Rick Beato 2 - Rick Wakeman: What People Get Wrong About YES
Rick explains the process of setting drawbars on a Hammond organ to achieve a desired sound, including creating a balance between different harmonics and adjusting volume for distortion. He emphasizes the importance of improvisation in music, sharing anecdotes about how solos can become fixed parts of songs over time. Rick recounts experiences with live performances, highlighting the use of 'stepping stones' in solos to maintain structure while allowing for improvisation. He also discusses the technical challenges of maintaining vintage organs and the benefits of modern sampling technology for live performances.
Key Points:
- Set drawbars to balance harmonics and achieve desired distortion.
- Improvisation is key; solos can become fixed parts of songs.
- Use 'stepping stones' in solos to maintain structure.
- Modern sampling technology simplifies live performances.
- Vintage organs require maintenance; modern tech offers ease.
Details:
1. 🎹 Mastering the Drawbars: Tips and Techniques
- Set the volume control on the Lesi to maximum to introduce a slight distortion, which enhances the sound quality for richer tones.
- Experiment with drawbar settings to achieve desired tonal effects, such as using the first three drawbars for a classic jazz sound or engaging all drawbars for a fuller tone.
- Understand that the drawbar settings are not one-size-fits-all; customize them based on musical style and personal preference to optimize sound quality.
2. 🎶 Harmonizing Sounds: Distortion and Keyboard Dynamics
- Utilize a mixture of different harmonics to create a rich sound texture, enhancing the depth and complexity of the music.
- Split musical elements between two keyboards to balance and enhance the overall sound dynamics, allowing for a more nuanced performance.
- Emphasize balancing the hands to create an interactive play between them, fostering a dynamic and engaging performance style.
- Include a wide array of sounds, metaphorically 'the kitchen sink,' for solo performances to fully explore the sonic range, ensuring a comprehensive auditory experience.
3. 📢 Subscribe for More: Expanding the Channel
- 87% of the viewers are not subscribed to the channel, indicating a large potential audience to convert into subscribers.
- To increase subscriptions, consider implementing strategies such as exclusive content for subscribers, clear calls to action, and showcasing the benefits of subscribing.
- Engage viewers by highlighting subscriber-only perks, such as early access to videos or behind-the-scenes content, to incentivize subscriptions.
4. 🎼 The Art of Improvisation: Jamming with Yes
- Encouraging subscribership can help attract more dream guests and grow the channel.
- Yes employed a unique approach to improvisation by incorporating a B flat note, which allowed for more creative freedom and flexibility in their music.
- Improvisation was described as being 'let out of a cage', illustrating the significant sense of freedom and creativity it provided.
- The perception of Yes's music as rigid was contrasted by their frequent engagement in jamming sessions, highlighting their flexible and creative musical process.
- Specific examples of improvisation impacted the development of songs, showing how spontaneous creativity contributed to their iconic sound.
5. 🎸 The Perils of Live Solos: Maintaining Originality
- Musicians often face challenges in maintaining originality during live solos, as audiences tend to expect exact replicas of iconic recorded versions.
- The stress of performing live can increase when the original studio version becomes iconic, leading to potential criticism if not replicated exactly.
- John, a musician known for his famous 'My Generation' solo, shared his frustration with audience expectations for precise replication in live performances.
- He noted that creativity and improvisation are sometimes stifled by these expectations, highlighting the tension between artistic expression and audience satisfaction.
- To navigate this, some musicians opt to announce or frame their performances as unique versions, setting audience expectations for live creativity.