The Fabulous School of Music

Recent Twitter Posts

Keyboard

What is a Keyboard?

An electronic keyboard or digital keyboard is a keyboard whose sound is generated or amplified by one or more electronic devices.  Electronic keyboards perhaps were most popular in the 1980’s and are closely related to 1980’s pop and New Wave music, but they are still popular today.

The first electric keyboards became popular in the 1960’s with electric organs, the mellotron and basic monophonic (single note) synthesizers like the Moog. In the 1970’s came more synthesizer manufactures and electric pianos such as the popular Fender Rhodes.  Then in the 1980’s, polyphonic (multiple note) synthesizers and digital pianos became available with digital sampling technology to reproduce the sound of each note. As keyboards became more sophisticated along with computer technology, MIDI was developed allowing multiple keyboards to be synchronized together through interface systems.  The best digital pianos have working pedals, weighted keys, multiple voices, and MIDI interfaces. Other keyboards are made to create very unique sounds or to imitate other instruments including electronic sound waves, voices, strings, horns, drums, etc.  Today there are many manufactures offering reasonably priced keyboard/electric pianos such as Casio, Roland, Korg and Yamaha.  Famous keyboardists that have helped shape the instrument are Keith Emerson of ELP, Rick Wakeman of Yes, Billy Preston and Greg Hawkes of the Cars. 

Teaching Philosophy

With five piano/keyboard teachers on the faculty of the Fabulous School of Music, we have a tremendous amount of schedule flexibility as well as several types of instruction, different books used, techniques, levels, styles and ages each teacher will take.  The approach to learning keyboards is basically the same as learning the piano.

Robert Silver has an extensive curriculum using the famous Alfred’s Prep Course Piano method course, teaches all styles and levels, includes music theory and ear training, from beginner to advanced. He prefers students 7 years old and up. Jenifer Tobiasz uses the Edna Mae Burnam technique in piano. She uses a series of three books starting from beginner to intermediate: A Dozen a Day (finger exercise book), Step by Step (reading notes) and Pieces to Play, (song book). She also focuses on music theory, including scales and chords.  Tiffany Baxter also uses the Alfred’s Prep Course Piano method for her beginner students. It is thorough and helps students build a solid base of fundamental skills.  She also supplements her lessons with scales and other books according to the students’ ability and level of interest. Both teachers accept students 4 years old and up. 

Along with the conventional exercises and method books that our teachers use, students are also encouraged by our keyboard teachers to choose the music, styles and actual pieces they would like to learn and those pieces will be added to the curriculum and worked on during their lessons.  Our teachers’ overall philosophy is that learning the keyboard should be fun and provide a creative outlet throughout the student’s life.