Rhodes Piano Technique
are there any players here who play in the style of greg philliganes (michael jackson's keyboard/rhodes player in the 80s)? im particularly interested in any ideas about chording voices on a rhodes piano.
there are a few you tube videos that im trying to study, but not many resources about chording/solo piano playing. at the moment it looks like quite a busy left hand (bass) and sevenths/octaves in the right hand - but am i missing something here ?
any help would be welcome.
s
there are a few you tube videos that im trying to study, but not many resources about chording/solo piano playing. at the moment it looks like quite a busy left hand (bass) and sevenths/octaves in the right hand - but am i missing something here ?
any help would be welcome.
s
There are 29 comments, leave a comment.
what videos are you studying?
is there a 'rhodes' technique or are we talking about the
greg philliganes technique while he plays the rhodes?
greg philliganes technique while he plays the rhodes?
hi,
at the moment im looking at these 3
its a rhodes tribute to michael jackson
someone playing stevie wonder on a rhodes.
greg phillinganes at namm
trying to get some ideas from these 3.
shaun
at the moment im looking at these 3
its a rhodes tribute to michael jackson
someone playing stevie wonder on a rhodes.
greg phillinganes at namm
trying to get some ideas from these 3.
shaun
hi jmkarns
ideally im looking for pointers on greg p's technique.
ideally im looking for pointers on greg p's technique.
yeah there were a lot of rhodes players around that time.
i would include joe sample in there as well.
i would include joe sample in there as well.
is a pretty awesome rhodes showcase. also, his studio recordings of "the ghetto" and "valdez in the country."
one of the problems is that there are players who play rhodes in a characteristic style, and others who play it no differently from an acoustic piano.
the first two chick albums in the return to forever sub-category (rtf, light as a feather) are pretty rhodes heavy.
cheers lads - some good tips - and i'll check out those artists, i just wondered if there were any specific voicing approaches (like drop 2) that players tended to use.
i do not have a rhodes now but it is what i had in all my first bands from the 70"s up till somewhere in the 90's. i remember beating myself up trying to get the sound chick had. i was so frustrated becuase i could not get the sound corea had on his rhodes. but now when i listen to old recordings of myself i marvel at the sound i had .. it was great in my opinion... i have no idea what my problem was... i miss having a rhodes so much. the one i had was so beat from the road and i can not afford a new one. i have never been happy with any rhodes sound on any digital piano or synth.
except all of a sudden i am getting some rhodes sounds i am happy with out my mac computer. i am actually getting closer to that chick sound with the onboard rhodes patches on the mac than i ever got with real rhodes.
except all of a sudden i am getting some rhodes sounds i am happy with out my mac computer. i am actually getting closer to that chick sound with the onboard rhodes patches on the mac than i ever got with real rhodes.
ha! that reminds me of a zawinul quote about his synth set-up.
with all the new software joe was heard to say; "now any idiot can
push the buttons and get the old sound i had to work hard on."
with all the new software joe was heard to say; "now any idiot can
push the buttons and get the old sound i had to work hard on."
i know they had a great sound but i will never, ever carry one of those damnable heavy bastards up another flight of stairs for a gig.
i am not physically able to carry a rhodes like i could in my college days. i can remember throwing it up on my shoulder and running up stairs with it looking like the mighty hulk. no way could i even get one up on my shoulder now never mind get up some stairs with one.
i just did a recording session yesterday, and the sound engineer was raving about "velvet".
we went through several of the patches before i found one i liked, but i was looking for a delicate sound (rather than a balls-to-the-wall in-your-face sound - of which there are many).
the only rhodes i ever owned was an 88-key that i bought in 1976. it had those stupid rounded tops that no matter where you put your sheet music it either ended up in your lap (or worse) on the floor behind the piano. and it had a really hard action.
i ended up selling it to a studio in geneva, switzerland (maybe it's still there ...)
we went through several of the patches before i found one i liked, but i was looking for a delicate sound (rather than a balls-to-the-wall in-your-face sound - of which there are many).
