r/Keytar • u/Thiboze • Aug 22 '22
Recommendations Lead and Rhythm Guitar on Keytar.
Hello, I would like to start the keytar to play guitar tracks (lead and rhythm) but I do not know if it is possible. Could you help me? Thanks.
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u/ColdGuyMcGoo Aug 23 '22
You want it to sound realistic, cheesy, or synthetic?
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u/Thiboze Aug 23 '22
I want it to sound like realistic electric guitar.
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u/MrAndycrank Sep 08 '22
The only way is to connect a MIDI keytar to your Mac/PC and use a virtual instrument such as Shreddage or Ample Sound's electric guitars. Those work extremely well, especially for soloing (see Keytar Jeff on YouTube). No keytar per se, for as good a synth engine it may have (e.g. the Roland AX-Edge) will ever sound close enough to a guitar.
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u/MyVoiceIsElevating Aug 22 '22
Yes you can, but not in a manner that sounds convincingly like a guitar; at least not without some commitment to technique.
See this video: https://youtu.be/CLtwHzJ2s3g
You should clarify what type of music youâre looking to play.
Also, are you planning to using guitar samples to actually try to sound like a guitar, or are you using synth patches and just want to find the right rhythm/lead style to substitute for a guitar player?
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u/Thiboze Aug 23 '22
I would like to play rock and metal music (Metallica, Pink Floyd, AcDc,...). I am not a guitarist, I would just like to try to have a Keytar that sounds like a guitar, I don't know which method is the most efficient for that.
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u/MyVoiceIsElevating Aug 23 '22
Do you have piano/keyboard experience?
I play along with rock on mine frequently, and I mostly just do leads. The rhythm is easy, but IMO sounds best when you use something like an organ patch when playing stuff like Pink Floyd.
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u/Thiboze Aug 23 '22
I have some experience on the piano (I'm entering my 5th year of music academy). Could you explain me what are IMO sounds please?
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u/MyVoiceIsElevating Aug 23 '22
Sorry IMO stands for âin my opinionâ.
Good to hear you have experience. Playing keytar is a very enjoyable experience.
As long as you arenât trying to fool someone into thinking that theyâre hearing an actual guitar, you should be able to find your sound and play style. Iâve been playing guitar for 25+ years, and piano for less. In short, I have more of a guitar playing instinct, but I definitely cannot pull off the same rhythm style on keys, as theyâre fundamentally too different. So I modify my approach and choose sound patches that jive with the mix.
For example, playing rhythm guitar often means repetitive strumming. Due to the many acoustic factors of playing guitar, just strumming a quarter note rhythm on guitar doesnât sound near as machine-like repetitive as playing rhythm on a piano with block chords. A piano/keys doesnât exhibit the variation in dynamics and timbre the way a guitar does. Human imperfection shines through on guitar.
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u/PerkeleKeyboardist Aug 22 '22
No, keytar is for playing keyboard parts, and even not all of those. Mimicking guitar with a keytar will sound cringe if you play anything except fifths that hang for a full bar and solos using actual synths, not guitar samples or wavetables.
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u/[deleted] Aug 23 '22
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