Different Styles
There are many different styles for playing keyboard as an accompanying instrument. You can
a) Play the Tune
b) Play in Auto-Accompaniment Mode
c) Play the Chords
d) Sequence and Playback
I will explain what I mean by these next.
Playing the Tune
You can play the tune of the song (e.g., setting your keyboard as ‘Accordion’ or ‘Strings’) and sing along. This is probably the most basic way of using a keyboard with songs. You may have had several years of training in playing Harmonium, and are currently using keyboard as a substitute. Or, you may have a very good ear, and can pick up the tune with a little bit of trial and error. Either way, you have crossed the first hurdle!
Playing in ‘Auto-Accompaniment’ Mode
The next level of complexity is to play in the ‘Auto-Accompaniment’ mode. So, what is meant by auto-accompaniment? Well, the quickest example I can think of is of a keyboard demo song. When you press the ‘Demo’ button in the keyboard, you can hear a song (tune) playing with some background music – drums, piano, guitar, etc. The background music is called the accompaniment music. An entry-level keyboard often gives you an option to choose a style of auto-accompaniment where you don't need to think about how the individual instruments are played.
Typically this style of playing involves selecting a rhythm, playing the chords with the left hand, and the tune (or parts of it) with the right hand – all together. Just selecting the chords makes the keyboard play various instruments in the background.
If you are a beginner, you may want to use the ‘single-key mode’ for the chords (the internal mechanism of the keyboard plays the full chords). Or if you have some practice, you may be able to play the full chords (multiple keys played together) with the left hand, and the tune with the right.
Playing the Chords
A third way you can play the keyboard is to play the chords for a song (e.g., setting as a ‘Piano’ or ‘Strings’). This can create quite a rich background sound and make your performance very lively. If you have been playing Harmonium for a while, you may be unknowingly playing some chords when you play a set of keys together. For example, you may be playing Sa-Ga-Pa together – and that is the major chord of the scale you are playing in (I will explain this more later). If you haven’t played Harmonium before, and don’t know what I am talking about … well … just hang on … and don’t feel left behind! Just keep reading and you will pick up the skill very soon!
Sequencing and Playing Back
The term ‘sequencing’ is used for arranging or recording the music ahead of time in the keyboard memory. If you have a high-end keyboard, you can record all the instruments for a song in multiple tracks. When you play back, all the tracks are played simultaneously, as if a music band is performing. So, for example, someone sequenced the demo music in your keyboard, and when you press the DEMO button on your keyboard, you are just playing back one of the sequenced music from a list of choice.
Sequencing music needs some understanding of how various instruments are played. You need to know a little bit of drums, piano, bass guitar, rhythm guitar … and so on. You don’t necessarily need the skill to play these instruments, just know how someone would play it.
Although it may sound intimidating, sequencing is not difficult at all! However, you’d require a lot of patience and time to adapt this style :).
a) Play the Tune
b) Play in Auto-Accompaniment Mode
c) Play the Chords
d) Sequence and Playback
I will explain what I mean by these next.
Playing the Tune
You can play the tune of the song (e.g., setting your keyboard as ‘Accordion’ or ‘Strings’) and sing along. This is probably the most basic way of using a keyboard with songs. You may have had several years of training in playing Harmonium, and are currently using keyboard as a substitute. Or, you may have a very good ear, and can pick up the tune with a little bit of trial and error. Either way, you have crossed the first hurdle!
Playing in ‘Auto-Accompaniment’ Mode
The next level of complexity is to play in the ‘Auto-Accompaniment’ mode. So, what is meant by auto-accompaniment? Well, the quickest example I can think of is of a keyboard demo song. When you press the ‘Demo’ button in the keyboard, you can hear a song (tune) playing with some background music – drums, piano, guitar, etc. The background music is called the accompaniment music. An entry-level keyboard often gives you an option to choose a style of auto-accompaniment where you don't need to think about how the individual instruments are played.
Typically this style of playing involves selecting a rhythm, playing the chords with the left hand, and the tune (or parts of it) with the right hand – all together. Just selecting the chords makes the keyboard play various instruments in the background.
If you are a beginner, you may want to use the ‘single-key mode’ for the chords (the internal mechanism of the keyboard plays the full chords). Or if you have some practice, you may be able to play the full chords (multiple keys played together) with the left hand, and the tune with the right.
Playing the Chords
A third way you can play the keyboard is to play the chords for a song (e.g., setting as a ‘Piano’ or ‘Strings’). This can create quite a rich background sound and make your performance very lively. If you have been playing Harmonium for a while, you may be unknowingly playing some chords when you play a set of keys together. For example, you may be playing Sa-Ga-Pa together – and that is the major chord of the scale you are playing in (I will explain this more later). If you haven’t played Harmonium before, and don’t know what I am talking about … well … just hang on … and don’t feel left behind! Just keep reading and you will pick up the skill very soon!
Sequencing and Playing Back
The term ‘sequencing’ is used for arranging or recording the music ahead of time in the keyboard memory. If you have a high-end keyboard, you can record all the instruments for a song in multiple tracks. When you play back, all the tracks are played simultaneously, as if a music band is performing. So, for example, someone sequenced the demo music in your keyboard, and when you press the DEMO button on your keyboard, you are just playing back one of the sequenced music from a list of choice.
Sequencing music needs some understanding of how various instruments are played. You need to know a little bit of drums, piano, bass guitar, rhythm guitar … and so on. You don’t necessarily need the skill to play these instruments, just know how someone would play it.
Although it may sound intimidating, sequencing is not difficult at all! However, you’d require a lot of patience and time to adapt this style :).
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