61 key keyboard

Jarmo_S

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 23, 2017
Messages
682
Reaction score
2
Location
Finland
I have been putting off learning it, but I should really start. Just as an interesting comparison, I compare it's range to ukulele. As an accompaniment. And common ranges in general.

Standard re-entrant GCEA ukulele with 15 frets covers a range of C4 to C6. It is the range of a human soprano. Some ukuleles have more frets and some only 12. But 2 octaves in general as usable.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_pitch_notation
See first picture in the above link.

Linear ukulele adds from G3 up to same, so almost down to alto range F3.

Now this keyboard’s range by default is from C2 to C7, so it can provide accompaniment fine to those melodic ranges. It is 2 octaves below re-entrant ukulele and a third below lowest note E2 of a guitar. And one octave above ukulele.

But a bass guitar or upright contrabass ones (normally) start from E1. This keyboard and I guess same as most other 61 keys ones can be set an octave lower or higher than default. Higher is ridiculously higher than a human range soprano, so not in my opinion really that much needed. Except for instrumental solos. Humans can hear them still.

But an octave lower one, yes it is a nice option. C1 to C6. C1 is a third lower than bass guitar’s one, so low enough truly. These electronic keyboards can of course be transposed too to anything in between, but then a C is not anymore a C etc, so that is just a ”capo option” and somewhat of a lazy man’s crutch.

For classical piano music starting from Beethoven’s etc. time piano, 61 keys is not enough. Look at the second picture in the link I provided of a range of an 88 key piano. You can have octaves 2 to 6 as default (+ one top key). And have that range transposed one octave lower (or higher).
 
Last edited:
Good graphic job done, thank you. Illustrates most I told in words.

What I forgot to tell in my post is that the keyboard range is the same as what a violin quartet has, though virtuoso violinists can go higher too. I just love classical violin music.
 
I must gently disagree, those things they belonged to pop music culture, videos and stuff, not much agreeing except of course some tunes. Always exceptions of course.

Maybe because I have not learned much about fingerings and other stuff. With electric guitar I can solo in every keys, they are all the same to me.

My all time fave was the Band. Rock musicians and all were sort of multi instrumentalists too. Garth Hudson, while stayed in background was always wonderful with his organs, synthesizers etc. Sometimes on sax too.
Richard Manuel played piano, but it would have been crazy see him use a wierdo apparatus like that. One of the greatest all time rock singers. Rick and Levon were not that bad either in that.
Robbie of course was a guitar hero very unorthodox :)

EDIT:
I hope you have not already bought or ordered one lol.
 
I am bit interested in keytar.



We often play it with right hand only. It looks not too difficult and cool.

Whilst it may appear ... not to difficult.

That is not the case, with the right hand moving up and down the keybed accurate placement is more difficult.

Remember playing a guitar or Uke the right arm generally has an anchor point.

If you want a keyboard then get a keyboard and learn that, but therein lies another task as the available range is large and very confusing if you do not know what you are doing.
 
Your hand will not be moving anywhere near as much as someone who is playing a keyboard.

Next time you play your stick notice the degree of movement you have in your shoulder, elbow and wrist.

Now try runing your fingers up and down a keyboard for at least an octave and a half and notice the movements in the same joints again.

I certainly move whole arms more when I am playing keys than I do playing my guitar which in itself has far more joint movement than when I play Uke
 
Last edited:
Yes that one is and many others:
Music from pig pink, stagefright, cahoots, northern lights southern cross, island and their last waltz concert one and few others are of the greatest musicianship.

We have them on youtube now, but those I have in vinyl records too, scared to play because the vinyl players diamond might not be anymore so good heh.

Good stuff, also why I protested a bit on that keyboard pop instrument thing of your suggestion :)
 
Your question goes so far from my knowledge. I like all instruments in combination. But remember I am a guitar and lately mostly ukulele strummer to accompany me.

Garth he played the Lowrey organ, what is the difference of them and Hammond ones goes way beyond my knowledge.

Keeping to the topic, many organs have 2 61 key keyboards, so making same as keybordists today use for split ones. To have 2 sounds and ranges.
Regarding keyboards, they should always have touch sensitivity of volume.

Organs traditionally don't have that, but I bet today they too do that as an option. More traditional way was to use feet to put more volume.

Decades ago I had Yamaha PS-20 keyboard, the sounds not that good, it had 2 organ sounds, one sort of reed and one more like pipes.
I lost it long time ago, maybe someone did not like my tries or poured some water. No touch sensitivity, maybe some volume pedal as an option I did not get.

With this I have now, I like most the piano sounds :)
As a string player familiar with a decay of notes.
 
Top Bottom