The best known Keytars

[Blazer]

For those who didn't experience the Eighties: the Keytar was a keyboard that was meant to be strapped on like a guitar enabling keyboard players to run around on stage too. Let's talk about Keytars.


I guess that the Moog Liberation was the first commercially available Keytar. It was  a complete working analogue synth meant to be strapped on, making it a BIG bulking piece of equipment slung around your back. Later Keytars were MIDI controllers, bacially just a set of keys which was connected to a module. Which made them lighter and smaller. But the Moog liberation has since become a cult instrument, mostly because of its sound.
Ladies and Gents: Jean Michel Jarre playing a solo on a Moog Liberation.


By far the biggest number of keytars in the eighties were turned out by Yamaha, with their SHS 10 providing a Budget Keytar that everybody could afford. The instrument had a built in speaker and a (for those days) impressive array of sounds.



At the other end of the spectrum was perhaps the most recognisable keytar, the Yamaha KX5 which was a keytar version of their popular DX7 unit, the KX5 is like the Steinberger bass, the Yamaha CP70 piano and the Simmons Drumkit in the sense that seemingly EVERYBODY was using them. And has since retained a loyal following and players like George Duke and Chick Corea STILL use them. And allow me to ask the latter of those two "Got a match?"


Last but not least I'll name the Synthaxe which is one of the most bizarre looking instruments ever.

The Synthaxe was meant to be played like a guitar but the strings on the neck and on the body were (Obviously) not connected. What makes the Synthaxe a Keytar is the fact that it has a small set of keys making it possible to hit a note like hitting a note on a piano, six keys from each string and two keys with which one could hit either the lower three or the higher three "strings" at the same time. The 24 frets were spaced at the same distance at every position on the fingerboard. The best known Synthaxe player was Allan Holdsworth who did some bizarre sounding jazz things with his.


Currently the Synthaxe has an advocate in Roy "Futureman" Wooten of Bela Fleck and the Flectones and he uses his to play DRUMS on, employing the six keys to signal either a kickdrum, snare, toms and cymbals.

[Barklessdog]

I have to admit to being a Jan Hammer fan in the 90's

I think he single handily made the Keytar uncool

[uwe]

I like what Holdsworth does with it. But if the strings he strums and the ones he frets are not connected how does he trigger tone? And does that mean that the strumming strings have no real tuned tension? I'd imaginme that feeling weird.

Edgar Winter, Greg Guiffria (of Angel)  and Geoff Downes (of Asia) also come to mind when thinking about "keytars". And what about that keyboard guy from Spooky Tooth I think who started a solo career and was popular around the time Peter Frampton was with "Comes Alive". He was his opening act. Can't think of the name right now ...

Uwe

[Barklessdog]

I liked the Keytar when they used it as the bass



Live with a bass ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JbUP-skb7E&feature=related

[gweimer]

I like what Holdsworth does with it. But if the strings he strums and the ones he frets are not connected how does he trigger tone? And does that mean that the strumming strings have no real tuned tension? I'd imaginme that feeling weird.

Edgar Winter, Greg Guiffria (of Angel)  and Geoff Downes (of Asia) also come to mind when thinking about "keytars". And what about that keyboard guy from Spooky Tooth I think who started a solo career and was popular around the time Peter Frampton was with "Comes Alive". He was his opening act. Can't think of the name right now ...

Uwe

Gary Wright? Uwe's Edit: Yup, that's the one, danke!

[chromium]

The 'other' synth that changed everything, the Sequential Circuits Prophet-5, had a 'Remote Prophet' keytar available:



Hey - Is that Geoff Downes playing it?!    


Another one I recall is the Clavitar (second from bottom):



...as played by this guy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGg-rZ0c9Uo&eurl=http://matrixsynth.blogspot.com/2008/04/george-duke-synth-solo.html


Actually, seeing that clip makes me think of the pre-keytar-wielding George Duke that I *really* like!