of sounds compared to a guitar (discounting guitar pedals because they are extra gear and thus need their own transportation along with the guitar), it's midi capability, the fact that it's already a comfortable stance for me and the sheer cool factor
I‘m a bassist in a pop punk band (yes i know bassists typically fear keyboardists) but i think a keytarist and a guitarist would be REALLY nice instead of two guitarists Just imagine the guitarist giving a really nice powerful chord and the keytarist then do their magic and complement the chord so well with leads and just additional notes
Thanks for this overview. Recently I have been watching a woman who plays 90s videogame tracks in her keytar, and that sparked my interest for this instrument.
Thanks for the history behind it , good video
The Keytar is the great Grandson of the Electric Piano Accordion cause the Keyboard players were like "what if you could play standing up".
I like the idea of the crowd being able to see the keys and see what I'm doing
Keytars are great, many brands and many excellent players out there. But in my opinion, keytars are just a novelty way of playing regular keyboards in a guitar position. I have played a few keytars but I don't own one, can't really afford a good one yet. So, I take my short Donner entry level table top keyboard, place it upon a guitar stand, prop it up on a one foot high stool, sit behind it on a chair, and similar to a Cello player's position, play it vertically. I even carefully drilled a hole on both ends of the keyboard for a guitar strap, and also play it like a guitar. I have also placed the keyboard and stand up higher on my dinner table, stand behind it just like an upright acoustic bass player does. I will certainly purchase a real keytar one day, but at the moment, a real keytar for me is more of a "want" than a "need". As far as pitch bend sounds like on a keytar, my Donner has a pitch bend wheel I can play with my left hand. Great tutorial! Aloha from Hawaii.
My biggest issue with keytars as a "jack-of-all-trades-musician" (but not a pro in any) the knowledge i have for piano handling doesent really match how i should play on keytars, i can play with hands in those positions on a guitar, but in a keytar i get my right hand way to much to the right to let muscle memory do its work.
But yeah its cool.. Check out psuedo echos version of funky town.. Really cheese but i love it
I've been thinking of buying a keytar and, I may as well (just to pair it with my peddal board).
Update: I've since purchased a 1987 Yamaha SHS 10 keytar and my god when paired with my pedal board it can be a screamer or sound like a spacey Pipe organ. when I want it to be a screamer, I use preset 41 on the Digitech RP 55 multi pedal and the Ibanez Tube screamer and set the voice setting to 21 for Cello. and when I want it to sound like something from outer space I set the preset on the RP 55 to 43 and throw in my Ibanez CF7 and my MXR delay and change the voice setting from 21 to 2 for the Pipe Organ. NOw I can play songs like ACDC it's a long way to the top (if you wanna Rock n roll) and Linkin Park In the end with using some of the effects and the pitch wheel. (which btw has saved my ass) or even Livin on a Prayer by Bon Jovi.
4:21 Why not squat instead of tip-toeing? Would that be more comfortable? Or even sitting down briefly w/ keytar in lap during 2-hand sections?
As the lead singer - I've just ordered a keytar just to add some synth riffs to our sound (so not synth heavy tracks just a little extra to round out some of the songs). Any recommendations for learning resources?
I"m pretty good at walking around and playing with a keytar. I use it mostly for show towards the end of a gig. Especially if I'm soloing. Other than that I like to be stationary since I play multiple keys.
The Powell Probe (developed by Roger Powell and later adopted by Jan Hammer) predated the Moog Liberation by several years.
Jan Hammer, the chap who was in Mahavishnu orchestra, right?
Thank you so much for this perspective, I am really thinking about getting a Keytar and this put so much perspective.
great points and explanations. I think I will just continue with an electric guitar and a separate midi keyboard. it seems one can only play the melody part of a song with a keytar and not the rhythm part.
Not true. Depends what VI guitar you are playing through it. You could play killer rhythm parts with it.
Agree 100% . You are going to be uncomfortable and handicapped (doesn´t get better with time) but rocking a little tune will get you waaay more applauses than doing a great 2 hand performance on regular keyboard. Plus, you get to be on front (regular keyboardist are put on the back because is boring to watch them). So basically a keytar is like wearing heels: not practical, not cheap to buy but keeps audience eyes on you.
I'm already gonna buy a keytar for use in DAW.
Same, i got mine because i dont wanna be forced to reach over my midi keyboard to reach the normal keyboard all the time. Having a keytar strapped to my chest is a much better prospect and tbh i usually play with one hand anyways while the other is used for mod wheels and the like.
Hi! One little thing: Steve Masakowski did NOT invent the Moog Liberation.
What he did invent was a modified guitar that had keys on the frets which controlled a synthesizer. He called this the key-tar.
Other than that, great video!
