learning electone / keyboard

[radiantmum]

All the best to the music learning journey for your dd!


Dont worry about levels and grades. As long as they enjoy it, it will not be a chore to practice or prepare well for exams - biggest relief to parents! But still need reminders to practice of course 'cos they are still kids after all.

[Audacity]

Topic is kinda old. But posting to share some info with parents who are still curious about what on earth an Electone is.


Firstly, there is no such instrument as an Electone. That is Yamaha's product line. What it is, is a modern-age Electronic organ. It is an amalgamation of the pipe organ (from medieval Europe), the theatre organ, and the early modern tonewheel jazz organ. Any Electone will have all these sounds nowadays. It will also have hundreds of other sounds.

An Electone, i.e. electronic organ, is not a synthesizer, not a keyboard, not an arranger etc. The course for those are different. The style of playing and even control for these are also different. More on this later.

Now, the question of learning piano or organ. Back in the 80s, there were lots more students learning the organ, not only at Yamaha, but places like Elka and Kawai. There were also loads theories of which is better, which is more beneficial etc etc. Not going to comment on these. So as not to insult the different types of pianists too, I'm not going to say which areas pianists are better than organists at, or vice versa. I'll just list down what are the things an Electone student at Yamaha can expect to benefit from:

1) Musical co-ordination. Which is actually the very first, and most straightforward benefit. Once you get it, you wouldn't lose it. Just like a bicycle.

2) Style. Style NOT as it being classy. But musical styles. I wish to emphasize that it is a complete misconception that the Electone course is only about pops. We play a lot of different types of music, easily more than any other instrument. Be it classical, retro, gospel, folk, rock, pop, jazz, latin, fusion etc. In the higher grades, a student is expected to be familiar with a myriad of styles, just to pass the examination. For eg, a student is given a simple score, and must play it in the style stipulated by the examiner.

3) What's the benefit of (2) i.e. style? Most obvious is arrangement of music. Any commercial music production you hear, on CDs etc, is arranged. With a solid knowledge of how different music types should sound like, an Electone student will be most ideal for arrangement work. (Arranging songs is part of the exams, btw)

4) Articulation, which refers to understanding how different instruments sound like, should sound like, and how they are played. It's NEVER just about selecting a sound, and pressing the key to voice it. It's about the little nuances that gives the sound the character of the instrument it is mimicking. Again, very useful for studio, arrangement work. Why? Because plenty of times, those orchestra backgrounds, wind solos etc are produced in these places by a keyboard. (Which is not an Electone, but easy to cross over to)

5) Improvisation. Which is the ability to vary on a song. Heavily used in Jazz and at least in some degree in other songs. One might ask, what if my kid hates Jazz? Well, \"impro\" forces the musician to think on the spot. To really know one's basics and theories, and apply them outrageously. IMO, there are few better methods to train up anyone's creativity and boldness.

6) Crossover. Those keyboards you see on stages are not organs or Electones. They are synths, arrangers, stage pianos etc. Electone players have a disadvantage here because the style of playing in many bands are closer to that of the pianist. (Organists take over the bass part, and even the drums if necessary. We boss over too many things! ). However, familiarity with electronic sound production and especially different styles of instruments and sound will compensate heavily for this.

Now for more practical infos:

A) Yamaha's system is not ABRSM. It is this...truly queer system that goes backwards from 13 to 3 or 10 to 3 or something. Grade 5-3 are the higher grades. During then, it is split into two courses, the new one being Fundamentals of Music. FOM trains on theory, singing, accompaniment, and believe it or not, you have to play on the piano. So Electone students do learn to play on the piano ultimately.

B) The entry level Electone is around 2.9K. The standard is around 10K. The exam model is 15K. So arguably, it is more pricey to learn. Not so however, when you consider the price of grand pianos, or higher end upright pianos, which easily go beyond 15K.

C) There are other electronic organ models. But to use another brand while learning from Yamaha, is going to be very, very awkward. You see one main problem with the Electone is that it is very reliant on programming. To get the really awesome drums and sounds, you need hours of programming. Most players thus use readily made programmes sold from Japan. You guess it too. These programmes can only be used on the Electone.

D) Reference to (D), you COULD just sit down, press a preset, and perform. But you have to be very, very good.

E) For myself, one of the best thing about the Electone is simply that it needs minimal maintenance. Remember you do need to heat a piano 24 hours. And tune it regularly.

F) Of MAJOR concern, the Electone grade is recognized by MOE for employment. Check: http://www.moe.gov.sg/careers/teach/career-info/training/a-level-dip/

G) Of another concern, it should also be good enough for the Music Elective Programme, since MEP states ABRSM or equivalent. Yamaha is an established exam board.

But all the above aside, I think the crux should be what the child prefers. Music is something very affective. I think no matter how much the benefits attract you, you will never master it if you don't love it. The choice between piano or organ or any instrument has to be one of real love. Disregard this and it will truly be a waste of money over many years.

