Daily Doings at the Line of Death Bar & Grill

As a keyboard player, former high school band member, and composer, I often "hear" or imagine lines of music in my head that are played by specific instruments. I'll say to myself, "This needs to be played by a French horn", or "A flute line would be nice here". I'll even imagine solo or counter-solo lines in other people's songs. For example, "The Lady" cries out for a cello line starting in verse 2 behind/underneath the vocals, and "Saxophone In Spring" needs a soprano sax part in the background. (Alto sax would do, but a soprano sax has a higher, brighter sound.) And I can imagine a blistering synth solo in "Cold Butcher".

This is where having a synthesizer workstation comes in very handy. I can hammer out the line on the keyboard, using an orchestral instrument sound or patch. And I can hear the sound as I imagined it. And with the right software, I can even print out a part for that instrument.

I like to play with sounds as if they are colors in a box of crayons. If I had one instrument, such as an acoustic guitar or clarinet, I'm limited to one color. But with many instruments -- or one that can closely mimic others -- that gives me more crayons to play with. I call that box of crayons my "sonic palette".

( Some of my favorite keyboard sounds )