Does being able to play the piano helps to pick up the key tar easier?
yes
take a shot in the dark
Let's go juno ds gang💪
That outro music was fire though. 👌🤙
My first keytar made me want to play guitar. it was a small toy keyboard that was actually a mini travel keyboard and you could only play one hand at a time.
Check out Psychotic Larry, band from Boston in the late 90’s we gigged a lot with. Keytar at its finest!
I need ur help, plsss suggest me the best microphone under $500 for vocal, and also m confused between bias fx2 and amplitube for best classic clean crunch tone
The at2020 is an industry standard we use for all of our videos. You can go with that. Its versatile and relatively budget friendly. As for amp sims, i use amplitube! I love their american tube patches which is a simulator of the fender tube amp. Gives a good clean crunch tone too.
I totally agree with you, buddy. It's a pain to hang this thing around the neck and play fluently like a normal keyboard. I own two Keytars (Roland Edge), and it gives me extensive shoulder pain and numbness after playing for just 5 minutes. This is too heavy a model for the purpose it's designed for. Only those guys built like a cow or bull can hang this darn thing and play for several hours or until the battery dies off. 😂
Tbh id say the only people i could think of who might need a keytar sre singers who also are playing the keyboard but its cool so i wont complain
Drumtars are cool too!
Casio CTS line --- I added some screws to add a strap. And tried to play with two hands. Difficult.
this is a great video
What kind of speaker do you use to play live?
Yes, keytar can be used as a strap-on keyboard (playing keyboard parts in a band or solo). However, there is another use; emulating a guitar. Here's what I mean: th-cam.com/video/lPX1iygYbto/w-d-xo.html
i know this video was posted 3 years ago but what daw do you use for the keytar
yes, next question
I'm a keyboard player, but also a self-proclaimed attention-wh*re. Getting a keytar allowed me to have so much more stage presence without having to change my instrument.
Granted, having a keyboard on a stand will always be more practical: you can have more keys, multiple keyboards, you can change patches more easily... but whenever a song _can_ be done on a keytar, it is totally worth it.
which keyboard do you recommend around 500 dollars?
Hi name of backround track and artist please
I play a keytar professionally and I prefer that over the guitar angdsyv
What Keytar do you use?
Thx man
Informative video.
You should try putting the mic closer to the middle, so that you angle your head to the left from the right… or move to the left side and angle to the right… you get what I mean? Simply put, swap your place with then mic stand.
It look weird, like you are looking outside the window while talking to the audience.
Is buying nektar gx61 good ? I wanna purchase one
Keytars are easy to play, I multi play piano and Keytar for the choir and it’s a breeze.
I'm about to be a black benetar😂
If we don’t get out there with the keytar we can easily lose our job and not be invited on tour in favor of using the recorded sounds from the studio
The keytar is not supposed to be played with both hand😊....its for keyboardist to have fun
Yes, the correct answer is yes key tar
Wake wublin
This is so 1980's,. When did this thing began to decline popularity?
i always wanted a to be a guitarist, fuck stationary instruments, i want to be able to play solos sitting on my knees with the public
Short answer, keytars are impractical, but cool, AS F*CK!!!
Hey man how do you map the tilt to vibrato and can't find anything online
Representing Bass gang here: playing keyboard with only one hand is what keyboard players in a band should be doing 95% of the time anyway. Mix sounds like crap if you have two instruments trying to fill the low end.
Obviously you need both hands for parts when the bass doesn't play.
Just use a malodica 💯
Im the 1000th like
i been thinking about making some DIY Keytars out of vintage Casio & Yamaha keyboards & selling them online for around~$250, would anyone be interested in something like that?
Of course no.. i prefer to sit down behind keyboard so i can play better..
I think 💭 the KEYTAR is such a cool musical instrument 🎸. It is like 👍🏻 a guitar 🎸 and a keyboard 🎹 combined so you’re free to move around during the performance 🎭 of a song 🎶. I think 💭 that the KEYTAR is just _c r i m i n a l l y u n d e r r a t e d ,_ if you ask me.
Madonna wayne gacy
hermano pones todo los detalles en español y el video es completamente en ingles ?
Orang indo ngab 😅
Did you just say all guitars are pretty much the same 😂🤣😂
" Because most commercially available keytars out there have different models, different designs, unlike if you compare it to a guitar or bass guitar where all of it just looks the same." Unless you are trolling, this has to be one of the worse observations I have heard a musician make. So you're saying a stratocaster, flying V and Les Paul are basically "All the same?"
I'm sure you make good content but this was a big nothing sandwich for me
Only a fool wouldn't LOVE a keytar.
Please teach me
I’ve never played an instrument seriously I’m not a musician in anyway I have no idea what I’m doing I just think this instrument is cool and I want to learn how to use it