From dwalker@ou.edu Mon Oct 14 03:38:44 2002
Subject:Re: tuning/transposition/self-teaching advancement...

This just confirms my theory that Mr. Wynans has at least one brain per
keyboard. I'm doing good if I can pad on one keyboard with LH and comp
or play lines on another with RH... Playing "Crossfire" has always
eluded me (then again, I never actually practiced it). I believe I read
in a "Keyboard" interview that he feels like he's just warming up unless
he's playing two at once.

-Daniel

> -----Original Message-----
> From: ynottnaro [mailto:ynottnaro@yahoo.com]
> Sent: Monday, October 14, 2002 1:08 AM
> To: CloneWheel@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: Re: [CWSG] Re: tuning/transposition/self-teaching
> advancement...
>
> Hey Eric...
>
> Reese Wynans, Stevie Ray Vaughan's keyboardist, chose
> a truly bizarre path. Because Stevie tuned down a
> half step for vocals (or fatter guitar tone), Reese
> decided that he would transpose his RD1000 down a half
> step (as well as his Juno-106 and M1) but leave his
> Hammond where it belonged (even though he could have
> used a Variac or cycle converter to change the
> tuning). He would then play the B3 in Eflat and the
> transposed keyboards in E. Talk about setting
> yourself UP!!!
>
> Tony
> --- Eric Lawson wrote:
> > I sit in with a blues/pop group every now and then
> > and they detune
> > all their guitars one half step down for the entire
> > show. I believe
> > this gives a fatter sound or whatever. But it makes
> > it confusing for
> > me, because they are still playing the usual chords
> > for them but it
> > sounds like 1/2 stop lower due to their detuning.
> >
> > So at the beginning of songs, they call out the key
> > ("Stormy Monday
> > in G") and I am forced into mental and physical
> > gymnastics to figure
> > out, ok, this requires me to play the song that is
> > familiar to me
> > usually in G, actually in Gb due to the detuning. I
> > played a couple
> > of gigs with them and used this exercise of playing
> > everything a half
> > step lower and I improved my technique for playing
> > in odd keys. But
> > there would always be moments of confusion playing
> > songs I don't know
> > and mentally doing the transposition as the
> > guitarist calls out
> > strange chords.
> >
> > It turns out that it is much easier to just
> > transpose my keyboards
> > down a half step as well, so I can stay in the same
> > keys as them and
> > avoid some really odd stuff. They cover Steely
> > Dan's "My Old School"
> > on occasion when the horns come and that's a tough
> > song to play in Eb
> > without some practice. I've always felt that
> > transposing the
> > keyboard via software is cheating and I don't like
> > doing it, but in
> > this group it makes life a ton easier.
> >
> > One time we played at a blues festival and there was
> > a rented B-3/122
> > on stage that was free game to everyone. I used it
> > with my RD-600
> > off to the side. I transposed my RD600 down a half
> > step as usual and
> > then starting laughing because of course the B-3
> > can't be
> > transposed! So I had to decide whether I should
> > play different
> > chords on each keyboard based on transposition or
> > what. It was a
> > pretty funny circumstance.
> >
> > Regards,
> > Eric
> >
> > --- In CloneWheel@y..., "paul1000au"
> > wrote:
> > > I too play with transposition active - pop, rock,
> > blues, jazz;
> > > backing chords/fill + solo.
> > >
> > > For me, it started because a lot of keyboard work
> > is
> > about "patterns"
> > > for your fingers (and the sounds that creates).
> > I'm good and quick
> > > at some patterns, and find others a bit trickier.
> > If so, I
> > transpose
> > > around until I get the most comfortable patterns.
> > Interestingly,
> > > except for chord lines, most of my stuff is
> > improvised and
> > depending
> > > on the key I've transposed the board to, I will
> > play different
> > > patterns and provide a different feel. As the
> > number of patterns I
> > > play well increased (increases still) I found the
> > variety of what I
> > > did grew. Note that I don't play just whites, but
> > in a fingering-
> > > "virtual key".
> > >
> > > Paul
> > >
> > > P.S. Next time you see some archive film of
> > Irving Berlin playing
> > > the piano, look closely at the lever below the key
> > bed. It is to
> > > change key! IB was famously another transposer.
> > >
> > > --- In CloneWheel@y..., "Jeff Conlin"
> > wrote:
> > > > --- In CloneWheel@y..., "David Jacques"
> > wrote:
> > > > > I am curious, why are the tuning and
> > transposition features so
> > > > > important?
> > > >
> > > > Well, first and foremost, I'm a total hack. :)
> > > >
> > > > Totally self-taught, can't read a lick, no
> > formal lessons, and
> > > > developed all of this as a young kid in the
> > early-mid 80s where
> > > > transposition was on every board I've owned.
> > Unfortunately, it
> > > > wasn't until I got to college in the late 90s
> > that I developed an
> > > > appreciation for the authenticity of the
> > Hammond, the Wurlie,
> > > etc...
> > > > So I'm a monster on the relatively simple keys,
> > and am absolutely
> > > > useless when someone wants E, B, most flats,
> > etc.
> > > >
> > > > A (drunk) guy at a gig I played a few days ago
> > called me on it
> > and
> > > > angrily said aloud that I was cheating. My
> > response is simply
> > that
> > > I
> > > > play for the people, not the musicians. As long
> > as they're
> > shakin'
> > > > their asses and having fun, it doesn't matter if
> > I'm actually
> > > > playing in G while the song is in B. (and why
> > don't guitar
> > players
> > > > who use capos have that same stigma attached to
> > them?)
> > > >
> > > > Obviously, I'd like to rectify this as I feel
> > I've painfully hit
> > a
> > > > wall in my musical development, but now I'm
> > playing out about 4
> > > > nights a week with a variety of different bands,
> > and don't have
> > > much
> > > > in the way of practice time right now. I plan to
> > really stretch
> > out
> > > > this winter, but I know it will be frustrating
> > to say the least.
> > > >
> > > > I do most of my learning just by listening...
> > but if anyone has
> > > some
> > > > good resources aimed more at self-taught folks
> > for jazz and
> > gospel
> > > > voicings and structures, please pass them along!
> > > >
> > > > As for tuning, I play with this one completely
> > psychotic slide
> > > > guitar player who has all of these complex
> > mathematical formulas
> > > for
> > > > each of his vintage guitars and whenever he
> > switches guitars, he
> > > > calls out a different A tuning for me to follow
> > him to. A bit
> > over
> > > > the top, but fun.
> > > > --
> > > > Jeff Conlin
> > > > Beltsville, MD
> > > > http://jeff.desi-9.com
> >
>
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