[PY09]

hi all,


came across this thread while searching on Yamaha electone.

just went to a trial class with YJC and came to know about electone 1st time in my life…

many doubts in my mind…
hope someone can share their thoughts…

1) was told Stagea ELB-01 best suited for YJC, (the school also using then same), but anyone has use other keyboard or other electone before and also can achieve the desired results. ELB-01 is really quite expense, considering for an entry level only

2) if i just have a piano and let my kid attend the YJC… will it works as well?

3) i heard if with normal 61keys keyboards it can well equipped you all the way till year 2 of YJC, so whats the difference between 61keyboard, 88 keyboard and electone.

4) anyone who started kids on YJC electone but change course halfway? any reason why and any difficulties/plus points encountered?

thanks

[Audacity]

Hi PY09,


I’m neither an Electone teacher or student. But I hope I can answer part of your queries since I’m been playing this instrument for decades.

The Electone is an organ. "Electone" itself is not an instrument. You can easily find out more about electronic organs or church organs etc online.

(Or you can read my very long previous post. : ) )

To play a proper song on the organ, you need to use both hands and both legs. For single deck keyboards, you only use both hand ands at most one leg to control effects. (You do NOT play pedals, or the bassline)

I suppose a child could pick up the Electone basics for the hands using a 61 keyboard. And the lessons might not require them to play the bass pedals. (Their legs can’t reach) But coordination for both hands and both legs is the hardest part to learn for the Electone. So it might be a really bad way to start off with, especially if your child intend to move on to higher grades. Poor fundamentals, in other words.

As for your other question, an Electone (organ) has TWO keyboards of 49 keys each. Those single deck keyboards by Yamaha, Casio etc, typically has 61 keys. (They are many types, arrangers, synths etc). An 88 keyboard is the full length for electronic keyboards, like a full piano. (Upright piano).

If cost is an issue, you could consider looking for a second hand ELB on Ebay, Gumtree etc. They get much cheaper. If you’re really getting a 61-key single deck keyboard, I would suggest getting one of Yamaha’s PSR series, most costs a few hundred dollars, and the way they operate is very near to the Electone.

Finally, your piano is way different from an Electone. The piano has weighted keys, whereas the Electone doesn’t i.e the keys are much lighter. You control volume on a piano by the force of your fingers. On the Electone, you use both playing force and the expression pedal controlled by the legs. Finally, control, programming, and articulation of different sounds and rhythms is a core element of Electone playing, whereas the piano is only that one sound, without rhythms. Again, possible to start off on a piano. But you wouldn’t get far and I suspect the kid would quickly lose interest.

[PY09]

Thanks Audacity for your comments!


I did read your previous long post

and I heard some friends telling me Keyboard is enough-even my partner said so
so I'm worried that I made wrong decision wrong start
but back in my mind, I am considering a lot of other factors

Pros of getting electone ELB-01
1) it will be the same equipment that kid learn from school so I thought it will be better when during self practise as same functions, same style
2) and can be used for the 4 years of YJC (told by teacher)
3) minimum maintenance

Cons of getting electone
1) pricing (+-3k) is not cheap so to speak, I worried it became a \"white elephant\"
2) friends telling me keyboard (+-$300) also works for this course.
3) after 4 years, am I supposed to upgrade to another equipment?

arrghhh
angels and demons fighting in my head.. haha
I guess that's the problem with person with no music background.. no idea which fits..

I have 1-2 weeks to consider on should I start with YJC and if so, which equipment to buy.. haha.. TOUGH one!

I guess.. I will even dream of this when I sleep...
don't know why I feel so stress. haha, it was supposed to be a fun learning journey...
but maybe I'm less adventurous and hope not to have a bad start for my kid

i will update on my status again.. heehee

[PY09]

update:

i decided to just buy a 61 keys keyboard for the start. and later decide if child really interested in continuing the course. then invest in maybe a piano…

[Audacity]

Long, LONG time since I last checked this thread. Are there still kids and parents in Singapore keen on the Electone?


Anyway, since posting the above reply, I’ve been using mine to make pocket money. Not just by posting videos on YouTube, but also to create sound clips that could be sold or used in video/animation projects.

Have also been putting up arrangements that I wrote myself. You could check my site to see how our scores differ from those for the piano. My notes for each will also indicate the kind and the amount of work involved to prepare a proper Electone performance. https://www.scribblinggeek.com/index.php/electone-score-free-download-english/

What I want to say it, I think learning this instrument is still worthwhile because it opens the gateways to other areas of audio studies, from sound effects to percussions, to stage management, and so on. There’s barely any job opportunities for Electone performances here, but the knowledge involved in the course can be very useful for other digital gigs.

[Celadonsherd]

I"ve seen you play on YouTube, Audacity! You’re really good! I enjoy your playing very much. My daughter still plays - she passed Grade 6 last year and is learning Grade 5 pieces without the stress of preparing for exams.