[Colonel 32dll]

I just spent a great deal of time charting keys/pro keys for Faith No More’s “Falling to Pieces”.  There was no midi I could find that included the keys part, so I had to pick them out by ear and it was a tedious process.  I’m now in the middle of updating a custom and adding the harmonica part to the keys chart.  Again, I cannot find a midi that even includes the harmonica part, so I’m doing it by ear and while it’s easy to hear the notes, it’s played very fast and doesn’t repeat so I’m transcribing one note at a time. I don’t play keys myself, so the time I invest in charting the pro keys, 5-lane keys and 8 full sets of reductions is all for you guys and your friends since none of my friends play keys either. If I hand-chart keys for four songs, I can probably create an entirely new custom in the same amount of time.

 

My question is, am I wasting my time?  Should I be focusing instead on producing customs with legacy instruments and harmonies and forgetting about the keys? I know there are some die hard people who want keys no matter what, but there are probably more who don’t really care either way.  Do you play keys?  Do your friends? I enjoy the completeness of a true full band custom, but I also feel “the more songs, the better”.  What do you think?  I’ll be finishing the one I’m currently working on, but the future is uncertain.  Your opinion will help me decide.

[naginalJJ]

I play 5 lane keys but to be honest, it’s not a breaking point on whether I download a custom or not because I play all the other instruments too

[kobras]

I play 5 lane keys too (like drum, guitar, bass and vox).

But I’m not into Faith no more, so, that song doesn’t interest me.

[samjjones]

We play keys in our house, but like the others said…it’s entirely dependent on the song.  If there is a marginal keys part, and we only have 4 people playing, then we’re probably going V/G/B/D.  If it’s an Elton John or Billy Joel song, somebody is going to play keys (either 5 lane or pro…depending on the player/song).  

 

The effort is most definitely appreciated by those who play keys.  I’m afraid that doesn’t answer your question, though, which is a valid one.  I think only you can answer that, since it’s *your* time that you’re putting in.  

 

I’m presuming this is why there haven’t been a whole lot of Elton John customs created through the forum through the years ” src=”/wp-content/uploads/invision_emoticons/default_SA_smile.gif” />  Keys are undoubtedly a ton of work.

[Hetz]

I play keys. I really enjoy 5-lane keys and can do some Pro-Keys.

 

As for if they are worth your time….well I’d say if it is a song with a very prominent key part or from an artist that does lots of keys on their songs like: Elton John, Billy Joel, Paul McCartney etc…..then I and many others would definitely like them on the song. Of course, us liking them on the song, does not translate in to you having to do them or anything just to make us happy. Whatever you chose is fine by me and will enjoy whatever you put out. ” src=”/wp-content/uploads/invision_emoticons/default_SA_smile.gif” />

[anglebracket]

i play 5-lane keys, and go for pro whenever i have the option (i currently don’t own a keyboard). i always chart keys and pro keys with full reductions, but honestly anyone who’s done an all-difficulties PK chart of reasonable complexity can attest that it’s a hell of a lot of work. if you don’t feel like putting in the effort for PK, that’s completely understandable. i think 5-lane is appreciated by many people (especially because of guitar controller compatibility) but if the keys part in the song is minor, and you don’t chart it at all, not many are going to mind. personally, i’d just hate to see a song by, say, a ska band with a brass section get a custom authored without a keys part. seems a waste.

[FujiSkunk]

I play pro keys, and I am particularly grateful to those charters who take the time to do it right. ” src=”/wp-content/uploads/invision_emoticons/default_SA_smile.gif” />

[Alternity]

I play pro keys/bass/guitar in that order of preference. A chart that doesn’t have any of them is no download for me.

 

I really do apreciate people that takes the time to chart them right, as the post above said. Errors in pro keys are easily spotable when you can hear yourself, and can lead to crazyness.

[Colonel 32dll]

Errors in pro keys are easily spotable when you can hear yourself, and can lead to crazyness.

The last thing I want to do is drive people crazy and my keys-charting abilities are questionable at best. 

 

I play pro keys, and I am particularly grateful to those charters who take the time to do it right. ” src=”/wp-content/uploads/invision_emoticons/default_SA_smile.gif” />

“Do it right” – I wish I could. Some authors (most of the heavy-hitters) are fantastic keys charters.  Not me.

 

i … can attest that it’s a hell of a lot of work.

I can’t believe the time involved when you don’t have a good midi to work from and the part is complicated and partially buried. I’m giving up on the the keys in the current custom I’m working on. It’s driving me nuts and it’s just not worth it in this case.

 

If the part is obvious and relatively simple (usually meaning I have a good midi), I may chart the part to keys, but right now I’m going to devote most of my energies toward polishing and adding drums and harmonies to the customs I’m already sharing. Then I’ll start charting new customs, but ones that aren’t necessarily keys-heavy. Also, I don’t want to release songs with 5-lane only keys, so if I’m not doing the PK, I’m not doing the 5-lane.

 

Thank you all for taking some time to give me feedback, I appreciate it.  ” src=”/wp-content/uploads/invision_emoticons/default_SA_smile.gif” />

[Linos Melendi]

I’m probably one of the few who prefers charting Pro Keys over the legacy instruments. I enjoy pitch matching by ear a lot more personally.

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