Acoustical and electronic instruments in jazz: A keyboard performance perspective.

Abstract

A problem that has faced keyboard players since the advent of the electronic keyboard in the Jazz–Fusion–Rock idiom is the transfer of skills from acoustic keyboards to electronic keyboards. The pianists who moved over to electronic instruments found themselves with many new problems to solve, such as no left or middle pedal, pitch bend wheels, mod wheels, and multilayered keyboards. These problems were easily solved with a little time spent orienting to the new keyboard, but there was another problem that was not as easily solved−chord voicing on piano versus chord voicing on synthesizers. What would sound good on the piano would not necessarily transfer with similar quality to the electronic keyboard. This paper addresses the issue of different keyboard voicing techniques, as solved by Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock as their performing careers went from acoustic to electronic. Examples will be shown illustrating comping solutions in both the acoustic and electronic domain.