Ableton Forum

I've been looking through the boards, but not finding any threads on this. Maybe I am missing on something.

I am interested in this: playing the Push in note mode obviously poses interesting new technical challenges.

- some things are easier (no dud notes)
- some chords are easier (you can span 5 octaves with two hands)
- some chords and note patterns are harder

I've been looking around for guidance on finger excercises and tecnnique, but other than some rather promotional stuff by Jordan Rudess I can't find much.

I would be interested in learning whether anyone has been thinking about the specific musical challenges and opportunities presented by Push as a keyboard instrument

albeit not Push specific, Jeremy Ellis has a series that should help with playing any controller pads. it will definitely help with playing in Push drum mode

previews here:
http://www.macprovideo.com/tutorial/maschine-virtuosity

When I first got push a week or so ago, i started playing with the scales function. I like it for some things, but quickly realized that I'm limited to basically playing in the same key. Everything I played become monotonous.

So a few nights ago, I switched to chromatic mode and started "noodling" around. I've focused primarly on playing single note scales, leads, etc. No chords. I've discovered that, as a true keyboard player, i'm thinking differently. I bounced it off my guitar playing buddy and he confirmed...

I'm thinking like a guitar player now.

Patterns. I'm now looking for patterns that allow me to play the "riffs" that i normally play. Since the riff is familiar to me from a melodic sense, i concentrate on reproducing that and practice. What I've also done is watch the "green lights" as I play them one way so I can "see" another way to play the same riff across a different set of pads. Lots of times I've noticed that the current way I "thought" was efficient was actually not. It's also lead to a lot of happy accidents. Then I try to mentally note "if i do this, then this happens" and stash it in my head.

I have found that I can play some things super fast. Like, way faster than I could before. Its amazing. Also, I have an SL25 Mk2 that has only 25 keys, so i'm limited as to what I can do as well. That goes out the window with Push. I can cover massive ranges with very little hand movement. If I was really into "prog rock", this would be my graceland! I can see why Rudess digs it. I've burned a few hours just ripping on lead lines.

The next thing i noticed was that if I try to concentrate on the "pattern" and not the "color", i can move through key changes with ease. So a I-IV-V progression is easy because (in my head) I think to get to the V from the I, i do a move like a Knight in chess, up 1 over 3 the IV is right above the I, so that's simple enough. So now I am working on the same riffs, but moved up into the IV and V positions.

Its a different way of thinking, and to be honest, this is the part of Push that I've been waiting for. I've become stagnant in my playing of a standard keyboard layout, and was looking forward to stretching my mind into different possibilites. I have not been disappointed. Its been fun. Chords will be much more difficult, but I'm walking before I run, so to speak.

My right forearm is sore, though. I'm not used to using the specific muscles that the Pad's require. Gotta beef up with practice

So far I am finding playing on pads (first time for me) rather interestingly different.

One has to hold the pad more strongly than they key to avoid retriggering. (I have them pretty sensitive)
It is cool that I can play across 2-3 octaves at once with one hand.
I can play various patterns easier cause more notes are close at hand. It is very fast.

So far I find the aftertouch hard to use cause it is easy to retrigger the pad when pressing and releasing AT. Aftertouch needs to be less sensitive in relation to pad triggering. Needs more experimentation still to see how much I will be able to use AT.

3 note chords are easy... easier than the keyboard. 4-5 note chords are trickier. the regular keys on the keyboard are long enough to account for ones different finger lengths. It will take some time to find chord fingerings that work on the pads and flow easily. The thumb naturally falls an octave or more below the fingers on the pads and it is awkward to reach for a pad and still get even pressure with the other fingers or prevent retriggers.

Overall I am very much liking playing the pads as an alternative to keys.

drez wrote:When I first got push a week or so ago, i started playing with the scales function. I like it for some things, but quickly realized that I'm limited to basically playing in the same key. Everything I played become monotonous.

I don't think you are limited to the same key, it just needs the right technique, you have to think about the scales button as additional keys. Yehezkel Raz shows how it can be done in the following video (from 2:06):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqbwZ4Z48Ig

He shows some other nice techniques in this video, worth to watch the whole one...

Because789 wrote:

drez wrote:When I first got push a week or so ago, i started playing with the scales function. I like it for some things, but quickly realized that I'm limited to basically playing in the same key. Everything I played become monotonous.

I don't think you are limited to the same key, it just needs the right technique, you have to think about the scales button as additional keys. Yehezkel Raz shows how it can be done in the following video (from 2:06):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqbwZ4Z48Ig

He shows some other nice techniques in this video, worth to watch the whole one...

That was a great video! He definitely did a great job, but it also highlighted the limitation. I can modulate waaaaay easier with a standard keyboard than having to reach up and press the button of wherever I need to go to. Its not a very elegant or smooth solution. The way he was playing those "key changes", there were no inversions. They were the same chord structure, just hopping from key to key. That isn't necessarily how I would modulate between keys. I use inversions all the time on standard keys. In the video he's hitting the exact same inversions everywhere. Not that its not impressive, its just a bit more "mechanical" sounding, IMO.

I definitely don't want to waste a hand movement having to press a button to switch keys. That doesn't "scale" (you see what I did there?)

Even after getting the standard play mode down, it is equally exciting checkin out the thirds mode, and even the different orientations (with or without chromatic)

Also, I noticed this in just a few videos, to avoid the peskiness of trying to hold down a key that easily retriggering on accident, I've seen people using sustain pedals the same way they would on piano.
It is a pretty effective combination

The chord patterns are very addicting for me. I like when I remember that I can hit a stairs pattern for a basic triad (root, up to left is third, up to left again fifth). Or if I make a diamond or X shape for four note chords instead of a W missing the leftmost line. (Not sure if those descriptions make sense. Sorry.)

Good thread though!

Yes, thanks for all these thoughts.

As a novice keyboard player, I think I will tend to default to chromatic mode... More of a learning curve in the short run, but much more flexibility in the long run.