the only rhodes i ever owned was an 88-key that i bought in 1976. it had those stupid rounded tops that no matter where you put your sheet music it either ended up in your lap (or worse) on the floor behind the piano. and it had a really hard action.
i ended up selling it to a studio in geneva, switzerland (maybe it's still there ...)
my back still hurts from lugging that damn thing around, but there aint nothin like the real thing baby. i have a couple here at the house. i can't stand to hoist them just to move them few feet nowadays. i especially dread laying it down to take the legs off...i never know if i'll get back up
that's where your sons come into the picture. surely they would lift them for you. mine would laugh at me and say "yeah right."
funny you would say that. my youngest wanted to buy one that an old friend had. when i brought it home, my son asked where it is. i told him it was still in the car, so he asked why -heh heh...of course i informed him that to get the full effect, he must transport it to the basement
i had the stage 88 and moved it with a two wheel dolly from sears,
which saved me some grief, but i still had to install the legs.
: >(
which saved me some grief, but i still had to install the legs.
: >(
while on the subject of rhodes nostalgia, i used to own one of these bad boys in all of it's avocado green glory, aka the "jetson's rhodes"
https://www.flickr.com/photos/33536929@n06/3144372753/in/set-72157611795129450/
it was a student model, they only built about 10,000 of them in 1969. i think they were made mostly for university piano labs. it had a built in speaker on the underside, metronome and an attached pedestal.
the thing weighed about 600 pounds, obviously i never gigged with it, and i had to sell it along with most of my stuff when i moved to california from seattle. it had the old school felt hammer tips which gave it a fatter sound than the plastic tips later rhodes models had. man, was it lush to play. i miss that old beast.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/33536929@n06/3144372753/in/set-72157611795129450/
it was a student model, they only built about 10,000 of them in 1969. i think they were made mostly for university piano labs. it had a built in speaker on the underside, metronome and an attached pedestal.
the thing weighed about 600 pounds, obviously i never gigged with it, and i had to sell it along with most of my stuff when i moved to california from seattle. it had the old school felt hammer tips which gave it a fatter sound than the plastic tips later rhodes models had. man, was it lush to play. i miss that old beast.
holy cow that jetson's rhodes is slick slick slick. thanks for sharing.
talking about rhodes ,did anyone tried the new rhodes model thats on the market now ,i wonder if its as good as the old e.g. mark2.
for a long time i ve been after one of those for my studio ,but they are scarse here in spain and if you find one ,they cost fortune (1700 - 2000euros)
for a long time i ve been after one of those for my studio ,but they are scarse here in spain and if you find one ,they cost fortune (1700 - 2000euros)
wow, i think i paid 700.00 for my mark i.
oh, for some early rhodes stuff, i really like billy preston's contributions on let it be (the album). i know that he's featured on at least 5 tracks, with the best known solos on get back and don't let me down.
also, a big personal favorite (i think it's a rhodes, but for all i know it could be a wurly): deodato - also sprach zarathustra
wow jwv76, that is a wild looking machine! i had no idea anything like that ever existed.
as for rhodes playing i love herbie hancock's playing (head hunters, thrust, etc..) and also max middleton (the old jeff beck albums, blow by blow, etc))
as for rhodes playing i love herbie hancock's playing (head hunters, thrust, etc..) and also max middleton (the old jeff beck albums, blow by blow, etc))
greg philliganes? what a name for a keyboard player!
well what kind of name is dr whack for a keyboard player???
some more:
herbie hancock - fat albert rotunda
stevie wonder - innervisions
also, this guy's website with a staggering number of herbie concert boots. not sure of the legality of some of the other stuff on the site though. still, it's good for more suggestions.
https://neverenoughrhodes.blogspot.com/search/label/herbie%20hancock%20x%2046%20bootlegs
herbie hancock - fat albert rotunda
stevie wonder - innervisions
also, this guy's website with a staggering number of herbie concert boots. not sure of the legality of some of the other stuff on the site though. still, it's good for more suggestions.
https://neverenoughrhodes.blogspot.com/search/label/herbie%20hancock%20x%2046%20bootlegs
thanks to all for your pointers and in particular to ziggysane
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