Piano Effect-type Riffs?

[seemunny]

It would be cool if somebody could post some (what i call) "piano sound effect riffs".

And i don't mean different patches & sounds on your synthesizer. But rather different runs or licks that serve more as "effects" and not necessarily something that has a certain key to it. For instance, i heard PJ Morgan do this one time:

Consecutively play each note like you would a continuous arpeggio up the keyboard, but going up entirely with whole notes (whole tone scale):

ex. Gb, Ab, Bb, C, D, E, etc..all the way up, allowing them to sustain....

It sounds like a "dream sequence" on tv or something, thus i call it an "effect".

Does anybody have anything else of that nature, that would be more of an "effect" type piano riff & something nice to add to your arsenal?

[musallio]

What U've just explained is called..mhh, lemme see...Whole Tone Scales! (I stand to be corrected if I'm wrong ).

I remember Hammondman! started a thread on them a few months back..HERE.

I'm not a cat yet, but I guess I always fall back onto the chromatic scale if all fails..2 ways to play it:
i) Play everything really fast up & down; or
ii) Arpeggiate everything & play it slowly

now that has no specific key, right?

Another thing you could do is play the Chromatic scale as ditones ..so start from C:

C-E/Bb-Eb-Ab
Db-F/B-E-A
D-F#/C-F-A#   [note: the boldened part is your ditone if you don't know (ie, 1-3 of any major scale) you could also do something with semi-ditones (ie 1-b3 of any major scale)]

& I leave this part open to you to either carry on up the scale or go around the circle of 4ths or 5ths.

so as 1 of the many possibilities, you could go up a 4th: so from the D to G..So..

B-G/Bb-Eb-F  (i don't know if this is still a ditone Plz help..Does the way I've inverted the B & G change the quality of a ditone )..

Another thing you could do is play tritones on your LH with any other chords on the RH.

My take on all this though is that it will tend to resort to 1 or 2 keys, unless if you leave it hanging there.
I got2 hear what the theory minstrels have to say on this 1..

Very interesting thread indeed.

[Fenix]

I think what he is talking about is not the theory, but rather how you play the piano so it sounds as if you are playing another instrument or an effect. At least i THINK thats what you mean.

Anyway i don't really use piano "effects". I guess i'm lazy in that if i can find a voice on my board that mimics the effect i want, then i use that voice rather than trying to replicate it using the piano sound. One thing i DO do is gliding my fingers over the keys to create a "harp" like effect, however once i discovered the "Harp" voice on my Motif, i immediately switched to using that voice instead of piano. 

[musallio]

I think what he is talking about is not the theory, but rather how you play the piano so it sounds as if you are playing another instrument or an effect. At least i THINK thats what you mean.

Anyway i don't really use piano "effects". I guess i'm lazy in that if i can find a voice on my board that mimics the effect i want, then i use that voice rather than trying to replicate it using the piano sound. One thing i DO do is gliding my fingers over the keys to create a "harp" like effect, however once i discovered the "Harp" voice on my Motif, i immediately switched to using that voice instead of piano. 

I don't know if I get this or not..but probably not

Ok, lemme try something else:

How about sliding your fingers over the black keys back & forth twice with your RH & then arpeggiating B-E-B or Db-Gb-Db with your LH & hit the lowest B to end..

The same can be done with the white keys & play C-G-C or G-B-G with your LH..

Does that qualify as an effect?

[Fenix]

I don't know if I get this or not..but probably not

Ok, lemme try something else:

How about sliding your fingers over the black keys back & forth twice with your RH & then arpeggiating B-E-B or Db-Gb-Db with your LH & hit the lowest B to end..

The same can be done with the white keys & play C-G-C or G-B-G with your LH..

Does that qualify as an effect?

OK lemme rephrase what i THINK he meant.

I think he meant to say do you try and make the "Piano" sound on your board sound like another instrument OR "effect". For example, if you listen to Rhapsody in Blue, the way he plays the piano in the opening section makes it sound like a train. Also you can play your piano in such a way that it evokes certain feelings. For instance, the gliding across the keys thing can make the piano sound like water flowing.

[musallio]

OK lemme rephrase what i THINK he meant.

I think he meant to say do you try and make the "Piano" sound on your board sound like another instrument OR "effect". For example, if you listen to Rhapsody in Blue, the way he plays the piano in the opening section makes it sound like a train. Also you can play your piano in such a way that it evokes certain feelings. For instance, the gliding across the keys thing can make the piano sound like water flowing.

Thanks man..
U'r a star & should seriously consider taking up the teaching profession.
The kids will love you for your clarity & patience..
I'll now shet up until I've come up with a proper effect..How does the pig "cry" again



 

[Fenix]

Thanks man..
U'r a star & should seriously consider taking up the teaching profession.
The kids will love you for your clarity & patience..
I'll now shet up until I've come up with a proper effect..How does the pig "cry" again



 

[seemunny]

What U've just explained is called..mhh, lemme see...Whole Tone Scales! (I stand to be corrected if I'm wrong ).

For instance, i heard PJ Morgan

do this one time:

Consecutively play each note like you would a continuous arpeggio up the keyboard, but going up entirely with whole notes (whole tone scale):

So yes Musallio! you are Correct! And thanks for the suggestions! very interesting.

For example, if you listen to Rhapsody in Blue, the way he plays the piano in the opening section makes it sound like a train. Also you can play your piano in such a way that it evokes certain feelings. For instance, the gliding across the keys thing can make the piano sound like water flowing.

You're on track Fenix! All those things are interesting "moves" that you might hear Jazz or Broadway or Classical pianist do. Things that makes you wonder "what was THAT!" lol

At some point, these players had to go slow and learn those "licks". But it seems like no one ever talks about them.

They just play this "crazy/cool" stuff like it's second nature, when in fact i could listen to a whole dvd with just those licks to study! lol

[musallio]

At some point, these players had to go slow and learn those "licks". But it seems like no one ever talks about them.

They just play this "crazy/cool" stuff like it's second nature, when in fact i could listen to a whole dvd with just those licks to study! lol

Big CoSign on that...
That's what I find myself doing all the time when I'm trying to learn all these licks & runs...do them in slow motion over & over again!!

[seemunny]

Big CoSign on that...
That's what I find myself doing all the time when I'm trying to learn all these licks & runs...do them in slow motion over & over again!!

There ya go Musallio!

Actually, i read somewhere, where a guy said, they way your brain learns is by doing whatever you're trying to learn "slowly". He said, all your brain is trying to do is understand it first. After your brain understands it, then the speed will come.

Pretty interesting theory.

[seemunny]

Actually, i read somewhere, where a guy said, they way your brain learns is

I meant "the" way. (typo)

[seemunny]

Come on people, i know yall got somma them off-sounding piano tricks up your sleeves!

[Fenix]

Come on people, i know yall got somma them off-sounding piano tricks up your sleeves!

Frankly speaking i don't. I am really not at that kind of level where i can mess around like that. Its pretty frustrating but i KNOW what i want to play, i just can't get my hands to do it the way i want to.

I'm getting there though by God's grace.

[musallio]

Frankly speaking i don't. I am really not at that kind of level where i can mess around like that. Its pretty frustrating but i KNOW what i want to play, i just can't get my hands to do it the way i want to.

I'm getting there though by God's grace.

U said it just like it is man!!
I hate it too coz I'm in the exact same place