How do most people use Push?
It seems like everything I read about Push is people that are slicing, launching, capturing clips, layering tracks, or something else I don't understand.
I'm using Push like a piano keyboard to play my synth in the right key, so I don't have to learn all of the sharps and flats, black keys.
If anyone else uses it, I would like to hear your ideas on how to make it work better.
I like playing saxophone on my Yamaha synth, or guitar or synth leads from the Yamaha, and triggering it with Push.
I have only been practicing it for a few weeks, but my sound is pretty choppy, not smooth. It seems hard to connect the notes.
How do you make a smooth jazzy melody using the Push as a trigger for saxophone?
Any ideas? Anyone else use Push this way, or should I just learn all of the scales on the keyboard.
Use Push 2 to play keyboards ?
Re: Use Push 2 to play keyboards ?
You're learning a new instrument... Any instrument takes years to master, and then only if you practice regularly (like every day).
Using the scale mode will do a lot of the work for you, preventing bum notes, but...
1. Playing an instrument is more than playing the correct note, there's also dynamics, timing,... expression. It takes practice to have your fingers do what you hear in your head, you want to feel how Push reacts, maybe try to understand how it reacts and to change its behaviour in the settings to better suit your playing.
2. If you use the scale mode to prevent playing 'wrong' notes, you will never truly understand music, and since you wanna sound jazzy, you'll miss out on. accidentals (out of key notes) for one. Maybe you want to give the song a change/different feel at a certain point. You'll have to learn about modulation, but how you're gonna do that without understanding the scale you're playing in?
It's a vast universe, music theory. Sure you can do the scale thing on Push, I've played guitar for 35 years without knowing music theory, and I've been using the Scale mode since Push1 ten years ago, but it's limiting yourself. I've enrolled in a local music school at my 50th birthday, and have the luck to have a piano teacher who understands what I want, what I already know (unconsciously), and takes the time to analyze the music I've written by ear, without me understanding it, and then explains what I've been doing, and how to expand it in a myriad of ways. But that's only possible if you start with the basics, understanding intervals and that stuff. It's fun to realize you're understanding things, but that can also take away the magic of your 'happy accidents' from before. But then you turn the page, and then there's other things to learn.
Or you can just noodle in the same scale, just as much fun, nothing wrong with that. But that's only a small part of the job, you still need to practice to get the right feel. There have been exceptional solo's in jazz with just one note, where it's all about timing and expression.
10 minutes a day goes a long way...
Using the scale mode will do a lot of the work for you, preventing bum notes, but...
1. Playing an instrument is more than playing the correct note, there's also dynamics, timing,... expression. It takes practice to have your fingers do what you hear in your head, you want to feel how Push reacts, maybe try to understand how it reacts and to change its behaviour in the settings to better suit your playing.
2. If you use the scale mode to prevent playing 'wrong' notes, you will never truly understand music, and since you wanna sound jazzy, you'll miss out on. accidentals (out of key notes) for one. Maybe you want to give the song a change/different feel at a certain point. You'll have to learn about modulation, but how you're gonna do that without understanding the scale you're playing in?
It's a vast universe, music theory. Sure you can do the scale thing on Push, I've played guitar for 35 years without knowing music theory, and I've been using the Scale mode since Push1 ten years ago, but it's limiting yourself. I've enrolled in a local music school at my 50th birthday, and have the luck to have a piano teacher who understands what I want, what I already know (unconsciously), and takes the time to analyze the music I've written by ear, without me understanding it, and then explains what I've been doing, and how to expand it in a myriad of ways. But that's only possible if you start with the basics, understanding intervals and that stuff. It's fun to realize you're understanding things, but that can also take away the magic of your 'happy accidents' from before. But then you turn the page, and then there's other things to learn.
Or you can just noodle in the same scale, just as much fun, nothing wrong with that. But that's only a small part of the job, you still need to practice to get the right feel. There have been exceptional solo's in jazz with just one note, where it's all about timing and expression.
10 minutes a day goes a long way...
andy
2023 Mac M2, Live 12, Push3, RME Fireface 800
2023 Mac M2, Live 12, Push3, RME Fireface 800
Re: Use Push 2 to play keyboards ?
Great advice. Yes, you are right, it takes years to learn an instrument and perfect your sound. Practice every day is a requirement.
I spent a year of college as a music major playing bass in my 20's. Then spent a year on the road in a top 40 band playing bass 6 nights a week in my 30's.
Now I am over 70 and trying to learn keyboards and Push.
The learning curve never gets and easier, it is always a mystery. There are always new challenges.
That is what makes it interesting and rewarding when you make progress.
I go back and forth between playing Push and playing a keyboard.
I am finding that Push is easier to play the right notes, but playing a synth keyboard is easier to get the right expression and phrasing.
Sometimes I find the right VST to play with Push and it sounds great.
I just can't get that smooth and connected feel with every sound.
One of the big challenges with Push is finding a sound with the right attack and release, ADSR
I spent a year of college as a music major playing bass in my 20's. Then spent a year on the road in a top 40 band playing bass 6 nights a week in my 30's.
Now I am over 70 and trying to learn keyboards and Push.
The learning curve never gets and easier, it is always a mystery. There are always new challenges.
That is what makes it interesting and rewarding when you make progress.
I go back and forth between playing Push and playing a keyboard.
I am finding that Push is easier to play the right notes, but playing a synth keyboard is easier to get the right expression and phrasing.
Sometimes I find the right VST to play with Push and it sounds great.
I just can't get that smooth and connected feel with every sound.
One of the big challenges with Push is finding a sound with the right attack and release, ADSR
Re: Use Push 2 to play keyboards ?
I had Push 2 several years ago, got frustrated with it and sold it. Now I bought another Push 2 and Yamaha keyboard.
Music theory is pretty easy for me. The Push works good on some instruments.
There are some synth sounds that it really feels easy to play. I think it is all in the attack and release.
With some instruments the sound flows out and it is easy to play.
I use the Push to trigger my Yamaha synth and really like the sax sounds, but those are hard to play and get the smooth feel.
I guess that is my question: Are other people using Push 2 to play lead instruments. What is the trick for all.
Some sounds are good, others are difficult. Is the answer that Push 2 works well on some instruments, but not all.
Music theory is pretty easy for me. The Push works good on some instruments.
There are some synth sounds that it really feels easy to play. I think it is all in the attack and release.
With some instruments the sound flows out and it is easy to play.
I use the Push to trigger my Yamaha synth and really like the sax sounds, but those are hard to play and get the smooth feel.
I guess that is my question: Are other people using Push 2 to play lead instruments. What is the trick for all.
Some sounds are good, others are difficult. Is the answer that Push 2 works well on some instruments, but not all.