I recently posted this photo in a global Facebook group for keyboard players in cover bands. Most of the comments were about how pretty the Arturia AstroLab is – that’s the top, light-coloured keyboard. Yes, it’s a gorgeous keyboard and I love playing it.

One member of the group asked about playing Bob Marley and the Wailers music as a sole keyboard player. He said:

Most of the Marley catalogue had two keyboard players, Way Lindo and Tyrone Downie, handling organ bubble, EP, clay, synth and string machines. Playing BMW material with only two hands requires some decisions regarding which parts to cover, along with much hand independence. “Waiting In Vain” is a good example. I know a reggae keys player who programmed his Triton to simplify the organ bubble by using delay. I’m curious if you have any similar tips and tricks for covering BMW songs? Or does your audience even notice?

Wow this was a FAB question and I could go on about that stuff all day. I gave him a reasonably detailed answer, and it got me thinking about blogging my journey as a reggae keys player, even as a keyboard player. I’ve lived in several countries and almost always had a digital piano in my home. Even when I bought a keyboard, I still played it like a piano. I only used piano and EP sounds, and never listened to specific “parts” in a song. Being in a tribute band has completely changed how I hear a song! Now I pick out the instrumental parts, trying to imagine how I would set up my keys to play those riffs.

I’ve been in Roaring Lion for five years and it’s been a world of learning; I think I knew three Bob Marley songs when I auditioned, now I know about fifty or more. Sound management for keys is a never ending challenge, mostly very satisfying but sometimes madly frustrating!

This just might be the way to go with this blog. For the last few years I’ve had a blank about what to write about, after musicians in Sabah, then film directors and actors in Queensland. Recently it’s been about kangaroos, my dog, home cooking, plants, Op Shop stuff etc… But this! We can really get into the weeds with keyboards, playing technique, rigs, it’s a glorious minefield! 😅

I’m not claiming to be an expert at anything, it’s just my personal experience, an awesome learning curve that I’m on right now. I’ll try not to overthink it. Just put something out when it comes to mind.

Here’s the band, we were in Newcastle, NSW last week.