Playing with black keys only??

[VSTadapter]

Hello my friends!!

not sure if i post it in the correct category so forgive me if i didnt!

I just watched a free video from future music "In studio with Steve Angelo"

and i noticed that he was using ONLY the black keyboard keys when producing key shots, pads, leads, strings, bass, almost everything!!

Is there any secret for playing only with the black keys??

thnank you very much!!

[mistertoast]

Yeah, the black keys are a pentatonic scale. Anything you play on black keys should sound good. Add in one white key (try to find the right one to add by ear) and you have a blues scale.

Of course that's only one pentatonic scale. But it's very easy to play for obvious reasons. On a keyboard that lets you transpose key, you should be able to play any pentatonic scale on the black keys.

[sockofgold]

All black keys = one of the pentatonic scales (not sure which key). Technically, if you use ONLY black keys, you can't hit a bad note.

But please: anyone reading this thread, don't start doing this. Using only black keys is so lame, and the overall tonality is completely bland, as all of the "interesting" scale degrees have been removed.

Even using all WHITE keys is better, because at least that comprises two different FULL scales.

I'm no music snob--I entirely believe that people should use whatever method they can to express themselves. But there is no expression in using the black keys--it's just a way for people to put less effort into music making (it's one step above Magic Garageband and IK's dumb little iPhone thing).

[Rock Hardbuns]

It's a D# minor pentatonic scale, the blue note would be A.. I think.

[thecontrolcentre]

Using only black keys is so lame, and the overall tonality is completely bland, as all of the "interesting" scale degrees have been removed.

I don't agree ... you can make some great sounding chords using just the black keys.

[mistertoast]

All black keys = one of the pentatonic scales (not sure which key).

Is it E-flat minor?

[jopy]

It's Gb or F# major pentatonic, which has the Eb or D# minor pentatonic as a relative. Play a lot of the lowest note in the group of three black keys to get a major sound, or play the highest note in the group of two black keys to get a major sound. The conventional blue note is an A, which is the white key between the middle and the highest black note in the group of three.

[mistertoast]

It's Gb or F# major pentatonic, which has the Eb or D# minor pentatonic as a relative. Play a lot of the lowest note in the group of three black keys to get a major sound, or play the highest note in the group of two black keys to get a major sound. The conventional blue note is an A, which is the white key between the middle and the highest black note in the group of three.

"Play a lot of the lowest note in the group of three black keys to get a major sound, or play the highest note in the group of two black keys to get a major sound."

I bet one of those "majors" was supposed to be a "minor."

[Zombie Queen]

Was it this keyboard?

[robogone]

Could be an old 60s organ? I think Farfisa organs had the reverse colors.

[dark_virus]

Was it this keyboard?

[forw]

Even using all WHITE keys is better, because at least that comprises two different FULL scales.

.

it's actually 7 different scales (ionian,dorian,phrygian etc.)

[VSTJuNkiE]

That's funny, because I DO find myself palying the black keyz quite often. And it does sound good. Wierd.

[jancivil]

ANY of these five notes can be taken as the root note.

EG: Begun on C#, you happen to lack a third, which doesn't mean it isn't a 'pentatonic scale'.

[mistertoast]

ANY of these five notes can be taken as the root note.

EG: Begun on C#, you happen to lack a third, which doesn't mean it isn't a 'pentatonic scale'.

Interesting. And it's kinda fun if you try to make the blue note the root.