Q: How do you feel about playing the electric piano? -- Russ Davis of MoJa Radio (in conversation with Chick, Jan. 14, 2010)

A: It's a love-hate relationship. The electric piano is a logistic beast. It's heavy. To get it really right, you have to get your own, and carry it around.

In order to do it right, because Fender Rhodes no longer makes instruments, you have to get one and keep it patched together. It's sort of like a toy instrument that you have to keep patched. So you have to hire a guy, and then you have to hire some other guys to carry that around. It becomes a logistic beast.

And to actually perform with it on stage, there's quite a few things that you have to go through with your ensemble to get the sound right. So for those reasons, it's a beast. But I love playing it. With acoustic piano, I have a way now to have a good concert grand in tune for me, real easy. We get a good blend, hardly using any monitors.

-- Chick

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Q: We are going to play your wonderful tune "Captain Señor Mouse." How did you come up with this title? - Deyssenroth

A:Hello Deyssenroth,
Well, Señor Mouse was originally just "Señor Mouse" as my Latin mouse. Then when the concept of Hymn Of The 7th Galaxy was created for the album's theme, I made my Latin mouse into a space ship captain.

That's the way titles come about sometimes.

-- Chick

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Q: What are your favorite piano brands and models and why?—Casey

A: Dear Casey,
I've enjoyed playing many different brands and models of pianos through the years. Each maker seems to have a particular idea of how to make a piano and they're all interesting. But the brands that have made their mark on the world and are mostly available as I tour around are Yamaha, Steinway and sometimes Bosendorfer. Since the '70s Yamaha has been my personal preference—at first because of the reliable service, but then, after the advent of the CF3, I preferred the touch and sound of Yamaha concert grands over all other brands.

That's not to say I don't enjoy playing well-prepared Steinways or Bosendorfers. As a matter of fact, the one concert grand piano I have owned since '81 is a Bosendorfer Imperial. It sits in my music studio along with the beautiful Yamaha CF3 that Yamaha has provided for me. Between these two lovely instruments, I have all I could ask in fine pianos.

As for models, after the larger grands, I do like to practice on good uprights. I find them sometimes backstage in my dressing rooms and like to play a bit before the show starts.

Digital pianos are very convenient for practicing and composing when an acoustic piano is unavailable. Yamaha makes great digital pianos—some light enough to travel easily.

One word about the continuing quality of pianos, though: after a piano is well designed and built and then delivered to its owner, without constant professional care and maintenance, the best-made pianos will soon start to sound worse and worse—as they go out of tune and out of "regulation." The moral of that almost-story is the basic principle that the competent piano technician is everything to the continuing quality of any piano. So my cheap advice is: find a great piano technician first, then have him help you choose and maintain any piano you buy.

Happy piano playing!

-- Chick

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Q: You are definitely one of my main inspirations with regard to my own playing. With all of the cool gear you have used over the years, what do you think of some of the newer technology?—Don

A: Dear Don,
It's fulfilling to know that my music created such a good effect on you. You're quite welcome, as it's one of the effects I prize most.

As to the newer technology you mention, I assume you're referring to keyboard, recording and audio technology in general. It's an interesting subject and often a controversial one.

I have two different opinions of electronic and computer technology used in music. I'll tell you the most important one first, as it helps me understand all else to do with technology of all kinds. It's that music's purpose is to communicate its creator's message and emotion to the listener. A favorite quote of mine from a book called Art by L. Ron Hubbard is: "Art is a word which summarizes the quality of communication." In my experience with music and artists and audiences, this has always seemed to be the basic simple purpose of music and art forms of all kinds. Even if I'm just making music for myself or for a friend, the purpose is still the same—to communicate, to create an effect—and to communicate in a way that is pleasing.

When musical instruments and computers used for music are thought of as "tools," the physical means of communication, and are used that way, then all the mechanics of techniques and technology are in their correct importance. Technology should always serve the idea or the message of the artist. When it does, it works. When the technology itself becomes the point of interest, it loses its art.

Here's 2 definitions of "instrument" from my computer dictionary:

So, an "instrument" is something that is used by the musician, and the musician's intent and message (his communication) is the guiding thing.

My second opinion about technology is that when computers and pianos and audio gear are developed with the intent to make music for people, it's the best use of "technology" I can think of. In my composing, I've come to appreciate the computer for the whole act of composing. I use Logic to put my compositions onto a computer score, as they're easily managed that way. I can edit them into any form I need.

For instance, I just took the Logic score of a Bill Evans song I'm currently playing with Hubert Laws, Eddie Gomez and Airto Moreira, and after Hubert told me that he'd like to try it on the alto flute (transposed a fourth up), I put up the piano part on my computer, transposed it up a fourth and in 2 minutes had a clean alto flute part for Hubert for the night's performance. I'm always curious about the use of synthesizers for color, and the new developments in keyboards are really very creative—with soft synths offering whole new vistas of ways to make sound.

When the musical idea comes first and the technology is chosen to support that idea and make it happen—that's when it works the best—that's when music is made.

Good luck,

-- Chick

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Q: How do you divide your time between creating and between doing things that will help the creativity come out the way you want it to?—Yakiros

A: Hi Yakiros,
Well, I basically decide what I'd like to accomplish - in 5 years, in 2 years, in 1 year, in 6 months, by next month, by tomorrow, and plan it out the best way I can. There's always a lot of teamwork with others to make things happen well, of course. Planning time is a very high ability and a good one to develop. Start with planning out 1 day—like tomorrow—of things you need to do and then get that done. Then you can stretch it out further and further into the future. You have to follow through on your initial plan.

Good luck,

-- Chick

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Q: I saw a video on the Five Peace Band website, and it's obvious that you were going for the minimalist approach: will this continue to be the case? —James

A: Hi James,
My electric keyboard rig setup is definitely a work in progress. Not having been using Rhodes, Minimoog, and synths for so many years (except for the occasional E. Band reunion) I lost touch with the developments in electric keyboard and synth technology. When I dove back in with RTF, there was so much I wanted to evaluate in such a short time that I ended up with probably an "overkill" setup—but, in the process, learned a lot about what works and doesn't work for me these days. It's certainly an ongoing creative area for instrument makers and programmers and players. Great, fun stuff!

Aside from time, the other barrier is always "cartage" when traveling on a tour—which leads me to the practical solution of trying soft synths via the laptop—MainStage, Logic, Spectrasonics, Absynth, etc. And, in fact, there's a whole other world of sound and facility available there, too. So, it's A Work In Progress—and probably will continue to be. But, so far, no software sounds have fully been able to replace the richness of the acoustic piano, Rhodes or Minimoog—but, each year they're coming closer and closer.

All the Best,

-- Chick

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