The band shows up for the gig and starts unpacking gear. The drummer drags in countless large and small cases and assembles their acoustic, real drum kit. The guitarist hauls in their amp, effects, and real guitars (with real strings), as does the bassist. The horn players take out their real horns and blow real air through them as the vocalist tests out their mic using their natural singing voice.
Last but not least, the pianist shows up and sets up their electronic, sampled/simulated/mock piano and tests out a few sampled/simulated/mock chords and runs. The downbeat hits and the keyboardist impose their sampled/simulated/mock contribution upon everyone else’s real, acoustic, naturally produced offering.
Why the injustice? Like everyone else, we pianists would like the equivalent of placing fingers on actual strings, holding real sticks, or manipulating real horn keys. We, too, would like to play something … real!
Sigh …
However, we have to keep reminding ourselves of a few things. One: no one forced us to make the piano a primary instrument. Two: it wasn’t long ago that bringing your “portable” piano rightly entailed a winch and a hernia … and that was just the piano; what about the amp? What about that staircase!? And, three: “portable” once also meant a total compromise in sound. Either you were completely stuck with a non-traditional timbre (i.e., “Rhodes”), or the board of choice just failed miserably at trying to mimic a real piano and was an embarrassment.
By comparison, today’s electronic keyboards are nowhere near as cumbersome as they were some 35+ years ago, so they certainly have become portable. Not to mention, the latest technology allows these wonders to sound and feel really good and provide for a pleasant playing experience. So, enough with the bellyaching. Right? Tell the keyboardist to shut up already and just be thankful!
Yeah … but, let’s get “real.”
The pianist wants to get real, too, and it’s a drag. What is the foreseeable solution here? Virtual modeling technology still holds promise (instead of sampled recordings, the use of electronic algorithms to recreate acoustical properties virtually, such as string vibrations), which continues to improve and become increasingly impressive. I am very thankful for that. But at the end of the day, no matter how much closer virtual gets to “real,” it remains and continues to be virtual, not real.
Everyone else gets to vibrate the airwaves directly from their instrument, allowing resonances to mix organically in the room. Other performers can wield their instruments and manipulate their sound by modulating a string or an embouchure for a natural vibrato. They can breathe life into their instrument, slap it, bend it, crash it, all to unlimited physical degrees that are not artificially predetermined.
If you ask a guitarist to use a virtual guitar, most would say, “Uh, no thanks.” Ask a saxophonist to ditch their real sax for a sampled/simulated/mock alternative and see what response you get. Most drummers don’t care much for electronic drums. Ask them. Are all acoustic drums the same? Of course not. How about all guitars, basses, and horns? How about all acoustic pianos? No, they are not all the same. Each constructed iteration has its own depth of character, personality, and intricacies that make it infinitely unique and beautiful.
Electronic keyboards are literally stamped out. Literally. Carbon copies.
There was also a time when I would click my tongue at the artist who insisted on a real piano to perform on and who refused to use any electronic equivalent. I would think, “how demanding” or “how presumptuous.” Well, I’m not sure I feel that way anymore. It’s not that I’m too snobby or technophobic to use something virtual if there were no other means currently available. It’s not just the prospect that it’s electronic, that samples are utilized, or that it’s amplified. It’s not about what it is … it’s about what it’s not. Unlike what the other musicians enjoy and expect, it’s not real.
The elephant in the room is that real acoustic pianos are the elephant. They’re really heavy, and no one wants to carry them around!! No rocket science needed.
And … there exists another side to the plight called “being a pianist.” Back in the days when it was customary to expect a piano already at each venue, even then, the sad reality was – it still wasn’t your piano. As in, the guitarist, the bassist, the drummer, and horn players, and EVERYONE gets to bring and play their own real instruments when they arrive. You know, the beloved instrument you get to know really, really well and develop an intimate playing relationship with. Drummers swear by their favorite kit, guitarist and bassists their trusty axe, horns players their irreplaceable “baby,” and vocalists, well, their own voices!
And the pianist, too? No.
If a piano is already at the gig, we’re then playing someone else’s idea of what they call a usable “piano” without the luxury of becoming familiar with it or caring for it. It’s a stranger we meet at the gig; there’s no established relationship. The alternative? We bring our own keyboard that we have become familiar with, which is excellent, except that … wait for it … it’s not real.
What’s worse, we often cry about these things to other band members who can’t relate because they never had to confront such dilemmas. Common responses include, “Oh, really sorry. Such a shame. Oh, well.” Or, “Sorry bro, there’s no piano at the space, and the band platform is only 3×3 foot wide for a 10-piece band with horns,“ – translated: no one gave any thought to the pianist (again) … so … well … just figure it out. Ok, see you, don’t want to be you …
Our screams go unheard, and our tears, unnoticed (I’m being dramatic).
So, for now, the “real deal” for keyboardists is that we smile (though our hearts are breaking). While we wait to be freed from the chains of virtual reality, we’re just venting with a chuckle in the meantime. Not everyone can have or expect their premier acoustic piano available at all their gigs, served up and freshly tuned each time. We agreed to accept that when we took up the instrument. The truth is, I continue to use the fantastic virtual technology we’re afforded and am grateful every day for it.
Just do me a favor the next time your keyboardist arrives with all their sampled/simulated/mock gear – put an arm of support around them and say, “I understand,” (and mean it).
acoustic electronic keyboards piano real sampled technology virtual
Last modified: August 22, 2024
